I wonder if the Rams would consider moving
Greg Robinson to RT, and drafting
one of these college guys to be their LT.
Then draft a Guard with a 2nd or 3rd rd pick.
That would mean starting two rookies.

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rfl wrote:

It’s gonna be ugly at the dome this year. Rams will not have a single game with a normal, home crowd.

Anyone who asks StL fans to “support the team” the way Fisher has blithely done is asking one helluva lot that flies in the face of human nature.

Kroenke has led an organization to treat this as a waste year. He’s given nothing to the fans, no hope, no encouragement. Nary a damn thing.

I don’t care how much the actual team improves, holds level, or regresses. On field performance is not going to neutralize Kroenke’s stink in the stadium. Indeed, as I have said before, perhaps the cruelest thing for a StL fan to endure would be the team FINALLY getting over the hump and showing the success that LA will be able to enjoy.

Ugly. Ugly. I am sure Fisher will be encouraging an us-against-the-world mindset among the players. It’s gonna be a long damn year without a real home. I can just imagine training camp. Pre-Season games. Home games. Ugh!

I just hope Fisher stops making inane remarks that insult the fans’ intelligence and belittle the pain they’re feeling.

None of this is meant to take a side on whether they go or stay. I won’t be affected either way. I just want everyone to be honest about what the loyal StL fan is having to wade through. And about what the vibe around the team will almost certainly be.

I can’t imagine that that vibe won’t cost the Rams a couple home games this year. I bet they play better on the road!

Definitely a strange situation.

What ‘should’ Fisher say, btw?

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2. Is this just me? Not consensus? I always think of the fact that the Fisher/Boudreau Rams OL has been decent when it was relatively healthy. That’s even with an average at best or even below average starter or 2…”
=======================

Yes, i’d say they have been “decent” when healthy.
But a ‘decent’ OLine is only good enough if you are the Seahawks or GSOT
or have a front seven like the Giant teams had, etc, etc.

Overall, i think maybe you have been a little more impressed with the ‘Healthy
Ram Olines’ than moi. Maybe. I dunno.
Minor differences, between die-hard Ram-fanatix.

As far as starting two Rookies on the Oline — I dunno. Obviously,
if they do it, it would be unprecedented for Fisher/Boudreau. But
this could be the year it happens. If it happens i guess it would
mean they aint happy with what the young players they’ve been developing.

Can these people ever, finally, field a strong, healthy, better-than-‘decent’
Offensive Line? Year 4. We’ll see.

The Rest of the team looks to have playoff-level-talent.
The DLine makes me smile. Looking forward to seeing them swarm.

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• This reply was modified 10 years, 11 months ago by wv.

Since you’ve started a commie thread,
a little thing on GreenBay,
fwiw:

http://www.politifact.com/wisconsin/statements/2011/sep/18/scott-keyes/left-leaning-think-tank-writer-says-green-bay-pack/

Zooey wrote:

Rules are made to be broken, I guess.

Deion Sanders was not a tackler.

Yeah, i was thinking of Deion too.

Also, Boylhart has always been a bit
dogmatic about the ‘character’ thing,
imho. I mean.. Lawrence Taylor… Ray Lewis… Michael Irvin….

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Nice article. See link.
w
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http://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2012/1/16/2706759/2012-nfl-draft-what-level-of-performance-can-be-expected-from-rookie

“….Based on these numbers, here are a couple of thoughts:

When you draft a lineman in the first two rounds, you are drafting an immediate starter.

Of the 45 linemen in this analysis, 33 (73%) started the majority of games for their teams in their rookie season. Eight other players (denoted with a *) suffered either serious or season ending injuries in their first year. That leaves only four players who did not start the majority of games in their rookie season. In other words, barring injury, 90% of offensive linemen taken in the first two rounds are starters in their first year. That’s pretty encouraging for any team contemplating drafting an offensive lineman.

Rookie linemen have a steep learning curve.

Despite their high draft pick status, only eight of 45 (18%) linemen delivered an above average performance (marked in green in the table above) in their rookie season as graded by PFF. Keep in mind that a positive PFF grade means that a given player played better than the NFL average player at his specific position. A below average grade doesn’t mean that a rookie necessarily played badly. In fact, an argument could be made that some of these guys actually played quite well, for a rookie.

Most rookie linemen arrive in the NFL still needing to improve their technique, work on their strength & conditioning, learn new playbooks and much more while facing wily veterans who will prey on their inexperience. This takes time.

Popular opinion holds that you can expect monumental improvement from rookies in their second year in the NFL. That may be true for many positions, but does not seem to be true for linemen. The sum of the second-year PFF grades for players picked between 2008 and 2010 is identical to their first year grades. Sure, some improved, and some regressed. A look at the tables above shows no significant improvement in the grades for all players between year one and year two. And a look at this year’s Pro Bowl lineman presents a similar picture. The average Pro Bowl lineman is 28 years old and is in his sixth NFL season.

Offensive linemen are not plug-and-play solutions to your O-line troubles. And for most of them, their learning curve needs to be measured in years, not months.

Tyron Smith Rocks….

Just somethin i read,
on the topic of starting rookie OLineman.
This is the only instance of two rookie 1st Rounders
starting, that i can think of. The two guys Singletary picked.

http://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/49ers-rookie-starting-linemen-grinding-learning-3246493.php

49ers’ rookie starting linemen grinding, learning

David White, Chronicle Staff Writer Published 4:00 am, Friday, November 12, 2010

Mike Iupati’s personal odometer says he should be preparing for the Humanitarian Bowl. Anthony Davis’ body clock says it’s time to gear up for the St. Petersburg Bowl.

