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May 12, 2016 at 7:39 pm in reply to: mmqb: long, interesting article on "How Quarterbacks Are Made" #43959
znModerator“When you have two parents and you have wealth and you have structure, you have more access and you’re exposed to more things,” Whitfield says. “Then you know when to get on that circuit. To know when to get some highlight tapes—you need an institution behind you.
“Really, truly, you could have a working-class family and many have made it out, but when you just peek around the league at some of your star quarterbacks, they were raised to be CEOs, and rightfully so. That’s not a knock.” ….
…“A lot of it comes down to resources,” says Bruce Feldman, author of The QB: The Making of the Modern Quarterback. “The position is so nuanced, you don’t have guys showing up in college with very little experience and having success at quarterback like you see with other positions. Rarely do guys all of a sudden become quarterbacks…
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I knew Brady was a product of all this. I didn’t know most of them are. Or rather, I didn’t think about it.
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May 12, 2016 at 11:42 am in reply to: mmqb: long, interesting article on "How Quarterbacks Are Made" #43941znModeratorfrom off the net
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MamaRAMa
I went to school with George Whitfield’s parents, George & Cheryl, when we were all students at Wichita State University. We all lived in the same dorm. His dad was a linebacker on the WSU football team and I was a WSU cheerleader the year of the plane crash (the school dropped the football program after the 1986 season). Like me, his mom was an education major and we shared many of the same classes. I’ve always found it interesting that George Jr wasn’t good enough to make it as a professional player himself, but he’s become a respected QB guru who gives private instruction to many NFL and college pros.
By the way, there is an excellent, 57-minute award-winning documentary called “Black & Gold: Remembering The WSU Plane Crash” which you can view for free online at:
http://watch.kpts.org/video/1870760480/
That’s me at the 2:15 mark. Don’t blink or you’ll miss it.
May 12, 2016 at 10:52 am in reply to: from "away" – draftniks & reporters on the draft as a whole #43940znModeratorPro Football Focus ranks Rams most improved in NFC West
Nick Wagoner
Part of the beauty of the NFL offseason is the many differing opinions on every team’s approach to it. Those that spend big money in free agency are often times considered “winners” right after they make those moves but rarely so when the games actually start.
Others point to making smart, low-budget roster moves while focusing on nailing the draft as the proper approach, a time-tested method that’s worked for consistent winners such as the Green Bay Packers and New England Patriots.
The Los Angeles Rams have attempted both in the recent past with mediocre results. But earlier this week, Pro Football Focus named the team in each of the NFL’s eight divisions it believes improved itself the most in the 2016 offseason. Their choice for the NFC West division? The Rams.
PFF credits the Rams for a strong draft (with a grade of A-minus) and lauds them for the bold move up to land quarterback Jared Goff with the No. 1 overall pick. PFF also approved of the Rams’ moves to add pass-catchers for Goff in the later rounds, with a particular affinity for sixth-round receiver Michael Thomas.
Undoubtedly, the Rams have a steep hill to climb in the NFC West with Arizona and Seattle looming at the top but if the offseason turns out as well as PFF believes, it could be a little less daunting.
znModerator
znModeratorReceiver, runner, returner, passer: Pharoh Cooper adds more versatility to Rams offense
Nick Wagoner
LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Rams coach Jeff Fisher speaks of newly drafted multipurpose receiver Pharoh Cooper in similar terms as he used for Tavon Austin back in 2013.
“We’ve been watching ‘Coop’ seems like for a couple years now, and he is (South Carolina’s) favorite player, their best player,” Fisher said. “They figure out a way to give him the ball. The statistics are obvious. You watch him and he is throwing the ball, his return skills, his run after catch, his ability to get open. He is a strong player. We felt like he would give us an additional target inside to uncover and do those kinds of things.”
Buzz words such as versatility are at the top of the list of words thrown toward Cooper after a college career at South Carolina in which he did a little bit of everything. But if the Rams already have a smallish receiver capable of lining up all over offensive formations in Austin, where does that leave Cooper?
“I mean, if we were to both come in the starting lineup, that’d be great,” Cooper said. I’m not going to go in there and say I should be starting right away. I am going to have to prove to the coaches that I’m worthy and that I’m going to work hard. That’s the main thing I’m going to do — I’m going to work hard. If we are both on the field at the same time, it could be dangerous.”
Don’t scoff at the idea that Cooper and Austin could be on the field at the same time on a fairly consistent basis as Austin’s role has evolved in his three seasons with the Rams.
When the Rams drafted Austin, he was viewed as more of a slot receiver and that’s where he spent the bulk of his time as a rookie. But Austin has run fewer routes from the slot in each of his seasons. He ran 236 routes with 54 targets and 30 catches inside as a rookie. In 2014, those numbers dipped to 174 routes, 22 targets and 14 catches.
Last year, the Rams began using Austin more outside, where they could get him moving before the snap and hand him the ball on jet sweeps and reverses. He ran just 88 routes from the slot with 17 targets and 11 catches inside.
In fact, the Rams got minimal production from all of their receivers in the slot in 2015. Austin, Wes Welker, Stedman Bailey, Bradley Marquez and Brian Quick combined for 69 targets from the slot in 2015 and finished with 38 catches for 330 yards (8.7 yards per catch) and one touchdown.
Cooper, who primarily worked from the slot for the Gamecocks, averaged 8.2 yards after the catch per reception alone in his college career. According to ESPN Stats & Information, he averaged 8 yards after the catch per reception in 2015.
That ability to get open, catch the ball and get extra yards comes from Cooper’s former life as a quarterback.
“That’s just my mark,” Cooper said. “Catch the ball, make yards, that didn’t really come from anywhere. I played quarterback in high school, so I got hit a lot. So getting tackled and running through holes, and getting extra yards and fighting for extra yards — that is just what I love to do. That’s just the biggest part of my game.”
Cooper, who got his unique first name from his father drawing inspiration from Egyptian royalty, earned first-team All-SEC honors each of the past two seasons. He had 69 catches for 1,136 yards and nine touchdowns as a sophomore and 66 receptions for 973 yards and eight scores as a junior last year.
