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February 17, 2016 at 11:07 pm in reply to: 2016 mocks & rankings & general draft commentaries, thread 2 #39196
znModeratorBOSA AND BUCKNER TOP PFF’S FIRST 2016 NFL DRAFT BOARD
Steve Palazzolo and the analysis team compile the first PFF Draft Board of the season.
PFF’s draft board is here. While we have two full years of grading on every FBS player, the board is not strictly based on the grades — though it’s heavily influenced by our snap-to-snap evaluations. Our analysts have gone back into the film room to break down each prospect in even more depth, bringing context to their PFF grade while also considering athleticism, upside, and any other relevant part of player evaluation. Our evaluations will continue right up until the draft, so the board is a fluid process, and we’ll continue to build it right up until Day 1.
Positional value is taken into account when compiling the board.
Joey Bosa, edge defender, Ohio State
The best player in the draft has been the nation’s top edge defender against the run while ranking first and second as a pass rusher each of the last two seasons.DeForest Buckner, defensive interior, Oregon
Similar to Bosa, Buckner was the most productive interior defensive lineman by a wide margin. He’s a playmaker against the run and able to get into the backfield as a pass rusher.Jared Goff, QB, Cal
The top-graded QB in the nation this season after ranking eighth a year ago, Goff’s combination of pocket presence, toughness under pressure, and downfield accuracy make him the top option.Carson Wentz, QB, North Dakota State
There’s some projection to Wentz’s game, but the raw tools are impressive, as was our first look at his game. While his timing isn’t always on point in the passing game, he has the big arm and athleticism to mask that inexperience as he grows.Laremy Tunsil, OT, Ole Miss
With six strong games under his belt in 2015, we’d like to see a larger sample size of dominant play, but Tunsil is an explosive run blocker and he handled an impressive slate of edge rushers to allow only five pressures on the year.Myles Jack, LB, UCLA
Our top coverage linebacker in 2014, Jack played only 207 snaps in 2015 due to injury. He’s versatile enough to move around the formation while holding his own in coverage and he’s powerful when attacking blocks in the run game.Jalen Ramsey, CB/S, Florida State
The biggest question about Ramsey is where he plays in the NFL, but his versatility should make him a solid option at either cornerback or safety. He put together two strong years of grades despite playing at free safety, in the slot, and outside cornerback.Chris Jones, defensive interior, Mississippi State
The power is the first thing that stands out, and it was put to good use as Jones ranked fourth in the nation among interior defensive linemen at +54.2. He can move blockers at the point of attack and push the pocket, and he still has room to grow as a player.Sheldon Rankins, Defensive Interior, Louisville
With two straight years of dominant play, Rankins can play a number of positions along the defensive front, attacking blockers in the run game while providing a strong pass rush. He has only two negatively-graded games in our two seasons of data.Corey Coleman, WR, Baylor
Whether creating separation before the catch or yards after it, Coleman’s athleticism stands out. He has the ability to make plays at all levels of the field.Shaq Lawson, edge defender, Clemson
The second-best all-around edge defender behind Bosa, Lawson is strong on the edge in the run game while posting the No. 8 pass rushing grade in the class.Noah Spence, edge defender, Eastern Kentucky
We have little information about Spence, but the upside was evident at the Senior Bowl when he dominated practice and carried it into the game. Even though he may not do much as a run defender, Spence’s burst off the edge and pass rush potential is the best in the class.William Jackson III, CB, Houston
The second-best coverage grade in the draft class, Jackson is an aggressive, good-sized corner who will contest a lot of catches and make plays on the defensive side.Mackenzie Alexander, CB, Clemson
Trapped in a Clemson defensive scheme that hung him out to dry with a lot of soft, off-coverage, Alexander may be a far better pro player than he was in college. Has all the traits of a top, shutdown corner.Leonte Carroo, WR, Rutgers
A good combination of speed and separation skills, Carroo was incredibly productive on only 363 snaps last season averaging 4.11 yards per route to lead all FBS receivers.Ronnie Stanley, OT, Notre Dame
One of the most consistent pass protecting tackles in the nation, Stanley should carry that to the next level while his run blocking is sufficient in the right scheme.Jack Conklin, OT, Michigan State
A power scheme is ideal for Conklin who moves defenders at the point of attack while holding up well in pass protection. His two-year body of work is right up there with any offensive tackle in the nation on a snap-for-snap basis.Robert Nkemdiche, Defensive Interior, Ole Miss
Perhaps the most disruptive interior pass rusher in the draft, Nkemdiche has some questions about his ideal fit, but he’s gotten after the quarterback the last two seasons and he improved greatly against the run in 2015.Vernon Hargreaves, CB, Florida
In 2014 Hargreaves posted the best coverage grade we have seen from this draft class across two seasons of college tape. Didn’t repeat it in 2015 but still shows a lot of impressive tape and ball skills. Only negative is size.Shilique Calhoun, Edge Defender, Michigan State
No edge rusher had a better pass rushing grade than Calhoun in 2015, and he was strong in that department in 2014 as well. He’s not nearly as stout against the run, but did show that he can be productive in the run game in 2014.Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Ohio State
The best all-around running back in the draft and perhaps the nation, Elliott boasted the top run grade in the class in 2014 and then led the nation as a blocker in 2015. His ability to run, catch and block will put him on the field early and often.Jaylon Smith, LB, Notre Dame
Injury aside, Smith’s athleticism stands out and it often shows when in coverage and as a pass rusher. He’s not bad in the run game, though he’s not as strong at the point of attack as other linebackers in the class. If healthy, Smith has a chance to be a three-down playmaker at the next level.Scooby Wright III, LB, Arizona
Few linebackers possess Wright’s instincts and block-shedding ability, and he looks like a plus run defender in the NFL if he’s healthy. The question for Wright is his athleticism in space, but we’ve seen other linebackers stay productive with similar concerns.Andrew Billings, defensive interior, Baylor
One of the strongest players in the draft, Billings is stout at the point of attack and perhaps the best nose tackle option in the draft. He was also got after the quarterback among the best in the country the past two seasons.Josh Doctson, WR, TCU
Our top-graded WR before going down to injury last season, Doctson routinely makes incredible catches, turning off-target throws into big plays. That downfield ability makes him one of the most exciting playmakers in the draft.Laquon Treadwell, WR, Ole Miss
While he doesn’t create the same kind of separation you’d like to see from a top wide receiver prospect, Treadwell is strong (though inconsistent) at the catch point and good with the ball in his hands after the catch.Cody Whitehair, G, Kansas State
After ranking fourth in the nation among offensive tackles in 2014 and first in 2015, Whitehair is projected to move to guard at the next level, something we saw during Senior Bowl week. He acquitted himself well, and he has the potential to be the next successful tackle to guard convert in the NFL.Sheldon Day, Defensive Interior, Notre Dame
Disruption is the name of the game for Day who excels at shooting gaps, though he could stand to finish better. His overall grade ranked second behind only Buckner among interior defensive linemen in 2015.Jonathan Bullard, DI, Florida
Our top-graded run defender on the interior in 2015, Bullard is excellent at recognizing blocks, disrupting schemes and making plays. He doesn’t have a clean positional home, but has the versatility to play all along the defensive line.Reggie Ragland, LB, Alabama
While some of the other linebackers are stronger in certain areas, Ragland is solid across the board. He can work downhill in the running game, and his ability to hold up in coverage and create pressure should make him a third down chess piece at the next level.Austin Johnson, defensive interior, Penn State
Boasting the No. 3 run stopping grade in the nation in 2015, Johnson beats blockers with quick hands to disrupt the backfield and that bodes well for his upside as a pass rusher. His skills were on display with a strong week at the Senior Bowl.Adolphus Washington, defensive interior, Ohio State
Another strong all-around player, Washington is stout at the point of attack, but strong and quick enough to blow up plays as well. His +32.0 pass rush grade ranked third in the nation and he was solid in the run game.Michael Thomas, WR, Ohio State
Production took a hit due to inconsistent quarterback play, but Thomas knows how to get open and he was a big play threat when targeted.Sterling Shepard, WR, Oklahoma
Our top-graded wide receiver in 2015, Shepard combines nifty route running with underrated downfield ball skills. Even though most of his work is done from the slot, he has the quickness to produce and validate his standing at the top of the draft.Hunter Henry, TE, Arkansas
Few tight ends can work the middle of the field like Henry who has averaged 14.3 yards per reception over the last two years. He’s only dropped two of his 90 catchable targets during that time.Jarran Reed, defensive interior, Alabama
With our second-best grade against the run in 2015, Reed is rarely moved at the point of attack and he knows how to shed in make plays, as indicated by his nation-leading run stop percentage of 13.4 percent. He can play nose tackle, but also looks the part of a 3-4 defensive end if needed.Kenny Clark, defensive interior, UCLA
Another strong interior defensive lineman, Clark is excellent at feeling and defeating all types of blocks — a big reason he was the No. 2 interior defensive lineman against the run in 2014. He took a slight step back in that area in 2015, but added more pass rush to his game.Emmanuel Ogbah, edge defender, Oklahoma State
A one-dimensional player in 2015, Ogbah boasted the third-best pass rush grade among all edge rushers, though he settled in around average against the run. The potential is there to improve in that department but it may limit his usage early on.Paxton Lynch, QB, Memphis
The size and arm strength are impressive, as is Lynch’s three-year development at Memphis, but he’s just a notch below the other quarterbacks in this class. His accuracy at the intermediate level is concerning, particularly outside the numbers where his accuracy percentage is among the worst in the nation.Joe Schobert, OLB, Wisconsin
One of the nation’s most productive players the last two seasons, Schobert may be viewed as a traditional linebacker at the next level, but he should be given a chance to rush the passer where he ranked fourth in pass rush productivity in 2015 and led the nation in 2014February 17, 2016 at 10:26 pm in reply to: 2016 mocks & rankings & general draft commentaries, thread 2 #39193znModeratorfrom off the net
==
Deadpool
I think CB is missing a real high end shut down guy like Peterson, but is so much better then last year.
