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znModeratorAri Meirov@MySportsUpdate
Salary cap space for all 32 NFL teams (roughly):1. Titans: $63M
2. Commanders: $50M
3. Chargers: $48M
4. Cardinals: $41M
5. Jets: $40M
6. Patriots: $35M
7. Eagles: $34.8M
8. Seahawks: $33M
9. 49ers: $30M
10. Ravens: $29.5M
11. Steelers: $27M
12. Colts: $26.5M
13. Rams: $26M
14. Lions: $24M
15. Raiders: $23.5M
16. Packers: $22M
17. Browns: $21M
18. Bengals: $20M
19. Broncos: $18.9M
20. Texans: $15.2M
21. Cowboys: $14.5M
22. Bucs: $14.1M
23. Falcons: $14M
24. Saints: $13.9M
25. Bills: $12.3M
26. Chiefs: $6.7M
27. Giants: $6.4M
28. Jaguars: $6M
29. Vikings: $4.7M
30. Panthers: $2.2M
31. Dolphins: $2M
32. Bears: $245KznModeratorThePatrioticBlonde🇺🇸@ImBreckWorsham
An hour after announcing his resignation, the US Army Chief of Staff says: “A madman is about to lead the great US military to ruin.”znModeratorAfter troubled offseason, Puka Nacua taking the right steps towards change
Vincent Bonsignore
https://nypost.com/2026/04/04/sports/rams-wr-puka-nacua-in-rehab-after-troubled-offseason/
Facing a critical third-down play that has far more to do with the rest of his life than a football game, Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua is calling a timeout.
His courageous decision to check himself into a holistic facility to get the personal help he needs, knowing full well the public scrutiny and judgment that would follow, should be applauded.
And if one of L.A.’s most beloved sons had any apprehensions about how his decision might be received, or whether anyone would look at him any differently, here’s hoping he understands an entire city is standing right behind him in support.
Every single one of us can relate and empathize.
Yes, when we watch Nacua play football, we see one of the toughest, baddest dudes in all of sports constantly laying it on the line. He brings a linebacker’s mentality to the wide receiver position, daring anyone to get in his way or try to stop him, and is as willing to deliver a hit as he is to outrace one.
When viewed through that lens, Nacua is an impenetrable and unstoppable physical force. An army unto himself with seemingly no weakness.
It’s why we not only recognize but laud the self-awareness and maturity Nacua is showing right now to get the help he needs. As physically strong as he is, and as much fortitude and willpower as he has, sometimes those traits aren’t enough to manage real-life issues.
But underneath all the toughness and resolve, we also know the heart of a real human being ticks. Someone with the same vulnerabilities and susceptibilities as the rest of us.
It takes the strongest among us to admit how powerless we sometimes are when it comes to those types of battles. Unfortunately, not everyone has the humility or self-realization to admit that, wrongly believing they can out-will or power through whatever personal conflict they face.
Whether it’s ego or just fearfulness for how we might be judged, some of us decide to quietly and privately fight our demons, never letting on, never seeking help, and never fully admitting our troubles.
Only to dig ourselves deeper and deeper into a hole. Until it’s too late.
At 24 years old, Nacua is showing uncanny wisdom by shedding all pretense and ego to not only self-reflect, but also own up to the fact that he can’t fight this battle all by himself.
Sports, and the NFL, are littered with poignant examples of young, talented players who lost their way off the field and never found their way back in time to recoup the millions of dollars and prime years of their career that they fumbled away.
Josh Gordon, Johnny Manziel and Aldon Smith, just to name a few.
But there are also plenty of cases of athletes who either hit rock bottom or were headed there but took long, hard, honest looks at themselves and sought out the necessary help.
Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby is a shining example, proudly embracing his struggles early in his career and the help he courageously sought out as a result. In doing so, Crosby put himself on a Hall of Fame playing career track, but more importantly, made himself an even better human being.
None of this condones Nacua’s alleged actions. There is no place for that type of behavior, or what he is accused of saying.
The point is, he is acknowledging a pattern of behavior, owning up to whatever caused it, and is willing to get the help he needs to improve.
Just as he knows he needs his teammates and coaching staff and support system to succeed on the football field, he realized he needed similar reinforcement to help him win off the field, where some recent decision-making has led to multiple controversial situations.
Among them is a New Year’s Eve incident in which he is accused of biting two women and shouting anti-semitic remarks. One of those women has filed a civil lawsuit against Nacua.
The crossroads of those off-field decisions by Nacua could have far-reaching ramifications, depending on which direction he ultimately chooses.
As he enters the last year of his contract, his on-field resume is worthy of consideration as the highest-paid wide receiver in the history of football. The off-field incidents and the erratic and potentially unreliable picture they paint of Nacua could give the Rams or any other team pause about making that type of financial investment in him.
So yes, there could be more than a hundred million dollars at stake.
Nevertheless, Nacua still could have decided to forge ahead by himself, chalking his mistakes up to nothing more than youthful indiscretions or growing pains. Instead, he listened to his conscience and heeded the advice of family and friends.
He concluded that his football toughness wasn’t enough on this particular playing field. The ownership and accountability that he shows is a display of strength that far exceeds anything he’s done in a football game.
A whole city is right behind him in support.
The best thing Los Angeles and the rest of the sports world can now do for Nacua is to grant him all the grace, time, and space he needs to reinforce his foundation and emerge from this every bit the human being, family member, friend, and teammate he aspires to be.
This isn’t about football right now. It’s about a young man’s life.
znModeratorThe Emmanuel Forbes theory? Is it anything like the Taje LeQayne Allen theory ?
The math is different.
znModeratorI decided to post something boldy original.
Namely–I think upgrading the secondary means that more Rams front 7 pressures will turn into sacks.
See? Boldly original.
According to PRF, the Rams D was 4th last year in pressure percentage. But they were only 27th in sack percentage. A tighter secondary should help them bridge the difference between pressures and sacks.
April 4, 2026 at 9:15 am in reply to: science! physics, astrophysics, abiogenesis, n other stuff #163173znModeratorPhysicists propose tweak to Einstein’s relativity that could transform our understanding of the Big Bang
https://news.yahoo.com/news/articles/physicists-propose-tweak-einsteins-relativity-103000470.html
The Big Bang is often described as the moment everything began — a point of infinite density where the laws of physics broke down. But what if that picture is incomplete?
A new study proposes a different account of the universe’s birth: Instead of an abrupt beginning from a singularity, as predicted by Einstein’s theory of general relativity, the early cosmos may have passed through a more controlled high-energy phase governed by a modified theory of gravity known as QQG.
“QQG stands for quadratic quantum gravity,” study co-author Niayesh Afshordi, a professor of physics at the University of Waterloo and the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, told Live Science via email. “In simple terms, it is an extension of Einstein’s theory of gravity that includes additional terms which become important at extremely high energies, such as those that would have existed near the beginning of the universe.”
Why Einstein’s theory may not be enough
Einstein’s theory of general relativity has been extraordinarily successful in describing gravity on large scales. It explains the motion of planets, the behavior of black holes, and the expansion of the universe. However, it struggles to explain the ultra-small world of quantum mechanics and is widely believed to contain some fundamental inconsistencies.
“The main problem is that Einstein’s general relativity predicts its own failure under extreme conditions, most famously at the Big Bang singularity,” Afshordi said.
At that point, densities and space-time curvature become infinite — a clear indication that the theory is incomplete. Physicists have long sought a deeper framework that can describe gravity under such conditions.
