I thought something was up when Ayers was playing the entire first half of the final preseason game.

Shaky back 7 + below average passing game that allows teams to stack the box vs Gurley = 6 wins

I watched the first half live on Minneapolis TV. Goff was money on the opening drive. He moved well, kept his eyes downfield and just looked like he knew what he was doing. When the starters came out after that drive he looked lost and confused. There were a couple of tipped balls at the LOS, one of them led to his INT. Receivers continued to drop the ball as well. Conversely, DT Morgan Fox was everywhere vs the Vikings backup OL. I hope that they find a way to get him on the practice squad. Perhaps they have caught lightning in a bottle with Fox, or maybe the Vikings back ups are terrible. Speaking of the Rams D, I thought that they blitzed a lot for a 4th PS game. Maybe I shouldn’t be too surprised that Williams would blitz in any game, I dunno. While many of the starters did not play, there were several regulars out there during the first quarter and Ayers played late into the 1st half if not all of the 1st half. The secondary played a lot of off coverage and gave up some yards in the process. Finally, the tackling on the Jerome Pressley TD was terrible. Unless Keenum shocks me and plays beyond what I think he can do I’m expecting another 5-7 win season from this team.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 7 months ago by canadaram.

Zooey wrote:

…not so good for Quick.

Up until now I’ve been a supporter of Quick. I thought that he looked much improved before his injury two seasons ago. He looked aggressive, he looked like he was finally playing up to his size. I was willing to give him a pass last year. After all, he had a tough injury to come back from. However, if he continues to play like he did vs. the Chiefs I do not understand how he can make the team. Furthermore, if Quick is cut that leaves Britt as the only WR who is really an outside WR at the NFL level. I’m not saying that Austin, Cooper, Spruce or Marquez can’t play outside if they have to, but it seems like WR is destined to forever be a position of need since the departures of Bruce and Holt.

I see that the Jets released Zac Stacy today. If the Rams want to replace Mason I wonder if they would go back that direction. I’m a Cunningham fan and I am encouraged by Malcolm Brown. Aside from the scouting reports that I have read I don’t know what the Rams have in Aaron Green. Anyway, sounds like there might be a spot up for grabs in the backfield.

wv wrote:

Well, u could do what i did — skip the ‘geography’ parts.

That leaves only about ten pages, btw.

lol.

Thanks for the tip. Even then I will probably have to be in a unique frame of mind to get through those ten pages.

…or bad Robinson gif.

This is the most optimistic that I have been about the offensive line in a long-long time. Granted, the bar has been set pretty low in the last decade.

wv wrote:

That finland-war-thingy seemed quite complicated. Kinda like the spanish civil war.

The region Karelia is something that I heard my mother’s family talking about while I was growing up. I never really started taking much interest in Karelia until recently. These links include some pictures of flags and coats of arms.

http://heninen.net/flags/english.htm

http://www.conflicts.rem33.com/images/Finland/wat_is_karjala.htm

• This reply was modified 8 years, 10 months ago by canadaram.

zn wrote:

If trump wins I will not move to Canada.

However, I might move Canada.

Just to be on the safe side.

Now that’s funny!

I no longer cry myself to sleep at night. So I think I’ve settled in with Goff.

Brugler on Spruce.

NELSON SPRUCE | Colorado
6011|206 lbs|5SR Westlake Village, Calif. (Westlake) 12/5/1992 (age 23) #22
GRADE 6th-7th Round
MEASUREABLES Arm: 30 | Hand: 10 | Wingspan: 72
COMBINE 40-YD: 4.69 | 10-YD: 1.63 | 20-YD: 2.72 | BP: 12 | VJ: 35 | BJ: 09’06” | SS: 4.20 | 3C: 7.09 PRO DAY 40-YD: 4.58 | 10-YD: 1.63 | 20-YD: 2.67 | SS: 4.38 | 3C: 7.20