In addition to his slot duties, Cooper also lined up as the Wildcat quarterback often during his time at South Carolina. He rushed for 513 yards and four touchdowns in his three collegiate seasons and completed nine of 16 passes for 118 yards and four touchdowns. He also returned punts and kickoffs.
“(I can) play anywhere on the field,” Cooper said. “Punt return, kick return, you can line me up in the backfield, slot, the outside.”
Even quarterback?
“Yes, sir,” Cooper said. “If they need me to throw the ball, I’ll throw the ball for them. Whatever they need me to do, I’ll do it. I’m just happy to be a part of the organization. I’m ready to start playing now.”
Assuming Cooper is able to quickly grasp the Rams offense and the NFL route tree, it’s not out of the question that he’ll be asked to contribute right away. In terms of slot receivers, the Rams have not re-signed Welker and Bailey’s status remains uncertain after he suffered two gun shots to the head last November. Marquez returns and figures to be the most likely competition for work inside.
If that means sharing time with another smaller wideout capable of doing it all, that’s fine by Cooper.
“I look at it as just an opportunity to get on the field,” Cooper said. “Go out there, work hard and do my best. Wherever they play me, that is where I’m going to try to excel and do my best to excel. You know the receivers … I’m happy to go in there and work with Tavon. I followed his career when he was at West Virginia and I’m excited to line up (with him) while I’m on the field.”
znModeratorVoter fraud is not real. Not in any way that matters.
Except to win.
We know the purpose of it if it DID exist.
But Mack is saying it does not exist. Not in any statistically meaningful way.
If you believe it does, you have just swallowed some propaganda whole. I will say this. You will not be able to present any evidence for it that stands up to scrutiny.
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znModeratorfrom TOP 101 NFL PLAYERS FROM THE 2015 SEASON
PFF counts down the 101 best players from the 2015 NFL season.
https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2016/05/09/pro-top-101-nfl-players-from-2015-nos-76-101/
1. Aaron Donald, DT, St. Louis Rams (18)
Dethroning J.J. Watt from atop of the PFF Top 101 takes some serious production. Coming into this season, Watt was the No. 1 name on the list for three straight years following his breakout sophomore campaign, and it looked like he would remain there as long as he stayed on the field. For Aaron Donald to force himself into the same kind of echelon already in his career is truly staggering.Donald was the highest-graded interior defender in the league, and in his second season—just like Watt—he pushed that grade into the stratosphere. The Rams’ star may not have posted the kind of numbers Watt did, but Donald played exclusively inside as a defensive tackle, whereas Watt has become a true edge rusher, a position that typically generates far better stats than their interior teammates. Donald still ended the season with 79 total pressures and 51 defensive stops, and actually gained more pressure on a per-rush basis than the Texan.
Donald may have the quickest first step in the game among linemen, and was a constant presence in the backfield of offenses, blowing up plays against the run and pass with frightening regularity. He may not have the ideal size that teams look for, but there was no better NFL player in 2015.
Best performance: Week 1 versus Seattle: +10.7
Key stat: Aaron Donald was the highest-graded player in the NFL last season (99.9 on PFF’s new 1–100 scale).
znModeratorHigbee’s Size, Speed Make a Promising Prospect
Myles Simmons
It’s no secret the Rams’ passing game struggled in 2015. To address that, the club not only drafted quarterback Jared Goff at No. 1 overall, but also spent four of their next five picks on offensive skill players.
Tight end Tyler Higbee was the first off the board. The Rams ended up drafting two tight ends — the other being sixth-round pick Temarrick Hemingway — in part because it was a position of need.
“When we looked at the board, both Hemingway and Higbee were guys who we had in the column who we really liked,” head coach Jeff Fisher said. “We needed to address the tight end position, particularly because we only had three on the roster.”
Given that the blockbuster trade bringing the Rams the No. 1 pick was consummated two weeks before draft day, Los Angeles had more time to extensively study players likely to be drafted in later rounds. Higbee ended up being one of those players still around when the Rams got back on the clock at No. 110.
General manager Les Snead said he noticed HIgbee while doing some film study on his teammate, quarterback Brandon Doughty, who ended up as a seventh-round pick.
“When you went and watched the QB, you kept seeing this big, large, tight end, who was probably one of his top targets,” Snead said. “He made catches.”
Higbee has been recording receptions for years, going all the way back to when he was seven. That’s when he started playing football as a wide receiver — a position he maintained until his redshirt sophomore year in college when he flipped to TE. His extensive experience as a receiver helped him become more of an asset inside because he already knew the routes.
“As far as the route tree, I’ve been running those routes since I was a little kid,” Higbee said. “But at the same time, it was different coming in and learning fronts and defenses rather than just, ‘run to’ or ‘run away’ or just the routes. Now as a tight end, I’ve got to know everything — almost as much as the quarterback.”
With Higbee’s considerable size and speed — he checked in at the Combine at 6-foot-6 and 249 pounds — he projects as a significant matchup issue for defenses.
“I can create mismatches with linebackers and safeties,” Higbee said. “Some of the smaller guys — use my physicality. Some of the bigger guys, I can use my speed with. Create those mismatches, and get open, and hopefully score some touchdowns for the Rams.”
Fisher has said Higbee looked dominant at times at the collegiate level as a receiving tight end. But given that the Rams’ offense is likely to be based around running back Todd Gurley’s considerable rushing skills, it’s important for the club’s TEs to be strong blockers.
“He can drop his hips in the run game and he can be a factor,” Fisher said. “And that’s what we’re looking for — some who can give us an edge presence in our run game.”
Higbee’s first exposure to the Rams’ playbook came at rookie orientation over the weekend. While it does include plenty to learn, the tight end said he felt like he was picking the offense up well with the guidance of his position coach, John Lilly.
“You’ve got to take pride in it, and learn it, and go from there,” Higbee said. “The big thing is, you can do all those things with the coaches, and and your teammates, and on the field, and in your meetings, but you also have to take time outside of those meetings with the coaches and the team and take it upon yourself and learn it.”
