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znModeratorHurricane Irma moving west with 110-mph winds, expected to grow into an intense storm
LINDA ROBERTSON
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/weather/hurricane/article170955607.html
UPDATE: Hurricane Irma strengthens.
A compact Hurricane Irma was moving steadily west on Saturday night, but is projected to grow into a powerful storm over the next two to three days.
In the 11 p.m. advisory, National Hurricane Center forecasters said Irma’s speed was 14 mph with sustained Category 2 winds of 110 mph, placing it about 1,030 miles from the Leeward Islands. It is expected to threaten the islands from Guadeloupe northward as early as Tuesday night when it could strengthen into a Category 3 or 4 hurricane.
“Irma is currently a small hurricane, with hurricane-force winds extending outward up to 25 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extending outward up to 70 miles,” the advisory said. “Irma is expected to be a major hurricane when it moves closer to the Lesser Antilles early next week, producing rough surf and rip currents. Irma could also cause dangerous wind, storm surge, and rainfall impacts on some islands, although it is too soon to specify where and when those hazards could occur.”
The big question is what Irma will be doing by Wednesday, when “confidence beyond 3 days is then much lower,” the advisory said. Various models of the storm’s path diverge at that point depending on what happens when Irma, currently being steered to the west-southwest by a high pressure ridge, turns to the northwest.
“It is much too early to determine what direct impacts Irma will have on the Bahamas and the continental U.S.,” forecasters said.
The NHC’s map has Irma’s cone over Puerto Rico by Wednesday night and over northern Hispaniola by Thursday night. Residents of the Lesser Antilles, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and the Bahamas were being encouraged to monitor Irma’s progress.
A NOAA Hurricane Hunter plane was to be dispatched Sunday on a reconnaissance flight to check Irma’s intensity and size.
If Irma was to strike the U.S., models project the earliest landfall next weekend or early in the week of Sept. 11. Other tracks have Irma moving safely east of the U.S. East Coast.
Hurricane Andrew was also a compact system before it made landfall in south Florida 25 years ago.
znModeratorThere are some unconventional choices there—11 DBs? 9 LBs? and only 8 OL? Seems unbalanced. But here is a possible way to see it. I have no doubt there will be changes, but I can see the logic behind the 8 OL and 9 LBs/11 DBs thing.
If they stock the practice squad with OL they then have people they can promote in case of injuries. They will only have 7 OL active on game days so they can just as easily stash a reserve group on the PS.
On LB—LBs are usually very involved in special teams. So reserve LBs, unlike reserve OL, can serve a game day purpose. So you put them on the roster and not the PS. Plus, they are probably conscious that to different degrees, both Barwin and Quinn are older. So they are grooming future replacements.
It’s the same at safety. It is completely unconventional to have 5 safeties and 6 corners. But then DBs can be used on special teams, plus they could possibly lose Tru, Joyner, and Alexander next year—all 3. So they are as much thinking about the future as anything else.
September 3, 2017 at 8:08 am in reply to: 9/2 = roster cutdown; 9/3 = practice squad; 9/7 must be under the cap #73669znModeratorOne personnel director just predicted that he believes Sunday will see "a record amount of waiver claims." So final rosters are not final.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 2, 2017
September 2, 2017 at 10:08 pm in reply to: The politics of "Houston" (I don't mean the beliefs of people who live there) #73663znModerator‘Your eyes start itching’: pollution soars in Houston after chemical industry leaks
Communities face surging toxic fumes and possible water contamination, as refineries and plants report more than 2,700 tons of extra pollutionHurricane Harvey has resulted in Houston’s petrochemical industry leaking thousands of tons of pollutants, with communities living near plants damaged by the storm exposed to soaring levels of toxic fumes and potential water contamination.
Refineries and chemical plants have reported more than 2,700 tons, or 5.4m pounds, of extra air pollution due to direct damage from the hurricane as well as the preventive shutting down of facilities, which causes a spike in released toxins.
On Friday, ozone levels in south-west Houston were nearly three times higher than the national standard, triggering one of Texas’s worst recent smogs. Scientists warned that people outside cleaning up in the aftermath of Harvey were vulnerable to the poor air, particularly the elderly, children and those with asthma.
According to an analysis by the Center for Biological Diversity, a cocktail of nearly 1m pounds of particularly harmful substances such as benzene, hexane, sulfur dioxide, butadiene and xylene have been emitted by more than 60 petroleum industry plants operated by ExxonMobil, Shell, Chevron and other businesses since the hurricane.
Houston has not met national air quality standards since the introduction of the Clean Air Act in 1970 and the sudden surge in pollution has caused deep concern among public health advocates.
“It’s a really serious public health crisis from the pollution and other impacts people are facing,” said Bakeyah Nelson, executive director of Air Alliance Houston.
“Communities in close proximity to these facilities will get the worst of it, as they get the worst of it on a daily basis. There’s also the acute danger of one of these facilities exploding in neighbourhoods where storage tanks are adjacent to people’s back yards. It’s a very real threat and it’s a very precarious situation.”
The released chemicals are linked, through prolonged exposure, to an array of health problems including heightened cancer risk, gastrointestinal ailments, nausea and muscle weakness. Residents living near the sprawling industrial facilities that dominate Houston’s ship channel said they have experienced pungent smells and respiratory issues in the wake of the hurricane.
“It feels like someone has a hand on the crest of your noses and is pushing down on your nose and eyes,” said Bryan Parras, who lives in the East End area of Houston. “You start to get headaches, your eyes start itching, your throat gets scratchy. I noticed it going outside for just a second. And then I realized that the air conditioning was sucking it into the house.”
