Alvin Kamara@A_kamara6
Congrats to my Brutha @JKShuttlesworth … the @RamsNFL got a good one!

Johnny Hekker@JHekker
Can’t wait to meet all the new Rams. There can’t be a team with a better veteran group to learn under. Both sides of the balls have all pro players with character to match.
Welcome to the Mob young guns.

J.B. Long@JB_Long
Post-Draft, most intriguing position battles for #LARams training camp: EDGE, ILB, RB, Reserve OL & Reserve DL.

Practice squad spots could be at a premium.

The Rams never got enough out of Tavon Austin

Alden Gonzalez

http://www.espn.com/blog/los-angeles-rams/post/_/id/38451/the-rams-never-got-enough-out-of-tavon-austin

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Les Snead had just wrapped up his seventh draft as general manager for the Los Angeles Rams, but he began by talking about a high-priced veteran who no longer played for him. The subject was Tavon Austin, the diminutive speedster who was sent to the Dallas Cowboys for what at that point represented the Rams’ seventh sixth-round pick.

Snead, seated alongside head coach Sean McVay, opened his Saturday news conference by calling Austin “one of my favorite human beings on the planet,” a compliment he wouldn’t just throw around. He praised his competitiveness, his mental toughness, his unselfishness in the midst of a significantly limited role. And in the end, Snead said, “Tavon deserved a chance to go try to be Tavon.”

The underlying belief is that Austin never really got that chance with the Rams, at least not to the extent the organization and its fans would have hoped.

The Rams traded up eight spots to select Austin eighth overall out of West Virginia in 2013. He measured only 5-foot-8, but was nonetheless considered the best wide receiver in his draft class; an all-purpose threat who matched gaudy statistics with an eye-popping 4.34-second 40-yard dash at that year’s scouting combine.

Since then, however, 90 players have amassed more scrimmage yards. Disregard last season, when he was left without a role in McVay’s offense, and Austin still ranked only 86th in scrimmage yards from 2013 to 2016.

But Snead doesn’t consider Austin’s stint with the Rams an all-out failure. Asked why it didn’t seem to work out, Snead began by pointing out that “Tavon led our team in touchdowns the year before we signed him to the contract.”

The year was 2015, the last one for the Rams in St. Louis. Austin finished it with 907 scrimmage yards, his highest in a single season by a wide margin. He actually tied Todd Gurley for the team lead with 10 touchdowns (five of them as a receiver, four as a runner and one as a punt returner). Weeks before the start of the following season, the Rams signed Austin to a four-year, $42 million extension that quickly became the subject of ridicule.

“It was never necessarily to be, hey, a No. 1 receiver,” Snead said. “But he was a weapon for us on special teams and in the offense. He led our team in touchdowns, and he had a lot of special-teams touchdowns called back. He was just a unique weapon on offense.”

The Rams never truly maximized that weapon, and whether the fault lies in the staff or in the player is impossible to truly know. In four years under Jeff Fisher, the Rams had Austin return punts and did their best to duplicate getting the ball to him in space elsewhere, using him largely on screens, jet sweeps and quick slants. From 2013 to 2016, Austin averaged a whopping 7.7 yards per carry, but he only ran the ball 125 times. As a receiver, he hauled in 60.1 percent of his targets, ranked 120th among 166 players during that four-year stretch.

“I do think us going through a lot of QB changes, even coordinators, probably hindered his progress,” Snead said. “Because any time you’re a shorter receiver — if you were with the same QB for a while, you get used to passing the ball to that person.”

Tavon Austin, who never maximized his potential with the Rams, received high praise from GM Les Snead for his competitiveness, mental toughness and unselfishness. Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
Fisher answered a similar question about Austin shortly after the Rams drafted him. He talked about how his quarterback at the time, Sam Bradford, stood 6-foot-4 and therefore wouldn’t have much trouble finding him. But Bradford was just one of eight quarterbacks the Rams used during Austin’s first four seasons, to go along with three different offensive coordinators.

In 2016, the Rams finished last in the NFL in every major offensive category and Austin was one of many whose numbers suffered through it.

