Raiders just grabbed the Browns’ second pick in the 4th and took Connor Cook. Cook’s gotta be bummed. He has to know that he likely isn’t competing for a starting gig.

zn wrote:

And besides, Fisher did say directly that the contract didn’t matter.

That’s exactly my point in saying that the Rams were just seeking a more “normal” situation at QB. One that didn’t necessarily mean having a backup that represented a long term solution should Bradford go down again. And, for what it’s worth, I think roughly $65 million over four seasons might suggest that Bradford had “made his money”, and could’ve considered taking a bit less. I have read that Bradford, in fact, was willing to renegotiate. Don’t know the viability of that report, but there it is. I think the Rams just felt that it was time to move on from a very tenuous situation and the offer of Foles in making that a reality was just something that they couldn’t pass up.

I think Jackson was that. I think a personality like Jackson’s would go a long way on a team like the Rams. I’ve said many times that someone like Ray Lewis could make a real difference. Like him or hate him, he nurtured teammates and demanded focus and effort from them. These are areas that I think the Rams are very inconsistent in. It’s not something that is easy to find. Examples of this are few. I would tend to think that it will be a few seasons before we see anything like that in a Rams’ uniform. If then.

I don’t think so. I think that is one of their biggest downfalls. We always talk about how the Rams commit the same mistakes over and over again, but there isn’t anyone in the huddle to hold their feet to the fire. There is no one in the locker room willing to assume the alpha position. They need it desperately. But I don’t see it one the horizon. Maybe Aaron Donald will be that guy. But, honestly, I don’t see that role being filled any time soon.

I’m not sure what all the fuss over an open air stadium is. Domes are in a very small minority in the NFL. Open air stadiums in colder weather areas have worked for decades. In Kansas City, Denver, Green Bay, Cincinnati, Cleveland, and others, they’ve been playing football outdoors throughout NFL history and it has worked fine. And it would be fine in St. Louis, too.

I think taking Petty at No. 10 would certainly be a risky pick. Maybe a trade down to pick up an extra pick, but the dilemma with Petty is getting to be pretty common given the nature of the college game these days. Quarterbacks have always had to be taught to play the game “the NFL way” coming out of college, but never more than now. The differences between the college game and the pro game have never been greater overall than they are now. Teams not only have to evaluate the quarterback on a physical level, but now have to determine what their capacity for learning a very different game is going to be. I think the NFL is going to have to consider a developmental league to develop their quarterbacks or they are going to have to make the adjustments in their offensive systems to accommodate the skill sets that the college quarterbacks bring with them to the league. The number of college programs that still utilize anything resembling a pro style system is rapidly shrinking and those quarterbacks are in shorter and shorter supply.

I have long believed that building an offensive line was essential to a successful offense. I think the absolute key to developing a strong offensive line is continuity, which is something the Rams have sorely lacked for a very long time. I don’t believe that you have to have Hall of Famers at every single position. You don’t have to have great offensive linemen to have a great offensive line. You have to draft wisely. They have to have an aptitude and determination for their craft. But they absolutely have to be together for an extended period of time. That’s what the Rams need to shoot for. That’s what will give them the best chance to succeed offensively.

The Rams numbers are inflated by some horrendous performances early in the season. Are the other defenses still better than the Rams? Perhaps, but the gap has closed significantly throughout the season and I tend to believe that the Rams’ defense is on a pretty good par with the 49ers right about now. The Seahawks and Cardinals are just a cut above right now. And maybe we’re looking at different charts, but NFL.com places the Cardinals at 14th in the league in yards allowed per game at 350, with the Rams 10th at 340. If you remove all of the turnovers that the Rams have committed that were returned for touchdowns (which is seven or eight, I believe), then their points allowed are much more comparable to the others as well.

• This reply was modified 10 years ago by HighPlainsDrifter.

“At any rate, what is the ‘point’ of telling Demoff
or Fisher they are gonna give a salute to the troops,
or pray, or give the hands up gesture ? What is
the point of informing the boss about that?

I mean, i know they can if they want to, but
why should they feel ‘obligated’ to ?”