Parras has worked for the past decade to highlight the pollution issues faced the overwhelmingly Latino and black communities living directly next to Houston’s petrochemical industry. While it is difficult to directly link air pollution in a particular area to a person’s illness, people along the ship channel have reported elevated levels of leukemia, asthma and other ailments.
“I grew up here and I remember being sick all the time,” Parras said. “I’m still pretty fucked up because of where I grew up and live. This hurricane has been devastating for these communities and it’s still playing out because we don’t know the full extent of it yet.
“The Latino community here is full of good people. They do the dirtiest jobs and they don’t ask for much and yet they are over-policed, criminalized and targeted. These people have very little political power and the city knows it. The real disaster is that they are poisoning these communities slowly, 24-7.”
Daniel Cohan, an air pollution expert at Rice University, said the emissions could be even greater than what the companies are reporting to regulators, given the difficulties in ascertaining exactly what has been leaked. Several air quality monitors were also rendered inoperable by the hurricane.
“The emissions could be many times higher,” he said. “A lot of the risks for carcinogens and neurotoxins come following exposure for a long time but the immediate concern is that people in the neighborhoods around the plants, a lot of low-income Hispanic communities, will suffer itchy eyes and throat complaints. The air will be unpleasant to breathe.
“It’s concerning how state policies allow enormous amounts of pollution during shut down and start up periods. I hope the next few days are the worst of it.”
The most spectacular industrial damage so far has taken place at the Arkema chemical plant in Crosby, Texas, where a number of explosions have been reported.
Many other petrochemical facilities have reported lesser but significant damage to their roofs and holding tanks from Harvey, the heaviest rain event in recorded US history. ExxonMobil had to shut down two facilities, with one damaged plant in Baytown releasing more than 12,500lbs of chemicals including benzene and xylene.
Fourteen plants, operated by firms including Shell and Dow Chemical, have also reported wastewater overflows following the hurricane. It’s not yet clear what volume of pollutants has been released, although some scientists are concerned the huge volume of water washing through Houston will carry high levels of toxins.
Along with its enormous petrochemical industry, Harris county, in which Houston sits, has more than a dozen superfund sites – federally designated toxic areas in need of cleaning up – that may also spread contamination.
The Associated Press reported on Saturday that it had visited five Houston-area suprefund sites and all had been inundated with water.
The US Environmental Protection Agency and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality have said they have about 200 staff members working to monitor wastewater issues and safeguard drinking water.
“Floodwaters may contain many hazards, including bacteria and other disease agents,” the agencies warned in a joint statement. “Precautions should be taken by anyone involved in cleanup activities or any others who may be exposed to floodwaters.
“These precautions include heeding all warnings from local and state authorities regarding boil-water notices, swimming advisories, or other safety advisories.”
Many residents have been alarmed by the toxic impacts of the hurricane but are skeptical that their more chronic pollution problems will be addressed once the floodwaters from Harvey have receded.
Jessica Hultze, a retired woman who lives in Houston’s second ward district, a largely Latino area, said she had noticed a strong smell of gasoline that made her feel uncomfortable.
“This has been bad but it’s not going to get better, it’ll only get worse,” she said. “We all talk about how close we are to the refineries but for us there is no hope, we will die with this poisonous air. There are so many people around here with tubes coming out of their noses.
“I’ve been around for a few years and no one has listened to us. We are just the little people.”
September 2, 2017 at 9:33 pm in reply to: Schefter: "realistic chance" Donald could miss first half of the season #73661znModeratorWhat devices? Good luck with that. The Rams aren’t going to renegotiate the CBA.
Florio just means the holdout I think.
…
September 2, 2017 at 8:50 pm in reply to: Schefter: "realistic chance" Donald could miss first half of the season #73654znModeratorRams, Aaron Donald “not close”
Mike Florio
Rams, Aaron Donald “not close”
The Rams are optimistic that defensive tackle Aaron Donald will return this week. Maybe they shouldn’t be.
Per a league source, the Rams and Donald are negotiating but are “not close” on a deal.
While the Rams have been mum about the reasons for Donald’s absence, the reality is that Donald has decided to take a stand against the current rookie compensation system. And good for him for doing it.
During the last labor negotiations, the NFL insisted on an overhaul to the rookie compensation in order to ensure that draft busts don’t bogart millions from the available pot of player money. The problem, however, is that players who are the opposite of busts have to wait too long to get the financial reward that they no longer get when they are drafted.
Donald is scheduled to make $17 million over the first five years of his career. At that point, the Rams could apply the franchise two times, keeping him away from free agency for seven years — and putting him on the open market when he’s on the brink of 30.
Yes, he’s under contract. But it’s not as if the contract was freely negotiated. He was stuck with the deal that his draft spot dictated, and he has devices available under the labor deal for exerting leverage in an effort to get the Rams to forget about the $1.8 million he’s due to make this year, the $6.8 million he’s due to make next year, and the two tags the Rams could apply.
It won’t be easy; typically, only those players who get to the open market get market-changing money. But if Donald is willing to dig in and skip games, he possibly will get the Rams to value him based upon his skills and abilities and not based upon the dollars and cents otherwise spelled out in the remaining years of his contract and future possible use of the franchise tag.
September 2, 2017 at 8:36 pm in reply to: Schefter: "realistic chance" Donald could miss first half of the season #73653znModeratorMcVay Provides Update on Aaron Donald
Myles Simmons
The Rams had to reduce their roster to 53 players on Saturday, and one name remains notably absent from the list.
Defensive tackle Aaron Donald was placed on the reserve/did not report list Saturday, as the Rams and his representation continue to negotiate a contract extension.
Head coach Sean McVay reiterated that discussions are ongoing, and that he remains optimistic that Donald will report sooner than later.