In 2017, Austin finished with 317 scrimmage yards in a role that no longer included punt returns and really only involved duties as a backfield decoy.

McVay called Austin to break the news to him that he had been traded. Austin initially went silent, took a moment to take it in, then decided he would be “in a better place.” In a conference call with Cowboys reporters, Austin added that the trade would take “a lot of weight off my shoulders,” perhaps a reference to the massive extension that ultimately became a burden.

“I gave my blood, sweat and tears over here — the St. Louis Rams, then coming to the L.A. Rams,” Austin said. “Unfortunate how it ended for me last year, me being hurt, me not playing — not playing at all, to be honest — it kind of hurt me as a player because I know the competitor I am. But I’m not the type to throw anybody under the bus and cry about it. I took it on the chin, kept my mouth closed, kept working through everything. I can honestly say I’m a better man today.”

Austin was hardly able to get on the field for McVay, in any setting. While his teammates grew familiar with a new offense during the offseason program, Austin worked out on the side by himself, rehabbing a wrist still tender from surgery. He returned to full activities in training camp, then popped his hamstring in the first week and was sidelined for most of the summer.

By the middle of August, the Rams had traded for Sammy Watkins, moving Austin way down on their receiver depth chart. Austin then muffed a handful of early-season punts — caused, perhaps, by a wrist that hadn’t fully healed — and Pharoh Cooper replaced him while on his way to the Pro Bowl.

Austin spent most of his on-field time providing the threat of a jet sweep to open holes for Gurley. But that role steadily diminished, as well. The Rams restructured his contract, largely out of desperation after Watkins departed as a free agent. But then they traded for Brandin Cooks, and Austin’s presence once again became unnecessary.

“I hit rock bottom,” Austin said, referencing the 2017 season. “It’s only the way up now.”

By trading Austin, the Rams saved $1 million, just enough to sign their new draft picks — but Snead will appreciate much more than that.

“The guy led our team in touchdowns and was a threat to go the distance, so, he did have a productive career with us,” Snead said. “It would’ve been interesting to see if he would’ve been healthy last year, how it turned out. But it didn’t, and this is where we are today.”

Zooey wrote:

Rich Hammond@Rich_Hammond
So the Rams started with a fifth-round pick, No. 160 overall. They sent it to Denver for Aqib Talib. Then they got it back today, for two sixth-rounders, and drafted Okoronkwo. So basically they got Talib and Okoronkwo for two sixth-round picks.

Holy shit.

That ain’t even the half of it. The Rams traded around so much in this draft, that they only used one pick that was originally their own pick in its original spot.

And that was the 5th rounder they got back from Denver.

In need of linebackers, Rams didn’t panic in early rounds of NFL draft

link: https://www.ocregister.com/2018/04/29/analysis-in-need-of-linebackers-rams-didnt-panic-in-early-rounds-of-nfl-draft/

The empty seats in the linebackers’ meeting room could have caused the Rams to panic.

Alec Ogletree, gone. Robert Quinn, gone. Connor Barwin, gone. What remained? One starter, Mark Barron, and eight other linebackers, a collection of unproven young hopefuls and NFL career drifters.

So the Rams looked at their list of draft picks, already dwindled by trades, and knew they needed linebackers. Then they promptly used their initial three picks on an offensive tackle, a center and a defensive end. After four rounds, the Rams hadn’t picked a linebacker. No panic.

By the end of the draft, the Rams had acquired four linebackers, one of whom is being heralded as a potential “steal.” The position remains a concern, but the fact that the Rams didn’t overreach simply to put warm bodies in their linebackers’ room speaks to the progress they’ve made in the past 15 months.

Among their 11 picks in this year’s draft, which ended Saturday, the Rams brought in edge rushers Ogbonnia Okoronkwo (fifth round, from Oklahoma) and Trevon Young (sixth round, from Louisville) and inside linebackers Micah Kiser (fifth round, from Virginia) and Travin Howard (seventh round, from TCU).

It’s folly to grade a draft class before a single game has been played, but it’s fair to be impressed with what the Rams pulled off, and perhaps it’s an indication of growing cohesion within the organization.