“What makes [quadratic quantum gravity] interesting is that it may provide a mathematically consistent way to describe gravity at very short distances and very high energies, where ordinary general relativity is expected to break down,” Afshordi said. “In that sense, it offers a possible conservative route toward a quantum theory of gravity, while still remaining close to Einstein’s theory at ordinary scales.”
A universe without a singularity
In the new study, the researchers explored how QQG would reshape the earliest moments of the cosmos if it is indeed a correct completion of Einstein’s theory. Their results suggest that the universe may not have started from a singular point at all.
“Our main result is that, within quadratic gravity, the very early universe can avoid the usual Big Bang singularity and instead pass through a better-controlled high-energy phase,” Afshordi said.
Rather than emerging from an infinitely dense state, the universe would have begun in a smoother, more stable configuration with finite density and finite temperature, with its precise properties depending on the particles and fields present at extremely high energies and temperatures. This avoids one of the most troubling predictions of standard cosmology.
The theory also offers a fresh perspective on cosmic inflation, the brief period of extremely rapid expansion thought to have occurred just after the Big Bang.
“In our analysis, this framework can also generate an inflation-like period without having to introduce an extra hypothetical field by hand,” Afshordi said.
In standard models, inflation is typically driven by a mysterious field known as the inflaton. That field has never been directly observed. In contrast, QQG produces inflation naturally as a consequence of gravity itself.
“In other words, some of the key ingredients we normally add separately to cosmology may arise directly from the gravitational theory itself,” Afshordi added.
From exotic physics to the familiar universe
One striking feature of QQG is that it behaves very differently depending on the energy scale. At extremely high energies, it follows new quantum rules. But as the universe expands and cools, it transitions back to the familiar physics described by Einstein.
The theory suggests that gravity becomes simpler at very high energies — a property known as asymptotic freedom — before evolving into the form we observe today. Eventually, the universe enters the hot, radiation-filled phase described by standard cosmology.
This framework provides a continuous bridge between an exotic early universe and the well-tested physics of later times. The key question, however, is whether this idea can be tested.
“Yes, at least in principle,” Afshordi said. “The most promising tests come from cosmology, especially from the imprint of the early universe on primordial gravitational waves and the cosmic microwave background.”
These ancient signals carry information about the universe’s earliest moments. According to the new theory, these signals should contain subtle differences compared with predictions from standard inflation models.
“One particularly interesting aspect of our scenario is that it can lead to distinctive predictions for the gravitational-wave signal produced in the early universe,” Afshordi noted. “As observational sensitivity improves over the coming years and decades, future measurements of primordial gravitational waves could begin to distinguish this kind of model from more conventional inflationary scenarios.”
Although the idea is still being explored, it offers a compelling possibility: that the Big Bang may not have been a singular beginning but rather part of a deeper, quantum description of gravity. If confirmed, this framework could reshape how scientists understand the origin of the universe — replacing a breakdown of physics with a new, more complete picture of cosmic beginnings.
znModeratorBryce Lance, North Dakota State Bison
The Rams will not be afraid to draft older prospects, and Lance is no exception to that. The whole mentality of Snead and his front office, in coordination with McVay, is to draft players for what or who they are, not necessarily downgrading them for their weaknesses. Lance is a terrific vertical playmaker with elite athleticism, stacking ability, and tracking skills to win the catch point downfield, adding a missing element to Los Angeles’ passing attack.
from https://www.nfl.com/prospects/bryce-lance/32004c41-4e01-6345-8092-4a076edb3284
College: North Dakota State
Height: 6’ 3’’
Weight: 204 lbs
Arm: 32 1/8’’
Hand: 9 1/4’’
40-Yard Dash: 4.34Overview
Fifth-year senior with two seasons of explosive production as a boundary target. Lance lacks release quickness/short-area agility as a route-runner but possesses outstanding ball skills and positional instincts that allow him to create catch space. He has run-by speed on the FCS level but won’t be able to rely on pure gas to beat NFL coverage. He will have to spend more time polishing up his route work. Lance needs a more intentional route tree on the next level, but he’s smart, has good ball skills and should compete for a role as a backup.
Strengths
Posted 2,157 receiving yards and 25 scores in the last two seasons.
Real build-up speed as the route progresses vertically.
Good suddenness to stop and present on stop routes.
Footwork and play strength create space at the top of the route.
Intentional with bodying and shielding corners from his catch space.
Blue-chip ball-tracking and hand strength to finish deep throws.
Makes athletic adjustments for back-shoulder wins.
Stabs throws outside his frame with sudden, sticky hands.Weaknesses
Limited exposure to explosive athletes across from him.
Will need to diversify and refine his release against pro press.
Below-average short-area quickness and agility.
Early lean tips off out-breakers and he fails to widen windows out of turns.
Struggles to sink hips and quickly snap off comebacks.
Allows the football into his frame as a pass-catcher.znModeratorAntonio Williams, Clemson Tigers
One of my favorite Day Two wide receivers is Antonio Williams. The Clemson Tiger is the latest in the history of top pass-catchers under the Dabo Swinney regime, with at least more on the way in 2027.
When you throw the ball in Williams’ direction, he tends to come down with it nine times out of 10. He has a brilliant understanding of shell coverages and where to attack them while winning as a nuanced route runner and plenty of explosiveness to generate big plays after the catch and downfield. Williams feels like a perfect fit in Sean McVay’s offense.
from https://theringer.com/todd-mcshay/players/antonio-williams
Height: 5′ 11 1/2″
Weight: 187
ARM: 30 3/4″
HAND: 9 1/4″
40-Yard Dash: 4.41The Player
Williams is an average-sized Z flanker/slot receiver with very good top-end speed and a strong burst/explosion profile, as evidenced by his 1.55-second 10-yard split and 39.5-inch vertical jump at the combine. He has a smaller catch radius, but he’s a highly skilled route runner with reliable hands and some YAC juice.
Williams was a four-year player at Clemson who made an immediate impact as a freshman (2022), battled through an injury-affected sophomore season (2023), and then led the team in receptions his final two years (2024-25). He finished his college career with 208 receptions for 2,336 yards (11.2 yards per catch) and 21 touchdown catches. He also had some success as an occasional punt returner at Clemson. He’s an outstanding route runner on all three levels, winning with a combination of initial burst, tempoing, and acceleration out of breaks. His ability to drop his weight and get in and out of breaks is a thing of beauty.
Williams’s 2.21 yards per route run over the past two seasons would be very good in any draft class and put him near the top of the 2026 class. His production dipped last season compared to 2024, but he improved in two areas: First, he developed a graduate-level feel versus zone coverage. Second, he exhibited much more aggressiveness after the catch. He’s always had good acceleration and suddenness, but he showed greater urgency and confidence. He forced 14 missed tackles in 2024 and averaged 5.3 YAC for his career.
Williams has very good ball skills. He improved his drop rate last season to 1.8 percent (down from 9.6 percent in 2024). On tape, he consistently shows an ability to pluck the ball on the run as well as track it and adjust. He doesn’t have the biggest catch radius, but his ability to adjust helps mitigate that concern. He shows no fear in doing the dirty work over the middle of the field.
While he has the speed to threaten downfield, he’s not a high-end vertical weapon. He will occasionally get over the top and/or exploit a secondary breakdown, but he’ll be more effective after the catch. He gives good effort as a blocker and helped spring open some long runs for his teammate Adam Randall. Granted, he’s undersized and isn’t going to excel in this area, but he puts in the effort.
The Draft
Williams is in a competitive bucket of early–Round 2 wide receivers, but it’ll be shocking if he’s still on the board by pick 51.
