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znModeratorAmendola
good one…I also forgot Manumaleuna
znModeratorIt aint because he’s funded by some rightwing machine.
You do know no one said conspiracy theories are funded directly by an rw machine. In fact saying that would be a conspiracy theory.
But there are resources out there that are supported by private money, yes. They provide access and distribution but there’s no conspirator making up conspiracy theories and putting them in people’s heads.
And the popularity of this one guy doesn’t have anything to do with that either way. There’s always all kindsa guys out there. But in given years, certain kinds of issues take massive precedence…like the energy time and money spent on proving Obama was this or that foreign thing.
February 16, 2016 at 2:32 pm in reply to: Rams & qbs in free agency (from RG3 to possibly Fitzpatrick) #39084znModeratorAdam Schefter @AdamSchefter
Redskins and QB Kirk Cousins have broken off contract talks, per team source. No further talks scheduled.znModeratorHow Paxton Lynch went from overlooked recruit to potential top QB pick in NFL draft
Eric Adelson
Yahoo Sports
DELTONA, Fla. – Paxton Lynch woke up on the morning of the Central Florida high school football all-star game in 2011 and figured there was no reason to be nervous.
“I thought the all-star game was gonna be possibly my last game,” Lynch said last Friday. “I thought of it like that. I went out and enjoyed myself.”
.Paxton Lynch’s throwing hand measures nearly a foot across from pinkie to thumb. (Yahoo Sports)
A little more than four years later, Lynch is a likely NFL first-round pick, and possibly destined for a top-three spot depending on what teams see in him over the coming weeks.
Lynch is 6-foot-7, hoping to run a sub-4.7 40-yard-dash later this month at the NFL scouting combine, and he has a massive throwing hand that measures nearly a foot. “I’m trying to blow people away with my size and athletic ability,” he says, and he just might do that.
So how did Lynch fall completely off the radar in the recruiting-crazy state of Florida? Why was he a week removed from signing day in 2012 and preparing himself for a post-college life of “probably working with my dad”?
What makes his story even more odd is that Florida, UCF and even Florida State could have used Lynch last season. None of these schools are overrun with quarterbacks. It got to the point during Lynch’s senior year of high school that a local sportswriter who covered the team regularly asked himself, “What can I do to get Paxton noticed?”
Deltona is a small, working-class suburb of Orlando, along Interstate 4 about halfway from downtown toward Daytona. Not too far off the highway is a religious school of about 600 kids called Trinity Christian Academy. It graduated its first class, of eight students, in 1987. By the time Paxton Lynch arrived after being home-schooled as a child, most of the K-through-12 grades had around 40 students.
“We’re a tiny, tiny, tiny school,” says athletic director Buddy Shacklette, who wrote for the Daytona News-Journal before coming to the academy. “We actually are known for baseball.”
It’s hard to believe the school is known for any sport, as the weight room is converted from an old band room and still has wooden boards on the wall to muffle the sound of music. Behind the school sits the athletic department, which is a trailer left over from I-4 construction. Inside, a helmet sits on top of a washing machine in the team meeting room, and the coach’s office has a floor made from an old basketball court. The football team does not have space to practice, so it regularly busses 10 minutes down the road to a community park, where it works out in a field near a playground. Hundreds of quarterbacks in Texas have facilities that rival college and even professional programs, and a potential No. 1 NFL pick comes from here.
“We probably need to track down his jersey,” Shacklette says.
.Here’s the headquarters of Trinity Christian Academy’s athletic department. (Yahoo Sports)
There was still another obstacle to Lynch getting discovered: the Trinity offense. It ran the Wing-T while he was there, which more or less turned him into a dual-threat passer with only one threat. Lynch was a good athlete, and a good runner, but he also had a strong arm (as does his brother, Evan, who played baseball), which he seldom used.
“We always wondered as reporters,” Shackette says, “Why wouldn’t you turn this kid loose?”
Lynch found himself wondering the same.
“I always looked at other teams’ stats, and they’re throwing the ball 25, 30 times a day,” he says. “Why aren’t we doing that?”