DT is stupid deep with tons of high end talent.
This DE class is so money in the first & 2nd rounds.
Safety is fine, but outside of Ramsey, there are very few ballhawking types. Plenty of box guys.
TE is scary outside of Henry. And by scary, I mean the bust factor is strong. So much raw meat.
RB is a mess outside of Elliott. Value is found later on IMO. Next year will have a great RB class.
LBer has guys that can play all over, it is also deep everywhere, 4-3 OLB, 4-3 MLB, 3-4 Edge, 3-4 ILB.
I like the upside and depth of the QB class, but it doesn’t have that 1 WoW guy. At least without having a crystal ball.
WR is deep and kind of steady throughout the rounds, just no WR that checks all the boxes. And if Treadwell runs in the mid 4.6s…well wow.
C is interesting. I think a lot of these guys are zone type centers. Good for the Rams. I could see Tuerk being a target with LA and Fisher and USC and all.
I really haven’t paid much attn. to the OGs, after last draft.
OT is solid, Shon Coleman is a good kid with a courageous story. I hope he climbs.
Pre-combine top 5 at each position
Top 5 QBs:
1. Jared Goff – Cal – Maybe I am tempering expectations of my guy Wentz, maybe I am trying to protect him a little by not having him #1, But at this moment Goff is more advanced with more games and higher competition, so for now Goff is #1.
2. Carson Wentz – NDSU- 2nd most upside with less downside. Comes from a pro style offense, proto size, with an NFL arm. Mobile and willing runner.
3. Paxton Lynch – Memphis – Most upside, but needs time. Big, athletic QB that checks a ton of boxes. Like Wentz, level of competion. Wentz answered those questions at the Senior bowl. Lynch couldn’t.
4. Connor Cook – Mich. St. – Pluses are pro style offense and prototype size and arm. Negatives are accuracy and attitude?
5. Christian Hackenberg – Penn State – left for dead by Coach Franklin, showed tons of promise under Bill O’Brien. Prototypical size and a big arm. Needs mechanical work.
Top 5 RBs:
1. Ezekiel Elliott – Ohio State – Does everything well. Great size for the position. Didn’t catch a ton of balls for OSU.
2. Derrick Henry – Ala. – Big back at 240 lbs. Tough to bring down once he gets going, but much less effective going east/west.
3. Kenneth Dixon – La. Tech – another back that does everything well. Can catch the ball, and is a tough runner that gets YAC.
4. Devontae Booker – Utah – plays bigger then his 205 lb size. Big YAC guy in college, but I don’t see that continuing at the NFL level. Quick and elusive.
5. Alex Collins – Arkansas – another tougher, north south guy. While a very good back, not special in any area.
Top 5 WRs:
1. Laquan Treadwell – Ole Miss – wins 50/50 balls, most physical blocker at WR I’ve ever looked at, and has great hands. His 40 time might determine where he ultimately ends up.
2. Michael Thomas – Ohio State – Todays NFL #1 WR body. He’s a size, speed guy that could end up challenging Treadwell for 1st WR off the board. In a more wide open offense, he could of put up video game numbers.
3. Will Fuller – ND – Maybe THE deep threat in the draft. Want some draft speak? He can take the top off a defense. He can stretch the field vertically. Well you get the picture.
4. Tyler Boyd – Pitt – Needs some weight, but he hjas good hands, gets seperation and is dangerous with the ball in his hands. Very smooth WR. DUI red flag.
5. Corey Coleman – Baylor – 5′-9″ to 5′-10″. Tavon Austin-lite. Not a fit for the Rams.
Top 5 TE:
1. Hunter Henry – Arkansas – Better blocker then he’s getting credit for. Plays all over, from H-back to TE inside and out. Athetic and causes matchup problems @ 6′-6″. A TE that would never have to come off the field for a decade. How valuable is that?
2. Austin Hooper – Stanford – Another mismatch at 6′-4″ with his athleticism. Not the blocker henry is, but its not terrible either.
3. Nick Vannett – Ohio State – Had an up and down week at the Senior Bowl. he had drops. But also had some great catches. Good blocker, but not the athletic reciever the first 2 are.
4. Jerrel Adams – South Carolina – Under the radar guy who is 6′-6″ and pretty quick. Needs to add size to block in the NFL.
5. Bryce Williams – East Carolina – For a guy 6′-6″ and 260, he moves well. Also not the blocker you would think he is.
Top 5 OTs:
1. Laremy Tunsil – Ole Miss – Plug and Play LT for a decade. Safest pick in the draft IMO. Athletic, smooth and handles the run as well as the pass. Red Flag is a no concern issue for me.
2. Ronnie Stanley – ND – The other true LT in the draft. Nothing Flashy but another plug and ignore LT for 10 years.
3. Taylor Decker – RT to start, could end up as a LT. has had issues with speed rushers.
4. Jack Conklin – RT only for now. Just not athletic enough for the left side. A strong, brawler type.
5. Jason Spriggs – Indiana – Another LT/RT type. Played well at senior bowl. Opposite of Conklin, better pass blocker then run blocker as he needs to add strength.
Top 5 OGs:
1. Cody Whitehair – Kansas State – Tackle moving inside to OG. Reminds me of a less athletic Zac Martin. Tough as nails guy that needs some more size .
2. Vadal Alexander – LSU – a mountain of a man that swallows up defenders. Needs some refinement in his technique, but a durable, punisher in the run game.
3. Joshua Garnett – Stanford – another in a long line of good OL from the cardinal. Could use some strength, but can run and pass block, and moves very well.
4. Sebastian Tretola – Arkansas – Arkansas had the best pair of OGs in the country. His game is based on power, lots of it. Man scheme fit only, he doesn’t move, at all.
5. Spencer Drango – Baylor – He is a OT that I have as a OG. He is just built like a OG in my eye. Could be a steal if he makes the transition.
Top 5 Centers:
1. Ryan Kelly = Ala. – Better run blocker then pass blocker makes him a good fit for the Rams. Can he add more size? I hope so.
2. Nick Martin – ND – Brother of Zac Martin. 2 year team captain. Same exact size as Kelly, so can he add size?
3. Jack Allen – Mich. State – another 2 year captain. A HS wrestler (which I love), was overpowered at times at the Senior Bowl. At 6′-2″ he might have more issues adding size and power over the 2 guys above him.
4. Evan Boehm – Mizzou – biggest of my top 5 at 310. Also the most physical of the 5. Not the most gifted athlete. I like him in a man power scheme where is doesn’t have to move.
5. Max Tuerk – Tallest and lightest OC in my top 5. he wins with his skill and athleticism. ACl red Flag and needs to add some weight.
Top 5 DTs:
1. A’Shawn Robinson – Ala. – Smooth, strong athlete that is a decade long 3 down defender. Consistancy has been an issue.
2. Andrew Billings – Baylor – Baylor defenders make me nervous, but I am a sucker for powerhouses and he defines that term. he is a bull in a china shop. Strong, reckless and a bit out of control. If he plays more under control, his burst and strength would make him extremely dangerous.
3. Robert Knemdiche – Ole Miss – Not the pass rusher he should be, and smoking weed then jumping off a 15 foot tall wall and injuring himself leads to all sorts of red flag stuff. But at the end of the day, he is a freak athlete that saw a ton of attn. from offenses.
4. Sheldon Rankins – Louisville – A inside pass rusher will make him a valued commodity come draft day.
5. Vernon Butler – La State – Strong, explosive, has some rush moves. A good DL coach could transform him into a monster, because its all there.
Top 5 DEs:
1. Joey Bosa – Ohio State – Maybe not the highest ceiling, but his floor is where most ceilings stop. 3 down end that is strong and explosive. He also sets a very good edge in the run game.
2. Shaq Lawson – Clemson – A size speed strength guy that can drop into coverage, defends the run and gets after the QB. And one of my favorite draft phrases: He converts speed into power.
3. Emmanuel Ogbah – Okla. State – Read: Lawson, Shaq, except he is a little raw. A base 4-3 end that has more speed then you would think a guy that size has. I like him as a Rams target in the 1st round.