The Projection
Williams projects as a WR3 slot receiver as a rookie, with Z flanker flexibility in the future. His game and athletic profile are similar to Ladd McConkey’s. Williams will thrive in a high-target slot role where there are YAC opportunities and chances for him to convert third downs.
znModeratorDeion Burks, Oklahoma Sooners
When Rams fans saw Burks’ size (5-foot-9, 180 pounds), they may think of Tutu Atwell once more. However, Burks is slightly bigger, and it makes a world of difference. Burks is an exciting vertical playmaker with the explosiveness and second-level burst to split the difference and run away from defenders with 4.30-second 40-yard dash speed, while also showcasing the ability to stack defenders with play with good body control at the catch point.
from https://www.nfl.com/prospects/deion-burks/32004255-5227-1406-efca-4967eba16df2
College: Oklahoma
Height: 5’ 10’’
Weight: 180 lbs
Arm: 29 3/8’’
Hand: 9 1/2’
40-Yard Dash: 4.3Overview
Fifth-year slot receiver who is savvy against zone coverage and crafty after making a catch. Burks does a good job of utilizing his straight-line speed when the ball is in his hands. He struggles to win on vertical routes, though. He creates windows underneath by crisply breaking off short routes. He’s a compact, short-armed target who secures catches through contact. However, his production left something to be desired during his time at Purdue and Oklahoma. Comebacks and curls are often swallowed. Coaching and route work could lead to improvement in those areas. Burks lacks standout measurables, but better quarterback play could unlock a more productive player.
Strengths
Shaves in-breaking routes with disciplined, tight cuts.
Loose hips allow for smoother adjustments to back-hip throws.
Displayed vast improvement to finish combat catches.
Squares numbers to quarterback and frames his catch point.
Plays with pro footwork, dropping both feet near the boundary.
Spatial awareness present in route breaks and zone landings.
Crafty runner on jet sweeps and after the catch.Weaknesses
Play speed doesn’t always align with timed speed.
Lacks convincing push to sell his curls/comebacks.
Short arms put him at a disadvantage on 50/50 balls.
Early head turns shorten his drive phase on deep routes.
Waits for throws outside the numbers to come to him instead of attacking them.znModeratorWide receiver is now the Rams No. 1 need heading into the NFL Draft
Two things must come to focus at this time: Adams may hang the cleats up after 2026, and Nacua may walk in free agency next offseason to become the most highly sought-after player in recent free agency history. These possibilities aren’t far-fetched, and that means having a focus on wide receiver with the Rams’ first three selections is a top priority.
Trading for All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie and signing Jaylen Watson give the Rams a strong group on the perimeter, easing the concerns of having to draft at the position. Ohio State’s Carnell Tate, USC’s Makai Lemon, and Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson all remain real possibilities at No. 13 overall for general manager Les Snead and head coach Sean McVay.
The depth at wide receiver is steady, but could be better. If Adams or Nacua were to miss time with an injury, Los Angeles could always get by with their deep group of tight ends and a strong run game, but Stafford needs to thrive on the perimeter to his pass-catchers. Sustainability and foundational support of the roster remain the overall long-term focus of Snead and company, which is why adding a talented pass-catcher at some point should be the focus in a few weeks.
By drafting a wide receiver early in the NFL Draft, the Rams signal they are focused on long-term stability at the position while looking to make Nacua the face of the franchise when he returns.
***
5 Wide Receivers Rams Could Target in 2026 NFL Draft
The Los Angeles Rams may have one of the best wide receiver duos in Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, but the future must be considered in the upcoming NFL Draft.
Adams is nearing the end of his career, and while he may still have an immense impact, the Rams require a playmaker who can attack with speed, explosiveness, or pure dynamic ability at the position as a way to succeed the future Hall of Fame wideout. General manager Les Snead will have his hands full in the NFL Draft, making moves and securing plenty of draft capital to attack the position. With that in mind, here are five receiver prospects Los Angeles could draft.
Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State Sun Devils
When healthy, Tyson is the best wide receiver prospect in the draft. He has the competitive spirit, contested catch ability, size, ball skills, and dynamic athleticism that make him an outstanding pass-catcher for any NFL offense. As the Rams make their push for Super Bowl LXI, adding Tyson would make the offense incredibly hard to slow down during the season.
Deion Burks, Oklahoma Sooners
When Rams fans saw Burks’ size (5-foot-9, 180 pounds), they may think of Tutu Atwell once more. However, Burks is slightly bigger, and it makes a world of difference. Burks is an exciting vertical playmaker with the explosiveness and second-level burst to split the difference and run away from defenders with 4.30-second 40-yard dash speed, while also showcasing the ability to stack defenders with play with good body control at the catch point.
Antonio Williams, Clemson Tigers
One of my favorite Day Two wide receivers is Antonio Williams. The Clemson Tiger is the latest in the history of top pass-catchers under the Dabo Swinney regime, with at least more on the way in 2027.
When you throw the ball in Williams’ direction, he tends to come down with it nine times out of 10. He has a brilliant understanding of shell coverages and where to attack them while winning as a nuanced route runner and plenty of explosiveness to generate big plays after the catch and downfield. Williams feels like a perfect fit in Sean McVay’s offense.
Bryce Lance, North Dakota State Bison
The Rams will not be afraid to draft older prospects, and Lance is no exception to that. The whole mentality of Snead and his front office, in coordination with McVay, is to draft players for what or who they are, not necessarily downgrading them for their weaknesses. Lance is a terrific vertical playmaker with elite athleticism, stacking ability, and tracking skills to win the catch point downfield, adding a missing element to Los Angeles’ passing attack.
Eric Rivers, Georgia Tech Yellowjackets
A potential Day Three target for the Rams, Rivers never got a chance to showcase an impressive and talented toolkit of athleticism that made him an intriguing prospect out of Auburn before transferring to Georgia Tech. Rivers is a menace after the catch and will stretch the field vertically to create big-time throws downfield. Matthew Stafford would give him numerous opportunities to generate those plays.
April 3, 2026 at 6:40 pm in reply to: Rams schemes & coaches — including big changes in 2026 #163164znModeratorWhat is the biggest scheme story in football right now, per Kevin Stefanski?
"Immediately my mind goes to split safety zone. I give coach Fangio all the credit…it's putting an umbrella up on a lot of offensive schemes."
How has that changed offenses? This was AWESOME. pic.twitter.com/aKVi0yPSuf
— Kevin Clark (@bykevinclark) April 3, 2026
znModerator
znModeratorTrump isn’t immune from civil claims his Jan. 6 rally speech incited riot, judge says
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is not immune from civil claims that he incited a mob of his supporters to attack the Capitol on Jan, 6, 2021, a federal judge has ruled in one of the last unresolved legal cases stemming from the riot.
U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta ruled Tuesday that Trump’s remarks at his “Stop the Steal” rally, held on the Ellipse near the White House shortly before the siege began, “plausibly” were inciting words that are not protected by the First Amendment right to free speech.
The Republican president is not shielded from liability for much of his Jan. 6 conduct, including that speech and many of his social media posts that day, according to the judge. But Mehta said Trump cannot be held liable for his officia acts that day, including his Rose Garden remarks during the riot and his interactions with Justice Department officials.
“President Trump has not shown that the Speech reasonably can be understood as falling within the outer perimeter of his Presidential duties,” Mehta wrote. “The content of the Ellipse Speech confirms that it is not covered by official-acts immunity.”
Not the first court ruling on presidential immunity
The decision is not the court’s first ruling that Trump can be held liable for the violence at the Capitol and it is unlikely to be the last given the near-certainty of an appeal. But the 79-page ruling sets the stage for a possible civil trial in the same courthouse where Trump was charged with crimes for his Jan. 6 conduct, before his 2024 election ended the prosecution.