The frustration bubbled when Lynch went to camps and still received little attention. It didn’t help that he bruised his knee before his senior season and missed time, but that didn’t explain it fully. He was a three-star Rivals prep and his only interest, he says, came from Bethune-Cookman, Florida A&M and Florida Tech.
“We went to the camps,” says Paxton’s father, David. “Everyone had a chance to see him. They were just worried about the small school.”
The Lynches stayed with Trinity anyway, even though many families would have headed for a bigger stage. They liked the education, and even liked the Wing-T, as Paxton enjoyed running the football. They figured it would all work out somehow.
“We just kept trusting in God, that he was going to put him in the right position,” David Lynch says. “It was hard for him sometimes. He knows he’s good enough; why doesn’t anybody believe the same thing?”
The all-star game was more or less the last shot, even though Paxton figured the last shot might already have passed. “It was an all-star game,” he says now. “People really don’t care.”
People started to care after Lynch won MVP honors, throwing for two touchdowns and running for another. Still, not much materialized. Then Florida offensive coordinator Charlie Weis showed strong interest, but he took the head job at Kansas. Brent Pease, the ensuing offensive coordinator, picked up the thread, but he seemed to prefer Skyler Mornhinweg, the son of long-time NFL offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg.
“They were gonna wait to see what he was going to do and I wasn’t going to sit around waiting on y’all,” Lynch says. “He ended up committing and I don’t know what he’s doing now.” (Mornhinweg transferred to Columbia.)
That left the door open for Memphis, which found out about Lynch because an assistant athletic director read a recruiting story about overlooked prep players.
.Paxton Lynch blossomed enough at Memphis to be considered a potential Day 1 draftee in the NFL. (AP)
“Someone said there was a kid in Florida,” says Justin Fuente, then at Memphis. “We sent a coach down there, met with him. We tried to scare up as much video as we could. We scoured the Internet. We had some footage from the all-star game and that was about it. It was a quick evaluation.”
Fuente offered without ever seeing Lynch throw live.Lynch visited on the last possible day, and committed.
Then, on signing day, UCF lost top quarterback recruit Jonathan Wallace to Auburn. Then coach George O’Leary asked offensive coordinator Charlie Taaffe if he had a Plan B, and Taaffe rushed to call Lynch. By then it was too late.
Lynch starred for Memphis, even entering the Heisman conversation at one point last year. Fuente is now Frank Beamer’s replacement at Virginia Tech, and UCF’s O’Leary resigned in October.
Had Taaffe called a week sooner, “I’d probably still be there,” he says with a half-laugh.
Taaffe has seen something similar before: Blake Bortles was also an overlooked prep in this area. Many college coaches saw him as a tight end, if that. He committed to Taaffe and UCF, won a BCS bowl game and became a top-three NFL pick. “There are a lot of parallels,” says Taaffe, who is now training Lynch for the combine at D1 training center in nearby Lake Mary. It’s notable how in a world of social media and YouTube and the constant search for the franchise quarterback, some of the top passing prospects – including Carson Wentz of North Dakota State – are all but completely missed.
“He’s a product of early recruiting,” Fuente says of Lynch. “There are so many early offers now. Coaches get filled up and they can’t offer even if they like him. It’s a classic example of a guy who hasn’t reached his peak as a junior in high school.”
Another possible bonus for would-be NFL teams is that prospects like Lynch and Wentz “aren’t catered to” in the words of Taaffe. They aren’t presumptuous and they often like to learn. Lynch, like Bortles, intends to throw at the combine in the hopes of impressing rather than maintaining some preconceived level of hype.
There is a downside, though, and it’s especially so in Lynch’s case: inexperience. He had almost no passing game in high school, and the system he ran at Memphis is not all that similar to what he’ll be using in Cleveland or Dallas or Houston or wherever he lands.
“[There are] things Paxton didn’t do a lot of in college that he’s going to be required to do in the NFL,” Taaffe says. “Which is playing under center, both in the run game and the pass game. He didn’t do much of those things at all at Memphis and that will be a transition for him. He very rarely was in the huddle. Everything was up-tempo, look over to the sidelines to get the play. They don’t do that on Sundays.”