4. DeForest Buckner – Oregon – Oregon guys make me nervous, but he is better than Erik Armstead from last year. He’s a 3-4 DE only in my mind.
5. Kevin Dodd – Clemson – Non stop motor that had actual production. Meaning, not just a try hard guy that almost gets to the Qb. A 4-3 base end to start out with a massive ceiling. Rams 2nd round target?
Top 3 Edge Rushers:
Not going to spend a ton of time on these guys since they don’t fit what the Rams are doing.
1. Noah Spence – Eastern Kentucky – Repeated drug tests failures and an addiction to ecstacy got him banned from the big 10 permanently. Smooth operator that played up and down in his stance, left and right sides and has a massive burst. Top 10 talent…
2. Leonard Floyd – Georgia – Light frame, but strong. Good motor that can rush the QB with his agility and burst. Late, late first, early 2nd round.
3. Kyler Fackrell – Utah State – Older kid at 25, needs to add strength. Can drop into coverage for a guy 6′-4′ and 245. Tough player with no quit and apparently no red flags what so ever.
Top 5 OLBs:
1. Myles Jack – UCLA – a stud athlete that can pass cover, rush the QB and plays sideline to sideline. Top 5 prospect, even after injury. I wish he was a little more physical.
2. Jaylon Smith – ND – I like him more inside then outside, but a rare prospect none the less. He was a top 5 pick before the knee gave out in his bowl game. Flexible, quick and a violent tackler. 3 down backer inside or out.
3. Darron Lee – Ohio State – Sideline to sideline OLB that has issues once he gets engaged by a blocker. Narrow lower half makes me think he is maxed out size wise.
4. Su’a Cravens – USC – I love his recognition (he’s always in the play) and his aggresiveness. I wish he had more size, but he’s a kamakazee on the field.
5. Nick Vigil – He could play inside as well, but I think is better suited for the weakside in a 4-3. Athletic that needs to add strength. Aggressive player.
Top 5 MLBs:
1. Jaylon Smith – ND – See above. I will add that on the inside he compares to Kuechly and Willis.
2. Myles Jack – UCLA – Yeah I’m cheating. Like him more outside where he can stay cleaner.
3. Reggie Ragland – Ala. – Prototypical 3-4 ILB, big, strong and aggressive. 3 things I love. Was he helped out by his DL? Maybe a little, but he’s a stud.
4.Scooby Wright – Arizona – One of my favorites. 3 down backer that is a tazmanian devil with pass rush skills. Can play inside and out. Relentless is a word I like with him. Sometimes to relentless and will overrun the action. No idea where his injury history puts him in the draft.
5. Kentrell Brothers – Mizzou – Another inside/ outside guy that won’t come off the field. Only 6′ tall. Physical and aggressive but not exactly what I would call explosive.
Top 5 CBs:
1. Vernon Hargreaves – Florida – 6′-0′ and 200 lbs. He has shutdown corner ability. had a rough bowl game but I still like him more then the other corners.
2. Mackensie Alexander – Clemson – 5-10″ with zero ints., but he is a physical corner with a ton of swagger and very good technique.
3. Eli Apple – Ohio State – 6′-1″ with long arms, he is the future of NFL CBs, but he is raw. I wished he stayed at OSU for 1 more year. A tad bit handsy.
4. Kendall Fuller – Virginia Tech – 6′-0″ 200 lbs with injury history. His tape, is spotty at best. And you have to go back to his soph. year to even look at tape. 2nd rounder IMO.
5. Artie Burns – Miami – 6′ corner that is a track star. I love his awareness and upside.
Top 5 S:
1. Jalen Ramsey – A generational talent at S that can also play CB at a high level. 6′-1″ and over 200 lbs makes him an ideal FS IMO. Smooth. Just smooth. Moving, changing direction, in his backpedal… He is also a very effective blitzer. Add some muscle, call it a decade with him.
2. Jalen Mills – LSU – good speed and locates the ball well. I like him as a FS only. Needs to improve his tackling. Its not that he doesn’t want to tackle, he is just not very technically sound.
3. Keanu Neal – Florida – 6′-1″ 220, tough, strong safety in the mold of McDonald. More effective in the box. Needs coverage work.
4. Jeremy Cash – Duke – 6′-0″ 215, fills up a stat sheet, makes tackles behind the LoS, again, needs ball skill work.
5. Karl Joseph – WVU – physical safety that actually can pick off a pass. Unfortunately was injured early so there is that flag. Has a chance to climb.
znModeratorquoted from another thread:
Baylor WR Corey Coleman
Long before winning the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top receiver, CFB 24/7 selected Coleman as the most freakish athlete in the nation. Before he even began training specifically for the combine, he tested off the charts in multiple combine events (4.38 40-yard dash, 11-3 broad jump, 45-0 vertical jump, and a 6.62 clocking in the three-cone drill ,which would have topped all receivers at the 2015 combine). He could set the bar at his position in multiple events in Indianapolis.corey coleman, eh?
i’m gonna watch out for that guy.
—
Baylor WR Corey Coleman
5’11”
190LBS.OVERVIEW
Coleman grew up in a tough Dallas neighborhood playing football in the streets, with a father who is currently serving prison time for felony cocaine distribution. But with the guidance and hard work of his mother, Cassandra Jones, as well as his godfather, former Baylor and NFL star defensive back Ray Crockett, Coleman fulfilled his potential as a playmaker at the college level. As a redshirt freshman, Coleman started 10 games in head coach Art Briles’ offense, catching 35 passes for 527 yards and two scores, as well as averaging over 28 yards a kickoff return. His sophomore season started late, as he missed the first three games of the year with a hamstring injury, but finished strong. He was named second-team All-Big 12 (first team by the media) after covering 1,119 yards and scoring 11 times on just 64 receptions. Most importantly, Coleman came up big at the right times (15-224, TD vs Oklahoma, 7-150, TD vs Michigan in Cotton Bowl)…but that was just a hint of things to come. Coleman won the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top receiver in 2015, along with unanimous All-American and first-team all-conference honors, leading the country with 20 touchdown receptions (74-1,363 receiving for the year). He missed the team’s Russell Athletic Bowl win over North Carolina after having sports hernia surgery in December in order to be ready for the run up to the 2016 NFL Draft.
ANALYSIS
STRENGTHS Instant blur off the snap. Feet turn over at a blinding pace and he devours cushion before cornerbacks know what hit them. Able to get over the top of every corner he faced and demands safety help over the top. Works back to the ball. Explosive leaper with ability to climb ladder and win the 50/50 ball and body control to secure the acrobatic catch. Touchdown maker finishing 2015 with 20 receiving touchdowns. Smooth, speedy stems to the post will be difficult to mirror and match for NFL cornerbacks. Easy route adjustments in space. Defenders who try to jam and miss pay the iron price (touchdowns). Able to make tacklers miss in tight spaces. Has experience as ball carrier and punt returner. Heavily targeted (39 percent) in Baylor’s high-flying attack.
WEAKNESSES Does his best work from outside the numbers, but desired NFL size to play outside. Allows cornerbacks to leverage him against the sideline on deep throws. Takes longer than expected to gear down for comeback routes after hitting top speed. Ran limited number of simple routes. Hands are a concern. Fails to catch away from his body. Dropped 10 passes for a drop rate of 11.9 percent. Loses focus and concentration on routes that work towards the middle of the field or when he senses defenders are closing in. Had sports hernia surgery that forced him to miss his bowl game.
NFL COMPARISON John Brown
BOTTOM LINE Dangerous vertical talent with the ability to get over the top of defenders who fail to recognize his blazing quickness off the line of scrimmage. Coleman can get instant separation to create favorable passing windows and is one of the top playmakers in this draft. Coleman’s issues with drops near the middle of the field could be a concern if teams see him next as a slot receiver due to his lack of size. Regardless, he can line up outside and win and he offers immediate punt return help.
February 17, 2016 at 9:25 pm in reply to: Rams & qbs in free agency (from RG3 to possibly Fitzpatrick) #39189znModeratorhow about a million hugs? i can do that.
Naw you don’t owe nothin. Cause…good discussion.
As they said in The Man of Steel, a good discussion is its own reward.
znModeratorHey invader, I switched our RG3 discussion to this thread, where it’s more appropriate IMO:
Rams & qbs in free agency (Manning, RG3, etc): http://theramshuddle.com/topic/get-used-to-the-quarterback-rumors/
znModerator….The New World Order’s methods are many: manufactured economic crises, sophisticated surveillance tech and — above all — inside-job terror attacks that fuel exploitable hysteria. The endgame, Jones believes, is a mass eugenics operation that will depopulate the planet by poisoning our food and water with fluoride, radioactive isotopes and various futuristic toxic soups being engineered in New World Order laboratories.