“I think going into year two,” Coach Sean McVay said after the draft, “you can be a little more strategic with some of the needs. Because collectively, as a coaching staff and with our personnel staff, we have a much better idea of how our players that have been here fit, and the way we want to utilize them.”

By comparison, 2017 must have felt like a white-knuckle ride. The Rams hired McVay on Jan. 12, exactly 15 weeks before the start of the draft. During that time, the Rams brought in an almost entirely new staff of assistant coaches, overhauled their offensive and defensive schemes and fired four scouts.

At that point, McVay and General Manager Les Snead still were learning about each other. They faced the dire task of improving a team that had gone 4-12 in 2016, amid national-media reports that the relationship between Snead and then-coach Jeff Fisher, and their respective staffs, had become “toxic.”

Now, it seems, much has changed. McVay and Snead breezily toss praise to each other, and the Rams seem to have a firm idea of their identity and how they want to get things accomplished.

That confidence manifested itself at the draft. The Rams built depth along an aging offensive line and brought in tackle Joseph Noteboom (third round, from TCU) and center Brian Allen (fourth round, Michigan State). Defensive end John Franklin (Stephen F. Austin) arrived late in the fourth round.

Then, in a series of jiu-jitsu-style moves, the Rams made multiple trades and got their linebackers. The transaction with the potential to be remembered for a long time is the one that brought in Okoronkwo.

The Rams, in March, sent a fifth-round pick to Denver to acquire veteran cornerback Aqib Talib. Then, on Saturday, the Rams got that pick (No. 160 overall) back from the Broncos, in exchange for two sixth-round picks, and used it on Okoronkwo, a selection heralded by some draft pundits this weekend.

Okoronkwo is a speedy outside linebacker who could pair nicely with Samson Ebukam, a 2017 draft pick who is expected to inherit a starting job as an edge rusher this season.

Without first- or second-round picks, Rams hope to build depth in middle rounds of draft
The Rams also traded picks with Green Bay, moved down in the fifth round and drafted middle linebacker Micah Kiser, a tackle machine from Virginia who is well-regarded for on- and off-field intelligence.
Kiser could contend for playing time with third-year linebacker Cory Littleton, who is expected to inherit Ogletree’s old job alongside Barron in the middle of the Rams’ defense. They also added potential depth with the additions of Louisville’s Young in the sixth round and TCU’s Howard in the seventh.

The new picks are expected to join their veteran teammates in two weeks, as part of the Rams’ offseason program, and then the true evaluation process will begin. It seems, though, that the Rams did a solid job of filling holes, even though they lacked first- and second-round picks for the first time since 1984.

Snead spoke at length this week of his admiration for lesser-known Rams staffers, including area scouts and even the folks who drove potential draft picks to the airport as part of their official visits.

“All of that, it’s a great process,” Snead said. “Sean’s staff, they’re involved, and when you get involved in the personnel side, it’s not easy. There’s a lot of extra work on your plate and they do a heck of a job. This day couldn’t have gone as smooth as it did without their work.”

JYB sez:

There’s a fun thread over at the Niner forum on Obo.

Started in December when draft discussions began, when many of their fans expressed a lot of interest in him, and ends after the draft, when they lament the Rams grabbing him. It’s 32 pages in total, but we’ll worth checking out. Below are a few snippets.

http://www.49erswebzone.com/forum/nfl-draft/190034-ogbonnia-okoronkwo-olb-oklahoma/search=Okoronkwo

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darockzillahitman
Dec 30, 2017 at 6:13 AM

Best pass rusher in the draft. I don’t care that he’s not the “prototype.” He’s the prototype for what he does. He uses his lack of height to his advantage as far as leverage; when he decides he’s bending that edge, there’s nothing you can do.

He’s inconsistent vs. the run – really strong when he’s got his hands into you, but struggles to anchor when he doesn’t.

Honestly, even if he’s just a situational pass rusher, I’d take him after trading down. He can replace Elvis.

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Garoppolis
Dec 31, 2017 at 9:17 AM

He didn’t play football until his sophomore year in high school, so it’s possible he will learn to be more than just a pass rusher. Most of the mocks I’ve seen have him going around the third round, but that could change.

