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June 25, 2016 at 10:23 pm in reply to: what's the story on Isaiah Battle (& Darrell Williams) #47083
znModeratorHow often can you find players that have the talent to start at LT?
And it might be more than one!
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off the net from den-the-coach
In college at USF, Williams started 42 games at LT and gave up few sacks and looked very fluid in preseason and did not allow a sack playing in every game in preseason. In 2015, he was very impressive and looked good filling in at RT before Foles threw another interception against the Bears and both him and Jamon Brown were hurt trying to tackle the guy.
Williams was a find and IMO, he’s much better than Donnal & Battle, but we’ will get to see more of him come this season.
znModeratorClassics for me, focusing mostly on the quality of the prose itself:
I like lists like this and so I am going to jump in.
Great classics…but also an improvised list, not a thought-through “favorites.” I would just say that people who like to read should read most of these. My most recent read from the list is Otsuka and it was amazing.
Achebe, Things Fall Apart & Achebe, Girls at War https://www.amazon.com/Girls-at-War-Other-Stories/dp/0385418965/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1466908922&sr=1-1&keywords=achebe+girls
Adichie, Half a Yellow Sun https://www.amazon.com/Half-Yellow-Sun-Publisher-Anchor/dp/B004UZZV0U/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1466886307&sr=8-2&keywords=half+a+yellow+sun
Austen, Pride and Prejudice
Dickens, Great Expectations
Faulkner, As I Lay Dying
Forster, A Passage to India
Heller, Catch-22
LeGuin, The Left Hand of Darkness
Marquez, 100 Years of Solitude
McCarthy, Blood Meridian
Morrison, Song of Solomon
Otsuka, The Buddha in the Attic https://www.amazon.com/Buddha-Attic-Pen-Faulkner-Award/dp/0307744426/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1466885921&sr=1-2&keywords=Otsuka
Rushdie, Midnight’s Children
Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath
Swift, Gulliver’s TravelsznModeratorTypical game of thrones dialogue exchange:
A: see what you did? you’re stupid
B: this, coming from the man who has failed himself in countless ways
A: I would die in your serviceI make fun, but as stated, a lot of it is very good.
znModeratorYes.
I’m the short guy.Just kidding, don’t watch it. Accidentally caught the last few minutes of one last night. A dog ate the face off some dude who was tied up. Not my cup of tea.
That moment isn’t representative of the entire show. In context, it is a fitting end to one of the most sadistic monsters in the series. He used those same dogs to kill his baby brother so he could maintain his position as his father’s heir. He also killed his father. The woman watching the scene is his wife from an arranged marriage, and he had raped her. There is all sorts of violence in the show, but that’s not all there is, not by a longshot. You just picked the wrong scene.
Having said that, that kind of thing–shocking moments like that–is part of it too. Just A part, but a part.
June 25, 2016 at 3:11 am in reply to: Trumaine Johnson allowed the second-lowest QB rating in 2015 #47048znModeratorIf he is as good as PFF indicates, then he deserves a franchise contract. Using 9.0% of the cap for a franchise CB and averaging the future salary cap estimates. He could expect a contract of $64 million for 4 years.
Josh Norman just signed a contract for $75 million for 5 years. No wonder the Rams are OK with paying him $13.8 million this year. That is ~9.0% of 155 million. I didn’t think they would pay him that much, but I see now that with the salary cap going up each year and if he is really that good, that is the way things are.
Good analysis. But now, hunches. My hunch is they don’t sign him, they replace him next year. I like Tru but I don’t have the impression that he’s a “top 8 keeper” type player.
And, I think these coaches can take spare parts from a garage sale and manufacture a good secondary out of it.
June 25, 2016 at 2:18 am in reply to: Trumaine Johnson allowed the second-lowest QB rating in 2015 #47042znModerator
znModerator
znModeratorRams cut Wells, Worton
OXNARD, CA – MAY 06: J.J. Worton #9 of the Los Angeles Rams warms up during a Los Angeles Rams rookie camp on May 06, 2016 in Oxnard, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Getty ImagesThe Rams trimmed their offseason roster by two Friday, waiving linebacker Matthew Wells and wide receiver J.J. Worton.