I didn’t think anyone knew about that.
znModeratorafter a rocky start, Bradford finished well in Phil. In his last 7 starts,
Malcolm Jenkins: Sam Bradford can lead Eagles to Super Bowl
by Darin Gantt
Malcolm Jenkins: Sam Bradford can lead Eagles to Super Bowl
The Eagles don’t appear to be interested in using the franchise tag on quarterback Sam Bradford, but one of his teammates is a big believer in his ability to lead the team in a post-Chip Kelly world.
Via Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com, Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins was unequivocal in his praise of Bradford, saying he could lead them to a Super Bowl.
“If you protect Sam and give him weapons to use,” Jenkins said, “I think he can be one of those quarterbacks to win a championship.”
That wasn’t always apparent last year, though Bradford did look more and more competent as the year went on. Staying healthy was a plus as well, after what he went through the two previous years in St. Louis. Perhaps getting more stable on his twice-repaired ACL was the difference, but Jenkins said Bradford was also more comfortable in the locker room, which helped.
“Early, especially in the first half of the season, I don’t know how comfortable he was in the locker room or being in the role of the leader on the team when he had just gotten here, Jenkins said. “He’s got new guys. Then he got hurt, and when he came back, he decided to take the team by the horns basically.
He really started to be a lot more vocal, he started to break down the huddles, he started to speak to the team before every game. When he did that, he gained the trust of the teammates and he started playing better. The back half of the season, he played really well for us.
“So, from a player’s perspective, we definitely got behind Sam in that back stretch and really would like to see him back moving forward. We think he can be the leader and the quarterback that we need.”
There was a bright-line difference between the first seven weeks of Bradford (62 percent completions, 76.4 passer rating) and the rest of the season (68 percent, 97.0).
And that kind of play the back half of the season will also make him valuable to others as he’s about to hit the market, though not valuable enough for the Eagles to invest $20 million for a single year, or to allow him to think that’s where the negotiation starts.
February 17, 2016 at 2:20 pm in reply to: NFL salary cap expected to be at least $155M…and how the Rams look #39158znModeratorAdjusted Salary Cap $150,933,521
That long, over-written, lumpy piece of not that well informed about the Rams situation analysis uses the wrong 2016 cap number.
znModeratorI think Obama is probably plotting to nominate a Muslim judge who wants to rule America with Sharia law.
All that would do is consolidate the already existing conservative bloc on the SC, and give the conservatives a 5-4 majority.
Right?
..
February 17, 2016 at 1:35 pm in reply to: NFL salary cap expected to be at least $155M…and how the Rams look #39152znModeratorRams 2016 Offseason Preview
Jason Fitzgerald
http://overthecap.com/rams-2016-offseason-preview/#more-11508
Current Estimated 2016 Cap Space: $36.7 million
Expected 2016 Cap Space: $56.0 million
Estimated Rookie Cap: $5.720 million
Roster Overview
Players Under Contract: 54
Pro Bowlers: 3
Unrestricted Free Agents: 12(7 with 50%+ playtime)
Draft Selection: 15Salary Cap Breakdown
Free Agents to Re-sign
The Rams don’t have any shortage of free agents to keep this year. I would expect one of the two cornerbacks to be back next season, but it may be too expensive to keep both. It sounded as if they made more an effort to keep Jenkins last season so I’d guess he would be the preferred of the two…William Hayes played well and was a valuable replacement for injury. At 31 he should not be incredibly expensive to keep…While Rodney McLeod is not as well known as some of the other available safeties, he likely will provide more bang for the buck…Mark Barron wound up playing more linebacker than safety and likely has more value to them than most other teams….I would assume Greg Zuerlein will be offered a contract, though he did not have a good year last season.Free Agents to Let Walk
Eugene Sims has spent his entire career with the Rams but its probably time for the Rams to look for more upside…My guess is someone will offer Nick Fairley a one year deal for more than he is worth. With Michael Brockers slary jumping I cant see the reason to keep Fairley for more than $3 million…Tim Barnes is pretty much a stop gap solution and one would think the Rams would look to find someone else next year.Contracts to Modify
Chris Long has been a good player for the team but the last few seasons he has just been plagued with injuries. Long has a $14.25 million cap charge and $11.75 million salary. I could see working out a three year extension at a far lower figure to allow him to finish his career with the team…It might be worth extending Brockers before the season. His current salary is over $6 million which could be used as a big portion of his new guarantee packagePlayers to Consider Releasing
Jared Cook never grew into the role that his contract seemed to indicate the Rams expected from him. They can save $5.7 million in cap and $7 million in cash by releasing him…James Laurinaitis generally grades out poorly and they could save just under $5.8 million if they release him. I could also see an extension for him at a $5,8 million guarantee on a much lower cost deal…If Long does not accept a paycut they would save $11.75 million if they cut him.Salary Cap Analytics by Bryce Johnston
The premise behind the Rams’ 2012 draft trade – accumulate a large quantity of relatively highly drafted players on overlapping cheap rookie contracts – was sound. Aligning assets in this manner is one way to gain a competitive advantage. If it had worked, the Rams could have been in an enviable salary cap situation, as the team would have had the opportunity to overpay free agents on front-loaded deals and/or push cap space forward throughout the duration of the rookie contracts of the core players, while signing the core players to extensions before hitting free agency (which tend to be at least somewhat below-market extensions). However, for one reason or another this strategy did not translate to many wins, and none of the players from the 2012 or 2013 drafts have received contract extensions.The good news is that the Rams have not made much of a commitment to this seven-win team, ranking 27th in Commitment Index. The team actually has more current salary cap space than true salary cap commitments in 2017 and beyond. As a result, the Rams are in a position to spend aggressively in free agency without compromising their future salary cap situation, although doing so in conjunction with resigning some of their own impending free agents will likely cause the team to move to the top half of the league with respect to Commitment Index. The team must decide if doing so is advisable, or if it is more prudent to refrain from increasing salary cap commitments until obtaining a QB suitable for contending.
–Bryce Johnston, @NFL Cap Analytics
Expected Contract Outcomes – Expected Contract Value 2.0 utilizes an algorithm based on a player’s contract characteristics, age, position and 2015 performance to forecast probabilities as to the outcomes of contract termination decisions. The lower the Expected Outcome, the more likely the player’s contract will be terminated in 2016. A pay cut is treated as a termination. We have applied ECV 2.0 to all contracts scheduled to count $2 million or more against the 2016 salary cap with the exception of exercised 5th year rookie options. Expected Savings is the calculated by multiplying the probability a player will be released by the cap savings realized by the team upon such release.
Player Position Expected Outcome Expected Savings
Aaron Donald F7 100.0% $0
Todd Gurley RB 99.5% ($40,841)
Greg Robinson OL 99.3% ($45,374)
Johnny Hekker KP 98.5% $32,548
Tavon Austin REC 95.7% $0
Robert Quinn F7 91.8% $479,926
James Laurinaitis F7 90.9% $502,222
Akeem Ayers F7 88.7% $373,560
Alec Ogletree F7 85.3% $201,137
Nick Foles QB 85.0% $112,725
Rodger Saffold OL 56.8% $1,147,234
Lance Kendricks REC 55.1% $1,459,900
Jared Cook REC 48.3% $2,946,672
Kenny Britt REC 46.4% $2,600,570
Chris Long F7 19.2% $9,492,825
Expected Change in Cap Room +$19,263,104True Cap Space – Realizable Cap Space depicts the total amount of salary cap space potentially at the team’s disposal in 2016, and True Cap Space makes further adjustments to take into consideration amounts that are accounted for in practical terms. Most True Cap Space will be used on players currently under contract as a result of the team choosing to not release them.
True Cap Space (2016)
Adjusted Salary Cap $150,933,521
Prorated Signing Bonus Amounts ($19,798,873)
Realizable Cap Space $131,134,648
Fully Guaranteed Salary ($16,906,392)
Minimum Salary Cap Holds ($20,250,000)
True Cap Space $93,978,256
League Rank 14thCommitment Index – Commitment Index identifies the degree to which a team has “mortgaged its future” by measuring its net future salary cap commitments as a percentage of the average net future salary cap commitments of all teams. A Commitment Index Score of 100% is average, and a negative Commitment Index Score indicates that the team has more current salary cap space than future salary cap commitments. The Commitment Index Score of every team in the league changes to at least some degree with every transaction executed by any team in the league, so Commitment Index Score is measured as of a specific point in time (in this case, January 11, 2016).
Commitment Index (2017+)
Prorated Signing Bonus Amounts $18,295,839
Fully Guaranteed Salary $9,136,257
Current Cap Space ($32,490,626)
Net Commitment ($5,058,530)
Commitment Index Score -29%
League Rank (1st = Most Committed) 27thOffseason Plan
Every offseason the story seems to be the same with the Rams as their lack of a quarterback and offensive talent locks them into a guaranteed 6 to 8 wins in a season. They have some devastating talent on the defensive line ad have the potential to be a great defense, but every year that offense seems to misfire. For the first time in a few years the Rams will have some cap room to spare even after they keep some of their own players. Can that help with their position needs though? Probably not.Nick Foles did not work out for the Rams last year and it seems likely they would bring in another player to compete for the job. Once cut Robert Griffin III would have more potential than anyone else available. I’m sure some could look at the defense and say that maybe a veteran like a Drew Stanton or Ryan Fitzpatrick could do something, but unless they improve elsewhere they are better off with the higher upside player even if there is potential to bust completely.
