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Billy_TParticipant2nd half swoon 4 games in a row simplest explanation is conditioning
Possible, but a huge part of it was time of possession. They were gassed yesterday in large part because they couldn’t stop long drives. The D was on the field way too much.
Of course, it may be a chicken and egg thingy, cuz that might have been because of lack of conditioning.
I haven’t checked time of possession for the other games. Was that a common denominator?
Billy_TParticipantPositives: It was great to see Kupp come back, and once he’s truly healthy, the Rams will have a crazy good wideout room. They don’t even need Jefferson any longer to manage that, and I hope they can trade him.
Witherspoon is a keeper.
I also think Turner will be good, but he needs a hogmolly nose tackle to help him out — as does Donald.
Young, I hope, gains some good weight too. He’s among the fastest linebacker/edges in football, and appears to be a very good pick for the Rams. But, again, as others mentioned already, he needs to wrap up on tackles. In the NFL, just “hitting” the ball carrier often won’t cut it.
Fun to watch my team again, not just the highlights.
Billy_TParticipantIt was good to see the entire game, “live.”
As others have mentioned, the Rams hung in there early, but just couldn’t maintain. In my view, it really boils down to a lack of size/strength along the D-line to stop the run, and athleticism/skill at edge and defensive back to stop the pass. Hoecht, for instance, is playing out of position, and just lacks the bend, agility, and twitch to cover anyone. But he also lacks the strength to be stout along the D-line. In my view, the Rams need to push him to beef up with good weight and move back to DT. As long as their scheme calls for edges to also cover, they need quick twitch athletes out there who can. They desperately need to keep their draft picks and load up on blue-chippers on D, and the O-line, especially.
IMO, rhey’ve had far too many years without top picks, and the late pick/UDFA route has just left them without the overall athleticism/skill sets needed to compete.
I agree with this take from Turf Show Times:
https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2023/10/8/23908958/rams-eagles-roster-defense-offense-sean-mcvay
Billy_TParticipantOther thoughts:
The announcers kept saying they needed to help Thomas out at LT, and that never seemed to happen. I’ve been calling for the Rams to use extra linemen for years . . . at least an extra TE. They needed to do that and run the ball more . . . but, given what we’ve learned about Williams’ excess snaps, they really need to mix in other backs.
Disappointed that Zack Evans hasn’t even suited up. Thought he might potentially surprise this season, in a positive way.
Also wish the Rams could find a battering Ram runner. Just get bigger, more physical, create mismatches all over the place. Can’t help but see the current team as a bit too light, and not powerful enough. Want them to dominate, across the board. Not finesse it. Avila is a nice step in that direction. But they need to make that happen all over the place.
I don’t think the Rams have ever surpassed the dominance on the O-line and front seven from the late ’60s thru the early ’80s. On D, especially before the Deacon left, etc . . . but they were really tough all through the ’70s.
Back then, they were usually one play-maker short of winning it all, or a QB. But in this century, it’s usually been the trenches where they fell/fall short.
Hope I live long enough to see a return to ’60s, ’70s, and early ’80s physicality.
Billy_TParticipantI kinda figured you knew all about the whats and wherefores.
How is the technical quality? And did you get the Ticket back in the DirecTV days? Contrasts, comparisons, etc.?
Billy_TParticipantI’m fine with what i saw from the Rams. That game could have gone either way, and thats about as good as I could have hoped given the talent/youth situation. I think Cincy is a very talented team, despite their record, and they wanted it bad. This team does not look like a bad team, or a poorly coached team, or a non-motivated team. Looks scrappy, tough, and a bit outmanned, is all. Record wont be that great, but what i hope for is improvement, no injury to Stafford, or Donald, and each week brings us closer to more cap room, and more talent next year. w v
I agree with pretty much all of that. Well-coached overall, motivated, try-hard guys, with heart. But I think some sports pundits have overdone the Rams’ youth thingy. They’re actually not the youngest team. That’s the Packers — unless things changed after August 30th. Cincinnati, ironically, is right behind the Rams (25.3 to 25.4).