Trump’s legal team said in a statement that Trump was carrying out his official duties and that presidents have “absolute immunity from civil and criminal claims for acts in their singular role.”
Mehta previously refused to dismiss the claims against Trump in a February 2022 ruling that Trump was not entitled to presidential immunity from the claims brought by Democratic members of Congress and law enforcement officers who guarded the Capitol on Jan. 6. In that decision, Mehta also concluded that Trump’s words during his rally speech plausibly amounted to incitement and were not protected by the First Amendment.
The case returned to Mehta after an appeals court ruling upheld his 2022 decision. He said Tuesday’s ruling on immunity falls under a more “rigorous” legal standard at this later stage in the litigation.
Mehta, who was nominated by Democratic President Barack Obama, said his latest decision is not a “final pronouncement on immunity for any particular act.”
“President Trump remains free to reassert official-acts immunity as a defense at trial. But the burden will remain his and will be subject to a higher standard of proof,” the judge wrote.
Official capacity vs. office-seeker
Trump spoke to a crowd of his supporters at the rally before the mob’s attack disrupted the joint session of Congress for certifying Democrat Joe Biden’s 2020 electoral victory over Trump. Trump closed out his speech by saying, “We fight. We fight like hell and if you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore.”
Trump’s lawyers argued that Trump’s conduct on Jan. 6 meets the threshold for presidential immunity.
The plaintiffs contended that Trump cannot prove he was acting entirely in his official capacity rather than as an office-seeking private individual. They also said the Supreme Court has held that office-seeking conduct falls outside the scope of presidential immunity.
Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., who at that time led the House Homeland Security Committee, sued Trump, Trump’s personal attorney Rudolph Giuliani and members of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers extremist groups over the Jan. 6 riot. Other Democratic members of Congress later joined the litigation, which was consolidated with the officers’ claims.
‘Victory for the rule of law’
The civil claims survived Trump’s sweeping act of clemency on the first day of his second term, when he pardoned, commuted prison sentences and ordered the dismissal of all 1,500-plus criminal cases stemming from the Capitol siege. More than 100 police officers were injured while defending the Capitol from rioters.
The plaintiffs’ legal team includes attorneys from the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. Damon Hewitt, the group’s president and executive director, praised the ruling as a “monumental victory for the rule of law, affirming that no one, including the president of the United States, is above it.”
“The court rightly recognizes that President Trump’s actions leading to the January 6 insurrection fell outside the scope of presidential duties,” Hewitt said in a statement. “This ruling is an important step toward accountability for the violent attack on the Capitol and our democracy.”
znModeratorWell for Puka’s own sake, I hope this works. Forget his contract. Forget the Rams. Puka steered into dangerous Antonio Brown territory, and for his own sake, he needs to get out. That’s not a place to be.
znModeratorLos Angeles Rams News
WR Puka Nacua’s attorney Levi McCathern said Nacua has been in rehab for a “substantial period of time” and “is scheduled to be there for a while longer”.
Why It Matters: Nacua has been in the news for the wrong reasons twice in recent months. While the league is unlikely to levy a significant suspension, if any at all, it’s a good sign that Nacua and his camp saw the incidents as a wake-up call. The Rams and Nacua are looking to finalize a long-term deal with the wide receiver, who hits free agency next season. There will likely now be clauses added to protect the Rams, but this shouldn’t derail talks to get something done before the season. Hopefully, Nacua can change the behaviors that inspired him to do this in a meaningful and lasting way.
***
On Wednesday night, after news broke of Nacua checking into rehab last month, Houshmandzadeh spoke about that decision and praised the Rams receiver for taking responsibility. Houshmandzadeh has been close with Nacua for years, dating back to his college days, and he was already aware that Nacua checked into rehab.
When Nacua told him about checking into rehab, Houshmandzadeh said, “Good, it’s about time.”
“Called me, told me, and I told him, ‘That’s good. If you need something, let me know,’” Houshmandzadeh said on “Speakeasy” Wednesday. “We communicate and so when he told me this, I was like, ‘Good, it’s about time. Just make sure when you’re in there, you’re making the most of it. Don’t just be in there to be in there. Make sure you’re a better Puka when you come out.’
znModeratorfrom Mike Giardi: https://www.bostonsportsjournal.com/2026/04/01/giardi-strong-wr-class-could-bolster-a-room-vrabel-already-likes
…this year’s class doesn’t possess a show-stopping pass catcher. But don’t mistake that for this being a weak group. It’s deep; there are a handful of guys who could make significant impacts at the next level. But not every player will work for every system. In fact, I’d say this crop might be even more team/scheme-specific than any in recent memory.
TIER ONE: Carnell Tate, Ohio State (6’2”, 192); Denzel Boston, Washington (6’4” 212); Makai Lemon (5’11”, 192), USC; Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State (6’2”, 203)
Full disclosure: Tyson is the best player in this lot. But a litany of injuries (ACL, collarbone, and lingering hamstring) could have him slide further down the board in round one than his talent says he should. He’s a borderline craftsman with his route running and smoother than butterscotch pudding (You like what you like. I like what I like. Don’t judge).
Tyson eats up man coverage (well-schooled by ASU WR coach Hines Ward) and can succeed inside or out. Will catch the ball over the middle, but doesn’t seem to like contact all that much.
Tate is likely the first to go off the board as another in a long line of Buckeye wideouts. Definitely plays faster than the 4.53 40, and he is very efficient with his movements. Knows how to stack the defenders and runs crisp routes. Smart and detailed with his approach and execution.
Boston didn’t run the 40 at the combine or at Washington’s pro day, saying he did so on the advice of his agent. You know why? Because he’s not fast or an elite athlete. But he does have an elite skill – no one in the draft gets the ball as Boston does. He’s got excellent hands, and when the ball is in the air, if he can get to it, it is almost always his. Red-zone weapon.
If you’re following this process, you know Lemon has drawn comparisons to Amon-Ra St. Brown. That’s both good and bad because St. Brown was a day three pick. Obviously, that evaluation was off, but is that profile – not the biggest nor the fastest – worthy of a top-15 pick, which is where Lemon seems destined to go?
He’s got small hands (8 3.4”) but damn good ball skills, and a thickness to his body (and not thick like my head or midsection) that’s allowed him to survive and thrive coming out of the slot. Not much after the catch, but man, does Lemon catch everything. He’s a different kind of cat (see his combine podium interview), but no one is worried about his love for the game
TIER TWO: Chris Brazzell, Tennessee (6’4”, 198); KC Concepcion, Texas A&M (6’0”, 196)
Hard not to look at Brazzell and think, “Could he be Tee Higgins? Could he be something more?” At least, that’s how I view him. And I’m not alone.
“You see the speed (4.37 40) and think he’s just one of those burners who can only go vertical,” one scout told me. “You’d be wrong. He is an excellent route runner and has a great feel for how a defender is playing him.”
“I love how he sets guys up with his release and then how he runs routes,” a wide receiver coach texted. “He can make it all look the same, and that’s not easy to defend.”
Brazzell isn’t perfect. If he were, he’d be in my tier one. He’s lean, and while he will try to fight through contact, he will have issues with more physical corners until he gets a little stronger. That lack of strength is evident when Brazzell is challenged at the catch point. He also doesn’t love the shallow stuff, especially underneath linebackers or a safety diving down.
One of the twitchiest pass catchers of the bunch, Concepcion creates separation with his quick release, 0 to 60 acceleration, and razor-sharp cuts. Once the ball is in his hands, he runs hard and with surprising physicality (as seen in his punt returns as well). However, that willingness goes out the window when he doesn’t have the ball or when Concepcion is asked to put his body in the danger zone (i.e., over the middle). He has 20 career drops, 15 over the last two seasons.
znModeratorMakai Lemon on posts and overs.