“I’m always going to maintain that positive approach,” McVay said Saturday afternoon. “I know that our guys are working relentlessly to try to come to this solution. And like we said, the level of urgency is certainly raised as we get closer and closer to our first regular-season game. But right now, there’s no update — kind of still where we’re at.”
McVay, however, did reveal that he’s been in touch with Donald, having a few conversations that have been strictly about football.
“Aaron and I’s discussions have been exclusive to player-coach relationship types of things — what he’s missed out on, how much we can’t wait to get him back here,” McVay said. “And that’s what you want it to be. And that where I think it’s helpful and healthy for my role to be.”
“He’s a guy that I’ve enjoyed talking to,” McVay later added. “And I’ll enjoy it a lot more when I see him in person.”
When Donald does report, Los Angeles will go through a deliberate process to ensure he’s in the best position possible to excel. McVay said he knows Donald is taking good care of himself and staying in shape, but there’s no substitute for practice and game reps. So the club plans on coming up with a course of action in conjunction with head trainer Reggie Scott and head strength and conditioning coach Ted Rath.
“If there’s anybody that you feel like can try to mimic and emulate those things when he’s working out on his now, Aaron’s one of those guys,” McVay said. “But we do definitely want to be aware of getting him back and being smart about it, while knowing that if we do get it solved and come to a solution, he’s one of our best players. Want to have him out there with his teammates, but not at the expense of not having a smart plan in place to where you rush him back and then it results in not having him for a couple weeks.”
Still, there’s no clear timeline of when Donald will report, which means McVay has a strategy should Donald not report in time to play on Sept. 10 against the Colts.
“I think you always have to have those plans in place,” McVay said. “But I think what I would say that’s been such a breath of fresh air with our team and our players that have been here is while they want Aaron back, they haven’t allowed it to be a distraction for what they want to get done.
“Guys are getting reps at the spot that you kind of project Aaron right now,” McVay continued. “So I know that if that’s the case, they’ll be ready to go against Indianapolis. And we’ve got confidence in those guys to step up.”
But the Rams will continue to work to find a solution in order to have Donald back and on the field as soon as possible.
“We want him here, and we want him to be a part of this,” McVay said. “I think with what these players have started to create — I think it would be special to have Aaron be a part of that because of what we’ve talked about and some of the things that we want our players to represent, and the way they go about their daily work. Everything that I’ve heard, and then the short exposure I’ve had to Aaron, he kind of personifies what we’re looking for.
“And I think the players have a huge amount of respect for him,” McVay continued. “We already know the production that he’s had — that kind of speaks for itself. That’s why he’s an important part of what we’re trying to do. We’re going to try to come to a solution and a conclusion to this.”
znModeratorI must say that Johnny Mundt is a surprise to me. Until he scored the touchdown on Thursday I didn’t even know he existed.
Mundt got hurt early in camp and then got shelved for a while. Apparently, he made a big impression when he could finally participate.
September 2, 2017 at 7:34 pm in reply to: tweets n stuff for 9/1 & 9/2 (lots of good stuff in here) #73649znModeratorJoe Curley @vcsjoecurley
McVay hints that Johnny Mundt is a developmental player. “When he’s gotten out there, he’s got some ability.”
It seems like Rams are really done with Spruce. Gave his number to Carrier. McVay just said they’re rooting for him to find another team.
McVay said Tavon Austin is ready to return punts in Week 1. “He looks explosive.”
McVay says the Rams are watching the waiver wire looking for potential upgrades.
McVay says no update on Donald. “The level of urgency is certainly raised.”
Asked if he’s hopeful that Aaron Donald will be here on Monday, McVay says “I’m an optimistic guy.”
McVay says he’s spoken to Donald about football, “Aaron loves football. He wants to be here. We respect their stance.”
Myles Simmons@MylesASimmons
McVay calls RB Justin Davis an explosive back who got better as preseason progressed. As a role, compares to Lance Dunbar.
McVay says OL Andrew Donnal was able to participate in 11-on-11 aspects of practice today for the first time since his injury.
McVay says new TE Derek Carrier brings versatility to position. He’s a good athlete & should be able to contribute on special teams.
Vincent Bonsignore @DailyNewsVinny
FYI: #Rams HC Sean McVay has had multiple conversations with Aaron Donald during AD’s holdout.
Tone of conversations have been strictly coach/player. McVay is not part of the negotiations. He remains hopeful AD reports on Monday
Alden Gonzalez @Alden_Gonzalez
Aaron Donald remains on the did not report list, by the way. So, Rams have 53 players, plus Donald.
Sean McVay calls Aaron Donald from time to time, to talk football. “I chase him around like I’m chasing a girl in high school.”
With Shakeir Ryan cut, looks like Tavon Austin will be ready to return punts in Week 1. Pharoh Cooper returns kickoffs.
Alexander and Joyner are starting S. Backups: Marqui Christian, Blake Countess, Cody Davis, John Johnson, with some also able to play CB.
Rams are keeping two QBs, Jared Goff and Sean Mannion. One of the youngest QB combos in the NFL.
Practice squad should be announced on Sunday.
Rich Hammond @Rich_Hammond
Rams cut Wichmann and Eldrenkamp. They either have signings in mind or they think much more of their OL depth than I do.
Ryan Kartje @Ryan_Kartje
#Rams cuts that somewhat surprised me: Cody Wichmann, Mike Jordan, Mike Purcell, Jake Eldrenkamp, Josh Forrest
Can’t believe there are fans anywhere in the universe saying #Rams should trade Aaron Donald for not being a team player. Y’all are insane.
J.B. Long@JB_Long
My most interesting 53-man roster members for #Rams: rookie TE Johnny Mundt (TD grab P4) and rookie DB Dom Hatfield (INT P3).