Wells was a sixth-round pick of the Patriots in 2015 and was traded to the Bears during his first training camp. He was waived by the Bears and eventually landed on the practice squad with the Rams before signing a futures contract with the Rams in January.
Worton’s second stint with the Rams lasted just over a month. Worton was arrested on charges that he assaulted a man and two women at a Foxborough, Massachusetts bar last January. He was also accused of groping both women and then knocking out one of their boyfriends.
The Patriots dropped him from their practice squad after that incident. He’d spent some time with the Rams last season before heading to New England, and the Rams signed him again last month after he participated in their minicamp as a tryout player.
znModeratorSignings afoot.
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June 24, 2016 at 8:25 pm in reply to: Aaron Donald not concerned about contract, focused on 2016 #47014znModerator8 players at 59.5%. The next 45 players fit in 40.5% of the cap.
Yes that’s exactly the kind of thing that interests me.
So, around the league, what are the rules that hold up when it comes to this?
Is it usually 8-10 players with the top contracts? Or do you break it down differently?
znModerator“Just lining up everywhere — I think that’s the main thing for me, is just kind of getting used to the offense because before, I was mainly the wide tight end. Now, I could be anywhere,” tight end Lance Kendricks said. “So for me, it’s a big challenge, but it’s also going to be fun — just being able to do a little bit of everything. It’s going to really challenge my game because going from run blocking to playing out wide is just two different things. But I’m up for the challenge.”
You know, over the years sometimes they remember Kendricks can do all that, and sometimes they don’t.
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June 24, 2016 at 1:19 pm in reply to: Aaron Donald not concerned about contract, focused on 2016 #46988znModeratorDo you think there is a team out there that uses 60% of the cap for 8-10 players?
Well you;re being more exact than I am. I was always just working with a general idea. I just want to do quick hit observations without tons of calculation. To me major contracts are 6 M or more, and I just noticed that most teams spend anywhere from 50-60% of the cap on those players. I didn’t do anything remotely like the research you did. I just wing it. (And I respect your research, it’s very interesting and smart stuff.)
Seattle I know has (appx.) 58.7% of the cap tied up with 10 players. (90.3+ M out of 153.9 M.)
I’m not sure…are we still discussing whether to keep Donald? To me a defense with Donald and then maybe 1 or 2 fewer top contract players is going to be better than a defense with 1 or 2 more top players and no Donald.
It just may be rare for a team to have both (1)a franchise qb who has (or will have) a starting qb level 2nd contract, and (2) an elite, defense-altering DT.
So to me, it’s not as crucial to have a lot of top players dominating the cap (like Seattle does). If having both Goff and Donald edges a player or 2 out of the top tier contracts so they have 1 or 2 fewer, I think it will still be a better team than the one that doesn’t have the qb plus Donald.
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znModeratorNFC West Q&A: Which quarterback gives the 49ers a better chance to win?
Today’s question: Which quarterback gives the San Francisco 49ers a better chance to win: Colin Kaepernick or Blaine Gabbert?
Josh Weinfuss, Arizona Cardinals reporter: In Chip Kelly’s system, this answer is almost obvious: It’s Kaepernick. Gabbert is a fine pocket passer who can manage an offense and a game, but to run Kelly’s up-tempo offense, someone with Kaepernick’s athleticism is ideal. But Kaepernick is going to have to get used to Kelly’s pace. With Kaepernick on the field for nine games last season, the 49ers averaged 37.9 real seconds per play, compared to the Eagles’ 30.4, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Without Kaepernick, the Niners averaged 34.2 real seconds per play. Granted, San Francisco wasn’t running an up-tempo offense, but the difference can be telling. Kaepernick’s quickness and athleticism, as well as the ability to get back to the line and keep the offense moving, will give the Niners a better chance than they’d have with Gabbert.