This is not going to go well for your defense. pic.twitter.com/DALGj0MmZq
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) February 17, 2026
znModerator“On the other hand, he would consider signing with the worst team in the league.”
Adam Schefter@AdamSchefter
Raiders HC Klint Kubiak coached Kirk Cousins for three seasons in Minnesota. Now they reunite in Las Vegas.Comp update: Kirk Cousins will sign a five-year, $172 million deal with the Raiders that in reality is a one-year, fully-guaranteed $20 million deal that also contains a club option for two years at $80M.
The Falcons will pay Cousins $8.7 million this season, the Raiders another $1.3 million and Las Vegas also agreed to pay its new QB a fully-guaranteed $10 million roster bonus on the third day of the 2027 new league year.
And maybe most notably, it also sets another new mark: this will be the 11th straight NFL season in which Cousins’ contract will be fully guaranteed.
Field Yates@FieldYates
When accounting for the $20M fully guaranteed money Kirk Cousins will now make, he will soon pass Tom Brady for the second-most money made by a player in NFL history.The man is a first ballot Hall of Famer in the business of the NFL 💰💰💰
April 2, 2026 at 11:23 am in reply to: new Rams draft thread…April (except WR stuff which has its own thread) #163146znModeratorCameron DaSilva@camdasilva
Les Snead says the Rams intentionally gave up Day 3 picks in this year’s draft for Trent McDuffie because they believe the class is “a little thin later”znModeratorAdam Schefter@AdamSchefter
Kirk Cousins is signing with the Raiders, per @MikeMcCartney7.Cameron DaSilva@camdasilva
The Rams showed very real interest in Kirk Cousins this week, but he’s not coming to LA.Lindsey Thiry@LindseyThiry
Makes sense after Klint Kubiak just said at the owners meetings that he’d prefer a rookie QB to learn behind a seasoned veteran.Mike Garafolo@MikeGarafolo
#Raiders HC Klint Kubiak said the other day he would prefer a rookie QB to learn from a veteran before starting. With Kirk Cousins in the fold, Vegas now has that luxury for Fernando Mendoza.April 2, 2026 at 10:21 am in reply to: new Rams draft thread…April (except WR stuff which has its own thread) #163142znModerator“Kenyon Sadiq is more than just a tight end…he's a PLAYMAKER at the receiver position…”@GregCosell discusses the Oregon TE:@Gametime pic.twitter.com/7XFxHZ1R3O
— Ross Tucker Podcast (@RossTuckerPod) April 2, 2026
znModeratoron Jalen Hurts.
Inside Eagles’ 2025 friction as Jalen Hurts stands at crossroads
THE PLAY WAS supposed to save the season. Instead, it encapsulated its pain.
The Philadelphia Eagles were teetering, poised for a Jenga-like collapse in front of a fatalistic home crowd scarred from a challenging 2025 season of offensive football.
With 43 seconds left in a wild-card playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers, offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo fiddled with his red pen, scanning the play sheet. Quarterback Jalen Hurts stood in front of him, leaning in to speak to his playcaller. Coach Nick Sirianni was nearby, listening to the chatter. A few assistants and backup Tanner McKee were within earshot.
Patullo addressed Hurts and Sirianni directly, suggesting what appeared to be a playcall for a game-deciding fourth down. Sirianni made eye contact with Patullo, then looked at Hurts as if he was open to input.
A brief deliberation resulted in the simplest of football plans: a play known as “four verts,” which the Eagles had just run on the previous play. But this time, the 49ers were all over it, with three defenders collapsing on tight end Dallas Goedert over the middle for a failed attempt to then win and recapture their own playoff magic.
As one team source recalled, Hurts was the one who recommended four verts. A separate source with knowledge of the situation says that though the Eagles’ quarterback did suggest it, he was simply responding to a question about his preferences.
Either way, not everyone with the offense was thrilled.
“I was like, ‘Oh my God, this is not happening,'” the team source said. “We can’t run four verts.”
Though it’s unclear what other plays were considered, if any, Sirianni ultimately approved Hurts’ suggestion. Within seconds, the plan — and a premature offseason vacation — was in motion.
The failed play accentuates the crossroads that awaits Hurts and the Eagles’ coaching staff in 2026. The passing operation has fallen into deep ruts over the past several seasons, forcing the most expensive offensive roster in football to become overly reliant on the success of Saquon Barkley and the ground game. It has been an ongoing source of angst for some internally — most publicly expressed by star receiver A.J. Brown, the subject of trade talks this offseason. Some of that growing frustration in 2025 was directed at Hurts, team sources said, including by Brown, whose long-standing relationship with the quarterback has been tested over their four years in Philadelphia.
Close observers point to a lack of creativity and synergy in the Eagles’ attack. The pass game wasn’t always properly tied to the run, and there’s a level of predictability that allows opposing defenses to get a bead on what’s coming. Though there is plenty of blame to spread, Hurts has had a hand in the offense becoming calcified, according to several team sources who spoke to ESPN on condition of anonymity.
He has pushed back on changes that would diversify the scheme, sources said, including when it comes to him going under center more. He has shown a reluctance to let it rip at times, particularly against zone coverage. He diverts from the game plan and changes playcalls to what some feel is an excessive degree. His strong preferences, coupled with the coaches’ efforts to play to his strengths, which include his deep-ball accuracy and throws to the perimeter, limit the breadth to which the offense can expand — or at least that’s the way it has gone in the past.
Enter new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion, who replaces Patullo and is implementing a system more in the Sean McVay/Kyle Shanahan mold — a scheme that leans into motion and under-center play-action, two facets Hurts and the Eagles have not embraced under Sirianni. It sets up a dynamic in which the Super Bowl LIX MVP will be forced to adapt to strengthen his future in Philadelphia.
Hurts has led the Eagles to impressive heights, working his way from benched quarterback at Alabama to second-round pick, three-time Pro Bowl selection and world champion. He has persevered through constant offensive staffing changes and has established the standard in the building with what coaches and teammates have described as a world-class work ethic.
His steely resolve can be both a benefit and a hindrance as the face of the franchise. Force fields are good for keeping unnecessary distractions out but bad for connectivity and allowing essential items in. Sirianni has compared Hurts’ leadership style to that of basketball legend Michael Jordan, and his agent, Nicole Lynn, has likened his obsessive work ethic to that of former Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bryant. That unrelenting, demanding mentality toward not just himself but his teammates can be met with mixed reactions, especially in a star-studded locker room like Philadelphia’s.
“Poor body language, not always bought in, not the most coachable and the players notice,” a team source said.
The flip side is that Hurts’ steadfastness has helped him and the team through constant turnover at offensive coordinator. The Eagles have failed to give Hurts the level of consistency he has said he “yearns” for, knowing that it can “breed excellence.” The one time he had it was with Shane Steichen in 2021 and ’22, and it resulted in an MVP-caliber season for Hurts and the team going 14-1 in games he started on the way to an appearance in Super Bowl LVII.
Mannion will be Hurts’ sixth playcaller since the QB entered the league in 2020. Patullo was fired at season’s end after overseeing an offense that went from eighth in offensive yardage to 24th. Though Patullo was well-liked and respected in the building, there was “a lot of noise that he was not doing a great job and some people started to believe it,” according to a team source, who added that there were players who “lost faith in him.”
A source close to Hurts said the QB needs coaches who will “check him,” opining that Hurts had “too many ‘yes’ people around him” this past season.
