Stories like this always help bouy my faith in humanity.

I bet Fassel used some kind of trick play to fool the ocean.

I was with Jeff Fisher last night, and the Rams are really excited about OL Jamon Brown; they think the third-rounder has Pro Bowl potential

— Gil Brandt (@Gil_Brandt) July 13, 2015

“Two decades behind America’s favourite crash based sport.”

Ha!

bnw wrote:

You were the one that interjected the word ‘debate’ into this thread. You did so twice. You also did so early in the thread while I was responding to TSRF. A few months ago a gunman killed a canadian soldier then ran into the Canadian parliament right past the room in which the prime minister was in attendance. So much for saner canadian gun control.

No one in Canada would ever argue that our gun laws prevent all gun violence carried out by the insane. We know that there are ways that people with bad intentions can get guns. That said, the vast majority of us are comfortable in the knowledge that our laws mean such incidences happen less frequently here than down south.

We used to get our American TV feed out of Duluth, MN. Lots of Vikings games every season. One time in ’77, the Vikings were playing the Rams. I saw the glorious horns the Rams had on their helmets, and I knew that it was good. Turns out it was the Mud Bowl. A learned how to handle disappointment right out of the gate.

zn wrote:

I really think Reynolds is the other guard, and IMO probably ahead of Brown.

Yes, that’s my best guess to start the season. It’d be great to see Jones stay healthy and grab a position somewhere on the line. He’s got the potential to be a pretty versatile contributor.

I say this with nothing but admiration and a hint of jealousy, this RamzFanz fellow might be the biggest Rams nerd I’ve ever come across. Right now he’s the leader in my “Rams Fan Nerd of the Year” rankings.

Fun to read that. I’m looking forward to camp reports.

He didn’t get the money that he wanted, but playing in front of a solid veteran like Rivers can only make Barksdale look better, IMO. Not playing beside a rookie, or Davin Joseph is probably going to serve him too. The San Diego climate ain’t so bad either. It’s not what he wanted, or expected, but it’s better than a kick in the pants.

Were I prone to nail biting, I would now be biting mine when thinking about the relative inexperience of the Rams current crop of offensive linemen.

zn wrote:

fwiw I corrected it.

Thanks. That also never happened when I was a kid.

Saffold back at RG. Good. I thought he was better two years ago, when he played, than he was last year. Could have been the shoulder giving him more problems last year, or it could be that he’s just a better RG than LG. It would be a very inexperienced left side in that scenario, but a Havenstein/Brown right side would have even less experience. Come to think of it, inreally hope they sign a veteran olineman of some sort. I’d prefer Barksdale, but will settle for almost any vet other than Davin Joseph.

Brugler on Claiborne:

34. IMOAN CLAIBORNE | Northwestern State 5095|189 lbs|5SR Alexandria, La. (Alexandria HS) 7/20/1992 (age 22) #18
2010: (5/0) 0/0.0/0.0/0/0 2011: Redshirted
GRADE 7th Round
MEASUREABLES Arm: 32 | Hand: 09 1/8 | Wingspan: 77 1/4
COMBINE N/A (not invited)
PRO DAY 40-YD: 4.56 | 10-YD: 1.65 | 20-YD: 2.69 | BP: 13 | VJ: 39 | BJ: 10’00” | SS: 4.58 | 3C: 7.28 PRONUNCIATION EH-mon
2012: (9/0) 2013: (11/11) 2014: (11/11) Total:(36/22)
18/0.0/0.0/3/1 37/2.0/1.0/6/2 47/2.0/1.0/11/4 102/4.0/2.0/20/7

BACKGROUND: A two-star wide receiver recruit out of high school, Claiborne committed to Northwestern State over Louisiana-Lafayette in order to stay closer to home. He moved to cornerback and played sparingly as a true freshman in 2010, seeing action on special teams, and was forced to redshirt in 2011 because of poor academics. Claiborne returned in 2012 and made an impact off the bench, recording 18 tackles, three passes defended and one interception. He became a full-time starter in 2013 as a junior and recorded 37 tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, six passes defended and two interceptions, earning All-Southland Second Team honors. Claiborne started 11 games in 2014 as a senior and finished with career-bests in tackles (47), passes defended (11) and interceptions (four), earning All-Southland First Team honors. He earned an invitation to the 2015 Senior Bowl.

STRENGTHS: Adequate muscle tone and functional strength for the position…above average length to match up with bigger targets…disrupts routes in press coverage with a mug-and-tug mentality at the line of scrimmage…stonewalls receivers off the snap to disrupt routes and destroy offensive rhythm…coordinated footwork in small spaces…finds the football fast when he gets his head turned…playmaking instincts when the ball is in his stratosphere, using a large catching radius and ballskills to attack – seven career interceptions, averaging 10.6 yards per return…extensive special teams experience…good head on his shoulders with improved work ethic and strong family roots – fiancée (Ashlee) and two-year old daughter (Addison).

WEAKNESSES: Shorter than ideal with a limited frame to add bulk…routinely a step behind and lacks ideal make-up speed to recover after burned…ordinary burst and doesn’t show multiple gears in his movements…leggy and upright in his pedal and doesn’t look comfortable moving in reverse…undisciplined eyes and doesn’t recognize routes, allowing too many comebacks and underneath completions…doesn’t have the quick-thinking reflexes to collect himself and drive…too physical downfield and doesn’t have a great feel for what he can get away with…inexperienced in off-coverage, playing mostly zone and press-man in college…forced to redshirt in 2011 due to poor academics…minor durability concerns, missing one game as a senior with a spleen injury (Oct. 2014) after he took a shot to the abdomen.

SUMMARY: A baseball player growing up, Claiborne didn’t start playing football until high school and had only two years of experience before college, choosing Northwestern State over other offers in order to stay close to his mother, who has heart problems. He was considered a better wide receiver as a recruit, but had the physical nature needed for cornerback and moved to defense for the Demons, starting the past two seasons. Claiborne lined up mostly in press coverage and was asked to jam and bail, but did his best work when he played nose-to-nose at the line of scrimmage and used his length and aggression to disrupt receivers. While he can locate quickly with ballskills when he turns, he still doesn’t have a great feel at the position downfield and will need to make a living on special teams while he develops on defense – late round player.