Nick Wagoner, Los Angeles Rams reporter: The Rams played against both QBs in 2015. They won by three touchdowns when Kaepernick was at the helm and lost by a field goal when Gabbert was the man. Gabbert threw for 354 yards in that season-ending victory, though of course, success against the Rams doesn’t equal long-term production as a starter against the entire league. There seems to be a faction of people who believe Chip Kelly can right the Kaepernick ship, and there’s little doubt that he is an intriguing fit in Kelly’s offense. But I think it has been underrated how Gabbert could fit in that offense too. He’s a pretty good athlete in his own right, and he proved to be a more accurate passer last season. Learning a sixth offensive scheme won’t make Gabbert’s life any easier, and the 49ers probably still need to find a long-term solution, but for now, Gabbert seems like the better bet to give San Francisco a chance in 2016.
Sheil Kapadia, Seattle Seahawks reporter: If the 49ers believe in their coaches’ ability to maximize talent on the roster, it’s Kaepernick. Chip Kelly has said in the past that the two qualities he values most in quarterbacks are decision-making and repetitive accuracy. From 2012 to 2014, Kaepernick’s interception rate of 1.9 percent was fourth-lowest in the NFL, behind only Aaron Rodgers, Alex Smith and Tom Brady. What doomed Kelly’s offenses in Philadelphia? A big issue was turnovers. The Eagles gave the ball away 65 times the past two seasons, more than any other team in the NFL. Kaepernick looked like a broken quarterback last season, but we’ve seen him be a good player at this level, which cannot be said for Gabbert. On many of Kelly’s run plays, the quarterback is responsible for accounting for an unblocked defender. But other than Michael Vick, Kelly never had a QB in Philadelphia who was a threat as a runner. Given how much trouble he had finding a quarterback in his first NFL stop, it would make sense for Kelly to see if he can resurrect Kaepernick’s career in 2016.
June 24, 2016 at 11:37 am in reply to: Aaron Donald not concerned about contract, focused on 2016 #46976znModeratorAs far as following it. It isn’t that kind of information. I put it out there and you make of it what you will. I am making observations more than finding a perfect model
It’s not a matter of whether it’s a perfect model or not. I just see numbers and I have no idea what the numbers mean. It wasn’t an advanced question on my part, it’s a basic question. So it’s like you wrote “2 + x = Y” and I asked “what do the symbols + and = mean?”
June 24, 2016 at 3:07 am in reply to: Aaron Donald not concerned about contract, focused on 2016 #46964znModeratorJust adding some information about how teams spend the cap for their highest paid players.
There are a few teams at the top and bottom. But, overall, how the salary cap is broken down, seems to be quite consistant. imo There is not even much variance in the sub totals.
Looks like a lot of work went into that.
But to be honest I am not sure I followed that. It’s me–I don’t do well with graphs and visual representations and columns and stuff.
Could you explain a bit?
znModeratorI had a (gun-toting survivalist) friend of mine tell me that he was worried that ANY gun restrictions would just lead the way to more. He said, “We saw what happened to cigarette smokers…one restriction after another.”
Well your friend made an interesting unconscious comparison to an addiction.
znModeratorSays it’s a departure from the last few years in St. Louis, when they couldn’t eat the food delivered to their offices.
After learning about crack by Kevin Demoff about food brought to Rams Park, several food people noted how hard it was to get team to pay.
— Howard Balzer (@HBalzer721) June 24, 2016
znModeratorBig doings this week in the congress, led by my Senators, I must say.
Yeah that was interesting.
June 23, 2016 at 11:39 pm in reply to: informal poll–how many favor limits on certain firearms #46959znModeratorTSRF & BT…I moved a couple of posts to a new thread. That’s not a “rebuke” or anything remotely negative. Just trying to keep the “informal poll” flavor of this one thread. I figure it’s a mild adjustment.
znModeratorConejo Valley ‘perfect place’ to relocate Rams, says Kevin Demoff
By Joe Curley of the Ventura County Star
Kevin Demoff hasn’t just helped bring the NFL back to Los Angeles.