The Rams tend to draft older rooks than most teams, so even though they likely have the most first year guys in the league, they’re not the youngest team. Close, etc. But not quite.
https://www.si.com/nfl/packers/news/packers-are-young-really-young-after-roster-c
Btw, in the other thread, I noticed you have Roman Gabriel’s Player of the Year book. So do I. I think it was the first sports book I ever bought on my own. He’s still my favorite Rams QB. Should have won an Oscar for his role in The Undefeated, too. At least that’s what I thought at the time.
;>)
Billy_TParticipantI am under the impression that YouTube IS Sunday Ticket now. I don’t know what Gamepass is. I don’t know what anything is. I’ve always watched over local broadcasts, or streamed it from Moldovia, or something. I hate this. When I was a kid, I used to pull in 3 different stations that would broadcast games, and they had local control, meaning that different stations in the same network did not necessarily show the same game. It was up to the local station. So I saw the Rams every week. And there were still plenty of commercials, and I believe everyone involved still got fed. But now, you know, you’ve got Kirk Freaking Cousins pulling in $40 million/year, so that money has to come from somewhere. All of which you know. Everybody knows. And I hate it. I wish games were pay-per-view, I guess. And that’s not a sentence I ever would have said at any time in the past 40 years, but this sucks.
Apologies if you actually do know all of this:
Sunday Ticket is an add-on. Google purchased it from the NFL for a coupla billion, if memory serves. So they actually increased the price tag (for customers) over what it was when DirecTV had it, which was how I accessed it in the past. Google, via Youtube, is charging something like $300 for the service, on top of what you’re paying for the regular streaming TV, which, I think, is $70?
Before AT&T bought DirecTV, I could count on getting the Sunday Ticket for “free” every year. I’d just call into Retention and say I was cancelling the regular TV service, and we’d haggle a bit, and then they’d give it to me for free. Again. It wasn’t a bluff, so I thought that was fair. I was perfectly willing to follow through and cancel, fer real, etc. AT&T did that for a coupla years, too, but then stopped allowing it, so I dropped the service altogether.
So, basically, you can have Youtube streaming TV and not get the Sunday Ticket. If you have the Ticket, your bill is gonna be $300 higher, give or take.
Billy_TParticipantZooey,
I agree about all those streaming services. Far too many. Twas, basically, a bait and switch for consumers.
Since you went with Youtube, did you also go for the Sunday Ticket?
As an East Coaster, without the Ticket, I’m back to the bad old days of seeing the Rams, perhaps, four games a year. When they’re a contender, it’s more, of course.
NFL Gamepass seems to have raised their prices. Hoping they discount soon for a partial season. Despite the likelihood of a tough year, I’d like to see the Rams more than a few more times in 2023 . . .
Billy_TParticipantIt was good to see a full game for the first time this year. But it was also a very frustrating watch. Started out with a lot of hope, then fell apart.
I don’t think Stafford looked sharp, though much of that was due to lack of protection. The Rams don’t have the depth at O-line to handle injuries — an indictment, in my view, of poor team-building over the last few years. No 1st rounders since 1865 means almost no shot at lock-down LTs, and definitely hurts them regarding the cap (5-year contracts, etc.) . . . I think it’s hurt the team all over the place, of course, including the D. In my view, the Rams, especially on D, look like a team with a lot of late-rounders and UDFAs, coached up well, by quality staff . . . but just not enough team-athleticism to really harass game-changers on offense.
I had hoped Hoecht, for instance, would be able to make the switch to edge, but it looks like he just lacks the requisite athleticism, bend, agility, etc. to play there. They need to move him back to the D-line rotation, and play Hampton instead. Scour practice squads, waiver wires for diamonds in the rough, and use early picks next draft on that position. Young has the desired traits on the other side, but I noticed he seems kinda hesitant. Not sure if he’s just doing what he’s told, or if that’s his game. But he seemed a step slow on his get-off, despite his 4.4 speed.
