Brockers Happy to Stick With Rams

Myles Simmons

http://www.therams.com/news-and-events/article-1/Practice-Report-915-Brockers-Happy-to-Stick-With-Rams/6b1edc00-d180-4e54-bd9a-64e019c6ee19

Sometimes, it’s good to stay in your comfort zone.

That’s the sentiment defensive tackle Michael Brockers expressed after practice on Thursday afternoon — the same day the club announced Brockers had agreed to a three-year extension to keep him around through the 2019 season.

“I’m really excited about that,” head coach Jeff Fisher said. “I appreciate Stan [Kroenke, Rams owner] and his willingness to allow us to go ahead and do that.

“We’ve been talking for quite some time about it,” Fisher continued. “It’s important to keep our playmakers and people that we’ve drafted. We got a good deal for both sides. And Michael is happy about it, and so are we.”

“It feels good. It feels comfortable. It feels good to be wanted,” Brockers said. “I’m just glad it’s done. It’s done, it’s finished, and I can get that little thing out of my mind and actually focus on football.”

Not that Brockers wasn’t focused on football before, as the defensive tackles said he let his representation do the heavy lifting.

“My agent called me maybe a couple weeks back saying we’re getting close,” Brockers said. “I told him, ‘Don’t call me until it’s done.’ And that’s what we did. I’m just thankful and blessed.”

Because of that, Brockers said the situation did not become much of a distraction.

“But you know it’s there,” Brockers said. “That’s one thing that can be erased and get from distracting you and stuff like that. So it’s in the books now. Like I said before — it’s done, and it’s time to focus on football.”

One of the reasons Brockers wanted to stick around was the teammates with whom he’s become close. The Rams’ main core of defensive linemen — including Brockers, Aaron Donald, Robert Quinn, William Hayes, and Eugene Sims — have been playing together for years and the familiarity makes a difference.

“We’ve been through a lot with each other, so I didn’t want to leave them,” Brockers said. “You kind of get out of your comfort zone when you become a free agent and get that unknown. So it feels good to be here where I started.”

Linebacker Alec Ogletree said it’s good to see Brockers get rewarded for the effort he’s put into becoming a key cog in the Rams’ defense.

“I’m happy for him,” Ogletree said. “He’s worked tremendously hard to earn that contract. And I’m glad he’s going to be a Ram for a while here. Hopefully, we sign a couple more guys to keep everybody around.”

Brockers’ position on the defensive line is not the most conducive to racking up stats. But that doesn’t make him any less of a contributor to the unit, as he’s started 16 games for each of the last three seasons.

“He’s a big man inside and you have to have that nowadays for two reasons — one, for your ability to stop the inside run and two, to put pressure on the quarterback and collapse the pocket,” Fisher said. “He creates opportunities for everybody else and every so often he makes a big play himself. He’s been consistent week-in, week-out. He’s changed his body since his arrival, overcame some early career injuries, and has just been one of those guys you can count on.”

As a linebacker, Ogletree has good reason to want to see Brockers stick around. The way the defensive tackle can take up double teams helps free Ogletree to make plays.

When you factor in all the talent on the defensive line, it makes the situation for Ogletree even better.

“I mean, you couldn’t ask for anything better,” Ogletree said. “You’ve got, to me, the top defensive line in the league. So for me, it makes it a lot easier on me when I know they’re worried about the front four. I’m on the second level, so I have time to go make a play or something like that because they’re so worried about the D-line. It’s a linebacker’s dream.”

So Brockers will be around to keep a sense of continuity going with the players up front. And he’s happy to be doing it in Southern California.

“I love it. You can’t beat this weather. But I definitely see what you pay for out here,” he said with a laugh.

sdram wrote:

The idea was Rams needed a QB bad, which they do. So they made a deal to get the one they thought was the beat one. And, there’s a good chance that Goff is. Time will tell and Wentz looked good but it’s one game in his rookie season – we’ll see.

Up until it was clear the Rams would take Goff, I was fine with either one. I thought you end up with a different kind of offense for each one, but I was fine with that too.

In fact it would not surprise me if both did well for their careers.