But then, 13-game seasons were so college ago. These rookie offensive linemen are in the NFL now, where 12 games played – four exhibition, eight regular season – means they still have eight games to go.

Welcome to the rookie wall, big boys, where bruised and beaten bodies are forced to play far beyond the confines of Pop Warner, high school and college scheduling demands.

“I can’t try to compare this to my college career,” Davis said. “Just got to keep going.”

Davis, the No. 11 overall draft pick from Rutgers, has started all eight regular-season games at right tackle. Iupati, the No. 17 overall pick from Idaho, has done the same at left guard.

“Just got to keep grinding and keep working,” Iupati said.

For 488 snaps, they have squatted their 300-pound-plus bodies at the line of scrimmage. On 488 snaps, their bodies have smashed into an equally big defensive lineman.

Any day now, their bodies are going to start wondering when does it all end.

“I think you’re so busy, you’re so involved, you don’t have time to notice you’re really tired,” said left tackle Joe Staley. “But there is a sense in your body that this season’s long. We’re only halfway done with our season and they’d be ready to be done with it by now.

“Every rookie goes through that process.”

If anything, playing right away has accelerated the maturation process for both players – even if the rest of the offense paid the price for the initial learning curve.

Davis has given up six quarterback sacks and committed six false starts, tying him for second-most in the NFL in both categories. No one will say who allowed the sack that left Alex Smith with a separated left shoulder at Carolina, but it came through Davis’ side.

“I’m not near where I want to be,” he said. “I’ve got to keep getting better.”

Iupati’s miscues are less visible because he’s tucked between a tackle and center, but when someone beat Staley inside, it was usually because Iupati didn’t slide over in protection.

Such mistakes were to be expected when coach Mike Singletary decided to throw two rookies into an offensive line that was so bad last year, the team felt the need to draft two linemen in the first round.

At least they’re grounded enough to admit they have been pretty bad at times. Both players realized as much when they recently watched film of their preseason game against the Raiders, making their progress since all the more evident.

“What was I thinking? What the heck was that?” Iupati said as he laughed. “When I first got here, it was bad. But it’s better now.”

And Davis?

“What was I doing?” Davis said as he shook his head. “I look at pictures from earlier in the season, it’s like night and day.”

Davis and Iupati say they now know better, and both coaches and teammates say it shows.

Consider Sunday’s game against St. Louis a good progress report. Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo is a defensive whiz who sends pressure from everywhere. Davis joked that the Rams “brought the coach one play.”

If Davis and Iupati can form a wall against the Rams, they may break through the rookie wall just yet.

“I’m just excited to come to work,” Iupati said. “It’s all a mind-set. Just have fun playing the sport you love and keep playing, keep learning.”

Just to re-emphasize a point zn is always making:
=================
http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/counting-on-rookies-is-part-of-the-game-for-packers-b99427035z1-288895071.html

Linsley, the 161st overall selection (fifth round), was drafted later than any of the other 22 offensive and defensive players on the all-rookie team except cornerback E.J. Gaines of St. Louis, a sixth-round (188th) pick.

He gave the Packers an offensive line consisting of three fourth-round picks, one fifth and one first. The backups include another fourth and two free agents.

“That’s an amazing investment,” tackle David Bakhtiari said. “You look at any of us. If you can buy at the lowest possible with the maximum output, that’s the way to go.

“Is it good for us? No. But they know what they’re doing. I believe they do an absolutely phenomenal job drafting.”

rfl wrote:

The Rookie field looks like it’s deep.
But, again, the risk. Rely on 3 rooks and you’d better have hit on all 3!

Yup. They’d have to hit on all three.
And there’d be rookie-mistakes for sure.
But there might very well be worse
things than having 3 young, strong, healthy, stud
rookie OLinemen. Definitely not ‘ideal’
but there might be worse things.

w
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bnw wrote:

wv wrote:

Herzog wrote:

bnw wrote:

I’m optimistic about Foles being the Rams QB.

I’m with you. I think he is one good qb coach (and decent offensive line) away from being amazing.

“Hope clouds observation.”
― Frank Herbert, Dune

w
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Such pessimism is not warranted in my opinion. Foles is the answer for this season for multiple reasons. A decent answer at that. Crack a smile it won’t hurt.

So you think Foles can be “amazing” ?

Call me a pessimist,
but i do not expect that.
Despite the amazing year
he had for the Eagles 🙂

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joemad wrote:

that’s pretty fair…..

what about the NFC East?

Romo
Sam
Eli
RGIII or the Cuz?

Hmmmm. I dunno. I suppose I’d have
to go with Eli’s two playoff runs,
over the others:

Eli
Romo
Sam
RG3/Cuz

But that group could easily shift
around a lot, I would think,
if Sam and RG3 could stay healthy.

Well, there was no story there.
I kept waiting for a twist,
an anecdote, a dramatic surprise.
Wild Tapirs. Christian-Science Plots.
Robots. Somethin.

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Agamemnon wrote:

I believe in playing better than the opponent…

I dont believe in gimmicks
like that.

w
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“Whatever you do in life, surround yourself with smart people who’ll argue with you.”
John Wooden

I basically agree with all that.

(especially the idea that there is no
one-final-Holy-Truth about Shotty or whatever.
This tiny board happens to be the best at taking
that approach to conversation, btw)

I probably am a few degrees closer to blaming
Shotty for a few things than you are, but…enh.

Tavon definitely has his execution-issues. Dropped balls, etc.
But i suspect Shotty could have made things easier
for Tavon. I dunno though.

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