I’m feeling much better about Atwell as receiver. He seems to be able to handle contact, fight for the ball, and win, and there was no one on the Bengals who could run with him, except their rookie DB, Turner (4.26). He brings excitement to the Rams O . . . Will be interesting to see what they can do with Atwell, Nacua and Kupp. Jefferson seems like a shadow of his former self. My guess is the Rams try to trade him a la Akers before the season is over.
Liking Kobie as well. He’s relatively small, like Donald, but he’s smart and has heart. I think they might have someone there.
Overall, as others have noted, not a good gameplan on offense, and Morris doesn’t have a lot to work with on D, except players who really want to play. That’s a good foundation, but it’s not enough in the NFL. You need heart and athleticism. The Rams have the former, not enough of the latter.
Billy_TParticipantI hated that uniform change when it came out. I still prefer the blue and whites, but I would take that 50-year old uniform over anything they’ve worn in the past 20 years.
I prefer the blue and whites as well. But where the Rams really screwed up was with the helmet change. The horns were truncated beyond redemption. Should have led to a revolution a la 1848/1871/1968. Should just be flat out against the law, along with shaky cams and TV shows that preach bootstrapping mythologies. And shrinking “half gallon” ice cream containers, etc.
Billy_TParticipantThe Jets, man. I would hate to be a Jets fan. They are in worse shape right now than Seattle. Like Seattle, they entered with season with high hopes, and Rodgers is gone. The final piece to their puzzle was wiped out on the opening drive. A 40-year old QB with a 2-year $75 million guaranteed deal. He might be ready for next year. Maybe. He’s 40. Achilles. It’s bad. For myself, part of me is giggling, but part of me misses the storyline that everyone just got robbed of. Aaron Rodgers will be just fine, but his opportunity to “pull a Brady” is gone. And the Jets gave up a 1st and two 2nds, and something else for him. Sux to be a J-E-T-S fan.
Wasn’t it ex-Ram, Leonard Cohen — you know, the author of “Hallelujah!” — the edge who did him in?
I’m not a fan of Rodgers. He’s a jerk, IMO, especially when it came to the pandemic. But I didn’t want to see him go out in the first game.
Lotsa talking heads were saying the Jets might call the Rams again about Stafford. With MS playing so well this past Sunday, the price has likely gone up.
Would you trade Stafford to the Jets at this point?
If the Jets offered Sauce Gardner, Jermaine Johnson, and their 1st next year, I think I would.
Billy_TParticipantI only saw the highlights, so have no idea about the flow of the game. But the score and the stats at least tell me the Rams were really good in protecting Stafford, and it looks like they have the needed receiver depth to weather the Kuppless storm.
Also noticed that Tutu looks bigger, as does Kyren Williams. They’ve added good weight, and it’s helped their game.
As others have already said, it’s just the first game, but this is obviously an excellent start. Makes my earlier doom and gloom comments seem, well, too doomy and gloomy.
If they beat the Niners next week — arguably the best team in the NFC going into the season — the Rams may well be for real. At the very least, a win would really help the Rams believe in themselves, and that’s essential for a young team.
Billy_TParticipantWV,
I can see 7-10 too. But I think 3 to 6 wins are more likely.
Btw, does the 17 games figure strike you as a cosmic crime of sorts? Just hate even the look of 7-10 or any combo thereof.
Personally, would rather see 14 games. But the players never should have agreed to more than 16. The future, most likely, is 18. While that’s far too many games, it at least has some balance and sense to it, home and away games, etc.
Hope all is well.
Billy_TParticipantIt’s my view that the Rams didn’t have to be this bad, potentially. They put themselves into Cap Hell, and had to cut vets, some of whom were still in their rookie contracts. They got less athletic, far less stable, and if their rationale was to just get ready for 2024, I don’t see this as the wise first step.