Andrew Siciliano@AndrewSiciliano
Sammy Watkins will wear #12 for the @RamsNFL
znModeratorfrom the wiki:
Carrier played college football at Beloit College. The Oakland Raiders signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2012.
Professional career
Oakland Raiders
Carrier was signed by the Oakland Raiders as an undrafted free agent on April 28, 2012. On August 30, 2012, he was waived by the Raiders.
Philadelphia Eagles
On September 11, 2012, he was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles and added to the practice squad.On August 25, 2013, he was released by the Eagles.
San Francisco 49ers
On September 3, 2013, he was signed by the San Francisco 49ers and added to the practice squad. On November 16, 2013, he was promoted to the active roster.
On March 9, 2015, Carrier signed a two-year, $3.3 million contract extension.
Washington Redskins
On August 21, 2015, Carrier was traded to the Washington Redskins for a conditional fifth round pick in the 2017 NFL draft.. In Week 5 against Atlanta Falcons, he recorded his first career touchdown on a seven-yard pass from Kirk Cousins. After tearing his ACL and MCL in Week 14 against the Chicago Bears, the Redskins placed him on injured reserve on December 14.
Carrier started the 2016 season on the PUP list to recover from torn ligaments in his knee. He was officially activated to the active roster on November 12, 2016 prior to Week 10.
Los Angeles Rams
Carrier was traded to the Los Angeles Rams for a 2018 seventh-round pick on September 2, 2017.
znModeratorI count 16 UDFAs (I mean original Rams UDFAs, guys they signed themselves after the last couple of drafts). It includes 2 starters (bolded):
Malcolm Brown, Justin Davis, Johnny Mundt, Darrell Williams, Ethan Westbrooks, Louis Trinca-Pasat, Morgan Fox, Matt Longacre, Cory Littleton, Nicholas Grigsby, Dominique Hatfield, Kevin Peterson, Blake Countess, Cody Davis, Marqui Christian, Johnny Hekker
znModeratorSURPRISES:
OL Jake Eldrenkamp | Washington
LB Josh Forrest | Kentucky*
DB Michael Jordan | Missouri Western
OL Alex Kozan | Auburn
LB Cassanova Mckinzy | Auburn
DT Casey Sayles | Ohio
G Cody Wichmann | Fresno State
TE Cory Harkey | UCLASome of these will be PS guys.
..
znModeratorKupp released…a statement saying he was happy to make the final roster.
znModeratorThe Los Angeles Rams made several roster moves to reduce their roster to 53 players on Saturday.
Additionally, Los Angeles acquired TE Derek Carrier from Washington in exchange for a 2018 7th-round pick.
The Rams waive the following player(s):
DT Omarius Bryant | Western Kentucky
WR K.D. Cannon | Baylor
OL Parker Collins | Appalachian State
K Travis Coons | Washington
CB Carlos Davis | Mississippi
LB Kevin Davis | Colorado State*
OL Michael Dunn | Maryland
OL Jake Eldrenkamp | Washington
LB Josh Forrest | Kentucky*
DB Tyquwan Glass | Fresno State
RB Aaron Green | Texas Christian
DB Isaiah Johnson | Georgia Tech
DB Michael Jordan | Missouri Western
OL Alex Kozan | Auburn
OLB Willie Mays | Tiffin
LB Cassanova Mckinzy | Auburn
WR Paul McRoberts | Southeast Missouri State
OLB Andy Mulumba | Eastern Michigan
OL Pace Murphy | Northwestern State
LB Folarin Orimolade | Dartmouth
DB Aarion Penton | Missouri
NT Mike Purcell | Wyoming
FB Sam Rogers | Virginia Tech
WR Shakeir Ryan | Northwestern State
DT Casey Sayles | Ohio
WR Brandon Shippen | Temple
WR Nelson Spruce | Colorado*
OLB Thompson, Carlos | Mississippi
RB Lenard Tillery | Southern*
OLB Davis Tull | Chattanooga
G Cody Wichmann | Fresno State
TE Travis Wilson | Utah*Waived/Injured
The Rams terminate the following player(s):
TE Cory Harkey | UCLA
QB Dan Orlovsky | ConnecticutThe Rams place the following player(s) on Reserve/Injured:
TE Temarrick Hemingway | South Carolina State
The Rams place the following player(s) on Reserve/PUP:
RB Lance Dunbar | North Texas
The following Rams’ player(s) revert to Reserve/Suspended:
CB Troy Hill | Oregon
WR Michael Thomas | Southern MississippiznModeratorThe tight end is looking forward to his first full offseason with the Redskins, hoping to make an impact after a knee injury erased the majority of his 2016.
Tight end Derek Carrier[IMG] may be approaching his third season with the Redskins, but considering the hurdles of adversity he’s faced during his tenure in Washington, this offseason is really like his first.
Carrier was traded to the Redskins just before the 2015 regular season, forcing him to adjust to a new team without much preparation at all. An ACL/MCL injury during a Bears game in December nearly erased his entire 2016 calendar year. He returned to pads last November, receiving limited work as his knee fully recovered from bouts with tendinitis.
“Right now it’s kind of building off those last couple weeks that I had to play and try to put myself in the best position and let the chips fall where they may,” he told Redskins.com.
It should be much easier to find a foundation. Carrier spent the first couple months of the offseason resting and doing light lifting, making sure to let his knee fully heal. He spent a month in Florida at the Exos facility where Dr. James Andrews, who performed his surgery, works with athletes and received a stem cell shot into his knee using bone marrow from his hip to help strengthen the tendon.