There were rumors that the Eagles were interested in Foles and if that was true and I were the Rams I would look to see what I could get back for him. He has a $6 million guaranteed roster bonus that the Rams could avoid if they traded him and that might be worth it assuming they have another option. RGIII would be cut before the start of free agency so the Rams should have a good idea if they have an option on the table before moving Foles.
The Rams desperately need a receiver, but unfortunately this is not a great free agent group. Names like Rueben Randle and Travis Benjamin are not really much better than what they have and overpaying for a number 2 receiver that won’t have help is going to end up in disappointment. Maybe Marvin Jones could have some upside for this offense but only if it’s at a reasonable number. Expect this to be a draft need more than a free agent one.
I would expect the team to look at the offensive line to see where they could improve. Making a push for Alex Mack of the Browns would be a boost at center and there may be a few guards who can improve the interior line play or add depth to cover for injuries. They could always move on from Rodger Saffold if they really felt they found a strong candidate to replace him. Getting a veteran left tackle to potentially take over for Greg Robinson if he continues to struggle and needs to move to the right side or just take a break might be an option. Probably best to look at players who are released rather than pure free agents.
If they do let Long go the team would have the resources to go after an Olivier Vernon or even take a risk on a Jason Pierre-Paul. They have three really good pieces on that line and they could end up with a superunit if they decided to put the resources there to have the two dominant ends that can rush the passer.
If the Rams find the right options in free agency and the draft they have the opportunity to make a playoff run this year, but if I had to guess the real impact talent for them will need to come from the draft and wont be there in free agency.
znModeratorfrom off the net
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alyoshamucci
DT list pre-combine … deepest position I think.
This class is super deep and has really good quality. In fact until I made this list I had forgotten just how truly deep and high quality it was. I have about 20 players that could come in and compete to start … and that’s at a position that is known for taking time to grow into.
You’ll notice I have Nkemdiche up top even though he’s fallen recently … Ive watched him since his first snap .. he’s leonard Williams level talent and I’m not going to put him lower util I see something that rubs me the wrong way. Also, I have 20 more players than walter’s has listed so a lot of the guys at the bottom should go undrafted.
And again these are preliminary lists, and Im still finding out that some guys are injured, not pursuing football, or I have mislabeled as seniors.
there are guys that I have labeled as DEs like “Zettel” that may cause confusion. If I have them multiple round higher at another position I won’t list them.
16 DT’
Top tier starters …
Ole Miss 5 5 tfDT/DE/RBlol NKemdiche 6-4 300 FR ++, ++
So.ALA 86 DE/DT A’shaun Robnson 6-4 320 So. Wow.
ALA 90 NT J Reed 6-4 315 Jr. jucotrans Jr. +, ++
Sr.BAY 75 tfDT Andrew Billings 6-0 305 FR , +, +++
So. +, ++— High end starters with upside
LOU 98 tfDT Rankins 6-2 290 FR. B +
So.
Jr.
Sr. ++, +MS ST 96 96 tfDT/DE C. Jones 6-5 265 , ++, +++, ++, ++
300 $ So.L Tech 9 DT Butler 6-3 309 Sr.
ND 91 DE/DT Sheldon Day 6-2 290 So.
Jr. + INJ
Sr. could he play outside? Late 1st?— Quality starters and high end rotational guys …
CLEM 48 tfDT Reader 6-2 305 FR. +++ B ++
So. +, ++
325 Jr. +PSU 99 DT Johnson 6-4 313 fr. +, +
Sr. + B ++
323 Jr. +, +, ++ 2nd-3rd-4th round .. 56 tackles leads countryUCLA 97 DT K Clark 6-3 315 So. ++, ++, ++, ++
Jr. ++$ 3rd?NEB 7 DT Collins 6-2 285 FR.
305 So. +, ++ B ++
Jr. $$ ++, +OH St. 92 DT Adolphus Washington 6-2 300 So. +,, ++ B +
Jr. ++, +++, ++
Sr.MCH ST 69 DT Henry 6-3 311 Sr. ++^^
TEX 98 DT Hassan Ridgeway 6-4 307 So. ,, ++
314 Jr. ++NEB 98 tfDT Valentine 6-3 325 FR B ++
So.—- Other big fellas who could grow into quality contributors …
SCAR 92 DT Dixon Jr. 6-3 305 FR. B +
So. ++, ++ B ++
Sr.IND DT Latham 6-5 310 ++
TEM 9 DT Ioniidis 6-4 292 SR.
SE Mizzou Hargrave 6-3 295 Sr.
AZ ST. 94 DE Cherry 6-6 300 Jr. , ++
Sr. Beast ++, +ARK 93 DT Hodge 6-1 340 Sr. +, +
USC 99 DT Woods 6-1 325 FRSHMAN
So. +, +
Jr. ++,, ++
Sr. +, +, + UDFA?Vtech 92 tfDT Maddy 6-1 285 FR. B +
288 So. ++
295 Jr. ++, ++
Sr. +UVA 55 DT David Dean 6-1 295 Jr. +, +++
Sr. +, ++FERRIS ST. DT Zimmer 6-3 303
TCU 57 DT Pierson 6-2 305 FR. , +, ++ B ++
So. ++, +
Jr. +++Utah State 51 DT David Moala 6-2 310 Jr. +
Sr. ++ burst …FSU 99 DT Lawrence-Stample 6-1 314 Jr.
Sr.NC 98 DT Justin Thomason 6-4 285 Jr. seems bigger
295 Sr. ++— the rest to fill out a roster …
KEN DT Melvin Lewis 6-4 320
JAX St. DT Sigler ?
BC DT Wujciak
GilMore?
ALA 95 DT Lake 6-3 323 Jr. +
Sr.Wst. 97 DE Vaeao 6-4 290 So. ,++
Jr. +
298 Sr. ++, ++Akron 9 DT Rodney Coe 6-3 305 Sr. (Iowa st. trans) Athletic kid
AZ St. 98 DT Latu 6-3 384 Jr. +
370 Sr.CAL 90 DT Jalil 6-3 295 Jr. +++
6-4 315 Sr. Where is he?FSU 11 DT Mitchell 6-4 303 Jr. ++, +
Sr.UGA Mayes
No TEX 97 DT Abbe 6-4 319 Sr.
OH 34 DT Tautuiaki 6-2 290 So. +
304 Sr.OL MISS 56 DT Hamilton 6-3 319 Sr. ++, ++
PSU 91 DT Barney 6-1 306 Sr.
SYR 50 DT John Raymon 6-5 310 Sr. +, +
TEM 72 DT Walton 6-4 313 Sr.
TENN 58 DT Williams 6-2 290 Jr. ++
Sr. ++T A and M 83 tf DE A Williams 6-4 280
So. , ++, +, +
Jr. ++
305 Sr. ?? where is he?Ttech 33 DT Levi 6-2 367 Jr.
338 Sr.TEX 99 DT Jackson 6-1 280 FR. B +
303 So. ++,, ++ B +
Jr. , ++, +++
SR. ++TUL 93 DT Masonbuko 6-3 295 Sr. ++
UNLV 68 DT Fakuaho 6-2 330 Sr. +
WAKE 36 DT Tyler Harris 6-4 305 Sr. ++
WVA 93 NT Rose 6-4 294 Jr. , +
294 Sr.February 17, 2016 at 12:50 pm in reply to: McShay Kiper just now on ESPN raving about Rams talent #39150znModeratorAnd the Ram-OL Curse.
Well take comfort in the fact, then, that of the 12 linemen then added starting in 2014, 5 have not been injured, including the 4 who have not actually taken the field yet in real games.
It’s true that in the last 2 years, Robinson, Rhaney, Wichman (in the summer), Brown, Havenstein, Donnal and Williams have been injured…to varying degrees, and at different times.
Reynolds was not injured.
And Battle, Kush, Folkerts, and Arkin have not been injured.
So the bright light is, nearly 42% have NOT been injured. Though of course, most of the Injury Free types have not played in a game.
Which might be the secret. You don’t want an injured line? THEN DON’T START ANY LINEMEN IN REAL GAMES.
It could be a breakthrough.
.
znModeratorHe believes a lot of crazy-stuff.
Did you read the article?I did read it, though admittedly, I did it quickly.
What is some of the crazy stuff he believes?
znModeratorThen he’s not a conspiracy theorist, anymore than Chomsky is.
Conspiracy theorists create fictions.
He’s an historian of the present. It’s a different thing.
February 17, 2016 at 12:20 pm in reply to: Detecting gravitational waves could be as important as first use of telescope #39143znModeratorI started getting interested in physics—really, it’s physics not science per se—about 10 years ago.