Saw this today, and it bothers me, if true:
Jets tried trading for Matthew Stafford before acquiring Aaron Rodgers
A little confusing as to whether any terms were discussed, but it sounds like the Rams stopped the inquiries before they could even get to that point. To me, that’s just flat out nutz. Stafford is very good when healthy, but he’s also taken an enormous pounding over his career, and he’s an old 35. If I’m the Rams, I at least give the Jets a full hearing. See what they’d be willing to give up, and how much of his contract they’d be willing to take on. What could be the harm? They could just say No if the terms are lousy. But to shut things down even before that?
Anyway, I’m not sanguine about this season. Someone else on the board said their way of coping was to focus on individual accomplishments in down times. That makes sense. Most of us are long-time diehards, and we’ve seen our share of down years. That’s probably how most of us cope. But aside from AD, not sure we’ve got a lot of that happening in 2023. Perhaps Jones makes the Pro Bowl? And I think Young will flash from the edge. Avila will probably be overlooked by all-star voters, but he should have a good year. I’m guessing he makes a few Pro Bowls soon enough. The punter? He’ll be one of the hardest working players in the league, and he seems like a goodin’.
Not the year to try Youtube’s NFL ticket, most likely.
Hope you and yours are well, Zooey.
Billy_TParticipantStrange. This will be the third of three preseason games televised here.
Unfortunately, I’m guessing I won’t be able to see them much in the regular season. Hope I’m wrong. But it looks like a long wait between full-game encounters in 2023. Will have to make do with highlights and so on. Perhaps later in the year, when prices fall, NFL Gamepass.
Big change from the days when I had Directv Sunday Ticket, and could get it for free.
Billy_TParticipantPossibly the best move made so far this off-season. I also like the pickups of Witherspoon and Robinson.
Concur. How’s the health, Billy? Been a while since I’ve seen an update.
Thanks for asking, Zooey. All things considered, doing fine. In remission still, as far as I know. Though I’ve been beset lately by dental issues. I guess if we live long enough, everything falls apart!
;>)
But back to the cancer stuff for a moment. I am a bit bothered by recent changes at the oncology center.
Relatively new doc, and a new philosophy, sorta. I joked with my GP (after my most recent oncology visit) that it seems like the self-service model has infected the medical field too. Basically, they want me to let them know if something’s wrong, rather than do the usual tests. I asked them about CT scans, PETscans, etc. etc. and they said No need, until or unless I notice something wrong. Have been with them now for 20 years, and in the past they were more proactive. Wonder if this is a trend around the country?
Hope you and yours are well. Again, appreciate the ask.
Billy_TParticipantPossibly the best move made so far this off-season. I also like the pickups of Witherspoon and Robinson.
Wish SF, the Jets, and Tampa would all lose their minds and cut Bosa, Sauce Gardner, and Wirfs, respectively. The Rams swoop them up and are back in business!
:>)
Billy_TParticipantThat’s pretty cool, Joe and Zooey. Admirable, too. How much land do you guys have? Is it naturally fertile, or did you have to bring in special soil, etc.?
Have always wanted to grow my own (organic) food, but have just never gotten around to it. I have a relatively small yard, and the soil isn’t so great here, but some of my neighbors have nice gardens. It can be done, and I really should give it a shot.
When I was much younger, I fantasized about having thousands of acres one day, a gazillion trees, a small organic farm, and give away surplus. A small dairy, too, for fresh eggs, butter, milk, ice-cream, and yogurt . . . plus a huge, exceptionally clean lake and stock it with fish and fowl. Wanted to be able to avoid grocery stores, if at all possible. And as my fantasies evolved, they also included really going back to Nature and pre-capitalist modes to make my own tools, and avoid plastics of any kind — to the degree possible. I’d have lotsa horses, too. Old-fashioned horse and carriages for guests, as well.
This and that got in the way, especially a fairly important element: lack of money.
Oh, well, maybe in the next life.
Billy_TParticipantGood to see Nacua doing well. Would be great if he outperforms his draft slot, and his predraft positioning. None of that will mean a thing if he does well, nor will his rather mediocre testing. Really encouraging so far.
His play on Sundays, of course . . . and all the other days the NFL has these poor guys playing . . . :>) is all that matters.