While there is a lot of time before the 2016 season starts in September, Fisher said he feels Higbee will play “sooner than people think” in part because of his competitive nature.
“I think I’m going to bring some things to the table that others can’t,” Higbee said. “I think it was right of them to take a chance on me and I’m going to make them proud and work for it. I think they realized I’m a hard worker, and I’m going to put the blinders on and go to work.”
znModeratoralthough i concede that saying he could be goff’s go to receiver was going a little overboard. i’m just a little anxious about how goff will do his rookie year. feel like he’s gonna need the receivers to step up. don’t think the rookies are gonna be up for it. not this year. austin seems like their best chance.
This kind of no-holds-barred, “I’m just right” board war has to have limits. So maybe by July we should think about slowing it down.
Anyway, you’re right…Goff would do better as a rookie if he had a receiver. I don’t know, it’s possible that Tavon steps up and adds more receiving chops. It’s also possible Britt does the same. Maybe Marquez has some of that in him. Maybe Quick goes back to what he was showing early in 2014. It’s also possible they work Gurley in more to the passing game. (I’m not going to count Bailey.) Maybe all that happens, or a percentage of it. Maybe a rookie defies the normal odds and steps up.
I don’t think it’s bleak, it just looks like one big question.
Reminds me of the snakebit past, a little. Bradford began his rookie season with Mark Clayton, and Clayton looked like he was going to be better than his Ravens self and give SB a go-to guy. Then he was hurt in the 2nd game. This isn’t like that…there’s no Clayton this time, and there probably isn’t a Laurent Robinson or Gilyard either (meaning I don’t think they will end up stuck with guys who are just that bad). There’s no Amendola either, but then Amendola was a mixed blessing (he was a short yardage magician but not an outside guy).
I think it’s possible there’s someone in this mix who can get 60/900–
Austin?
Britt?
Cooper?
Marquez?
North?
McRoberts?
Quick?
Spruce?
Thomas?I am not listing Williams because he has too far to go and too much to prove.
My own view, remember, is that 2017 will look better regarding all this than 2016 does now. Which, I know, is a big help. I am even afraid to use the phrase “be patient” around longterm diehard Rams fans. It sounds too much like “Niagra Falls.”
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…znModeratorFormer Auburn WR Duke Williams signs 3-year deal with LA Rams
http://abc3340.com/sports/auburn-university/duke-williams-signs-three-year-deal-with-la-rams
LOS ANGELES, Cal. — D’haquille Williams made a good impression on his first weekend in the NFL.
The Los Angeles Rams signed the former Auburn wide receiver to a 3-year, $1.62 million contract on Tuesday, just two days after Williams took part in the Rams rookie minicamp.
Williams was not selected in the NFL draft after his early exit from Auburn. He was dismissed from the football team in October after he was reportedly involved in nightclub fight.
Prior to the final off-the-field issue, Williams was considered among the top receiver prospects in college football. The 6-foot-2, 216 pound Williams was rated as the nation’s top-ranked JUCO receiver before signing with Auburn in 2014. In his first season with the Tigers, he caught 45 passes for 730 yards and five touchdowns in 10 games.
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ME: That’s basically a free agency contract, not even a simple UDFA contract. I am not familiar with the nuances—I don’t know why he qualifies as a free agent, as opposed to a simple UDFA (maybe ag will know that). The deal will obviously be structured in a way that lets the Rams cut him at any point without cap damage. If he signed a deal like that it suggests to me that other teams were pursuing him too.
znModeratorznModeratorbut my point is his abilities as a receiver and i do think they’re being written off somewhat.
not that being a hybrid weapon is bad. but i think he could have more to contribute as a receiver.
Well maybe we just mean different things by “go-to receiver.” And obviously it’s all just opinions. But, while I think it’s certainly possible he could catch more than he has before, I just don’t think of him as a go-to, clutch play at the right time kinda guy. I think they need a different critter to become that. I think if/when they get that, Tavon will complement him…but I don’t think it will be him.
But then if I was always right I could get paid for posting.
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znModeratorMaybe one or two of these new guys make it happen.
Between the draft picks and the UDFAs, yeah, looks like they could come up with someone.
But, it’s not all that common for receivers to emerge as rookies.
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znModeratorjust wondering out loud. is there still things we have yet to see from this guy? i’m convinced that goff is going to need at least one receiver he can rely on. even brady had troy brown as a second year player.
i’m wondering if maybe austin could be that. a lot of people have written him off but last year he had a career year in terms of just receptions 52. i think an uptick to 70 receptions is possible along with his usual threat as a ball carrier. but being able to make quick safe passes to this guy and letting him make plays. i think there’s still some potential to be tapped.
some receivers especially a converted running back can take a little longer to develop. he’s only played three years and came in more raw than most prospects. there’s plenty of players in this league who didn’t break out until their fourth year. some really good ones.
and despite seeing an uptick in touches he’s actually gotten more durable. he’s gone from 49 to 67 to 104 touches on offense. so could i see an increase of about 20 more touches this season. i think it’s very possible.
of course i don’t know anything about his route running abilities but again. these are things i believe he can improve on.
I don’t see him as a receiver. I see him as a hybrid weapon (he has as many rushes as he does catches…and he gets 8.3 a carry). The guys who write him off do so because they judge him as a receiver. I don’t write him off–I see his value–and I have never seen him as a receiver, going back to when I advocated picking him before the draft.
If Goff gets a go-to guy in 2016, I don’t think it will be Tavon.
Though, Tavon ought to do his hybrid weapon style damage as usual, IMO.
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znModeratorSo it isn’t a question of fraud, at least. Just a bit of academic caution being exercised.
Agreed.
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Teen Probably Didn’t Unearth an Ancient Mayan City Using Star Maps
Sadly, the feel-good/feel-embarrassed-about-how-little-you’ve-accomplished story of a Canadian 15-year-old discovering a previously undiscovered Mayan city isn’t quite as impressive as first hoped.