He’s brought his business and its employees to the Conejo Valley.
Thanking the community for the “terrific welcome” the organization has received in Ventura County, the Los Angeles Rams chief operating officer on Thursday morning called the Conejo Valley “the perfect place to relocate a team.”
“We are thrilled to become part of this community,” Demoff said.
As the keynote speaker at the Greater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce’s regional economic forecast at the Hyatt Regency Westlake, Demoff recalled a meeting in New York in which he explained to the NFL why the Rams wanted to set up their football operations in the Conejo Valley.
“We went through the litany of reasons… why I thought this was the perfect place to relocate a team,” Demoff said. “Terrific housing, terrific schools, wonderful community and a really great environment for our franchise to come patch into.”
While so many Southern California professional athletes have made their homes in the South Bay, Demoff focused north of Los Angeles.
“One of the things I very much wanted for our team was a sense of community,” Demoff said. “That people could go and get together and go to dinner, and really bring out that home that this area has really provided for us as our group has settled in. We could not be more excited to become part of this every day.”
The Rams’ move from St. Louis was approved by the 32 NFL owners on Jan. 12. They completed their offseason training camp at Oxnard’s River Ridge fields last week. They will hold training camp later this summer at UC Irvine.
“This has really been a labor of love over the past five months to get this team up and running in every facet,” Demoff said. “Our group has been working tirelessly. I must say, the warm reception we have received from everybody in this community has been unbelievable.”
The team will play home games in the Coliseum during the construction of its $2.2 billion stadium in Inglewood.
The Rams have already sold 63,000 season tickets, just 7,000 short of their planned cap, according to Demoff. The plan is for a capacity of 80,000 at the Coliseum, extended to 90,000 “for a few special games.”
But just because the team plays its games in Inglewood doesn’t mean the team has to have headquarters there.
“One of the things that’s sort of different about the NFL is we play 10 games a year in that stadium,” Demoff said. “The other 355 days a year, we are in our office space elsewhere, working. Really, when you talk about a practice facility and a headquarters for your team, that is where you hub is, that is where your every day is.”
The organization is committed to the community and enjoys giving back, Demoff said.
“It’s part of what we do… We will see you at all kinds of events locally,” he said. “We bring our cheerleaders, mascots, players.”
While 120 employees moved with the team, the Rams plan to hire “aggressively” as the team settles in.
“It’s going to run the range from marketing, (public relations), community, down to individuals who work on game day,” Demoff said. “Anything across team operations will be on our purview of what we’re seeking to hire.”
Construction on the Rams’ football headquarters at California Lutheran University and business headquarters in Agoura Hills are scheduled to be completed in August.
“We have to have a place to practice and a place to work, so hopefully both of those, which we are building from scratch, will be ready in August,” said Demoff, who thanked both cities for their work on the projects.
Demoff said the team will then turn its attention to finding a site for its permanent headquarters, looking for “50 to 60 acres” locally for a “mini-Inglewood” development.
“That search is starting out here,” Demoff said. “We’re looking to see if we can make this our home permanently.”
The Thousand Oaks City Council has already announced that finding the Rams a permanent home locally is a priority.
“It’s become abundantly clear that this is where they want to live,” Mayor Joel Price said. “It bodes well for the greater Conejo Valley. Whether or not the city of Thousand Oaks has the type of real estate that they are looking for, that remains to be seen.
“On a grander scale, it comforts me still that they will end up somewhere in the greater Conejo Valley. Ventura County will be their home for years to come.”[/quote]
znModeratorDemoff told the story being asked by a Rams staff member, "so and so and I are bidding on the same house, can you arbitrate?"
— Joe Curley (@vcsjoecurley) June 23, 2016
Demoff also spoke about the Inglewood project, saying it's 9x the size of LA Live. "It's LA Live meets Playa Vista meets the Grove."