I agree that Avila is likely the best bet of all, and it also looks like the Rams found at least three top flight specialists. I’m also looking forward to seeing Evans (RB) give Akers a run for his money, and Allen to aid Stafford and company, especially in the Red Zone. The latter’s relatively slow (tested) speed becomes almost irrelevant on a short field, where his height, great vert, and solid record of winning contested catches will take over.
Overall, the Rams are probably in the 5-7 win range this season, with the best case, “we’ll show you!!” 8-9 wins.
I agree with the current conventional wisdom: this is all about 2024.
Billy_TParticipantI thought your point was the quick switch from a tragedy to the sports desk. A sign of the emptying out of sympathy and empathy for a fellow human and her family. Her being two makes the tragedy far worse, of course. I think I just misread you.
Oh, sure. You want me to believe there was miscommunication on the internet. Nice try, Billy, but you’re not getting away with that.
Well, on second thought, you’re just upset cuz we now know you hate puppies, The Beatles, and Willie Mays.
Billy_TParticipantThanks, ZN.
Billy_TParticipantWell, my point is…where’s the story? What is the purpose of literally ONE sentence saying a 2-year old girl was killed by Russians? That’s not a news story. It is literally not a “story” at all. It’s simply a one sentence reminder that Russia is terrible. That’s 100% all that is. And now…the sports desk….
I thought your point was the quick switch from a tragedy to the sports desk. A sign of the emptying out of sympathy and empathy for a fellow human and her family. Her being two makes the tragedy far worse, of course.
I think I just misread you.
Billy_TParticipantI was working in the garden this morning, and I tuned into NPR for a bit. The top of the hour news had this little bit in it: Something about the debt ceiling stuff. Followed by one sentence that said, “The body of a two-year old girl was recovered from a Russian strike in Ukraine this morning.” And the very next sentence was something about Game Two of the NBA finals tonight. Of course, two-year old girls die all over the planet every day. I know everyone on this board knows this, but it’s sometimes just amazing how little effort the public opinion manipulators even put into trying to cover their tracks. They know the vast majority of people aren’t paying critical attention to anything.
I mentioned the Jonathan Crary book in another thread, but some things he talks about go directly to what you’re saying. I think capitalism itself has done a major number on our ability to feel empathy and sympathy toward one another, but Crary, with the help of key intellectuals, past and present, makes the point that the Digital Age has done extra damage within the context of “late capitalism.” That its essence is to anesthetize us, separate us into our own little consumerist/private worlds, where nothing is really ever private at all. That we’re losing our ability to be human, as we talk with machines, through machines . . . as I’m doing now! etcetera . . . instead of face to face.
Hard to do the book justice in just a few words here. But I think he makes excellent points throughout. If we don’t radically downsize, degrow, and wean ourselves from the current system entirely, I don’t think humanity is going to make it very far into the next century.
Billy_TParticipantCrary is married to an old girlfriend of mine. We broke up in 83 and she met him later that year. They’ve been married 38 years. She and I are still distant, occasional contact friends.
That’s pretty cool.
I finished it today, and am thinking about trying to contact him via email, though that would be rather ironic, given the focus of his book.
;>)
Devastating and necessary critique of capitalism, with a focus on the Internet and digital culture overall. He takes a dissenting position from those who tout its ability to bring disparate groups together, and sees it as doing the opposite, and much worse. Actually atomizing, separating us, segregating us, and alienating us even further than was already the norm under capitalism before the digital age.
And he gets granular about this all too, getting into biometrics, eye scans, etc. etc. I knew a lot of that already, but hadn’t really thought of it within the context he presents.
About the only quibble I have with the book, and it’s not a big one, is that I think he uses too many “As the philosopher X said . . .” It’s so filled with the thoughts of others (relevant, brilliant others); I would have rather heard more uninterrupted sections in his own words.
Will add some more thoughts about this tomorrow.
Also: I borrowed it from my library in ebook form. It’s likely pretty easy for you guys to get as well. I highly, highly recommend it.