The tale, as it went viral (and as we originally wrote it), was simple: Canadian 15-year-old William Gadoury thought he’d found an abandoned Mayan city deep in the heart of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. Using star maps, Gadoury discovered that 22 major Mayan cities correlated with the brightest stars in constellations. He was the first person, teen or otherwise, to use this method, the Telegraph reported, and using the location he determined from the third star, Gadoury connected with the Canadian Space Agency, who sent the teen satellite images showing visible geometric shapes consistent with a lost city. Gadoury (as well as Dr. Armand Larocque, a remote sensing specialist from the University of New Brunswick) believes it’s a central Mayan pyramid, with several other nearby structures.
Sadly, Larocque’s endorsement wasn’t shared by the academic community. Since this story was first published, several skeptics have voiced concerns with Gadoury’s potential discovery. “This current news story of an ancient Maya city being discovered is false,” David Stuart, an anthropologist from The Mesoamerica Center-University of Texas at Austin, wrote on Facebook.
The whole thing is a mess – a terrible example of junk science hitting the internet in free-fall. The ancient Maya didn’t plot their ancient cities according to constellations. Seeing such patterns is a rorschach process, since sites are everywhere, and so are stars. The square feature that was found on Google Earth is indeed man-made, but it’s an old fallow cornfield, or milpa.
We’ve reached out to Stuart and will update this post further if we hear back. IO9 has also updated its post with quotes from other Mayan experts, who agree that the corn field is most likely a milpa. UC San Diego Anthropology professor Geoffrey Braswell explained via email that the zones shown in Gadoury’s images are “places that are well known to archaeologists who work in the area” and that the images are “not of Maya pyramids.” But he did also say one of the sites could contain “active marijuana fields,” so at least there’s that.
znModeratorAnd Rams have signed WR J.J. Worton, who attended weekend rookie orientations on tryout basis.
— Jim Thomas (@jthom1) May 10, 2016
May 11, 2016 at 8:58 pm in reply to: John Clayton & others: how soon will Goff be ready to start #43894znModeratorRecent history bodes well for Rams, Jared Goff
Vincent Bonsignore
http://www.dailynews.com/sports/20160511/bonsignore-recent-history-bodes-well-for-rams-jared-goff
A month or so before the Rams moved from the 15th spot in the first round of the NFL Draft to the first pick overall and before any discussion about starting the season with a rookie quarterback behind center, Rams general manager Les Snead opened a wide window to both possibilities.
The Rams, Snead explained during a break at the NFL owners meetings in Boca Raton, Fla., had already begun canvassing some of the teams drafting ahead of them about the possibility of swapping picks.
The target, obviously, was Cal quarterback Jared Goff, whom the Rams selected with the first pick overall after working a blockbuster deal with the Tennessee Titans and perching themselves atop the draft.
After surrendering five picks to acquire Goff, including next year’s No. 1 and No. 3, conventional wisdom would suggest the Rams are in a hurry to anoint him their starter.
Perhaps even in time for the season opener against the San Francisco 49ers.
Two months ago in Florida, though, Snead explained the folly of creating some artificial timeline to get a rookie quarterback onto the field.
“Because if you do draft someone and say: ‘He has to play by this date,’ it’s kind of like a false deadline,” Snead said “How do we even know that deal?”
In other words, slow your roll.
But then Snead told a fascinating story that bore an uncanny resemblance to the Goff addition to the Rams quarterback room,
And why Goff unseating Case Keenum as the Rams starting quarterback is more probable then unlikely.
GOFF SHOULD START SEASON OPENER
In 2007, Snead was working for the Atlanta Falcons when backup quarterback Chris Redman came off the bench late in the season and played well enough to earn a two-year contract and be installed as the starter for the 2008 season.
The connection to Keenum was obvious. Much like Redman did for the Falcons nine years ago, Keenum stabilized the Rams’ quarterback position by going 3-1 over the final four games of 2015. The Rams were impressed enough to re-sign Keenum and declare him the starting quarterback going into training camp.
But as Snead also explained, the Falcons used the third pick of the 2008 draft to select Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan. Much like the Rams have done with Goff, the Falcons immediately said Ryan would play only when he proved he was ready.
Which, as it turns out, didn’t take long at all.
“Lo and behold, after the third preseason game, we were like … he’s ready,” Snead said.
That doesn’t mean Goff will take the field as the starter Sept. 12 in Santa Clara when the Rams open the season against the 49ers. That’s on him at this point.
GOFF REPORTS FOR DUTY AT ROOKIE CAMP
But as history has shown with rookie quarterbacks, some of it directly related to the Rams current leadership, Goff will be given every opportunity to do exactly that.
“We will do what’s right to develop him so he’s ready when he goes on the field on Sunday,” Snead said.
Count on it being much sooner rather than later.
A recent trend has developed in the NFL in which young quarterbacks are being pressed into starting duty almost immediately.
Last year the top two picks in the draft, Tampa Bay’s Jameis Winston and Tennessee’s Marcus Mariota, won the starting job for their teams in training camp. Before them, first-round picks Ryan, Joe Flacco (Ravens) Mark Sanchez (Jets) Matthew Stafford (Lions), Robert Griffin III (Redskins), Sam Bradford (Rams), Andrew Luck (Colts), Cam Newton (Panthers) and third-round pick Russell Wilson (Seahawks) all began their rookie years as their team’s starter.
Ryan, Flacco, Winston, Mariota, Stafford, Luck, Newton and Wilson all remain the starting quarterbacks for their original clubs.
Wilson has led the Seahawks to two Super Bowls, winning the 2013 title. Flacco won a Super Bowl with the Ravens in 2012. Newton led the Panthers to last year’s Super Bowl and Ryan, Luck and Stafford have all been to the playoffs.
That’s a pretty strong recent track record, which is why the Rams are clearly open and plenty motivated to follow a similar blueprint.
But they also won’t force it.