— Joe Curley (@vcsjoecurley) June 23, 2016
Said stadium will be largest stadium in world at 3m square feet. Cost estimated $2.2b, "if our architects have their way it might be $8b."
— Joe Curley (@vcsjoecurley) June 23, 2016
Demoff said 120 employees moved with the team. Said team plans to hire "aggressively… beginning that process very soon."
— Joe Curley (@vcsjoecurley) June 23, 2016
Rams' football HQ at CLU and business HQ in Agoura will be completed in August, then turn attention to permanent home."
— Joe Curley (@vcsjoecurley) June 23, 2016
znModeratorDemoff says the Rams have already sold 63,000 season tickets. Only planning to sell 70,000.
— Joe Curley (@vcsjoecurley) June 23, 2016
Demoff says the plan is for capacity of 80,000 at the Coliseum, "90,000 for a few special games."
— Joe Curley (@vcsjoecurley) June 23, 2016
Demoff speaks of the process of converting younger LA football fans back to Rams fans. Tells story of local nephew who has a Niners hat.
— Joe Curley (@vcsjoecurley) June 23, 2016
"Los Angeles is ready for the NFL right now. This is a much different region… than what it was when the two teams left." — Demoff
— Joe Curley (@vcsjoecurley) June 23, 2016
"One of the reasons we are here today is we want to be a team for the entire region." — Demoff
— Joe Curley (@vcsjoecurley) June 23, 2016
Which explains why the team will play games in Inglewood, have training camp in Irvine and practice in Thousand Oaks.
— Joe Curley (@vcsjoecurley) June 23, 2016
Demoff told a story of a presentation he made to the NFL "a year ago" when "I showed them exactly where they are today."
— Joe Curley (@vcsjoecurley) June 23, 2016
When the NFL asked why move the Rams here? The answer was "terrific housing," "terrific schools," "wonderful community."
— Joe Curley (@vcsjoecurley) June 23, 2016
Demoff called the Conejo Valley a "great environment" to which to move a business.
— Joe Curley (@vcsjoecurley) June 23, 2016
"Everybody else goes to Manhattan Beach… We were different in that regard." — Demoff
— Joe Curley (@vcsjoecurley) June 23, 2016
Demoff also said that most of the players have already settled in the area.
— Joe Curley (@vcsjoecurley) June 23, 2016
"Single-handedly we probably drove the real estate market in March and April." — Demoff
— Joe Curley (@vcsjoecurley) June 23, 2016
June 23, 2016 at 2:03 pm in reply to: Aaron Donald not concerned about contract, focused on 2016 #46927znModeratorThe Rams have spent~98% of the their cap. Imagine trying to fit 2 players that count ~23% of the cap into this roster. Hard choices have to be made. imo
Oh I absolutely agree, hard choices.
It’s just that I would choose for a Donald.
If I had to fit AD in THIS year at (as a hypothetical) 21 M a year, I would sacrifice Johnson and Saffold. I would figure they could do more with a new CB plus AD than they could with Johnson and a different DT. And of course guards are easier to replace than elite DTs.
I agree that it’s different visions and different approaches. Given that, I favor the elite DT no matter what.
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June 23, 2016 at 1:30 pm in reply to: Aaron Donald not concerned about contract, focused on 2016 #46923znModeratorThe fact that you have a salary cap at all, limits just how far away from a norm contracts can get. I would say 53 – 60 percent of the cap for your best players. After that it becomes problematic if you can even pay the rest of your roste
I know. 50-60% ought to be around half of your cap and usually includes anywhere from 8-10 players.
I just bet in advance it includes both Donald and Goff.
My reasoning is that in both cases, those are the kinds of players where if you have THEM, you can just add guys around them. Donald will make any decent to good DL better, and having a franchise qb makes your offense better. Subtract either thing, and it’s harder to have a top DL and it’s harder to run an effective offense.
Plus they are both absolutely top-drawer “lead by example” types who are devoted to the game.