The Eagles declined to comment for this story.
Mannion, 33, is entering his third year as an NFL coach and first as an offensive coordinator. He is expected to lead the most dramatic overhaul of the offensive system since Sirianni became head coach in 2021.
ESPN interviewed more than a dozen sources to pull back the curtain on what’s ailing an Eagles offense full of notable talent, including at quarterback.
LESS THAN 14 months ago, Hurts was enjoying a star turn that will live in Eagles folklore. His fourth-quarter moon shot to DeVonta Smith in Super Bowl LIX — hanging in the air for a good three seconds and dropping seamlessly into Smith’s outstretched arms — punctuated a season for the ages in Philadelphia. It also served as a reminder of how well Hurts handles big stages. Through 10 playoff games, including two Super Bowls, Hurts has a passer rating of 93.4 with 1,981 yards, 11 touchdowns and three interceptions.
He has thrived in high-wattage settings, and his deep shot to Smith was the kind of play that inspires sneaker ads.
But, even in the midst of a championship season, Hurts’ penchant to resist change showed up at times in the building.
Kellen Moore, the Eagles’ offensive coordinator in 2024, had tried to implement new offensive concepts that Hurts did not always embrace, per multiple team sources. One of the sources said they believed the changes concerned motions and shifts, recalling that Hurts was not receptive to the idea. A third team source said Hurts was willing to experiment with the new wrinkles in 2024, but if they were not paying off immediately, he was quick to pivot and express his discomfort.
A source close to the QB stresses that Hurts understands motions and shifts help the quarterback and doesn’t dissuade coaches from using them.
Moore and Hurts seemed to find a compromise, successfully implementing 279 plays with motion during that 2024 season, good for 11th most in the league. Moore ran them much more often in 2025 as the New Orleans Saints head coach, with 373 motion plays, sixth most in the league, compared to the Eagles’ 237 this past season, which ranked 26th.
Those talks did not seem to affect Philadelphia’s running game. Barkley broke off 17 rushes of 20 or more yards and seven of at least 40 yards on his way to eclipsing the historic 2,000-yard mark. But Philadelphia’s passing game was not diversified, finishing with a pedestrian 3,517 yards, third worst in the NFL in 2024.
Multiple team sources described the relationship between Moore and Hurts in 2024 as “tense” at times.
Moore’s work with Philadelphia earned him the Saints job, which meant another coordinator for Hurts, his fourth in as many years.
The Eagles promoted Patullo, the pass-game coordinator who had developed good relationships with key players in the building, Hurts included. Sirianni decided it was Patullo’s time. The two maintained a close relationship dating to their time together in Indianapolis.
The Eagles’ offense under Patullo in 2025 never found its footing. Patullo was under heavy scrutiny almost immediately. The offensive line wasn’t as good, partly because of injuries. The running game suffered as a result, with Barkley breaking off four runs of 20 or more yards on the season.
“We didn’t look fast as an offense compared to ’24,” a team source said.
During his charge toward the rushing title in ’24, Barkley acknowledged that “if you ask any running back, they’ll probably say under center runs, pistol, it’s a lot easier, you’re able to get downhill quicker” but said “the beauty of this team is we have Jalen Hurts,” whose running ability kept defenses honest and freed up more space for Barkley with the zone-read looks out of shotgun. Hurts, though, set a career low in 2025 in carries (105) and rushing yards (421) since taking over as the full-time starter in ’21.
The reasons for Hurts’ dip in rushing attempts last season vary, depending on who is asked. One team source said keeping Hurts healthy over the long term, both for the season and his career, was a factor. Another cited defenses that adjusted to spread formations, loading the box and daring Hurts to throw.
Without big Barkley runs to keep safeties in the box, Hurts often had to try to win games with his arm, to mixed results. He faced zone coverages — long considered a Hurts weakness by some scouts and defensive coaches in the league — on 56.2% of the Eagles’ offensive plays, the second-highest rate of his career. His completion percentage against zone (69%) was significantly better than against man (59%). It was the impact plays that changed dramatically in the other direction: Hurts threw 19 touchdowns to three interceptions against man compared to six touchdowns and three interceptions against zone. That holds up over his career, with 77 of his 110 TDs coming against man.
Brown said he knew he had a chance to be prominently featured when facing a man-heavy team. But when defenders forced tight-window throws via zone coverage, “A.J. disappears,” a team source said. Brown’s yards per reception (11.7, down from 14.1) and yards per target (7.3, down from 9.1) dipped substantially when facing zone, and he caught only two of his seven TDs against the coverage.
Hurts’ rigid preferences became an issue again this past season, multiple sources said, citing Patullo’s desire to get Hurts under center more often for rushing efficiency and play-action purposes. Playing from under center is something Hurts “continually fights” inside the building, one source said. Hurts doesn’t like to “turn his back on the defense” and prefers to process coverages with everything in front of him, the source said.
To be sure, a source close to Hurts hints that he prepared during the offseason for a specific Eagles offense — the traditional Eagles attack, reliant on the shotgun formation — only to be asked later to implement more under-center work. Hurts is unafraid to advocate for himself or the offense in those settings, the source added, because players need to get on the same page throughout the offseason. Coaches broached some of the no-huddle concepts during training camp and had to embrace it after the first six weeks of the season, when it became clear the running game was struggling.
Hurts will change plays when he sees fit. Though many established quarterbacks have such freedom, especially at the line of scrimmage when noticing a defensive tendency, some within the team consider his changes excessive at times. A key example came in the closing seconds of a 10-7 win against the Green Bay Packers in November. Sirianni’s questionable decision to go for it on fourth-and-6 from Green Bay’s 35-yard line with 33 seconds left, holding a three-point lead on a Packers team that was out of timeouts, was exacerbated by the play choice — a deep shot to Brown down the left sideline that fell incomplete.
Sirianni covered for them, but cameras caught him mouthing “Why?” following the long pass. Smith acknowledged to ESPN afterward that “1 and 11” — Hurts and Brown — made the decision to go for the kill shot.
Eagles offensive players know Hurts isn’t afraid to change plays he doesn’t like and must adjust accordingly, a team source said. Added a separate team source, “You never know what play is coming out of the huddle” when Hurts is leading it, and in the past he has been known to signal a route that hadn’t been installed by coaches.
His occasional collaborations with Hurts aside, Brown couldn’t mask his frustrations with the offensive dynamic. His sideline demeanor and social media messaging became a weekly conversation. Multiple team sources say they never saw Brown and Hurts engage in an argument during the season and were professional throughout the season. But both also tend to internalize issues, which leads to a lack of communication, sources said. “Clearing the air probably doesn’t happen as often as it should,” a source said.
Brown and Hurts were once considered best friends, but veteran defensive end Brandon Graham suggested in the latter stages of the ’24 season that the relationship had frayed. Though both Hurts and Brown downplayed it, a team source said word began circulating within the organization around that time that things “weren’t good” between the two.
There were few public interactions between them early in the ’25 season. There were even times when the two would connect for a touchdown and not seek each other out afterward. Earlier in their time together, it would not be uncommon to see Brown and Hurts engaged in long conversations in the locker room postgame during media availability. As time went on, it was rare to see them interact in those types of public settings.
There is a difference, a source with knowledge of their relationship said, between being friends with someone and being teammates, especially when referencing two alphas in a pressurized environment with different approaches to the goal of achieving high-end success.
“You might want to win, but your way might be different than mine,” the source said. “[Your stars] have to be on the same page and I don’t think they always were.”
There was a shift in their public behavior toward each other in the latter stages of this past season. Their sideline communication increased, as did the touchdown celebrations.