“Everything was healed structurally from the surgery pretty quickly and it was just a matter of probably getting after things a little too much too soon during the offseason,” Carrier said of his recovery last winter. “I think that’s what kind of pushed me back, especially getting the tendinitis and that kind of carried over into training camp and into the first couple weeks of the season. Feeing a lot better now, got some time off on it, the cell shot, and then continue rehabbing and getting that whole area a lot stronger has helped.”
Carrier has been using the Redskins’ facility for the last several weeks, working alongside head strength and conditioning coach Chad Englehart, who he became extremely familiar with last season as rehabbed on side practice fields. “He got me prepared as much as I could do without strapping on the helmet and pads,” Carrier said.
Tight ends coach Wes Phillips talked with Carrier near the end of the season about practice habits and his pain levels to make sure how to best acclimate him back to the grind of practices, something Carrier missed for nearly a year. Patience was lea
Redskins Acquire TE Derek Carrier In Trade With 49ers
“Even when I was back playing, I was having issues with my knee so it really wasn’t resolved then,” Carrier said. “One of the things I missed the most about being gone was the camaraderie. As a competitor, it is awful just watching guys on the field compete, work and sweat and you are on the sideline. I was working, but you want to be a part of that group and it sucks not being a part of that.”With a healthy outlook for 2017, and the first opportunity to spend April, May and June with his teammates, Carrier’s goals are simple: become more comfortable in the offense and string practices together without pain.
“Last year I was completely injured, so I didn’t get to build a rapport with Kirk or the offense until I really came back and played,” he said. “So I think that’s something I’m looking forward to.”
While the Redskins re-signed Vernon Davis[IMG] and will see Jordan Reed[IMG] and Niles Paul[IMG] return this offseason, Carrier knows the tight end room will be full and competitive. Along with making sure his knee responds well, he knows he can still provide some tools that will separate him from the pack.
“I do a good job at being versatile in both the pass and run game and pass protection,” said Carrier, who entered the league as a wide receiver. “I pride myself in being a complete player and since I have made that conversion to tight end I have improved every year. You never stop learning or getting better but I feel I have come a long ways and it’s fun to be able to continually improve. That is just something I look forward to and, like I said earlier, just really focusing on good days in practice where play back-to-back-to-back and I am not in pain. That is really my main focus right now.”
Carrier, whose first son will turn seven months at the end of April, hopes to compound more of those good days in the final year of his contract, well-aware that this will be a big opportunity to showcase his work.
“It is just a matter of staying on the field and making sure everything holds up,” he said. “But all you can really do is work your tail off and out yourself in the best position and let the chips fall where they may.”
znModeratorhttps://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/historical/1969606
How do you get noticed as an NFL prospect coming out of tiny Beloit? Standing out over Wisconsin’s pro day was an excellent route for Carrier, who showed off 4.5-second speed and a 38-inch vertical.
A versatile threat capable of playing tight end, wide receiver and H-Back, Carrier caught 75 passes for 1,250 yards and 12 touchdowns last season. And he fits the physical mold of a league looking to unearth more threats like the Patriots’ Aaron Hernandez, an athletic tight end who took snaps out of the backfield during the playoffs last season.
“A lot of other teams want to find their own Hernandez or their own (Rob) Gronkowski,” Carrier told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “A guy who can split out and create a lot of mismatches. It kind of becomes the hot commodity for that draft.”
All 32 teams requested film on Carrier after the pro day.
“It wasn’t just a good workout – he had a great workout,” a personnel man for an AFC team told the Journal Sentinel. “I’ve watched a little film of him. Beloit. . . isn’t that Division III? But I think somebody will take a shot in the sixth or seventh (rounds). Maybe somebody takes him higher. He’s a big kid and he ran awfully well.”
znModeratorRams Trade for Tight End Derek Carrier
Kristen Lago
Ahead of the NFL mandated 53-man roster cut being finalized this afternoon, the Rams have announced a roster move — trading a 2018 7th round draft pick to the Redskins for tight end Derek Carrier. The move reunites Carrier with head coach Sean McVay, who previously served as the offensive coordinator at Washington.
The tight end originally entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of Beloit College, signing with the Raiders in 2012. He has spent the last two seasons with the Redskins, where he had 19 receptions for 151 yards and one touchdown. During this year’s preseason, Carrier caught two passes for 22 yards and one touchdown in Washington’s exhibition contest against Cincinnati.
znModeratorThe Rams giving up a 7th round pick.
I think it was a conditional pick.
znModeratorReport: Broncos upset with decision to cut T.J. Ward
Mike Florio
Report: Broncos upset with decision to cut T.J. Ward
Von Miller hoped the chatter was fake news. The end result could be that the Broncos have a real problem.
James Palmer of NFL Media reports that Ward’s now-former teammates are upset with the decision to release the three-time Pro Bowl safety. It was obvious the move was coming earlier this week, when the Broncos started making calls about trading Ward. But until it happened, other Broncos players could brush it off as rumors or idle chatter or, yes, fake news.
As Palmer notes, Ward was “loved” in the locker room and regarded as a leader on the team. But that $4.5 million salary dragged him down, especially since the Broncos had younger, cheaper options that, in the view of the football operation, can get the job done.
Ward now becomes a free agent, able to sign with any other team. The question becomes whether someone else will offer him anything close to $4.5 million for 2017.
September 2, 2017 at 1:21 pm in reply to: Seattle trades for Sheldon Richardson (not good for Rams) #73611znModeratorHe’s no Coy Bacon you know.
I would imagine that in a 4/3 he would be a DT or a left DE, not a featured rightside pass rusher.
znModeratorThe Rams are 5th in line for claims.
Actually Ward is a vet so he’s a free agent.