I would rather have a few lesser players in other spots than do without either one.
All that assumes btw that Goff will turn out as promised, which is, he will be a very good qb, a franchise qb type (whether or not he’s ever elite).
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June 23, 2016 at 1:14 pm in reply to: Aaron Donald not concerned about contract, focused on 2016 #46919znModeratormo I think the reality is that the Rams can pay his contract and it won’t be significantly out of line with his status.
Well I agree with that, but, that depends on what is meant by “his status.” I figure at a minimum that will be “best DT in the game.”
And I don’t see contracts as equivalent to just a performance measure. That is, what determines a contract more is not “how precisely well are you playing” as much as it is “what does it cost to keep you”…and the latter is driven by the market.
In terms of how long could he be productive?
Let’s look at a roughly similar player–John Randle.
Randle was getting high grades and double-digit sacks up through his 12th year.
Another similar player? Randy White. White was getting high grades and double-digit sacks in his 11th year.
Alan Page (though we don’t know his sacks) was getting high grades in his 13th year.
The thing that subtracts from longevity with these kinds of interior rush tackles is usually a serious knee injury. If he doesn’t get that, history shows that type can play at a high level for a decade.
znModeratorTSRF, I thought about it and perhaps its still too soon for me regarding Thordaddy’s passing but your painting him as the “lunatic fringe Right” is as inaccurate as it is insulting. He and I never discussed Trump simply because he wasn’t on the radar and then when he began to get noticed Thordaddy’s illness became worse and I’m sure he would have rather spent his time with family. However there isn’t any doubt in my mind he would be supporting Trump as the nominee. And since Trump is the nominee by definition his supporters are not the “lunatic fringe Right”.
I think it’s best for everyone this thread end. I already called a halt to it in response to T, and b you have no excuse for continuing personal stuff after I posted that warning. You can’t both go around speaking for the rules (“don’t be personal”) while also crossing the line in threads where there are explicit warnings.
That aside, if you guys want to discuss individuals and personalities, do it in email. Leave your emails addys here or both send them to me.
I get final say in this thread and am going to close it. This forum is for discussing board issues involving rules and changes and so on—those rules are never suspended when it comes to discussing people. It’s never about posters, at least not in controversial ways. Anything further goes to email if you want to keep discussing it.
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June 23, 2016 at 12:35 pm in reply to: Aaron Donald not concerned about contract, focused on 2016 #46912znModeratort the team may choose to pick up the fifth-year option on his deal. This would result in him having to hold off on that deal until after the 2018 season.
If 2016 is out, according to Donald, one possibility is that he would be ultimately aiming at free agency. Because in fact “not thinking about it now” could just be code for “I will be a free agent after 2018 and that’s my goal.”
But then the option year is picked up for 2018 that still leaves options. I assume he could sign an extension any time between now and when he finishes the 2018 season.
If on the other hand he comes up as a free agent after 2018, he will just plain cost significantly more.
znModeratorHe works in LA now I think, and is making an effort to connect to the Rams these days.
It is also true he has a lot of loyalty to the Cards.
Either way, Kurt is Kurt.
If true I wonder if he’s commuting between Phoenix and LA? He sure seemed at home in the Phoenix area. LA and Kurt doesn’t seem like a match regarding lifestyles.
He works in LA. That just means he will be there frequently. He said that much himself. I have lived just outside of LA before btw…I know from experience that there is no such thing as “A” LA lifestyle. There are several different LA lifestyles. We have several Cali posters here and I assume they back me up on that. That aside, it looks like KW’s family lives in AZ but he works out of LA, which means probably he flies in to LA on an irregular basis.
znModeratorHe works in LA now I think, and is making an effort to connect to the Rams these days.
It is also true he has a lot of loyalty to the Cards.
Either way, Kurt is Kurt.
znModeratorTop 100 Players of 2016′: No. 22 Todd Gurley
Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley is voted the 22nd-best player in the NFL by his peers on “Top 100 Players of 2016.”
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