BACKGROUND: A three-star wide receiver recruit out of high school, Spruce committed to Colorado over offers from Washington State, Northwestern and others. After redshirting in 2011, he became a starter as a redshirt freshman in 2012, recording 44 receptions for 446 yards and three touchdowns. Spruce finished second on the team in receiving as a sophomore behind Paul Richardson, finishing with 55 catches for 650 yards and four scores. He had his most productive season as a junior in 2014 with a school-record 106 catches for 1,198 yards and 12 touchdowns, earning Second Team All-Pac 12 honors. Spruce returned in 2015 as a senior and again led the team with 89 receptions for 1,053 yards and four scores, earning Second Team All-Pac 12 honors. Spruce accepted his invitation to the 2016 East-West Shrine Game, but was unable to play due to injury.

STRENGTHS: Large suction hands and provides a large strike zone for his quarterback…quick eyes to snatch and quickly survey the field…understands how to create room to work at the top of routes, using savvy hesitation and body fakes…pushes patterns to hold defenders with sharp footwork to force defensive backs off balance…tough over the middle and avoids the big hit, not allowing impending contact to disrupt his focus…physical to the ball and wins 50-50 situations with timing…not an explosive start/stop athlete as a return man, but patient with excellent vision, averaging 6.1 yards per return (32/194/0)…hardworking mindset and football is important to him…durable four-year starter and two-year team captain…highly productive and holds over 40 school records, including the Pac-12 record for career catches (294) – winner of the 2015 Buffalo Heart Award, which is voted by fans and presented to the Colorado senior who best demonstrates heart and competitive spirit of a Buff.

WEAKNESSES: Quicker than fast and lacks the long-speed to intimidate defensive backs…pedestrian size, length and functional strength and can be out-muscled in traffic…struggles to shift gears in his routes and doesn’t play with explosive traits…marginal leaper and struggles to highpoint…not a vertical threat and did most of his damage in the short-to-intermediate passing game – never averaged over 12.0 yards per catch in a season…not a consistent YAC threat with stiff body control and below average elusiveness…vulnerable vs. the jam and labors once slowed…struggles to sustain or leverage blocks.
SUMMARY: A four-year starter at Colorado, Spruce leaves Boulder with almost every receiving record, including career catches (294), receiving yards (3,347) and touchdown catches (23) – only the third receiver in school history to reach the 1,000-yard mark twice. He is an ordinary athlete with better route acceleration than pure speed, but is a natural catcher of the football and crutch for the passing game. Although he won’t create much with the ball in his hands, Spruce plays with savvy, competitive toughness and decisive routes to create separation and be a model of consistency – bottom of the roster pass-catcher who can line up at any of the receiver spots and fill in as a back-up punt returner.

Brugler on Chubb

BRANDON CHUBB | Wake Forest
6001|235 lbs|5SR Marietta, Ga. (Hillgrove) 10/21/1993 (age 22) #48
GRADE Priority Free Agent
MEASUREABLES Arm: 32 3/8 | Hand: 10 | Wingspan: 76 3/4
COMBINE N/A (not invited)
PRO DAY 40-YD: 4.68 | 10-YD: 1.62 | 20-YD: 2.75 | BP: 23 | VJ: 33.5 | BJ: 10’00” | SS: 4.22 | 3C: 6.88

SUMMARY: A two-star linebacker out of high school, Chubb was overlooked by most FBS programs, including Georgia where his father (Aaron) was a standout linebacker and 12th round draft pick in the 1989 NFL Draft – cousin (Nick) is currently a star running back for the Bulldogs. Chubb started his sophomore and junior seasons at inside linebacker, including a career-best 109 tackles and 3.0 sacks in 2014. He moved to the “BUCK” linebacker position as a senior in 2015 and led the team with 107 tackles, adding 8.5 tackles for loss to earn First Team All-ACC honors. A two-year team captain, Chubb is a team leader and carries himself like one, playing with a chip on his shoulder and never taking a play off. He isn’t a twitchy athlete, but takes decisive angles in pursuit and attacks like a freight train downhill, flashing an intense demeanor to finish ballcarriers in space. With his intangibles and overachieving attitude, Chubb has the potential to be a hidden gem in this draft.