Billy_TParticipantBest way to manage a cap, avoid dead money, and still win? Take advantage of rookie contracts, especially the QB’s. Don’t redo them early, just cuz it feels good at the time.
Same goes for “core” veterans. I can understand Donald’s contract redo, cuz I think he really would have retired, even a few years ago, without it. He had radically out-played that contract. But I would have waited on Kupp, and definitely wouldn’t have backed up the proverbial truck for Stafford.
Those contracts forced the Rams to dump good players this offseason, like Wagner, Ramsey, A’Shawn, Scott, Gaines, and Floyd. I think they’re a better team if they keep ’em, especially the first four, and I’m betting they woulda if they had had the cap room . . .
Of course, if they had just listened to me on every facet of the game, they would have won every Super Bowl from 1967 to the present!
;>)
Billy_TParticipantUsing a 1st on running backs now is frowned upon, but I think they have more value overall than a receiver. The downside, obviously, is they have shorter careers.
Just taking off and running (so to speak) with that point. I agree with the sentiment that a 1st round RB isn’t worth it really. But then this discussion reminds me of people who have said you can wait for a back in the lower rounds (after the 3rd). (You did not say that, this is not addressed to you personally BT, just me thinking out loud.) I’ve done the numbers on that before…and, your chances of getting a starting RB after rounds 2 and 3 go way down. Yet having said that, the Rams have 3 backs in camp that could pan out, and they’re all either low picks or a UDFA. This is 3 guys after Akers of course, who as we know was a 2nd rounder. They are Evans (round 6 23), Wms (round 5 22), and T.Evans (UDFA 23). I don’t think it’s a stretch to think one of them will come through. …
You make good points. Can’t argue with any of it.
I posted a similar break-down earlier, can’t remember when or where, of the best rounds for each position. If memory serves, running back was one of the few where 2nd and 3rd rounds were actually better than the 1st. For most positions, the first round was the best, but not all. If you can remember where I posted that, please let me know.
I feel good about the Rams running backs now, after the Evans pick. We won’t know until Sundays, of course, but right now I’m thinking they got a steal there. Don’t know what to think yet about Williams, but I can admit to a bias against rather slight runners who run in the 4.6 to 4.7 range. Testing isn’t destiny, obviously. But I think it can give us a basic idea, relative to other backs. They ran under the same conditions, after all. Would be another issue entirely if the Combine had some players run in full gear, and others in gym clothes.
Anyway, I was just thinking out loud too, regarding a general idea of best way to maximize a 1st. If the player is just crazy good, a match-up nightmare, and has Aaron Donald type drive and intangibles . . . those theories go out the window. I’d run up to the stage and hand the Commish the player’s card, etc.
Billy_TParticipantPersonally, I’m not a fan of drafting a wideout in the 1st or 2nd round, unless they’re truly special, match-up nightmares. That usually means big, fast, quick, explosive, great hands, great at contested catches, and can block. That doesn’t happen often, and there were no receivers like that this year. None of the guys who went in the 1st checked all of those boxes. I think Jonathan Mingo (2nd round, #39) is close, but he’s not super-fast, at 4.46, and not exceptionally tall, at slightly under 6’2.” I think he has the makings of a really good receiver, and I wish the Rams had drafted him, but not with a 1st rounder.
For me, the main reason I’d avoid spending a top pick on a wideout is cuz they don’t impact the game on every play, or most plays, like a lineman or a QB. Even a running back has more touches. Probably twice the number, at least. Using a 1st on running backs now is frowned upon, but I think they have more value overall than a receiver. The downside, obviously, is they have shorter careers.
Anyway, I’m very glad they didn’t trade up for another wideout. I would have been less opposed if they had grabbed a plug and play LT. But the pickings there were slim by the time #25 came around, if that was the move-up point. They also tend to give up too much in those trade up scenarios, and they didn’t have much draft capital to give.
Billy_TParticipantCertainly by some measures, he was the ‘best NFL player, ever’. For starters, i dont know of any NFL player that created so much distance between the best and the second best player. Seemed like there was a consensus he was the best, and the second-best was nowhere in sight of Jim Brown. w v
That’s a good point. The distance between the next best.