“A.J. and I have talked. We’re in a great place,” Hurts said during locker cleanout day in January when asked if he wanted Brown on the team in 2026.
Hurts was noticeably more vocal with his teammates overall between series down the stretch, an effort that did not go unnoticed by some in the locker room.
“I feel like every year you’re trying to get better. That’s how I look at it. Some people are not as outgoing as a lot of us on the team, so to see us rubbing off a little bit, and on top of that, I’m sure he wants to be that,” Graham told ESPN near season’s end on Hurts’ efforts to be more engaging. “But it’s big of him to be stepping out because he’s the top dog and he knows that, being that quarterback and everybody wanting to be in your presence. I’m happy he’s coming out of his shell.”
Multiple Eagles players, including Hurts, appeared frustrated that winning was not perceived as good enough in the public eye because of the magnified offensive struggles, according to a team source. Hurts’ 57-25 record in Philadelphia, good for a winning percentage of 64.7%, ranks fifth among active quarterbacks.
Sirianni attempted to assuage those concerns before Week 12 against the Dallas Cowboys, stressing to the team the importance of enjoying and savoring wins, according to a team source. Philadelphia sat at 8-2 before that week’s 24-21 loss to Dallas.
But Brown’s comments a month earlier that “you can’t keep slapping a Band-Aid over” the offensive issues proved true, as the Eagles’ deficiencies led to an early playoff exit and significant schematic changes this offseason.
Some of those changes might prove uncomfortable, but Sirianni — perhaps Hurts’ most staunch public supporter — says he believes the system will largely fit Hurts’ skill set.
“If we’re saying that we’re going to run a little bit more play-action, a little more outside zone, a little more boot action off of that … he’s been really productive in the play-action pass game. We haven’t run as many boots and nakeds here in the past, but I know he’s good at those when he does those,” Sirianni said of Hurts in February.
“Because Jalen’s the type of player that he is, I’m comfortable that you could tell me whatever system we’re going to put in, could he be able to do it? Yeah, because that’s a sign of a good football player. But particularly these things that he has done well, maybe in a smaller sample size, but he has done well in those in the past.”
One team source says Hurts is “as open as he’s ever been” to changes.
If there is a bigger public advocate for Hurts than Sirianni, it’s Eagles CEO Jeffrey Lurie, who gave him a five-year, $255 million contract extension in April 2023. There is little guaranteed money left in Hurts’ deal after the 2026 season, and it would not be unlike Philadelphia to negotiate another contract as soon as possible to stay in front of the ever-booming QB salaries.
There are no signs that the two sides are actively working on a new contract, but Lurie sung Hurts’ praises at the league meetings in Arizona this week.
“MVP of the Super Bowl 13 months ago, should have been MVP of the Super Bowl right before that against Kansas City the first time. Exceptional. So dedicated,” Lurie said. “I think you probably know, I spend a lot of time with Jalen as I do with most quarterbacks, and he’s incredibly dedicated to the game, to winning, and being a huge winner. I love everything about him.
“Those things take, over time, we never would discuss [extension talks]. He’s in the middle of a new contract now.”
A PATTERN EMERGES if you look closely at Hurts’ career, a source close to him pointed out: He’s at his best when he has something to prove.
That was the case when he arrived at Alabama as a 17-year-old, trying to become the first Tide freshman to start at quarterback under coach Nick Saban.
It proved true after he was benched in favor of Tua Tagovailoa in the 2018 national title game, lost his job to him the following season and had to reestablish himself at Oklahoma, where he went on to become the Heisman Trophy runner-up behind Joe Burrow before being selected at No. 53 by the Eagles in the 2020 draft.
He rose to the challenge to unseat Carson Wentz as starting quarterback as a rookie, and again in ’22 by leading a Super Bowl run amid questions about whether he was a franchise quarterback.
The collapse of ’23 was followed by Hurts’ greatest professional achievement: an MVP performance against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX.
“He’s now at a point where, ‘I’m the guy. I’m him.’ He has never been that since his freshman year at Alabama and he didn’t handle it well,” the source said. “He has to be able to handle both and he’s learning.”
Hurts is an introvert by nature, sources close to him said, which can make him hard to read. Some might view him as a stoic leader with the calm approach needed to navigate the exaggerated ups and downs that come with playing in a rabid sports city such as Philadelphia. Others might view him as detached and above it all. How he is perceived as a player on the field can influence how he’s seen off, and vice versa, a team source noted.
Sources describe Hurts as deeply private. He appears to keep his circle tight, with Graham and Smith among those on the team who are closest to him.
There have been efforts by key figures in the building over the past two seasons to get Hurts to open up. A league source confirmed that Graham and chief security officer Dom DiSandro visited Hurts during the team’s bye week in 2024 to emphasize that the QB needed to do a better job of connecting with his teammates and coaches — a meeting both Hurts and Graham denied at the time when Fox Sports first reported it.
Among the relationships that needed work was between Hurts and Sirianni, who both struggled to get on the same page the season before. Through lengthy conversations during that bye week, Hurts said he and Sirianni had some “great moments together,” adding he was “happy and fortunate that we were able to come together in harmony and have the same goal in mind, trying to get this thing right.” This was also the period in which the offense shifted to become more Barkley-focused. A Super Bowl run followed.
“I don’t care how it looks. That’s kind of my game,” Hurts said, following a December win over the Carolina Panthers in which he threw for 108 yards but accounted for three touchdowns with no turnovers. “I think that’s something that people have to accept, that it’s going to look how Jalen Hurts wants it to look. But he’s going to win.”
Difficult conversations continued between Hurts and members of the organization this past season, a team source added. Even members of his inner circle knew Hurts played a part in what went wrong last year and addressed it with him, a source close to Hurts said.
Justified or not, there was a level of consternation in pockets of the ’25 team dating to the summer. The city was still basking in the championship glow as the Eagles, fresh off their Super Bowl ring ceremony the week before, opened up training camp in July. Beneath the public excitement surrounding the team was an uneasy undercurrent for some internally.
A team source at that time described the state of affairs as a “disaster” and indicated Hurts was part of the issue, noting that whatever personality traits had rubbed people the wrong way before had grown since the championship win.
Others around the team said Hurts returned more relaxed than in previous seasons, as if there was a load off his shoulders after delivering a title to the city, adding that Hurts isn’t the type of guy to flaunt his accomplishments.
This is where varying perceptions surface of a hard-to-read Hurts.
“He’s the one driving. He’s got his hands on the wheels. He’s looking for all of the hazards. He’s the one getting us to the destination. And a lot of us are in the backseat complaining about how bumpy a ride is, how close we got to almost crashing,” former team captain Malcolm Jenkins told ESPN in November.
“I’m a big fan of Jalen, not only because of my personal relationship, but just because of what he stands for and understanding myself what it looks like to have a vision for a team, something that maybe not everybody sees, but I have to stand 10 toes down on it until everybody sees what I see.”
The other pattern in Hurts’ career relates to coaches.
The bar was set with Saban. A coach’s son, Hurts gravitated to the authority figure with the near-impossible standard who would be crystal clear the moment you fell below it.
In Moore, he had a coach who, according to a team source, was matter-of-fact about how the offense would function and in correcting Hurts’ mistakes when necessary. It was a similar dynamic with Steichen. When lines were more blurred, like in 2023 when Hurts, Sirianni and then OC Brian Johnson weren’t aligned in their visions, Hurts had more of a tendency to search for answers outside of the game plan, a team source said.
He is now paired with an inexperienced but well-regarded coach in Mannion, the 33-year-old former QB who broke into the coaching ranks in 2024 with the Packers, most recently serving as their quarterbacks coach.