“We have always had the philosophy that we are going to play them when we think they are ready,” Rams coach Jeff Fisher said. “We aren’t going to subject them to fail, so whenever that is, you are going to see him under center. We aren’t going to come out Day 1 and announce that he is a starter. It’s going to happen pretty soon, sooner than probably later. We have some things to do coaching-wise. He’s got to learn our offense, he’s got to get to know his teammates, get in sync with his receivers. So when that happens, I don’t know, but that has always been our philosophy.”
It should also be noted Goff is coming to a unique situation. In fact, relative to the roster Goff is joining, Wilson is the best comparison. And that should bode well for Goff.
Winston, Mariota, Stafford, Luck and Newton were all drafted by teams that earned their picks atop their respective drafts.
To put it bluntly, the Buccaneers, Titans, Lions, Colts and Panthers were all terrible.
Wilson, on the other hand, was drafted in the third round by a Seahawks team coming off a two consecutive 7-9 seasons and whose roster had been completely turned over by Pete Carroll.
Much like the Rams right now, the Seahawks were solid and sound across the board in 2012.
They just lacked a quality quarterback to elevate them from just OK to very good.
With Wilson behind center, the Seahawks went 11-5 and were a late field goal away from reaching the NFC Championship game in 2012, followed by a 13-3 finish and a Super Bowl championship in 2013.
That isn’t to say the Goff will guide the Rams to the Super Bowl in two years.
But he walks into a similar situation.
And as recent history shows, the Rams will give him every chance to walk onto the field in the season opener as their starting quarterback.
znModeratorA “free Market” is not science—it is indeed rules and regulations. . . . These are choices a society makes. Either you want a middle class or you don’t. It won’t happen by itself.
Well, just to philo-so-phize spontaneously on a message board — I, personally, dont think its moral or just or appropriate or kind or loving or reasonable or sensible or ok, to even HAVE ‘rich’ and ‘poor’.
w
vThere are ways…some of them just fantastically easy…to fix this. And even hardcore conservatives agree… like Single Payer. And…single payer doesn’t stop innovation. I go to the VA and Germany has single payer healthcare…and most of the MRI and Cat-scan and PET-scan machines are made by Siemens, a German company. The VA isn’t buying the GE machines. I dunno why. Point is that innovation can come from single-payer economies. And currently DOES.
Governments make rules that govern commerce. And every rule ever written tilts the playing field in a certain direction.
The only economic question, really, is how we want the playing field tilted. That’s the only question.
In very different (though compatible) and interesting ways, everyone I quote here states a central core tenet I share with them—economies are policy-driven, not “natural.” They are shaped this way or that way…and there is nothing outside of that shaping. There’s no pure economics, just economic policies. Which as was stressed–are chosen (and then defended in terms that often disguise the choice.) And also like everyone I quote, I too think that the policy choices driving the american economy are wrong-headed and hurt the majority of the population. And that’s where ideology comes in. These policies would not be in place if they didn’t appeal to a large number of people. But most of those people not only don’t benefit from the policies in question, they are positively hurt by them. But what they THINK they are backing is “free enterprise.” What they are ACTUALLY backing is an oligarchy that dominates politics at the expense of democracy and which accumulates wealth that is NOT put to good use (the refutation of “trickle down” is that the wealthy don’t “create jobs”–they do 2 things instead–first, limit the power of labor, and second, save and earn money off of savings.) In their own way they’re no different from the landed elite that ruled England in Jane Austen’s day.
By definition all markets are regulated exchanges.
The “free” (non-)market is what you see in The Road Warrior.
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znModeratorJabriel Washington earns NFL contract after tryout
http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2016/05/jabriel_washington_earns_nfl_c.html
College: Alabama Number: 23
Height: 5-10 Weight: 175
Position: CB Pos2: FS/ST
40 Time: 4.66 40 Low: 4.56 40 High: 4.73Former Alabama safety Jabriel Washington will have a chance to extend his football career in the NFL. The Los Angeles Rams have signed Washington after he attended their rookie minicamp over the weekend.
Washington is getting a shot at the pros even though he started one game during his four seasons at Alabama. Washington played in 39 games with the Crimson Tide, bouncing back to finish his senior season after missing the first five contests because of a knee injury suffered in practice.
znModeratorIt is odd the siting of cities based upon constellations but makes sense with the Mayans given their known astronomical knowledge. Perhaps it was some sort of religious observance? Regarding necessary resources they were in a place where it didn’t matter much given the climate and rainfall throughout the region.
I wonder how did the kid settle on a starting point to reference the various constellations on the ground? Perhaps the largest known or presumed capitol city?
Since I posted on this I have been reading people who are saying it’s not legit.
This may not be a real story.
Up until I read that more critical stuff, my thoughts were similar to yours on this.
.
May 11, 2016 at 10:18 am in reply to: John Clayton & others: how soon will Goff be ready to start #43866znModeratorRams will be patient, but Jared Goff likely to start sooner than later
Nick Wagoner
LOS ANGELES — The best-laid plans of NFL teams can change at the drop of a hat. Or, perhaps in the case of the Los Angeles Rams, at the cost of a move from No. 15 to No. 1 in the 2016 draft.
Soon after making their move up the draft board, the Rams’ biggest decision was whether to take Cal quarterback Jared Goff or North Dakota State signal-caller Carson Wentz. Now, the biggest question facing Goff and the Rams isn’t who but when.
As in when will Goff take over as starting quarterback for a team that finished at the bottom of the league in most major passing categories a year ago?
History shows there’s not necessarily a right or wrong approach to throwing a top pick into fire. More often than not, such choices have proved dependent almost solely on the individual.
Rams coach Jeff Fisher knows a thing or two about handling such situations. The then-Houston Oilers drafted Steve McNair, the best quarterback Fisher ever coached, with the third pick in 1995. McNair promptly went to the bench, making only brief cameos before taking over full time as the starter in 1997.
“Steve did play under center his junior year in a pro-style system and then got in the shotgun his senior year,” Fisher said. “We were very patient with him and he was asked numerous times, ‘When are you going to play?’ and it’s the same thing that Jared said, ‘When the coaches say I’m ready for it.’ I think we handled it well. We’re not going to follow that same model because he’s got a different skill set than Steve.”