All I do is try to keep up. In the age of the internet, there are many reputable venues out there to keep churning away at keeping up. It has been helped not just by the net, but by the PR surrounding things like this and CERN. The level of discovery taking place right now is kind of amazing. There’s also a long line of documentary-style TV series that introduce this stuff, and I watch them all.
My trick is to always read several sources on anything. I stop at the math, because that loses me. The difference between me and a physicist is that the physicist can do the math. In any event, when reading, if there’s something I don’t get, I just search key terms until I’ve read several things on it. My goal is to be able to explain most of it in my own words and to be able to answer questions about it…up to but not including the math.
I have huge gaps in my knowledge, but at least I can identify them. For example, I know basic stuff about quarks, gluons, and the strong force–the things that make up neutrons and protons—but right now I could not tell you the differences between and among the many different kinds of quarks.
I read a bunch about it every week because I find it fascinating and it’s kind of a pleasurable mental exercise.
Gravitational waves, near as I know now from what the science community knows now, are kind of simple to explain.
Goes like this.
In Einstein’s theories, space/time is actually warped by large masses with gravity. But he didn’t just claim that, he did the math. Very specific parameters are involved. To prove this early in the century, they had to be able to develop telegraphic photography to the point where they could make precise measurements. One way to do that is to wait for a full eclipse of the sun and then measure the positions of the stars that show through around the sun. If Einstein was right about space/time warping, then, they ought to be able to demonstrate that what was photographed—the stars as they appear in the photo–distorts the actual known positions of the stars in question. That is, the gravity of the sun would warp space so that the light from the stars was bent (this is called “gravitational lensing.”) Well early in the century that’s precisely what they found, and more than that, Einstein’s math had predicted the precise extent of the distortion. That is, the stars in question were out of position in the photos to EXACTLY the degree predicted by the theory.
Since then gravitational lensing is taken for granted as a fact of astrophysics.
So given all that, that large masses with heavy gravity distort space time in precisely measurable ways, it also ought to be the case that massive gravitational events–2 black holes merging, 2 neutron stars merging, a supernova explosion—OUGHT TO distort space/time in precisely measurable ways that send waves out from the event in the same way that a pebble thrown into a pond produces waves.
What are those waves? It is literally space/time distorting in a repeated specific way, where the space expands and contracts rhythmically.
The interesting thing about this is that nothing can impede a gravitational wave. It passes right through matter—galaxies, dust, gas, everything. The signal cannot be distorted.
What that means is that whatever info those ways convey comes to us completely pure.
Remember, we have been figuring out the universe and what’s in it based on just one source—electro-magnetic fields. That is, we can SEE things, or even measure things we can’t see with X-Ray and high wavelength measurements. So everything we know about the universe comes from one variation or another of electro-magnetic activity.
NOW there’s a new source of info–gravitational waves. They too carry information. For example the math works out to tell you what it is they just measured—the collision and merger of 2 black holes. From the nature of the waves, the could tell the mass of each black hole. So decoding information from gravitational waves gives us the first way of studying the universe that isn’t based on electro-magnetic fields and electro-magnetic energy and their variations.
It;s the first new way of “seeing” things in the universe, in all human history.
znModeratorfrom off the net
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NateDawg122
I’m a UGA student and I say this is a good get for the Rams. Lilly is much more than a TE coach as he’s a good OC as well. He has a good reputation around here. TE is an important position in Georgia’s offense and they are well rounded. They must be able to block well while being consistent pass catchers downfield.
.
February 17, 2016 at 11:15 am in reply to: Chris Long open to revisiting contract to stay with Rams #39139znModeratorChris Long’s return to Rams up for discussion
Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/26881/chris-long-unlikely-to-return-at-current-price
EARTH CITY, Mo. — We’re moving closer to the start of the new league year and, along with it, the start of free agency. Which means over the next few weeks, the Los Angeles Rams will be taking a long look at the players already on the roster and determining whether they’re worth their projected salary-cap numbers.
Some teams have already begun the process of releasing high-priced veterans to create salary-cap room. So this week, we’ll take a look at some players who will come under the microscope for the Rams.
Player: DE Chris Long
Contract status: Signed through 2016 season.
2016 cap hit: $14.25 million
Potential savings: $12.75 million
Why he could go: By his own admission, Long’s contributions over the past two seasons haven’t matched his salary. He played just 18 games combined in 2014 and 2015 and even after returning from injuries in those years, he wasn’t at 100 percent. Along the way, Long posted 24 tackles and four sacks and counted a total of more than $25 million against the salary cap. At 30, Long believes he still has good football left in him but for a Rams defense that’s built on the pass rush, they likely want to get younger and cheaper to help complement Robert Quinn and Aaron Donald. It’s unlikely the Rams will bring Long back at his current cost and though he told ESPN.com in January that he’d be willing to take a pay cut to stay, he also made it clear that winning is his top priority at this stage in his career. As hard as it might be for the Rams to part ways with a player as beloved in the locker room as Long, it might be best for all parties to move on.
Why he could stay: As mentioned above, Long has expressed at least some willingness to come back at a lesser rate. If the Rams could work something out with him, it would give them some much-needed salary-cap space while also allowing them to plan for the future at the position. Long is one of the team’s leaders and they lean on him to help balance the locker room and offer guidance to their many young players. Both of his injuries over the past two seasons were fluky and he played well before the knee injury that slowed him this season, which offers some hope he can still be productive. Letting Long go would also only add to an ever-expanding list of needs for the Rams, who also have ends William Hayes and Eugene Sims scheduled to become unrestricted free agents.
February 17, 2016 at 10:22 am in reply to: McShay Kiper just now on ESPN raving about Rams talent #39138znModeratorThe OLine is still a question mark.
Personally? I don’t think it’s a question mark. I think at worst it is already an average OL.
They added 12 linemen starting in 2014 and haven’t even sorted out yet which of the present 14 they have now…with more to come…will be the 9 or 10 they take into 2016. Either way all the signs indicated they did well with that, with better than usual for rookies rookie performances from 3 of the ones they drafted in 2015 (who gets 3 good linemen in one draft??? …but then who gets 2 consecutive rookies of the year).
znModeratorThe next question is, how many times has a sitting supreme court justice died in office, and an autopsy was required. The simple answer is none.
Justice Antonin Scalia’s Health Woes Weren’t Publicly Disclosed Before His Death
By MEGHAN KENEALLY
Feb 16, 2016Even though the relatives and doctors of the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia reportedly knew about his health conditions, the fact that the concerns were kept from the public is in keeping with the practices of the court, experts said.
Unlike the White House, which regularly releases updates on the president’s health, the Supreme Court does not have set guidelines regarding what they do and don’t disclose publicly.
Scalia’s Health History
When the 79-year-old justice was found dead on Saturday in a hotel room at a luxury ranch in Texas, the county’s presiding judge, Cinderella Guevara, was called and pronounced him dead.
Guevara said she spoke to Scalia’s doctor in Washington who told her that Scalia had been sick and had visited his office twice during the week leading up to the trip.
The Associated Press reported that Guevara said the doctor told her that Scalia had a history of high blood pressure, heart trouble and was considered too weak to undergo shoulder surgery following a recent injury.
Guevara told ABC News that the death certificate will say that he died of natural causes with myocardial infarction, better known as a heart attack, being a contributing factor.
Health Factors Weighing In
Dr. Sahil Parikh, an interventional cardiologist at University Hospitals Case Medical Center, never treated Scalia but said that even without knowing his specific family history, there are certain clear factors that may have contributed.
Parikh said that two significant risk factors for heart disease are an individual’s age and gender, with men over 55 years old being the most at-risk group.
“He clearly has some risk factors for heart disease and as those increase in number, so does your risk for having a coronary event,” Parikh told ABC News.
Even though it appears that nothing had been released recently by the Supreme Court about Justice Scalia’s health, there have been other disclosures made about different members of the bench.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who is now 82, has had cancer twice and made disclosures in both cases.
Kate Shaw, an ABC News contributor and an assistant professor of law at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in New York, said that Ginsburg has been “very forthcoming” with regards to her health.
Ginsburg released a statement in November 2014 saying that she was going to have a heart stent implanted.
“The procedure went smoothly, and she did not miss a single day of oral arguments,” Shaw said.
Shaw also pointed out that the court released a statement after Chief Justice John Roberts suffered a seizure in 2007.
The disclosures, when they come, typically are made after an official prognosis by a doctor.
“When Chief Justice Rehnquist was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in October 2004, the Supreme Court’s public information office announced the diagnosis, and further announced that he would be undergoing radiation and chemotherapy,” Shaw said.
“He returned to the bench in March of 2005, and when he declined to announce his retirement at the end of that term — Justice O’Connor instead announced her retirement — the assumption was that Chief Justice Rehnquist was in good health and would continue serving,” Shaw said. “But his health rapidly declined in July and August, and he died on Sept. 3, 2005, creating a second vacancy for President Bush to fill.”
According to a report compiled by the Congressional Research Service, 41% of the Supreme Court vacancies that occurred in the first half of the 20th century were a result of a justice dying while in office.