If Brown is playing elsewhere in 2026, Smith becomes the primary receiver. And, like Brown, Smith had his own frustrations last season — mainly, a source with knowledge of the situation said, the lack of “layup plays” in the offense. “Every catch, every play is grind-it-out, the receivers have to win,” the source said. But Smith handles his frustrations differently than Brown. “He’s more of a ‘side conversation guy,'” the source said. Perhaps Mannion can help Smith and Hurts land a deeper connection on the field.
The scheme-change undertaking promises to be the most involved of Hurts’ professional career, and will serve as the latest, most significant test of his adaptability and willingness to grow.
“He has had a lot of success and will continue to,” a player source said. “It’s exhausting to learn something new every year. But he’s battling.”
znModerator🚨 The guy on the left was arrested and convicted for illegally selling missiles to Iran during the Reagan Administration. The guy on the right is a Fox News "military analyst” who thinks Iran shouldn't have missiles. They're the same guy. pic.twitter.com/0dx7otlCc9
— UFO Hunter (@iamufohunter) April 1, 2026
znModerator— Matt Waldman (@MattWaldman) April 1, 2026
April 1, 2026 at 3:56 pm in reply to: Rams schemes & coaches — including big changes in 2026 #163132znModeratorMike LaFleur on Nate Scheelhaase taking over OC role: ‘That was a no-brainer’
Stu Jackson
PHOENIX – Former Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur’s responsibilities in the role evolved over his last three seasons with the team, so much so that head coach Sean McVay wanted someone similar to him in the position after it was vacated by LaFleur becoming the next head coach of the Cardinals. McVay on Monday said LaFleur allowed him to be a better coach because of the trust and autonomy he gave LaFleur.
McVay didn’t have to look far to find the person who met that criteria in promoting pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase to offensive coordinator.
“I’ve been on record there in L.A. a lot just talking about what I feel in Nate Scheelhaase, so that was a no-brainer,” LaFleur said at the NFC coaches breakfast Monday at the NFL Annual Meeting. “Obviously, he’s prepped for that. He sat in with Sean and I in a handful of game planning (meetings) and stuff like that, so he kind of knows what that 3 a.m. wake up call looks like Wednesday through Friday. But he’s a stud of a coach. He’s a better person. He’s a better connector than he is even a coach, and that’s strong, and he’s going to do a great job for them.”
When asked about Scheelhaase in mid-January, LaFleur praised him for the human being and coach that he is. He also said at the time how fortunate they were to have him on staff, because LaFleur initially thought he was going to say “no” to the Rams given the “really good job” Scheelhaase had at Iowa State. Scheelhaase began as a running backs coach on Iowa State’s staff in 2018 and was promoted to offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach by 2023.
“I’ve seen him grow and he grows because he puts a lot of work in it,” LaFleur said. “He’s a tireless worker and he doesn’t even look tired ever. I don’t think he sleeps that much, but you would never know. He is extremely efficient with his note taking, with his learning, with studying around the league, but not overloading himself. He has incredible brain power to reach back into stuff that we talked about in April, stuff that I forgot about that he can remember. That’s all awesome. He can communicate to these players, but again, overall he’s a better person. He’s a great husband, he’s a great father, he is a great friend. Love him, love seeing the success he’s had so far.”
Players likewise spoke highly of Scheelhaase last season, with wide receiver Puka Nacua praising his calm demeanor on game days, and the way his communication in those tense moments puts them in a position to succeed. Nacua also said the trust McVay put in Scheelhaase came in different ways.
“I know substitution,” Nacua said. “You never know what’s said on the headset, but I know they’re always talking to Coach Nate. His ability to communicate to us in a calm demeanor and the demeanor that helps us have success on Sundays is something that you don’t take for granted because you know that in the heat of the moment the ability to communicate is so needed. He does a great job of keeping his cool and then being able to communicate the message clear and precise so we can go out there and execute.”
Scheelhaase can also relate to the players whether communicating on the field or in the meeting rooms.
“I guess I’m new in the NFL too, but I feel like he’s the modern age coach of somebody who’s a little bit familiar with some of the slang terms that we might use in the meeting rooms like ‘lit, slap, gang, or fire,'” Nacua said. “Things that wouldn’t make sense when we’re watching football, he understands those. His ability to communicate what our job is on Wednesday through Sunday is something that I’d say has been a blessing in our room. His ability to understand how we operate, but then also to be on the same page as the quarterbacks, be on the same page when the groupings have changed from 13 personnel to 11. He’s done a great job every step of the way of making sure everybody is on the same page.”
Scheelhaase is already on the rest of the NFL’s radar, having reportedly interviewed for the Bills’, Browns’, Ravens’ and Steelers’ head coach openings this cycle, as well as the Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator opening. The Rams will appreciate what he’ll bring in his new role for as long as he’s on staff.
“His future is obviously really bright,” LaFleur said.
znModerator“If we knew he was gonna be this elite, we probably should’ve taken him earlier.”
Les Snead explains what the Rams saw in Puka Nacua 👀@turbotax pic.twitter.com/sCTKYISK8D
— Fitz & Whit (@fitzandwhit) April 1, 2026
znModeratorI’ve seen enough of Mr. Forbes. I would rather go with a rookie third round pick or an old, cheap, veteran, retread.
w
vThe theory is, Forbes would be better with the 2 CBs they got from KC. He would not be as exposed, and they could play him to his strengths.
znModerator"You get some intel that Trent might be available via trade … He's in the prime of his career. Not only is he one of the better corners in the league but he's one of the better humans on the planet and he really cares about football. It just becomes a bit of a no brainer."
Les… pic.twitter.com/3IXynNZv2T
— Fitz & Whit (@fitzandwhit) April 1, 2026
znModeratorThe 2025 Rams just never knew when to quit. Despite huge momentum shifts, they always focused up
After the Xavier Smith muff that led to an early 2nd half deficit. Matthew Stafford commanded 3 big plays to Parkinson & Davante Adams to get the Rams right back in the ballgame! pic.twitter.com/Bd9Jff3Q84
— RAMS ON FILM (@RamsOnFilm) April 1, 2026
znModeratorfrom https://ramblinfan.com/rams-nearing-a-decision-that-will-send-emmanuel-forbes-unmistakable-message
The secondary has undergone a wholesale rehaul. Among members of the 2025 cornerback rotation, only Emmanuel Forbes Jr. and Josh Wallace remain behind newcomers Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson.
[With] Forbes, they appear content to lean on [him] as next man up.
Their comfort level may not go far beyond that, given his inconsistency and struggles last season. If the organization truly believes in him, however, there is one obvious, if very bold move to make. By picking up his $12.6 million fifth-year option by the May 1 deadline, LA would be committing to him for each of the next two seasons.
…
Forbes joined the Rams in November 2024 after being waived by the Commanders. Although he played little that season, they kept him around. He took on a much larger role last year in his first-ever shot as a regular starter.
For a desperate secondary, he injected durability, physical play, and high energy. An aggressive ballhawk, Forbes tied for the team lead with three interceptions and logged 13 pass breakups.
But he also hurt the Rams with repeated mistakes and sloppiness. In the run game, he struggled to consistently execute tackles. In pass coverage, he was vulnerable to chunk plays, allowing the seventh-most yards per catch last season at 15.3 a pop. Overall, Pro Football Focus ranked him 93rd among 114 eligible corners.
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Declining his option would make him a free agent next offseason, which feels like the more prudent outcome. With McDuffie and Watson under contract, the team has a lot less urgency to secure potential starting-caliber reinforcements for future seasons.
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