,
September 2, 2017 at 12:46 pm in reply to: 9/2 = roster cutdown; 9/3 = practice squad; 9/7 must be under the cap #73608znModeratorThankful for the opportunity @RamsNFL !! #Notfinishedyet👌🏽 pic.twitter.com/9CIwFkYRhi
— Michael Purcell (@wyomike50) September 2, 2017
September 2, 2017 at 12:00 pm in reply to: 9/2 = roster cutdown; 9/3 = practice squad; 9/7 must be under the cap #73601znModerator#Rams cut DB Mike Jordan
znModeratorSeptember 2, 2017 at 8:17 AM
http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2017/09/hurricane_irma_2017_back_to_a.html
Speculation continues to fly around the path of Hurricane Irma as it edged ever closer to the Caribbean on Saturday.
Irma is still days away from affecting land, however.
As of the last advisory from the National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Irma early Saturday was located about 1,320 miles east of the Leeward Islands and was moving to the west at 14 mph.
At that rate, Irma wouldn’t be near the islands until Tuesday or Wednesday.
Irma was a Category 2 hurricane with winds of 110 mph on Saturday morning, which is down from 120 mph on Friday.
The hurricane center anticipated that and said fluctuations in strength — up or down — will be possible for the next few days.
And Irma’s worst winds may be confined to a small area near its core. The hurricane center said that a ship passed less than 60 miles to the west of the center of the storm and only reported winds of about 45 mph.
Forecasters say Irma has weakened a bit because it is over only “marginally” warm waters and is close to drier air.
After 24 hours, Irma is expected to move over warmer water and away from the dry air and could strengthen — possibly up to Category 4 intensity.
The bigger question is where Irma will go. Speculation has ranged from the Gulf Coast to all of the Atlantic coast, but it’s still too early to have confidence in path forecasts this far out.
September 2, 2017 at 8:52 am in reply to: tweets n stuff for 9/1 & 9/2 (lots of good stuff in here) #73597znModeratorAlden Gonzalez, ESPN Staff Writer: http://www.espn.com/espn/now?nowId=21-0695107337291046485-4
Assuming Aaron Donald returns in time to be available for the Sept. 10 opener, here are the guys the Rams probably won’t have available for the start of the season: OL Andrew Donnal (knee; doing individual drills recently); RB Lance Dunbar (to start on PUP with pre-existing knee injury); DL Dominique Easley (out for year with torn ACL); CB Troy Hill (suspended first two games); WR Mike Thomas (suspended first four games); Temarrick Hemingway (fractured fibula; out at least a couple months).
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"It's time to play some football, dawg!"
Wired with @lightningstrk12 🗣 pic.twitter.com/az8r2QwG7v
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) August 31, 2017
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Interesting, here: @BR_DougFarrar
writes that Kirk Cousins is in trouble without Sean McVay (and Desean). #Rams https://t.co/PQTndXKrB3— J.B. Long (@JB_Long) September 1, 2017
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Because that defense just wasn't good enough already. https://t.co/ByxfgAtsth
— Alden Gonzalez (@Alden_Gonzalez) September 1, 2017
September 2, 2017 at 8:41 am in reply to: 9/2 = roster cutdown; 9/3 = practice squad; 9/7 must be under the cap #73596znModeratorLots of moves today, and the Rams will certainly be keeping an eye on it all. They could still seek help for the right side of their offensive line. Also, TE, RB, DL, CB.
Alden Gonzalez, ESPN Staff Writer: http://www.espn.com/espn/now?nowId=21-0695353381098625831-4
September 2, 2017 at 8:39 am in reply to: Schefter: "realistic chance" Donald could miss first half of the season #73595znModeratorVincent Bonsignore @DailyNewsVinny
Can confirm @RapSheet report that #Rams met w/Aaron Donald agents Wed. Main takeaway: dialogue is ongoing. Would not read much more into it100 percent it gets done but 40/60 in time for opener.
New Matthew Stafford contract sheds 💡on #Rams-Donald holdups: overall $ #, guaranteed $ #, guarantee of overall $ # over 1st 3 years
By year three Stafford is guaranteed $92m of his 5 year $135m contract.
So, relative to AD: what’s his overall $ #? How much should be guaranteed upfront and how much of overall $# should be guaranteed by year 3?
It’s easy: how far are you comfortable going on best DL man on overall $ #, guaranteed guarante $ # and guaranteed of overall $# by year 3
September 2, 2017 at 8:05 am in reply to: 9/2 = roster cutdown; 9/3 = practice squad; 9/7 must be under the cap #73593znModeratorRams have tough decisions to make as they work to trim roster to 53
Gary Klein
http://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/la-sp-rams-20170901-story.html
Some of the 37 players who could be waived by Saturday afternoon’s deadline seemed obvious. Six or seven would not be.
“Definitely going to be some tough discussions toward the end of that, when you’re looking at in between that 46 and 53,” coach Sean McVay said after the loss to the Packers. “But those are good problems to have.”
Unlike several NFL teams that released the names of the first wave of players cut, the Rams on Friday were mum about their moves.
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But running back Aaron Green, a member of the Rams practice squad last season, posted a messages to his Twitter account that indicated he might have been waived.Green, who had competed with former USC running back Justin Davis for a spot as the third running back behind starter Todd Gurley and Malcolm Brown, posted two messages.
“Thank you @RamsNFL for an opportunity of a lifetime! The show goes on!” he tweeted, along with, “Enjoyed my time here in LA, excited to see where I end up next!”
Like all NFL teams, the Rams are informing players they are released while also scanning the waiver wire to possibly fortify the roster with players let go by other clubs.