One could argue a few “might have beens.” Like, if Dickerson had actually visited the gym once or twice, he might have elevated from all-time great to the best ever. I loved his game. A true wonder to watch, at least when he was a Ram. :>) But he basically relied on his incredible size/speed/power combo, as is. No real attention paid to working out, at least not consistently. And he played a few years too long too.
Sayers is another. Terrible, career-ending injuries. But he didn’t have Brown’s size. I think Sayers was 6′ 200. Extremely fast, with great moves, in the Sanders realm (though more fluid). But not as powerful as Brown.
Sad that the position seems to have been devalued in recent years.
May 20, 2023 at 9:08 am in reply to: previews, forecasts, predictions, roster guesses…from June on #144209Billy_TParticipantIn my view, the Rams overall strategy was a bit confusing. In one sense, it was the strategy of a team without many holes on the roster, which is clearly not this team. In another sense, it was the strategy of a team that has basically taken a red-shirt year in 2023, waiting for 2024 to get here as soon as possible. Far too quick, IMO, to dump young players from recent draft classes, without compensation, and far too quick to move on from key vets they just brought in, especially Wagner. And, yes, they were in Cap hell and had to make cuts. But several of the players they let go were still in rookie contracts, or signed for “reasonable” dollars with other teams. Nick Scott and D’Shawn Robinson come to mind, especially.
Anyway . . . I’m still pulling for them, but I don’t really feel the need to agree with their actions, or their language regarding where they are. To me, this is clearly a rebuilding year, with more than a hint of desperation attached. “Remodel” or whatever the current term is . . . it’s FA spin, as far as I’m concerned.
And while we’re at it, get off my lawn!!
;>)
May 20, 2023 at 8:50 am in reply to: previews, forecasts, predictions, roster guesses…from June on #144208Billy_TParticipantI don’t want this to be true, obviously, but I think this assessment of their off-season is accurate, and it doesn’t say good things about 2023:
Rams earn grade of D- for departure-filled offseason
Cameron DaSilva
May 19, 2023 10:32 am PTThere isn’t a team in the NFL that has made fewer additions this offseason than the Los Angeles Rams. That’s because they still have yet to sign a single free agent. The only non-draft additions to this roster are Hunter Long, who was acquired in the Jalen Ramsey trade with the Dolphins, and Vincent Gray, who was claimed off waivers from the Saints this week. That’s it.
On the flip side, they’ve lost Ramsey, Leonard Floyd, Bobby Wagner, Allen Robinson, Nick Scott, Greg Gaines, A’Shawn Robinson, Taylor Rapp, David Long Jr. and David Edwards. See the contrast?
In no way did the Rams get better this offseason. That doesn’t mean they won’t have a better record than they did in 2022, but the roster itself has certainly not improved.
Gilberto Manzano of Sports Illustrated has been unimpressed by the Rams’ moves this spring and he appropriately gave them a terrible grade on his NFC West report card. He gave the Rams a D- for their offseason so far, expecting another losing season from Los Angeles.
Outside of creating cap space for next season, the Rams didn’t do much for this year’s team. McVay will likely use the underdog role to motivate his inexperienced roster, and they’ll probably win a few games with Stafford, Kupp and Donald still there. Perhaps the rookie class will show enough flashes throughout the season to become building blocks for the future. But expect the Rams to endure back-to-back losing seasons after winning the Super Bowl, as they might find themselves in the race for Williams and Maye by Halloween.
The Rams aren’t necessarily looking to compete this season. They’re using 2023 as a reset year before likely getting more aggressive next offseason with an abundance of cap space and a first-round pick (yes, really!). Of course, they could choose to trade that first-rounder for a proven veteran as they have so many times before, but with their new shift in mentality from the “F them picks” era, they’ll probably hold onto that pick.
If they’re bad enough in 2023, they could even find themselves in contention for the top two quarterbacks, Caleb Williams or Drake Maye, as Manzano mentioned.
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