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wvParticipantThat article is getting a lot of buzz. Many “big name” analysts and national sports writers love Jourdan’s work. It gets praised by those types in twitter all the time. And I mean high, high praise. I fear that that means she will sooner or later be moving on to bigger things, which will just be flat offered to her in tempting ways. And then–no longer a Rams reporter. You know, losing both Donald and Jourdan in the same lifetime is a lot to go through.
Yup. Her watch in LA will be over soon. And we will never see her like again.
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wvParticipanti think it’s still better than anything anyone else is writing. it gets a little wordy, but it is interesting to me …
True… its better than the products the celebrity-idiot-sports-entertainers spew, out there, across Amerika.
JR could write better than them if she was on an acid trip with Hunter Thompson.
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wvParticipantEnh. I love JR, but I didnt get any insight from that one.
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wvParticipantBo Nix was the top QB in the country according to the ‘analytics’.
wvParticipantBrugler rated the Falcons draft as the worst, and he seems to share the consensus opinion that drafting Penix was a mind-bogglingly dumb pick. I guess I’m the only one who differs….
I thought the Penix pick was reasonable. Cousins is coming off surgery. He’s gettin up there in age. Falcons loved Pennix, ranked him in the top two QBs, according to Orlovsky. ( Orlovsky compared his arm to Stafford’s btw)
There’s pluses and minuses to it, obviously, but if Cousins gets hurt all the critics are gonna get real quiet.
I’m still wondering whether McVay was really thinking about trading up for the Georgia Tight End. Ive watched vids of that guy and i didnt notice any superhero traits. I shall keep an eye on that kids career. As well as Verses.
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wvParticipanti’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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wvParticipantPS. Last year i was intrigued by the draft evals on Puka. This year its the Michigan RB. He’s first round talent in my book. I hope K.Willams dont get upset about the new situation.
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wvParticipantI 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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wvParticipantWould be nice if he’s a Jack Snow. Or Fred Biletnikoff.
Speed isnt everything, i suppose.
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wvParticipantI 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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wvParticipantWell, i got nuthin. I dunno nuthin about any of them.
In general though, I dont get the feeling that the Rams have closed the gap tween them and the 49ers. I mean SF drafted some solid talent too, and they did not lose Aaron Donald off their Dline.
Cardinals definitely look better on paper, as do the Seahawks.
As do the Bears, Vikings, Packers and Lions.
So, i dunno.
I think much depends on Mr Kupp.
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wvParticipantInteresting pick. …i guess all the good players are off the board. 🙂
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wvParticipantMaybe its my imagination, or maybe its just the emphasis on defense, but it kinda seems like this class is tougher, more hardnosed than usual.
I dunno.
Btw, i was thinking about toughness when i saw that Andy Reid drafted the little wr. It reminded me of the olden days when the Rams were like the chiefs — no great needs, Great team, etc — and they got cute and drafted Trung. I’m wondering if the Chiefs have gotten too cute. They will have to massively-tough to three-peat. And yet they went for the lil speedster.
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wvParticipantHey 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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wvParticipantSounds like a potential special teams star, if nothing else.
Solid, relentless, smart, captain — I’ll take it.
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wvParticipantI 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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wvParticipantBut just remember it was zn who staked his reputation on that comparison. Said he was Kevin Greene but with more speed and power, I believe.
Well, zn’s exact and complete quote was, “Verse is a combination of Kevin Greene, Chuck Norris and Anton Chigurh.”
Course, you know zn. He said the same thing about Trung Candidate.
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wvParticipanti 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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wvParticipantzn said Kevin Greene. I think thats the right comparison. The projection, the hope.
I dont think he’s a ‘sure thing’ at the NFL level. Just have to wait and see, i guess.
They need to draft a DT named Vice, now.
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wvParticipantIs 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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April 22, 2024 at 1:27 pm in reply to: Rams off-season assessments & rankings & early previews #150292wvParticipantWell…Aaron Donald is not going to be on the line.
I cant get past that. I dunno what to do with that.
How did the Giants do when LT retired? The Packers when Reggie retired?
wv-brain just cant evaluate this defense anymore. I guess, I’m gonna have to just wait and see what the D looks like after three or four games.
The offense is all about Health (Stafford, mainly) at this point. If they stay healthy, they can score on anyone, I would think.
49ers, Lions, Packers, Vikings, Bears, Cowboys, Falcons all look to be good. Maybe the Eagles. Maybe Washington. Maybe Seattle and the Cards. I think the NFC will be pretty good this season.
Rams could be a 2 seed or they could miss the playoffs. I just think they are a mystery due to the Aaron Donald hole. Another big coaching challenge for McV. Another big draft challenge for Snead.
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wvParticipanti 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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wvParticipantI love Stafford and think he’s elite. Hope he can play for two more years. But man, this brutal game is taking a toll.
As far as the little film — sigh. It made me think he was running for office, or somethin. I could go on, but i will spare the board another wv-buzzkill-rant about the public-relations-media.
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wvParticipantMy first football hero.
Yup.
Wish he and the fearsome foursome and Snow and the rest could have gotten a Ring.
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wvParticipantThats true. Its true of several teams in the big-sportz-biz world. The Knicks, the Yankees, Lakers, blah blah.
Frankly I’m amazed any of the talking heads ever talk about the Bengals, Carolina, etc.
….I’m ‘already’ sick of Caitlin Clark, btw. Already. Her ‘brand’ is on everything.
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wvParticipanti 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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wvParticipantWell, not many of us left, i reckon.
Jack will be missed.
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“Where are all the others?”
“Jake’s buried in Kansas; Deetz, Montana; Gus is in a little stand of Pecan trees alongside a creek where he used ta picnic with a woman. Rest of the boys up in the North country build’in a ranch”
Lonesome Dove
wvParticipantRams 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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wvParticipantAt 6:25 mark, or so, Albert Breer tells a story which raises an interesting question.
wvParticipantRams predicted to have 8.5 wins.
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