Rams could have the most expensive seat in America
The Rams are fifth among the 32 NFL teams in the claiming order, the same order in which teams selected in this year’s draft. (The Tennessee Titans had the fifth pick in the first round as part of the trade that enabled the Rams to move to the top of the 2016 draft to select quarterback Jared Goff.)“You kind of have a projected ideal 53 going into this game and then you’ve got to take into consideration some of the guys that would be possible claims for us, especially being able to be in that fifth spot where you might take advantage of that,” McVay said.
The Rams also will sign 10 players who have cleared waivers to the practice squad.
The Rams’ roster decisions could come at several positions, including the defensive line. The position group has been in flux because of a season-ending knee injury suffered by lineman Dominique Easley and Aaron Donald’s holdout because of a contract dispute.
McVay said Thursday that he was “definitely optimistic” that Donald would report in the coming week. Rams representatives had met with Donald’s representatives in Atlanta on Wednesday, a person with knowledge of the situation said.
Quarterback Jared Goff and backup Sean Mannion are on the roster, but veteran Dan Orlovsky would be a luxury. Orlovsky’s contract is guaranteed if he is on the roster the first week, so he could be cut and then possibly re-signed if the Rams did not use the spot elsewhere.
Davis, an undrafted free agent who got workhorse carries throughout the preseason, appears to have made the team after overcoming two fumbles in his debut against the Dallas Cowboys. Rookie fullback Sam Rogers, a sixth-round draft pick, carved a role with special teams play.
If the Rams go with six receivers, they would probably be Tavon Austin, Robert Woods, Sammy Watkins, Pharoh Cooper and rookies Cooper Kupp and Josh Reynolds. Second-year pro Mike Thomas is suspended for the first four games.
The broken fibula sustained by tight end Temarrick Hemingway leaves the Rams with three tight ends: rookie Gerald Everett, second-year pro Tyler Higbee and veteran Cory Harkey.
The starting offensive line consists of tackles Andrew Whitworth and Rob Havenstein, guards Rodger Saffold and Jamon Brown and center John Sullivan. Andrew Donnal, who has been sidelined because of a leg injury, Cody Wichmann, Austin Blythe, Darrell Williams and Pace Murphy are competing for the remaining spots.
Assuming Donald reports in time, he will join Michael Brockers, Ethan Westbrooks, Tanzel Smart and Tyrunn Walker. Louis Trinca-Pasat, Morgan Fox, Mike Purcell also are competing for spots.
Alec Ogletree, Mark Barron, Connor Barwin and Robert Quinn are starting linebackers and Josh Forrest and rookie Samson Ebukam appear to be locks. Cory Littleton, Matt Longacre, Nic Grigsby, Bryce Hager and rookie Ejuan Price are competing for roles.
Trumaine Johnson and Kayvon Webster are the starting cornerbacks, and Nickell Robey-Coleman the nickel back. Mike Jordan is a back-up on the outside. Troy Hill is suspended for the first two games.
Maurice Alexander and Lamarcus Joyner are the starters at safety. Cody Davis and rookie John Johnson have roles and Marqui Christian and Blake Countess could figure in the plan.
Punter Johnny Hekker, kicker Greg Zuerlein and snapper Jake McQuaide are the specialists.
September 2, 2017 at 6:59 am in reply to: relationship between climate change and Hurricane Harvey #73592znModeratorConservative groups shrug off link between tropical storm Harvey and climate change
Myron Ebell, who headed the EPA’s transition team when Trump became president, said the last decade has been a period of ‘low hurricane activityConservative groups with close links to the Trump administration have sought to ridicule the link between climate change and events such as tropical storm Harvey, amid warnings from scientists that storms are being exacerbated by warming temperatures.
Harvey, which smashed into the Texas coast on Friday, rapidly developed into a Category 4 hurricane and has drenched parts of Houston with around 50in of rain in less than a week, more than the city typically receives in a year. So much rain fell that the National Weather Service had to add new colours to its maps.
The flooding has resulted in at least 15 deaths, with more than 30,000 people forced from their homes. Fema has warned that hundreds of thousands of people will require federal help for several years, with Greg Abbott, governor of Texas, calling Harvey “one of the largest disasters America has ever faced”. Insurers have warned the cost of the damage could amount to $100bn.
Some scientists have pointed to the tropical storm as further evidence of the dangers of climate change, with Penn State University professor of meteorology Michael Mann stating that warming temperatures “worsened the impact” of the storm, heightening the risk to life and property.
Conservative groups, however, have mobilized to downplay or mock any association between the storm and climate change. Myron Ebell, who headed the Environmental Protection Agency’s transition team when Donald Trump became president, said the last decade has been a “period of low hurricane activity” and pointed out that previous hurricanes occurred when emissions were lower.
“Instead of wasting colossal sums of money on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, much smaller amounts should be spent on improving the infrastructure that protects the Gulf and Atlantic costs,” said Ebell, who is director of environmental policy at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a libertarian thinktank that has received donations from fossil fuel companies such as Exxon Mobil.
Thomas Pyle, who led Trump’s transition team for the department of energy, said: “It is unfortunate, but not surprising, that the left is exploiting Hurricane Harvey to try and advance their political agenda, but it won’t work.
“When everything is a problem related to climate change, the solutions no longer become attainable. That is their fundamental problem.”
Pyle is president of the Institute of Energy Research, which was founded in Houston but is now based in Washington DC. The nonprofit organization has consistently questioned the science of climate change and has close ties to the Koch family.
The Heartland Institute, a prominent conservative group that produced a blueprint of cuts to the EPA that has been mirrored by the Trump administration’s budget, quoted a procession of figures from the worlds of economics, mathematics and engineering to ridicule the climate change dimension of Harvey.
“In the bizarro world of the climate change cultists … Harvey will be creatively spun to ‘prove’ there are dire effects linked to man-created climate change, a theory that is not proven by the available science,” said Bette Grande, a Heartland research fellow and a Republican who served in the North Dakota state legislature until 2014.