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Heroism
Jan 1, 2018 at 10:50 PM

This guy is an interesting player. I’m watching his game vs Ohio St. right now. Dude was a terror off the edge. He is pretty damn explosive and relentless. Love his hand usage–very active. I prefer shorter edge rushers for their leverage advantage, so the height doesn’t really bother me. It’s moreso the weight, but his pass-rushing style isn’t reliant on power.

This is sick. Ogbonnia uses an outside jab step and head nod to stop the tackle’s feet and subtle swipes to cross the tackle’s face.

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darockzillahitman
Dec 31, 2017 at 5:47 PM

Well yeah, he’s a pure pass rusher. But he’s an unbelievable one. If Gunther Cunningham was here, he’d be the second coming of Derrick Thomas.

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49oz2superbowl
Jan 18, 2018 at 2:08 PM

This guy to me is the #1 LEO candidate in the draft. Better than Chubb, Landry and Key in that regard. He won’t have the same physical measuables as far as length but he’s explosive, fluid, and can bend an edge better and counter-move better than all three.

If I’m Lynch and Co. I find a trade down partner and barring there’s no crazy blue chip player at our pick, trade down to the early 20’s (maybe BUF wanting one of the top 4 qb’s that falls to our pick and take this guy.

He’s one of my top 3 draft crushes this draft. People hyping up guys like Marcus Davenport but sleeping on a player like this who dominated the top level of competition. Very much reminds me of Elvis Dumervil.

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Dillesq
Jan 23, 2018 at 8:18 AM

To me he’s a perfect 3-4 OLB. Great motor and tenancity

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Heroism
Jan 23, 2018 at 8:21 AM

No, 34″ is good arm length, but it’s GREAT arm length for a guy that’s six feet tall. He’s got longer arms than Buckner and Armstead despite being 7 inches shorter.

Oh, baby, I was really starting to like him. Now it’s full-blown on

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ChaunceyGardner
Jan 23, 2018 at 9:45 AM

He seems to be around the ball on every play.

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lamontb
Jan 23, 2018 at 10:16 AM#44

Looks like a guy that we need to make a move up for on day 2 . Looks like he’s been shot out of cannon when he takes off

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NYniner85
Apr 28, 2018 at 4:40 AM#455

If we come about with OBO today I will consider this draft a success.

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49oz2superbowl
Apr 28, 2018 at 7:40 AM

It’s baffling to me that he’s still available. He did nothing but produce at a top program and outperformed Davenport at the Senior Bowl. I still will not get over the 74 pick we wasted on a Pettis trade up and taking a project safety to corner convert ahead of this guy when value and need so desperately point to edge.

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GhostOfBaalke
Apr 28, 2018 at 11:57 AM

Ogbonnio to rams. He might never become a solid starter, time will tell. But regardless, there is some great value for him in the mid 5th round.

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Antix
Apr 28, 2018 at 12:02 PM#465

Sonofab***h

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Nastastical
Apr 28, 2018 at 12:02 PM#466

Every time we passed on him I just kept getting the feeling he would end up in our division.

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Antix
Apr 28, 2018 at 12:04 PM#467

He was probably my number 1 draft crush now I gotta hope he sucks

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49oz2superbowl
Apr 28, 2018 at 12:06 PM#468

If he ends up being a good player and we predictably have no pass rush his season someone in our front office better be f**king fired or have their power entirely stripped. Whoever chose Street over him is a f**king joke.
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49erBigMac
Apr 28, 2018 at 12:29 PM#470

Massive kick in the nuts for him to go to the Rams, I hope I was wrong

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zonkers
Apr 28, 2018 at 3:52 PM#472

I have doubts that he has enough juice to start as a traditional edge. However, I think he could thrive under Wade Phillips’s one gap ‘n attack style.

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Note…this is Snead’s wife:

khs@KaraHenderson
To .@SeniorBowlPhil point… I asked Les (being a New Englander myself) how in world did u end up with a Maine guy?? “Senior Bowl… saw him and said… holy $&@t this guy is good”