Like Elway and Marino. Although. Of course. Not quite that lofty……..

Agamemnon wrote:

Sorry Mike, however you justify it, it is only hearsay. I think Fisher will lie to anybody.

He had a qb forced on him before and was public in his displeasure.

Plus I genuinely doubt SK is so stupid he believes 2 things: 1, that a draft pick will bring in ticket sales, and 2, that you can force a qb on a head coach…especially if it involves a LOT of draft picks.

Carroll Rosenbloom was that stupid. I don’t believe SK is.

Right now I don’t believe Fisher is lying as much as I believe that angry fans will believe ANYTHING negative about him. Likely or not.

Btw ag, Fisher speaking is direct testimony. Whether it is accepted as true or not. Keyshawn citing unnamed “inside” and “outside” (!) sources is hearsay. (What are outside sources? “My grocer says…”)

.

JackPMiller wrote:

wv wrote:

sdram wrote:

.. Then, and only then did they take the strawberries… er I mean draft Goff.

Let him sit until he’s ready – like a nice strawberry-rhubarb pie…

———————-

That’s just crazy talk. Do you even watch football? Goff is obviously
like a fine October pumpkin pie.

Mannion is a strawberry-rhubarb pie.

Keenum is brown sugar cinnamon poptart.

Now dont make me school you again.

w
v

What was Nick Foles?

Whipped cream.

I have the ONE THING this discussion needs the most.

Yes. An autographed “behind the scenes” pic from the rabbit in Donnie Darko.

Voila.

IMO, Goff does NOT fit what the Rams’ offense is supposedly all about.

I disagree with that. I never thought Goff wasn’t a Rams type qb or didn’t fit in some way.

And have lived in southern california, I have trouble buying the idea that a laid back, soft spoken kid from Cal would fit southern california ideas of celebrity.

…

nittany ram wrote:

zn wrote:

nittany ram wrote:

They gotta get the running game going which means an o-line that couldn’t block the 9’ers’ front seven must somehow figure out a way to block the Seahawks’ front seven.

Which they’ve done. Blocked the Seattle front 7. Pretty much the same OL, except Reynolds in for Saffold, and Wichmann/Brown rotating instead of just Wichmann. That was just 3 regular season games ago.

Yeah I know. Which is why their inability to block the 9’ers was as astonishing as it was disappointing.

But there’s an old coaching adage that says you’re not as good as you look when you win and not as bad as you look when you lose. Who knows, maybe the o-line’s futility against the 9’ers could have been corrected with a few adjustments that the coaches are now aware of after looking at film and will put in place against Seattle.

Or maybe the o-line will continue to implode in on itself like a dying star.

We shall see…

I really think that 9ers front 7 is better than the talking heads assumed it was. I keep being told this was a fire dumpster team, but it has a new coach and a new defensive coordinator, and may simply not be the team it was under Tomsula/Mangini. I know fans are especially upset when the Rams lose to a “lesser team” but that may have been an illusion. That’s a changed 9ers D under new coaches. The 9ers had all off-season to study the Rams, who were not going to change that much, while the Rams would have trouble studying the 9ers with a new offense and a new defense.

.

zn wrote:

Ozoneranger wrote:

Can we move this to the SF Game thread? I brain farted again.

“Move” is malfunctioning at the moment. So here’s what we can do. You can copy it and then paste it in a new post in the game thread. Once that’s done I delete it here.

Deal?

I took care of it. I just copied it myself and pasted into your post in that thread, where it fits fine.

Five Takeaways — Rams at 49ers

Myles Simmons

http://www.therams.com/news-and-events/article-1/Five-Takeaways-%E2%80%94-Rams-at-49ers/31474b47-2477-4330-9c20-306fa24761c2

The Rams started the season on a sour note, losing 28-0 to the division-rival 49ers on Monday Night Football. Los Angeles will have a short week in preparation for Seattle in the club’s home opener. Here are five takeaways from the first week of the season.

1) Poor offensive production

Whenever a team does not score, it’s clear there was poor offensive production. The numbers bear that out, as the Rams’ offense experienced many of the same issues that plagued the unit in 2015.