I guess the “point” would be simply a matter of courtesy. I don’t believe anyone said that the players had any obligation to inform team of their intentions. I do, however, feel that it would have been a show of courtesy and respect for the organization from which you draw your millions of dollars to give them a heads up. We’re talking about a two way street here. The team has had the players’ backs since the event. At least publicly. Would it be too much too expect that the players might give that same consideration? And, for that matter, their actions could prove to have repercussions for their teammates as well. Teammates that had no part of their actions or even knew of it. Would it be too much to suggest that the five players simply take into consideration what consequences their actions could have on their employers or their teammates and weigh the advisability of those actions? Media outlets around the country and many fans (I’ve had conversations with many who know that I am a Rams’ fan) are not separating the actions of five players from the team. It was the St. Louis Rams that did it. No one is arguing their right to do what they did. But I don’t think it is an outrageous notion that they could’ve shown their employer and teammates a little more respect and consideration than to draw them unknowingly into their protest.

• This reply was modified 10 years ago by HighPlainsDrifter.

QBs that are pure passers or even have the potential to be pure passers are going to be in shorter and shorter supply. The NFL is at the mercy of the college game which is transitioning rapidly away from what is considered a traditional offense. If the Rams want a QB in a more traditional mold to groom for the future or to back up Bradford, they had better get one soon or they are going to have to think about revamping their offense to accommodate what the QB position is becoming.

This thread has become quite disturbing. Bradford is the guy on that list that I think would have made the biggest difference. How much? Two, maybe three games. I don’t know if Quick or Long would’ve made that much difference. Quick perhaps. I’m not really sure Long would have. He was playing when the defense was really stinking it up early on. He’s a good guy to have on the field, but I’m not sure that his actual production is something that can’t be compensated for. Yeah, Bradford’s the guy.

I’m not going to be negative about this one. It was excruciating for sure. But one thing that I have been waiting for in regards to the Rams is a team that can compete. A team that, when the latter half of the fourth quarter comes around, has given itself a chance to win the game. They did that. In the first few weeks of this very season, if the Rams had committed the kinds of mistakes that they did yesterday, they would have lost by four touchdowns. They would have caved. They’re not the team I’m hoping for, but they’re a lot closer then they were just a couple of months ago.

I’m not sure that Vince Young lacked talent. What he lacked was maturity and dedication to his craft. I do not believe that Winston is in any way comparable to JeMarcus Russell. Winston is exponentially more talented and polished than Russell would ever likely have become under the best of circumstances. Winston is immature and entitled. So the question is, will he grow out of it? Will he take his position seriously, or will he continue to believe that the world revolves around him? Take away the mounting number of bonehead decisions that Winston has made, and he is hands down the best and most NFL ready quarterback in the draft. Assuming that he’s in the draft. But his character and his dedication to greatness could easily be called into question. I like Mariota, but I don’t believe that he’s ready to go as a rookie. He’s in a gimmicky system, and while I do think he’ll be a quality NFL QB, I also think he’s going to require a good bit of fine tuning along the way. The Rams are in a real pickle at QB. It’s really weird, but as a fan of both the Rams and the Buckeyes, I find both of my teams in really unique situations with their QB situation. The Buckeyes’ situation is a better one than the Rams. The Rams’ best option at this point would seem to be hoping for a solid return by Bradford. But that will give you hives all by itself. Drafting a rookie is every bit of a crap shoot as Bradford’s successful return. Acquiring a veteran is the same. A quality veteran on the market has to raise some serious red flags. Why is he on the market? There is talk that Jay Cutler could be moved in the off season. Anyone excited about those prospects? He scares me to death. Most other QBs on the market are going to have much of the same limitations that the QBs we already possess have. Coming out of this situation with a positive outcome will be like walking blindfolded through a mine field and coming out the other side in one piece with an ice cream cone in your hand.

We live in a very different world from two or three decades ago. It’s a hyper sensitive world where almost any racial distinction is considered offensive. Hell, we live in a world where making gender distinctions is becoming offensive. It’s a new world. A very strange world. People look for reasons to be offended. And if they’re not looking, they have others telling them that they should be offended. Frankly, it all offends me.

When you are talking about those two quarterbacks, then, yes, I think it would make a world of difference. Those two QBs are on different planets. I think a huge part of the Rams’ struggles is the play of the quarterback. The offense is very limited by both the physical limitations of the QB as well as the understanding of the game of the quarterback. Bradford’s injury was huge for this team. I think they could’ve overcome some of the early shortcomings of the defense with an offense that had a chance to move the ball, but that hasn’t been the case. Swap out Manning for either of the QBs the Rams have to offer up and things could have been much different, and could be different on Sunday. Instead of worrying that Denver might hang 50 on the Rams, I’d be much more comfortable with the prospect of Rams’ win. If you could make that happen, you’d be my hero.