Since then, however, Rehnquist’s death was the only one for a sitting Justice since 1954, the report states.
znModeratorAnd yes you DO know why this is controversial — cause
this country is very divided and has millions of
people who dont trust the system. Like, at all.And so the irony is the people who don’t trust the system want mechanisms that supersede local law and the desires of the family.
That kind of mechanism would have to be something built into Federal law.
So once again, the anti-big-government types reveal that that is a very selective thing on their part.
You don’t want federal oversight of EVERYTHING? This is what happens.
The next question is, how many times has a sitting supreme court justice died in office, and an autopsy was required. The simple answer is none.
.
February 17, 2016 at 10:00 am in reply to: McShay Kiper just now on ESPN raving about Rams talent #39134znModeratorSame story until further notice – tons of talent, but end up home for the holidays at 7-9. Same shit every year. Hope it turns around in LA.
My thinking is that if they even got average/decent qb play last year they would have had a winning season.
What they got instead was a Foles meltdown and then Keenum got concussed. Keenum’s not great, but to me he’s better than the #2s and #3s they’ve had over the last few years (Hill, Davis, Clemens, Feeley, Boller, Null).
I debated with people out there about the Foles meltdown. To me it’s just evident something happened to him…there was nothing in 2014 to lead anyone to expect a multi-consecutive games subpar performance like that. So if we had just gotten the Foles of 2014 it would have been fine.
The question then becomes, what will they get in 2016 with Keenum plus Mannion/or a rookie/or a signing.
Well, my bet is, it would be better than Foles in meltdown mode.
znModeratorThe sheriff isn’t a coroner. He isn’t qualified to rule on the cause of death.
According to local law all the procedures were followed. The judge is qualified by law in that situation to rule on the cause of death and doesn’t even have to be present. You might not like it but then your problem is with local law.
Plus it’s not like he died in a chokehold or anything, on camera. Or anything like that.
.
February 17, 2016 at 12:05 am in reply to: 2016 mocks & rankings & general draft commentaries, thread 2 #39123znModeratorKirwan has 15 D-linemen in his top 40.
8 DEs, 7 DTs.
February 16, 2016 at 11:50 pm in reply to: 2016 mocks & rankings & general draft commentaries, thread 2 #39121znModeratorTop 40
By Pat Kirwan
https://realfootballnetwork.com/2016/02/15/02-04-16-rfn-top-32/
Well, we’ve had a few more days to evaluate some of these players, watch film, talk to scouts and personnel people around the league, and as you might expect this early in the process, there are some significant changes to our list. The biggest change is at the top.
There is no #1.
That’s right. No one has established themselves as the top player in this draft. Usually the quarterback need that drives so many teams this time of year will force a signal caller to the top of the list, but that hasn’t happened yet. If not a QB, then maybe one of the impact defensive linemen in this draft will take the spot, or one of the big offensive tackles.
It’s important to remember that this isn’t a mock draft determining who will be picked where. This is just an early stacking of the board. There will be consideration for medical issues, character issues, and the position played when stacking this list. This week, being I didn’t give you a #1, I’ll give you my top 40.
1. ??????
Yet to be determined, and if a QB doesn’t rise to the top it will be tough for the Titans to move out of the #1 spot in the draft.2. Joey Bosa, DE/OLB, Ohio State
Bosa can play all three downs, but you have to ask yourself, “Is what you see, what you get?” He looks like a finished product, which is great for early in his career, but is there upside?3. Carson Wentz, QB, North Dakota State
This might be too high for the quarterback from a smaller school, but he did impress at the Senior Bowl and signal callers drive the draft. If your team needs a QB, he will be high on their draft board.4. Shaq Lawson, DE, Clemson
Big people with pass rush skills and athleticism to drop are hard to find. Lawson had 37 plays behind the line of scrimmage last year between sacks and tackles for a loss. He can play all three downs.5. Laremy Tunsil, LT, Mississippi
The best left tackle in the draft, but has had off the field issues that have to be cleared up by teams before I can move him up on the list. He reminds me of the Jets D’Brickashaw Ferguson.6. A’Shawn Robinson, DT, Alabama
Big men that can move and be disruptive inside are very hard to find, and this guy can play in any scheme and multiple spots along the front. He has more pass rush/pressure skills than his stats might indicate.7. Myles Jack, OLB, UCLA
Injuries have pushed him down from the top five, but his Combine physicals might clear up some of those issues. He may fall on this list because teams really have to rely on 2014 game tapes to determine his final value, but the traits are there for a successful NFL career.8. Jalen Ramsey, S/CB, Florida State
It appears he can play anywhere on the back end of a defense, and a little at ‘backer in a sub package. Is the versatility a sign of greatness, like a Patrick Peterson, or is it a sign of a jack of all trades and a master of none? The films I watched indicate he is a top flight athlete who can play well at multiple spots.9. DeForest Buckner, DL, Oregon
The numbers aren’t great, but the size and disruptiveness are a big plus. I remember when teams felt Calais Campbell wasn’t a first round talent, but he became an All-Pro because of the things I see in Buckner. He had 28 plays behind the line of scrimmage this past season.10. Laquon Treadwell, WR, Mississippi
Not the speed burner some teams are looking for, but a big play wide receiver. In three seasons he had 196 receptions and 18 touchdowns. Any true freshman that comes into the SEC and has 72 receptions and 5 touchdowns has proven to me that he can make the jump to the next level.11. Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Ohio State
I don’t think Elliott will go this high in the draft, but he is a talent, as proven by his 37 touchdowns and 3,540 yards in the past two seasons. I usually have some concerns about running backs from big time programs with NFL-type offensive linemen in front, but this kid’s 54 receptions in the past two years set him apart.12. Vernon Hargreaves, CB, Florida
The cornerback position is far from being fully evaluated and I suspect there will be a re-shuffling of the deck through the winter and spring. He is not a 6’0”-plus corner, but he can press, blitz and tackle. I suspect he will move up this list after the combine if he runs well.13. Jared Goff, QB, California
He came out of high school PAC-12 ready and delivered right away with 18 touchdown passes as a freshman. He went on to finish his career with 90! Some worry about his physique, while others are concerned about the offense he was in at Cal. His combine and pro day workouts will go a long way towards convincing clubs about his pro potential as a top 10 pick.14. Noah Spence, DE/OLB, Eastern Kentucky
The former Ohio State player has had serious off the field issues, but he did go to the Senior Bowl to improve his image. If he had a clean character rating he would be a top 10 prospect. No one could block him down in Mobile, and who isn’t looking for a pass rusher like this guy. Risk and reward is the main issue here, and someone will conclude they can get the best out of him.15. Robert Nkemdiche, DE, Mississippi
Here’s another super talented player with questions about his decision making skills off the field. He can play anywhere across the front and has the QABS (quickness, agility, balance, speed) to make plays. Is he going to fail the drug test and make himself unavailable?16. Jarran Reed, DL, Alabama
He showed me plenty by showing up at the Senior Bowl when most players with his draft status stay home. He is a solid two down player with some questions about his pass rush skills at the next level. Coaches like working with guys like Reed, and it could go a long way to keeping him this high on the list.17. Ronnie Stanley, OT, Notre Dame
Stanley has played both right and left tackle and has pass blocking skills. There are times he looks average to me, and other times he looks very solid. I just finished watching the game against Clemson, and I felt like putting him down in the 20’s, but decided to move Shaq Lawson up the list instead.18. Andrew Billings, DT, Baylor
A 4-3 three technique kind of athlete with burst and explosiveness. He will find himself in different spots on draft boards. Teams that play a 3-4 base defense may not see him as high as the 4-3 teams. He does have 35 plays behind the line of scrimmage in the past two seasons, but is more of a disrupter than a sacker. He is not the second coming of Aaron Donald, but he can play.19. Kenny Clark, DT, UCLA
Another 4-3 three technique type with the QABS to make plays and be disruptive. His 122 tackles in the last two seasons shows an ability to be around the ball, but this is a rich class in defensive linemen and time will tell if he can move up the list.20. Taylor Decker, OT, Ohio State
When in doubt, take a big offensive tackle in the first round. He may not have the QABS to line up at left tackle for his entire career, but after watching the tackles in the Super Bowl, Decker could have helped both teams.21. Paxton Lynch, QB, Memphis
There are some that believe he is the best QB in the draft, and others that see him as a second round talent. There’s a significant history of teams jumping back into the bottom of the first round to get a QB (Joe Flacco-Delaware). In the last two years, Lynch threw 50 touchdowns and passed for 5,726 yards with only 12 interceptions. He’s big and can run, and after talking with him recently, someone is going to see their future in this young man.22. Emmanuel Ogbah, DE, Oklahoma State
In the last two seasons, Ogbah has 110 tackles, 35 tackles for a loss, and 24 sacks. Anytime I see a major college player with 59 plays behind the line of scrimmage in 26 games, it grabs my attention. He has the QABS to be effective in the NFL and appears to have the ability to convert his speed to power, which is necessary at the next level. If he runs well at the Combine, he could start to climb.23. Jaylon Smith, LB, Notre Dame