Los Angeles had only 185 total yards, 10 first downs, and finished 3-of-15 in third-down efficiency — a clear indication the club could not sustain drives.

“Obviously, disappointed in some of the lack of offensive production,” head coach Jeff Fisher said after the game. “The third-down efficiency, scoring, and the run game was not there tonight. I’ll credit their defense. But, those things were problematic for us last year. I believe we’ve improved in those areas, we just didn’t show it. And we have to show it.”

‘According to quarterback Case Keenum, the 49ers mixed up coverages well, particularly on third down. Those looks gave the Rams issues throughout the contest.

“They did a really good job mixing up, especially on third down, a lot of looks that we haven’t seen before,” Keenum said. “And, you know, it’s no excuse, though. We’ve still got to convert.”

2) Defense starts slow

Los Angeles’ defense came alive in the second half, forcing four three-and-outs to begin the third quarter. Fisher said the unit made some key halftime adjustments that worked well.

But the unit still allowed 28 first downs — the 49ers highest output in a game since 2012.

“I was a little disappointed with the defense early, but the defense — we made adjustments at halftime, settled down. Got numerous, back-to-back three-and-outs, and gave us an opportunity to get some drives started offensively,” Fisher said. “We just couldn’t get points.”

Niners quarterback Blaine Gabbert gave the Rams trouble with his legs, rushing nine times for 43 yards. He was able to slip out of the pocket a few times, scrambling for first downs on three third-down situations.

“Coming into the game, Blaine was a concern of mine — just his legs,” Fisher said. “Obviously, he showed us what he can do. He can pull it down and run and break your back.”

Linebacker Alec Ogletree said San Francisco didn’t necessarily do anything unexpected, instead Los Angeles’ defense simply did not execute the way it needed to.

3) Too many penalties

The Rams were flagged 10 times for 102 yards — too many for one game.

Two of the most significant offenders were two of the Rams most important players, running back Todd Gurley and defensive tackle Aaron Donald. Gurley was flagged for taunting after converting a 4th-and-1 into a first down with a three-yard run. That penalty moved L.A. back 15 yards, despite a first down.

Donald was ejected after two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties later in the contest.

“I let emotion get the best of me,” Donald said “No excuses — I can’t make mistakes like that to hurt my team.”

Those fouls were uncharacteristic for both Donald and Gurley, and will likely be corrected right away.

4) “This isn’t us”

If there’s a silver lining, it’s that this game came in Week 1. Oftentimes around the NFL, teams make significant improvements between the first two games of the season. And Gurley brought up one comparison in particular that may bode well for the team’s fortunes.

“It’s a long season,” Gurley said. “You look at last year, [the 49ers] played Monday night against the Vikings [in Week 1]. They beat the Vikings pretty bad. The Vikings still went on to the playoffs. So, we’ll shake this game off. And, like I said, it’s a long season. We’ve still got 15 more games to go.”

Both Gurley and Keenum used the refrain “This isn’t us” to describe the offense’s performance.

“I see it every day at practice,” Gurley said. “I know this is not us. This is not us at all. I don’t know what we did, but like I said, we’ve got to do something right and go out there and execute next week.”

“We’re fighting. And, I’ll tell you, everybody in that locker room hates not winning,” Keenum said. “And it’s frustrating when you’re not doing it. So we just have to go out and fix the problems and do us. Be us. Offensively, that wasn’t us.”

L.A. will need to get back on track with better execution against the Seahawks next week.

5) Extra points

— Middle linebacker Alec Ogletree led the Rams with 12 tackles, according to the press box stats.

— Safety T.J. McDonald had four tackles for loss to lead the team in the category. In all, Los Angeles had eight tackles for loss.

— In his regular-season Rams debut, defensive tackle Dominique Easley forced a fumble that cornerback Trumaine Johnson recovered for the Rams’ one takeaway of the game.

— Wide receiver Kenny Britt led the club with four receptions for 67 yards.

— While Cody Wichmann got the start at right guard, the Rams rotated at the position, splitting the reps between Wichmann and Jamon Brown almost evenly. Wichmann had 29 snaps, Brown had 32.