The model the Rams will follow is more likely one taken from a page in general manager Les Snead’s history. As one of the key personnel evaluators for the Atlanta Falcons, Snead was part of the group that drafted quarterback Matt Ryan in 2008. The Falcons insisted Chris Redman would be their starter until Ryan was ready. As it turned out, Ryan was ready around Week 3 of the preseason and went on to start 16 games as a rookie. The same was true of Joe Flacco in Baltimore.
In fact, over the past eight years there has been a growing trend of quarterbacks who were taken early starting right away. In addition to Flacco and Ryan, Matthew Stafford, Mark Sanchez, Sam Bradford, Cam Newton, Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota were all Week 1 starters in their first season.
The lone exception among top signal-callers taken recently was Jacksonville’s Blake Bortles, who sat the first two games and part of a third before playing and becoming the starter.
Of course, that list of quarterbacks has produced varying levels of success.
“Well everybody is different,” Fisher said. “Jameis is different than the next quarterback. We have always had the philosophy that we are going to play them when we think they are ready. We aren’t going to subject them to fail, so whenever that is you are going to see him under center. We aren’t going to come out Day 1 and announce that he is a starter. It’s going to happen pretty soon, sooner than probably later.”
For Goff, learning the offense won’t be easy as he transitions from Cal’s “Bear Raid” spread system to a more pro-style offense. The Rams will help him by adding some concepts he’s comfortable with, and they view Goff as a quick study based on what they’ve already seen.
At last weekend’s rookie orientation, Fisher was walking through the team’s temporary Oxnard meeting areas when he encountered Goff leaving the quarterback room at 10 p.m., long after the day’s scheduled meetings were done.
“He’s a guy that understands priorities,” Fisher said. “He knows how to budget his time and where to spend his time. It’ll change a little bit. We’ll get him some information this week so he can stay up as we continue to install. He’s handled everything. As I’ve mentioned before, he’s got that internal, competitive drive that you don’t see. He doesn’t wear it on his sleeve. He’s going to make sure that everything’s right.”
For his part, Goff has acknowledged that he’d like to play right away but also has said he’s proving himself to the coaches and leaving the decision in their hands. Upon getting his first taste of the Rams’ playbook, Goff said there were things, especially in the shotgun, that translate from college.
The difficult thing for Goff is adjusting to playing under center more and learning the terminology.
“The way they say it, and they’re absolutely right, it’s almost like you’re learning a different language,” Goff said. “It’s from any system you come from in college – it doesn’t really matter. It’s like you’re going into Spanish class and you have to become fluent in Spanish over however long the time is. That’s kind of what it is.”
There’s plenty of time for Goff to get up to speed between now and the season opener on Sept. 12. The Rams have Case Keenum in place to offer competition,but it’s unlikely anyone but Goff will start that game against San Francisco.
“I always thought when you invest that much, unless you have Brett Favre sitting on your team, I think you have got to play him,” former NFL coach Rick Venturi said. “I have always believed that. You learn by doing and the only thing you learn sitting is you learn how to sit.”
Even Fisher, who won’t make any sweeping declarations before he absolutely has to, has dropped plenty of hints that it won’t take long for Goff to take over.
“He may start the opener on Monday night, we don’t know, but that’s the goal,” Fisher said.
It would be a surprise if that’s a goal the Rams and Goff don’t accomplish.
znModeratorI have to say, I’m surprised no team drafted this guy.
It;s the post-Manziel era.
Patient tolerance is impatiently untolerated.
znModeratorznModeratorRams sign former Auburn WR Duke Williams
Vincent Bonsignore
With a definite need to assemble offensive weapons around rookie quarterback Jared Goff, the Rams double downed at wide receiver and tight end in last week’s draft.
On Tuesday they took a different route in their quest to identify playmakers, and it landed them one of the most talented wide receivers in this year’s draft class.
Albeit one who went undrafted and arrives with a bit of baggage.
The Rams have signed former Auburn wide receiver Duke Williams to a free agent contract after he worked out for the club recently. Williams, a 6-foot-2, 215 pounder enjoyed a productive junior year for the Tigers in 2014, catching 45 passes for 730 yards and five touchdowns. At the time, ESPN Draft analyst Mel Kiper rated Williams as the top wide receiver in the 2016 draft class.
But his 2015 season was cut short after a series of off-field incidents resulted in Auburn kicking him off the team in October. Williams caught just 12 passes last year before being banished from the team after a series of suspensions, team violations and getting into a bar-room brawl.
After going undrafted last week, Williams was immediately invited by the Rams to try out.
They obviously liked what they saw.
With Williams in the fold, he joins recent wide receiver draftees Pharoh Cooper and Michael Thomas on a roster that also includes veterans Tavon Austin, Kenny Britt and Brian Quick.
Williams seemed contrite when explaining, his troubles at Auburn at the NFL Scouting Combine in February.
“I was late to practice many times. Once I got in the doghouse, it was hard for me to get out. I was already in the doghouse, so everything I did, it was being watched. I just had to grow. And I didn’t grow,” Williams said. “So now I’m working to be a man. I put myself in counseling to really find myself as a person, to address the issue before it even happens again.”
Williams also said he was seeking counseling.
“You know, like attitude, the whole thing, everything. Just overall as a person,” he said. “I want to be able to address it right now to where nobody has to tell me what to do anymore.”
Williams left little doubt he’d be considered a top pick without the baggage.
“If I didn’t get in any trouble, I know I’m a legit first-round pick,” he said. “But God got other plans. I’m a first-round pick no matter what.”
The Rams are giving him a chance to prove it
znModeratorCK threw 52.8 % of his attempts 10 yards or under. He had a sack percentage.of 3.1%. That’s one of the best in the league.
The numbers here on Keenum are wrong. I later thought about how ridiculously low 50% would be on short passes, so I went back and looked at ESPN splits.
Sure enough.
