InvaderRam wrote:

i’m still holding out hope donald pulls a brady and decides to come back… the thought of playing next to fiske and verse has to be running through his mind a little bit. a little bit.

I have wondered that, too.   Wouldnt shock me if he showed up for the playoffs, if the Rams made it.

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zn wrote:

wv wrote:

I dont get the feeling that the Rams have closed the gap tween them and the 49ers.

That’s a separate issue though, right? And can they do that in just one draft? But division games are deceptive. Divisional opponents know each other and so often the field is more even. Last year, in their first game (game 2 of the season), with the regulars starting (as opposed to the one Wentz started), Rams lost by 7 in the 4th quarter. They were down by 7 with more than 7 minutes left and then lost by 7. A loss is a loss but that’s not being dominated. And that was before the 2023 rookies kicked in (except for Avila) and before McVay knew what he had in Kyren Williams and after stripping the defense of several key veteran starters in the off-season. It was with Donald, but then also it was a defense where opposing teams knew all you had to do was stop Donald. Back to the mantra–what do you replace Donald with? A committee. Well, is it a good committee? We don’t know yet. Anyway, all that aside, was it a good draft? Absolutely looks like it…at this stage. Quite possibly even better than the 2023 draft.

Well, just speaking for me, I cant separate them.   But i understand they are separate things.   And yet, in wv-brain they are…separate-but-inseparable.   Is there a word for that?

I mean, yes, the Rams have added some talent.  Physical, bullying, hard-nosed talent.  (Ie, Shannahan type players?)   But i still cant separate ‘that’ from the fact it looks to me like they still ‘lost ground’ to the 49ers and Cards.   Thats just how it looks to me, after the draft.   Added talent.  Lost ground.

But who knows.  Just tentative thotlets.

As long as Matt Stafford is healthy, I’m excited to see the Rams.    There used to be another player in that sentence.   Now, its just 36 yr-old Stafford.

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I assume a downside to this kind of change might be miscommunication?   Too much ‘thinking’ and not enough quick reacting?     Yes? No?

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Interesting pick.   …i guess all the good players are off the board.  🙂

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Maddy wrote:

Hey old pals – long time. I’m reminded, with all these late picks, of the fairly extensive evidence that ZN produced a few years ago concerning the quantity and quality of OL prospects available as late as undrafted free agency. If I recall, the evidence involved already-productive NFL offensive linemen and their draft positions. If that information still has any bearing on current draft conditions, I would be pleased to have the Rams mine those OL deposits in rounds six and seven.

Yeah, I’d be happy with more OL picks.    Never enough.

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I watched about 30 seconds of the first highlight vid above — and its all i needed to see.  This kid has awesome shiftiness.   He can fake defenders out of their shoes.

Jeezus.   Like a small barry sanders.

Perfect pick.

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InvaderRam wrote:

 

i am by no means an expert. and i will continue to have an open mind. but i’m worried. i watch his combine drills (and yeah it’s the combine not an actual football game). and he looks so stiff. like no flexibility. not very athletic.

Wasnt one of the early criticisms of Clowney that he was stiff, etc?    I forget.

Anyway, I think its perfectly reasonable to have doubts about this pick.   Its a wait-and-see pick.

I will say though that if I’m not mistaken the combine does not measure ‘power’.   It measures agility and speed, etc.   I’m not sure its quite accurate to say Verse is not very athletic.   Power and relentlessness seem to be important athletic traits to me.

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Is it at all conceivable that they draft an offensive player with the first pick?

I dont think so.   I dont care who drops on offense, I think they go DT or DE.

I assume thats the consensus here.

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zn wrote:

wv wrote:

i will spare the board another wv-buzzkill-rant about the public-relations-media.

It’s why we come here. I was disappointed in the film too. Though it was funny when Stafford had to tell Kupp what gazpacho is. Did you notice that virtually all the clips from the Detroit game included uncalled fouls? Mostly late hits.

I did not notice that.

I notice commentators always make a big deal out of the fact Kupp comes in early and watches tape with Stafford, etc.     I’m always mildly surprised that ‘that’ is so unexpected.   I would have thought MOST NFL players do that.

These kids today.

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Zooey wrote:

My first football hero.

Yup.

Wish he and the fearsome foursome and Snow and the rest could have gotten a Ring.

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InvaderRam wrote:

i love that those two are training together.

Yeah, me too.

Sometimes Puka seems like a teenager.   Lotta room for growth in that kid.

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Rams ranked second all-time, in this vid.  (1 hour 10 min mark on the vid) Just ahead of Dallas, and just  behind the Bears.

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Ranking EVERY Team by Their RB History!

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Rams predicted to have 8.5 wins.

The thing about AD is this — You can hear someone say, “Matt Stafford is one of the greatest QBs ever…”  and you dont tilt yer head.  Its not slighting Stafford.   Same deal with Kurt or Ike or Marshall, etc etc.

But you hear someone say, “Aaron Donald was ‘one’ of the greatest DT’s ever…”  — and its like an insult.

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I guess it will look somethin like this?