A late injury might be the only thing keeping this young man from being closer to the top ten. He can play any of the linebacker spots and probably is better suited for a 4-3 defense. He had close to 300 tackles in three seasons and plays the pass well enough to be a nickel ‘backer.24. Eli Apple, CB, Ohio State
Some have him in the second round, and he may very well wind up there, but after watching three Ohio State games, he has some traits of Richard Sherman as a CB, with solid skills to turn and run, close and compete for the ball. His four interceptions at Ohio State doesn’t give a true representation of his play ability.25. Sheldon Rankins, DT, Louisville
He had a solid week at the Senior Bowl and demonstrated throughout the 2015 season that he can be a penetrating three technique. In the past two years, he has 42 plays behind the line of scrimmage.26. Jason Spriggs, LT, Indiana
There really aren’t many left tackle candidates in this draft, especially for all the teams that need one. Before the Senior Bowl he was being advertised as a right tackle candidate, but he did enough at practice and in the game to turn people’s heads. Every year, offensive linemen that come to Mobile as second round prospects leave as first round guys, and Spriggs could be that guy in 2016.27. Jack Conklin, LT, Michigan State
Conklin decided to not attend the Senior Bowl and I believe it would have helped his draft status. He can play left and right tackle, and his run blocking skills are as solid as his pass blocking. He should rise as the draft approaches and the NFL line coaches get into Michigan State to work him out.28. Vernon Butler, DT, Louisiana State
Coaches paid a lot of attention to Butler during Senior Bowl week, and for good reason. He can play! At 6’4, 325, he has the ability to play in any front.29. Reggie Ragland, LB, Alabama
Another in a long line of solid linebackers from Alabama. He can lineup in the NFL right now on the inside, call a defense, and take on the run game. Ezekiel Elliott told me no one ever hit him harder than Ragland. He came to the Senior Bowl to prove he could rush the passer from the outside linebacker spot.30. Jonathan Bullard, DE, Florida
Three year production total included 142 tackles, 29 tackles for a loss, and 11 sacks. He appears to be able to play across the front. If he runs as fast as advertised at the Combine, he could move up the list.31. Hunter Henry, TE, Arkansas
The TE class is shallow this year, but if your team needs a tight end this is the top choice. I do like Nick Vannett as my second choice, but Henry is the complete player. He can block and averaged 14 yards on 111 receptions in his career.32. Vadal Alexander, OG, Louisiana State
I watched big Vadal all week at the Senior Bowl, and at times he looked like a man among boys. He can play tackle, but excels at guard. Any team looking to protect the midline pocket passer will love his skill set.33. Kevin Dodd, DE, Clemson
An NFL left defensive end in a 4-3, or a 5-technique in a 3-4. He has pass rush skills. A one year wonder in some people’s eyes, but the tapes don’t lie, and 36 plays behind the line of scrimmage in 2015 tells the tale of a solid prospect.34. Leonard Floyd, OLB, Georgia
I may move him up when I get done watching enough of his games, but he was benched for a short period of time in 2015 and really is an OLB pass rusher.35. Derrick Henry, RB, Alabama
Henry has been under the microscope since winning the Heisman, and his critics say he’s a front side power runner. There are teams that really like this type of runner. In the second round it will be hard for zone scheme teams to pass up a back like this.36. Kendall Fuller, DB, Virginia Tech
Injury issues are part of the equation for Fuller, unfortunately. But he can play, and comes from an NFL family. His 2014 efforts would have made him a first round pick and his pro day, when he’s healthy, will go a long way towards putting him in the first round.37. Mackensie Alexander, CB, Clemson
A lot of people already have him high up in the first round. I talked to a few scouts who visit Clemson on a pretty regular basis, and they warned me to temper the excitement. The kid has coverage skills, but has never had an interception. More work to be done here.38. Adolphus Washington, DE, Ohio State
I watched him a lot at the Senior Bowl. He has very good get off and really fits in a 4-3 scheme as a left end or tackle. He had some off the field issues, but may have answered them at the Senior Bowl during interviews with coaches and scout. He had 13 sacks and close to 30 tackles for a loss in college.39. Connor Cook, QB, Michigan State
There was a time when he was the top rated QB in the draft. So many teams are looking for that ‘future’ QB in the second and third rounds after they take care of their primary needs. His completion percentage is under 60%, but Michigan State throws a lot more balls down the field. He does have 70 touchdown passes in three seasons.40. Darron Lee, OLB, Ohio State
Here’s a hybrid linebacker with safety skills, which means he can stay on the field for all three downs. He’s a 4-3 WLB with coverage skills to play in the slot, but also had 12 sacks in two seasons.February 16, 2016 at 10:34 pm in reply to: NFL salary cap expected to be at least $155M…and how the Rams look #39119znModeratorJT says it’s actually more, ie. closer to 50 M.
from NFL chat with Jim Thomas
link: http://theramshuddle.com/topic/nfl-chat-with-jim-thomas-216/
The last time I checked the Rams had $115 million committed against the cap for 2016, w/the cap expected to be at about $155 million. But I don’t think those figures reflect the $6 million in unspent cap money from 2015 that can be carried over. So I think when all is said and done the Rams will be approaching $50 million in cap space _ far more than they’ve had at any point during their time in St. Louis. And enough to sign or re-sign whoever they want without cutting Long, Saffold, and Cook. But since you’ve asked, Long counts $14.25 million against the cap in 2016. Releasing him outright would save 9.75 million. Cook counts $8.3 million against the cap; releasing him saves $6 million. Saffold is a little bit more of a push and his contract is more complicated. He counts $6 million against the cap in ’16, and releasing him I believe saves $2.5 million.
znModeratorAnd scouts said I had the grace and savvy of a young Steve Dils at my pro day.
I thought the scout who said that WAS Steve Dils.
Sorry, but…he says that about everyone.
znModeratorEmotional John Lilly reflects on time spent coaching at Georgia
http://www.macon.com/sports/college/sec/university-of-georgia/bulldogs-beat/article52753015.html
JACKSONVILLE, FLA. John Lilly lowered his head and began fighting back the few tears welling up inside of his eyes.
It’s an emotional time for Lilly, who has spent the last eight years at Georgia as a tight ends coach. He spent Saturday’s TaxSlayer Bowl, a 24-17 victory over Penn State, as the interim offensive coordinator after the coaching changes that took place at the end of the regular season.
Lilly doesn’t know what’s next when it comes to his coaching career. But he was thrilled to help Georgia finish its 2015 regular season with a win.
“You want to know the truth? And people don’t believe you when you say this but every fiber in my being wanted to win this football game, and for the most part that’s all I’ve been focusing on,” Lilly said. “Our kids deserved that. I love every one of those guys in that locker room.”
Lilly isn’t being retained by incoming head coach Kirby Smart and is in wait-and-see mode with his career. Whatever job he gets – whether it’s as a college or NFL assistant – he has a pretty good resume to show prospective employers. He’s 2-0 as a college play-caller, having added this game to last year’s Belk Bowl victory over Louisville.
It’s easy to see why it’s hard for Lilly to leave a place he’s spent eight years at. But given how the coaching profession works, Lilly understands why the business works out the way it does.
“I might lose my man card on this but I’ve been emotional a couple of times this week,” Lilly said. “Like right now. You love the guys you go to battle with as coaches. You love the players. We’ve got some great, great kids. I hope some of my kids grow up to be like these kids when they get to that age. That’s life. People have to go their separate ways at times.”
Lilly joined Georgia’s coaching staff in 2008 and has been a part of two SEC Eastern Division championship teams. The 2012 team Lilly coached on was five yards away from winning the SEC Championship, which perhaps would have changed, or prevented, everything that transpired over the past month.
Lilly knows what the end goal is for a coaching staff, especially when someone such as his former boss Mark Richt is in place at a major program for 15 years. And while the end goal never materialized, Lilly said plenty was accomplished during his time with the Bulldogs.
“We may have failed to win a national championship. But we did not fail, in my mind,” Lilly said. “All of the positive things that came when coach Richt was the head coach, I’ve only been here for eight years of it and those were eight special years. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I haven’t had any regrets.”
znModeratorCromwell and Avery are in.
So we know that along with Manumaleuna, they run a 2 TE offense.
znModeratorToby Wright?
Jim Youngblood (only had 2 complete seasons from 1976-1983).
And as long as I am there, Carl Ekern.
Maybe I will replace Wells with Rich Saul. Saul’s nickname, after all, was “Hospital.”
February 16, 2016 at 6:15 pm in reply to: Rams & qbs in free agency (from RG3 to possibly Fitzpatrick) #39099znModeratorwe’ll see, but while griffin may be an arrogant sob, there’s nothing to me that indicates he can’t mature as a person and become a better teammate and leader. and with repetitions i don’t see why he can’t improve his qb skills as well if he applies himself.
Tell you what. If they sign Griffin, and he proves to be a distraction or the guy being complained about in the stuff I posted, then, you owe the board a million dollars. Fair enough?
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