Here’s the problem (and it shows up sometimes with ESPN splits).
They have his total attempts at 125 and his passes in the 10 yard and under range at 66. So the sheer calculations I did based on those numbers are correct.
HOWEVER, the stats where they break down attempts by range apparently do not include all his games. I found that out by getting suspicious and adding up the attempts they include under different ranges. And, it doesn’t add up to 125. They’re way short, in fact. (They left out the SF game.) So it;s impossible to do a valid percentage of total attempts from any given range—they apparently just stopped counting.
That’s the section of ESPN splits that looks like this:
http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/splits/_/id/15168/case-keenum
znModeratorYes, that’s a great story.
..
May 11, 2016 at 2:19 am in reply to: John Clayton & others: how soon will Goff be ready to start #43829znModeratorWagoner vid: Should Jared Goff be the Rams starter in Week 1?
znModeratoralso when i say goff can be bradford with better pocket presence and vision that’s a compliment.
i mean imagine bradford with better pocket presence and vision…
that’s pretty good i think.
from off the net
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jrry32
will Goff’s rookie season be statistically greater than or worse than Bradford’s rookie season?
Better. Goff has a better team around him and a better coaching staff. He might not throw for 3500+ yards depending on how many attempts Fisher gives him but I think he’ll post better efficiency numbers.
It’s crazy to think about because 6 years is such little time but things have changed greatly. After Bradford’s rookie year in 2010, Bradford was first all time in completions and pass attempts. He was second all time in passing yards. He was fourth all time in passing TDs. Bradford’s QB Rating was top 10 all time. These numbers are all among rookie QBs. Bradford was fourth all time in rookie passing TDs in 2010. Between 2011 and 2015, nine QBs bested that mark. Think about that for a second. Insane.Rookie stats have taken off since Bradford’s rookie year. That’s because of rule changes which have caused statistical inflation and evolving schemes which have made it easier for rookie QBs to adapt to the NFL. Simply put, even if Goff performs relative to his peers at the same level as rookie Bradford, his final numbers in 2016 will still be better.
We return every single player from our 2015 OL which performed FAR better than the 2009 OL. Our OL now is a question mark but I have a lot more confidence in them than I had in that 2010 unit. Four out of the five starters on that 2010 OL were out of the NFL by the end of the 2012 season. Three of the five starters were out of the NFL after the 2011 season. And the only guy who lasted past 2012 is Rodger Saffold. He’s now an OG. He played LT in 2010.
And we do have the benefit of knowing that SJ’s decline started in 2010 while Gurley is nowhere near his decline. Our question mark is in regard to how much our young OLs will improve rather than who will be playing what position. We have every single OL back from last year. It’s a group with continuity that had an opportunity to build chemistry and improved over the season.
I’d take our current WR corp over the 2010 version. We have a lot more talent and Britt/Austin are much more talented than Amendola + any other WR on 2010. Our WRs in 2010 were like 8 games of healthy Clayton/Alexander, a good slot WR in Amendola, ineffective Gibson and Robinson, and a couple TEs who barely belonged on a NFL roster in Bajema and Fells.
Our WRs in 2010 were like 8 games of healthy Clayton/Alexander, a good slot WR in Amendola, ineffective Gibson and Robinson, and a couple TEs who barely belonged on a NFL roster in Bajema and Fells.
It’s arguable that Amendola was better than anything we currently have. That’ll depend on what Austin and Britt show with a better QB. But I see a much more talented WR corp here now. Britt has the potential to put up 800-1000 yards and 8-10 TDs. We don’t know what Austin can be. We just know he’s a better weapon than anything on the 2010 Rams. And then we have some young unknowns in Cooper, Higbee, Thomas, Quick, Marquez, and Hemingway.
Quick better come to play, though. I think Spruce and McRoberts will battle him hard for his job. There’s a possibility that they keep McRoberts over Quick if Quick doesn’t show up well and they’re worried that McRoberts will get grabbed by another team.
I also think Stedman ends up on the non-football injury list. Don’t see him playing in 2016. If he does play, he’ll battle with Marquez.
I also forgot about JJ Worton. I like the guy. Don’t underestimate him. Might battle Spruce and Marquez for that final roster spot.
Both Thomas and McRoberts are talented guys. Both are raw and probably won’t contribute much in 2016. I think the Rams are unlikely to release Thomas because he won’t make it to the practice squad. If Thomas sees the field, it’ll likely be as a situational deep threat. His route running has a long ways to go based on his college film.
If you look at the QBs that Britt has had, they’re terrible. We know Britt has limitations but he also has some pretty major strengths, namely getting vertical. I don’t think it’s unrealistic to believe that having a legitimately talented starting QB can boost Britt’s yardage and TD totals. I think we can all agree that WR numbers are strongly tied to the effectiveness of the QB and passing game.
Plus, while we all have reservations about Austin as a pure WR, there’s no denying his ability as a weapon. He put up over 900+ yards from scrimmage last year and 9 offensive TDs on a terrible offense. He, at worst, is an effective weapon and decoy. But with a precision passer like Goff, we might find that Austin is a pretty good WR too.
After that, we have a bunch of unknowns. But they’re talented unknowns who were highly productive in college.
What sets Cooper apart from Spruce? Both guys are savvy players and have outstanding mitts. The difference between them is that Cooper is a very dangerous and effective runner after the catch and plays with more strength, physicality, and aggression.
Cooper’s body type, play style, and skill-set make him an ideal fit in the slot. Spruce is a bit of a tweener. He has the body type and play style of an outside WR with the athletic skill-set of a slot WR. I like Spruce. I think it’s going to be hard for the Rams to cut him. I think he’ll stick around on the practice squad if he doesn’t make the roster. But he’s not as good of a prospect as Cooper and the NFL projection for him isn’t as clear as Cooper’s is.
I think Goff is a better player than he’s given credit for by many of the media and I know we still have a top 10 running game and defense. I think, with a legitimate QB here, we’ll see Fisher throw the ball 55% to 56% of the time. If we can actually sustain drives (and I think we will to a greater extent than 2015), that’s 550-560+ dropbacks in a year. After you account for sacks, that’s around 510 to 540 passing attempts.