“Facts do not get in the way of climate change alarmism, and we will continue to fight for the truth in the months and years to come.”
Harvey was the most powerful storm to hit Texas in 50 years, but according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, it is “premature” to conclude that there has already been an increase in Atlantic-born hurricanes due to temperatures that have risen globally, on average, by around 1C since the industrial revolution.
Scientists have also been reluctant to assign individual storms to climate change but recent research has sought to isolate global changes from natural variability in disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, which devastated New Orleans in 2005.
However, researchers are also increasingly certain that the warming of the atmosphere and oceans is likely to fuel longer or more destructive hurricanes. A draft of the upcoming national climate assessment states there is “high confidence” that there will be an increase in the intensity and precipitation rates of hurricanes and typhoons in the Atlantic and Pacific as temperatures rise further.
Harvey may well fit that theory, according to climate scientist Kevin Trenberth, as the hurricane managed to turn from a tropical depression to a category four event in little more than two days, fed by a patch of the Gulf of Mexico that was up to 4C warmer than the long term average.
“When storms start to get going, they churn up water from deeper in the ocean and this colder water can slow them down,” said Trenberth, a senior scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research. “But if the upwelling water is warmer, it gives them a longer lifetime and larger intensity. There is now more ocean heat deep below the surface. The Atlantic was primed for an event like this.”
While the number of hurricanes may actually fall, scientists warn the remaining events will likely be stronger. A warmer atmosphere holds more evaporated water, which can fuel precipitation – Trenberth said as much as 30% of Harvey’s rainfall could be attributed to global warming. For lower-lying areas, the storm surge created by hurricanes is worsened by a sea level that is rising, on average, by around 3.5mm a year across the globe.
The oil and gas industry has sought to see off the threat in the Gulf of Mexico with taller platforms – post-Katrina, offshore rigs are around 90ft above sea level compared to 70ft in the 1990s – but the Houston, the epicenter of the industry, is considered vulnerable due to its relaxed approach to planning that has seen housing built in flood-prone areas.
Barack Obama’s administration established a rule that sought to flood-proof new federal infrastructure projects by demanding they incorporate the latest climate change science. Last week, Trump announced he would scrap the rule, provoking a rebuke from Carlos Curbelo, a Florida Republican congressman who called the move “irresponsible”.
Curbelo, who has attempted to rally Republicans to address climate change, wouldn’t comment on the climate change link to Harvey. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn, Texas’s Republican senators, didn’t respond to questions on the climate link, nor did Abbott, the state’s governor, or Dan Patrick, Texas’s lieutenant governor. All four of the Texas politicians have expressed doubts over the broad scientific understanding that the world is warming and that human activity is the primary cause.
“It’s essential to talk about climate change in relation to events like Hurricane Harvey and it’s sad a lot of reports don’t mention it in any way,” said Trenberth.
“You don’t want to overstate it but climate change is a contributor and is making storms more intense. A relatively small increase in intensity can do a tremendous amount of damage. It’s enough for thresholds to be crossed and for things to start breaking.”
znModeratorAdherents are mostly socialists, anarchists, and communists who, according to Mark Bray, a historian at Dartmouth College and author of Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook, “reject turning to the police or the state to halt the advance of white supremacy. Instead they advocate popular opposition to fascism as we witnessed in Charlottesville.”
I reached out to Bray to discuss the group and its burgeoning impact on American politics.
Dartmouth Professors Show Support for Lecturer After Antifa Interviews
More than 100 faculty members at Dartmouth College have signed a letter to Philip J. Hanlon, its president, asking him to retract a statement that disavows comments by Mark Bray, a lecturer. Since this month’s deadly rally in Charlottesville, Va., Mr. Bray has conducted a series of interviews with national news outlets about antifa, an abbreviation of the term “anti-fascist” that refers to radical far-left groups.
Antifa groups have engaged in protests of far-right speakers and demonstrations that often turn violent. This month Mr. Bray published a book about antifa groups and their history stretching back to the 1920s. The book, Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook, reads in part as a guide for activists who are interested in antifa groups’ ideas and tactics.
In a statement that was posted on Dartmouth’s website on August 21, Mr. Hanlon said that Mr. Bray’s statements “supporting violent protest” don’t represent the views of the New Hampshire college. “As an institution, we condemn anything but civil discourse in the exchange of opinions and ideas,” the statement says.
In their response, the Dartmouth faculty members wrote that they have “watched with gratitude as our junior colleague Mark Bray, on the strength of his historical scholarship, has become the national expert on a subject that is suddenly, terribly urgent: the 20th-century history of fascism and anti-fascism, in Europe and, more recently, the United States.”
The faculty members wrote that Mr. Bray has not called for violent protest, but argues that fascism has not been stopped by public debate or democratic politics. Antifa groups believe that fascists should be denied a platform to speak, a tactic that has sometimes succeeded in stopping fascist groups from growing, according to Mr. Bray. He said he had recently received death threats via email and on Twitter.
In their letter, the faculty members urge Mr. Hanlon to apologize to Mr. Bray and to begin “a review of peer-institution norms and recommended procedures on how to react when such a situation arises again — as it most certainly will.”
The names of the faculty members were not on the letter that was shared with The Chronicle, but Bethany Moreton, a history professor, said that faculty members across departments and ranks had signed it, while several senior faculty members have sent the president their own letters.
“It shows,” Mr. Bray said, “that there are a lot of faculty who support my academic freedom and are upset with the president issuing his statement without, at the very least, checking in with me and my department to clarify my comments.” He said that he had not been contacted by Mr. Hanlon.
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