zn wrote:

wv wrote:

Dante Fowler, Whitworth, Littleton, Brockers, Zuerlein, Austin Blythe,
Hagar, Bortles, Marquis Christian.

Some important players on that list. Who will they lose?

Whitworth has hinted he is coming back. Of the remaining players you list, I see them keeping Littleton and Blythe. Possibly Zuerlein.

Whitworth & Blythe they need to let go. We need to let Edwards, Noteboom, & Evans in the offense. Allen has to have his opportunity to grow into the center position. We still have Havenstein. We can still draft a big OG in the 3rd round, and we still have Austin Corbett who can play Guard & backup Center.

Still have some issues to work on, but we are getting better. If some how we can finish the season undefeated, and the Vikings can somehow lose one of their final two home games to the Packers or Bears, then we can sneak in.

It is one game, but it is Arizona. They still got a way to go. But sometimes a game like this, even if it is against a bad team, can get us back on track.

Except the Vikings & Packers are two games ahead of us. One of them will win the Division, the other we need to start to go on a major losing streak as well.

Not sure if I agree with this, but this guy writes for Pro Football Weekly

The Rams are going to pay Jalen Ramsey, Aaron Donald, and Jared Goff all top-of-market dollars next season to be 7-9.

Jeff Fisher playing the long game.

— Peter Bukowski (@Peter_Bukowski) November 26, 2019

Sorry, I misread. I thought you wanted to talk 2020 draft. I threw out some players in the 2020 draft, on who may slide to us in round 2 & 3. My bad.

https://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/story/2019-11-18/rams-already-have-eyes-ravens-quarterback-lamar-jackson

Rams already have eyes on Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson
By Gary KleinStaff
Nov. 18, 2019
7:15 PM

The Rams saw glimpses of the talent in training camp practices with the Baltimore Ravens before the 2018 season.

Lamar Jackson was a rookie at the time, the last player and fifth quarterback picked in the first round of the draft, and he was just getting a feel for the NFL game as a backup to Joe Flacco.

“You saw a dynamic athlete,” Rams coach Sean McVay said Monday.

A year later, Jackson is among the front-runners to be selected the NFL‘s most valuable player.

“Best player in the league right now,” Rams running back Todd Gurley said Sunday after a 17-7 victory over the Chicago Bears.

The Rams, fighting to stay in playoff contention, will try to control Jackson next week on “Monday Night Football.”

It’s a huge showcase for a Rams team that improved to 6-4 with its victory over the Bears, and for Jackson, who has led the Ravens to an 8-2 record.

Jackson, the 2016 Heisman Trophy winner, passed for five touchdowns in Baltimore’s 59-10 season-opening victory over the Miami Dolphins. He has not stopped since. Rams linebacker Clay Matthews described the 22-year-old Jackson as “a human highlight film.”

On Sunday, in the Ravens’ 41-7 victory over the Houston Texans, Jackson completed 17 of 24 passes for 222 yards and four touchdowns. He had 86 yards in nine carries.

“The guys around him have a confidence because of his swagger and confidence,” McVay said.

Jackson has completed 66% of his passes, 19 for touchdowns. He has had only five passes intercepted, three coming in Baltimore’s 26-23 overtime victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers that started a six-game winning streak.

Jackson has rushed for six touchdowns and has eclipsed 100 yards rushing in three games.

The Ravens are averaging 428.6 yards per game, second in the NFL, and rank among the leaders in yards rushing (203.8) and scoring (34.1 points per game).

Safety Eric Weddle played three seasons for the Ravens before signing with the Rams. He has kept an eye on his former team and Jackson.

“That will be a great test for us,” Weddle said. “We’re excited for the challenge. We know we’ve got a great defense and we present challenges ourselves.”

The Rams defense has been stout the last four games. Or, since lockdown cornerback Jalen Ramsey joined the team after a mid-October trade.

But none of those games were against an opponent with a quarterback as mobile as the 6-foot-2, 212-pound Jackson.

Several Rams players said Monday that Jackson’s ability to extend plays was similar to that of Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson.

But as Gurley did Sunday, linebacker Samson Ebukam compared Jackson to a former NFL star who redefined the quarterback position.

“I’d say he’s more like Michael Vick,” Ebukam said Monday. “Just a very versatile, fast, quick quarterback. He knows when to get down on the ground, not to take hits. He’s very smart.”

The Rams “have the right guys” to control Jackson because they are strong on the edge and also along the interior line, edge rusher Dante Fowler said.

“Once we start game planning and stuff like that, we’ll have the right plan for him,” Fowler said.

Then the Rams must execute that plan, knowing Jackson is capable of ruining it.

“Once he gets started, it’s a wrap,” Fowler said. “He’s a great dynamic player and kind of changing the game a little bit.

“We can’t let him have a really good game against us.”

Etc.

McVay offered no update on whether receiver Robert Woods will play against the Ravens. Woods was not at the game against the Bears because of what the Rams have described as a personal issue. “We feel good about where the situation is at,” McVay said. … Receiver Brandin Cooks, who has sat out the last two games while recovering from his second concussion of the season, is expected to play against the Ravens, McVay said. … Right tackle Rob Havenstein (knee) is doubtful for a second consecutive game, McVay said. Rookie Bobby Evans started in place of Havenstein against the Bears.

Nice job by the two rookies, Edwards & Evans. Goff was up & down. Defense is playing well. But next weeks game against Baltimore will show us if our Defense is for real.