Gurley is great. Austin and Britt produce much more with a competent QB. The OL plays at an above average to good level. And the defense is top 10 caliber again. Zuerlein has a bounce back year since Fisher doesn’t ask him to attempt nothing but long FGs.
znModeratorGoff Eager for Opportunity to be Franchise QB
Myles Simmons
In the pre-draft process, the Rams’ brass looked at Jared Goff and saw special, franchise-quarterback qualities.
That much has been clear for the better part of the last month — otherwise the club would not have executed a deal that sent six draft picks to the Titans in exchange for No. 1 overall and a pair of late-round selections.
For a team that needed to increase its offensive production, particularly in the passing game, trading up for Goff represented a unique opportunity to acquire prime talent at football’s most important position.
“Obviously, when the season was over, we just felt like the quarterback position needed to be addressed,” head coach Jeff Fisher said.
“We identified the quarterback that we thought solved the problem for us, [someone who] was a long-term solution,” general manager Les Snead said. “So we tried to go get him and we were successful.”
Now the job becomes making the prospect into a franchise quarterback — a process that appears to mean a lot to Goff.
“Again, it’s an honor for them to select me No. 1 and it’s something I’m not going to take lightly — to be, hopefully, a franchise quarterback,” the signal-caller said during rookie orientation weekend. “That’s something I’m working towards. And it’s something that doesn’t come overnight. I’ve got to work every day at it, continue to get better.”
Goff’s life became a whirlwind once he heard his named called in Chicago just under two weeks ago. With his extensive media responsibilities followed by a small celebration with family and friends that Thursday night, he only had a few hours of sleep before jetting to Los Angeles for his introductory press conference. Goff was able to catch his breath at home in Northern California for a few days, but then it was back to football.
And it was getting on the field for rookie camp that made the young QB’s new reality sink in.
“Today it started to,” Goff said on Friday. “Started to realize that you’re actually in the NFL. You see the horns on the side of your helmet, you know you’re on the Rams. And it’s really cool. I’m excited for all of the rookies, being able to meet them and build relationships with them. It’s great.”
While the rookies did not do too much on the filed over the weekend, many of Goff’s strengths still stood out both on and off the field.
“The arm strength, the release, the ball speed, acceleration. His footwork is all really good,” Fisher said. “That’s what we expected.”
“This was more of a mental exercise for him, from the standpoint of getting under center, calling the plays, calling out protections,” Fisher continued. “We dumped a lot on him, but I’m, obviously, not concerned about complete or incomplete passes because when his back foot hits, the time clock [in his head] says, ‘Get rid of the ball.’ And the receivers are under instruction [to go] half-speed. So it doesn’t time up well. But he was fine. He’s going to be good.”
Goff’s work ethic was also clear, as Fisher mentioned in his press conference on Saturday that he spotted the quarterback leaving the meeting room at 10 o’clock p.m. Friday night.
“He’s that kind of guy,” Fisher said at the presser. “He’ll spend the time. It’s important to him.”
Goff has likened learning his new playbook to studying a foreign language. But by all accounts, the process is going well.
“It’s nothing too crazy. There’s a lot of stuff that we did at Cal that translates. There’s a lot of stuff that I’m learning as well, but it’s really going smoothly,” Goff said, crediting offensive coordinator Rob Boras and QBs coach Chris Weinke. “I don’t see there to be too much of a problem picking it up. I feel pretty confident with it.”
It may help that the young quarterback is acclimating to the league with a number of rookie offensive weapons. And those players have also given him positive reviews.
“He’s the No. 1 quarterback — you can’t go wrong with that,” wideout Pharoh Cooper said. “We’ve been talking a lot through meetings and our down time, so we’re pretty cool. It’s just great to play with a great quarterback coming out of college being that he’s a rookie, too.”
“He’s a great guy. He’s very talented. And I’m looking forward to what’s in the future,” tight end Tyler Higbee said. “It’s exciting getting out there, catching that first pass from him. But I’m looking forward to a lot more.”
It’s the nascent stage of his career, but Goff does have his sights set on the future. And yet in order to accomplish his goals, he knows he must invest in himself and the team.
“I want to be, obviously, a guy who’s here for 10, 15 years,” Goff said. “But you have to work hard to get to that point. And I’m excited to do that. I’m excited to do that and hold myself to a high standard.”
“To be in Los Angeles, to be playing for the Rams — it’s the best-case scenario,” Goff added. “And it’s something that I’m very, very excited for.”
znModeratorFred Roggin @FredNBCLA
#Rams TJ McDonald blew zero on the breathalyzer. Rams security talking with him tonight about what happened. Will know more in morningObviously not alcohol. #Rams security getting answers. I would caution to jump to conclusions.
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Rams’ T.J. McDonald arrested for DUI after crashing into parked car
Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/15504818/rams-safety-tj-mcdonald-arrested-dui-crashing-parked-car
Los Angeles Rams safety T.J. McDonald was arrested Tuesday morning on suspicion of driving under the influence.
A Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson confirmed Tuesday night that McDonald was arrested after he allegedly ran into a parked car on the 22900 block of Gershwin Drive in Woodland Hills.
After police arrived at the scene, they evaluated and arrested McDonald at 8:30 a.m. PT and booked him at about 3:40 p.m. for a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence-other. The ‘other’ designation means that McDonald was suspected to be under the influence of something other than alcohol.
McDonald was released on $300 in bail at about 6:20 p.m. PT. He has a tentative court date set for June 3 at 8:30 a.m. in Van Nuys Municipal court.
McDonald, who played his college football at nearby Southern California, was a third-round pick of the Rams in the 2013 NFL draft. He’s started 37 games with 219 tackles, four sacks, two interceptions and two fumble recoveries in his three NFL seasons.
Earlier this offseason, Rams running back Tre Mason was arrested on suspicion of possession of marijuana, reckless driving, failure to register a motor vehicle and resisting arrest.
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