Eat fruit & vegetables. Drink water. That is what Doctors say.

https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2019/11/15/myles-garrett-mason-rudolph-helmet-brawl-fight-legal-issues/stories/201911150109

Mason Rudolph’s legal team reviewing Myles Garrett incident
Ray Fittipaldo
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
rfittipaldo@post-gazette.com

If Myles Garrett struck Mason Rudolph in the head with a football helmet at a bar in The Flats on Thursday night rather than inside First Energy Stadium, he would have landed in jail. Instead, the NFL came down hard on Garrett on Friday, suspending him indefinitely without pay — at a minimum, he will miss the rest of the regular season and postseason. For their role in a brawl that ensued after Garrett’s incident, Browns defensive lineman Larry Ogunjobi was also suspended one game and Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey was suspended three games.

The Steelers and Browns were also each fined $250,000.

In the waning moments of Thursday night’s 21-7 Steelers loss to the Browns, Garrett ripped the helmet off Rudolph and swung the helmet at the second-year quarterback, hitting him in the head. In the immediate aftermath, Rudolph did not appear to suffer any major injuries. He spoke to reporters about 30 minutes after the game ended. He called Garrett’s actions “pretty cowardly” and “bush league.” He also said he was “fine” when a reporter asked him how he was feeling after absorbing the helmet blow to the top of his head.Rudolph’s agent, Timothy Younger, said Friday morning via text that he is still gathering information on Thursday night’s incident before any decisions regarding legal or civil action on Rudolph’s behalf are made.

Younger also tweeted the following: “There are many risks an NFL QB assumes every snap taken on the field. Being hit on your uncovered head by a helmet being swung by a 275-pound DE is not one of them. Tonight could have had a catastrophic ending. The matter will be reviewed thoroughly.”

Tyler Sinclair, a public information officer with the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s office, said he was unaware of any investigation into the events that took place Thursday night. He said any investigation would initiate with the Cleveland police department.

The NFL hadn’t seen an on-field incident as ugly or dangerous as Garrett’s act since 2006, when former Tennessee defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth stomped on the head of Dallas center Andre Gurode. Gurode needed 30 stitches to close the wound caused by Hayesworth’s cleats. He suffered blurry vision and headaches in the aftermath of the incident. Ultimately, he did not seek to press charges against Haynesworth.

Haynesworth did receive the most severe suspension for on-field behavior in NFL history when he was suspended for five games, three more games than any other previous suspension for on-field behavior.

Other professional sports also have dealt with dangerous in-game behavior. In 2004, the NBA and NHL had incidents that marred their seasons.

There was the Malice in the Palace, the infamous on- and off-court brawl between the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers. That resulted in Pacers player Ron Artest being suspended for the rest of the season. He missed a total of 86 games and forfeited nearly $5 million in salary.

Other Pacers and Piston players received suspensions, too. Stephen Jackson and Jermaine O’Neal of the Pacers were suspended for 30 and 15 games, respectively. Seven other players received suspensions, as well.

In addition, five Pacers players and five fans in attendance at the game were charged with misdemeanor assault and battery. Another fan was charged with a felony for throwing a chair.

In March of the same year, NHL player Todd Bertuzzi of the Vancouver Canucks pleaded guilty to assault for punching Colorado player Steve Moore from behind and driving his face into the ice.

Moore was hospitalized with fractured vertebrae, facial cuts, post-concussion symptoms and amnesia. Bertuzzi was suspended for the remainder of the season, a total of 20 games. His suspension lasted 17 months because the NHL had a lockout that canceled the entire 2004-05 season. He forfeited more than $500,000 in salary during the suspension and was required to perform 80 hours of community service and had one year’s probation.

In February of 2000, Bruins player Marty McSorley slashed Canucks player Donald Brashear in the temple with his stick. McSorley was charged with assault with a deadly weapon. He avoided jail time, but he did serve 18 months probation. He never played in the NHL again.

The NBA had another major incident in 1977 when Lakers player Kermit Washington sucker-punched Rockets player Rudy Tomjanovich. Washington was suspended for 26 games and fined $10,000. It was the longest suspension in NBA history at the time.

The most infamous on-field incident in an MLB game occurred in 1965 when Giants pitcher Juan Marichal swung a baseball hat and struck Dodgers catcher Johnny Roseboro in the head.

Marichal was suspended for eight days and fined $1,750. Roseboro later sued Marichal and received $7,500 in a civil suit.

There was one other helmet swinging incident in an NFL game. In 2013, Texans defensive lineman Antonio Smith ripped off the helmet of Dolphins offensive lineman Richie Incognito and swung it at his head. He missed, but the NFL suspended him for the final two preseason games and the regular season opener.

Ray Fittipaldo: rfittipaldo@post-gazette.com and Twitter @rayfitt1.

I guess I am a combined Progressive Activist & Traditional Conservative.

Where do you fit wv?

You admitted we struggle with tough Defenses. Now we are going against Chicago who put a whooping on us lat year, then Baltimore. Let’s not forget, we still have Seattle & San Fran on our schedule. These are strong defenses. I feel like in the remaining 7 games, at worst, we need to finish 6-1 to have a shot at getting in as a wild card. It is due to how the NFC teams are playing. I don’t see that happening.

Yes. Plus he is healthy.

canadaram wrote:

JackPMiller wrote:

Sad thing is CJ Anderson is a free agent. He was a big part of our running game last year.

Do you think that CJ could run as well behind this year’s line?

Yes. Plus he is healthy.