So a big part of Lynch’s pre-combine learning curve is classroom work. When he’s not doing cardio or weights, he is breaking down tape.
.An NFL dream might be realized this spring for David and Paxton Lynch. (Yahoo Sports)
“I really didn’t know that much about football in high school,” he says. “Then I learned everything in college.”
He will have to learn everything again in the months to come. Taaffe says Lynch’s football IQ is “outstanding,” but he struggled in Memphis’ bowl game, where Lynch threw for 104 yards, no touchdowns and had an interception against Auburn, which took a lot of his trusted screen passes away.
“They kind of got after us a little bit,” Lynch says. “It was a bad note to end on.”
He’ll have to be patient, and his new fan base will have to be too. Even Bortles played in a college offense more suited to the NFL, and he had to learn a lot of his footwork in his first summer as a pro. It’s been only a little over three years since Lynch was playing quarterback and safety on a team of 22 kids who dressed for games in a trailer; now the Auburn defense will look slow compared to what he’s about to see. He just turned 22 on Friday.
“It’s crazy, but it’s enjoyable,” he says. “Whenever I feel like I’m overwhelmed, I need to relax, I sit back and think about how blessed I am to be here.”
Lynch’s father says that one of his son’s goals for his first pro year is to start a camp for two-star players who might have been overlooked. Regardless of his success after getting drafted, he is a shining example for late-bloomers and small-school stars. For every Cam Newton and Peyton Manning, there’s a Paxton Lynch, waking up on the day of a big high school game and wondering if anyone out there will ever notice him.
znModeratorForbes: The Rams’ Big Move Comes With Big Risks
http://www.forbes.com/sites/brianmenickella/2016/02/15/the-nfls-disney-world-a-big-move-with-big-risks/#7425a27d1012Our beloved football season is now over, but there is still much to discuss. Was this Peyton Manning’s last season on an NFL roster? How will the Carolina Panthers rebound from a disappointing loss viewed by over 110 million people? Was that the best halftime show ever? The questions stemming from the results of the 50th Super Bowl in Santa Clara can dominate any headline, yet much of the talk has been about a different California city and its reemergence in the NFL.
56,000 deposits collected for season tickets in 2016. Magic Johnson has not been able to contain his excitement. A town known for its bright lights and stars just added another shiny notch in the diamond-studded belt—and it’s a big one.
The Rams are officially returning to Los Angeles. After a tumultuous several years of back and forth negotiations, protests and bargaining, the United States’ second largest media market once again has a football team to add to its impressive list of attractions. The city of St. Louis has found itself on the losing end of this equation, and with the mass exodus comes questions regarding the influence of a sports team on a community’s economy. How will they recover?
Welcome Back
The Rams’ proposal was approved after several years of ongoing debates regarding funding and location issues for any team considering a move to Los Angeles—the city made it clear that there would be no taxpayer funds allocated to help build a stadium for any franchise looking to move. In the past, the city allowed taxpayers to foot the bill, therefore, NFL owners petitioning for a new stadium deal have used a move to Los Angeles as a leveraging tactic of sorts, dangling the possibility of a Browns-like fiasco over the heads of their fans.
That leverage is now gone, as the community welcomes its former football team back into the fold after the Rams’ original departure in 1995. With a plan to have a stadium built in nearby Inglewood by 2019, the venue which is estimated to total $3 billion once completed, will provide several entertainment opportunities besides watching football on Sundays, including “an adjacent 6,000-seat performing arts venue, a ‘Champions Plaza’, a lake with waterfalls, retail and office space, a hotel, housing, and 41,000 parking spaces within 1.5 miles of the complex.”
All of these amenities are flashy and sell headlines, but can this bold move by owner Stan Kroenke prove to be a success once the dust settles? With so many factors playing into a franchise’s rise and fall, it’s somewhat difficult to nail down the Rams long-term earning potential in Los Angeles and how it would compare with its St. Louis counterpart.
It’s a Business After All
The current belief and widespread thinking is that with Los Angeles’ significantly larger market size, there will be an inevitable rise in merchandising sales, fan endorsement and tax revenue that both the city and the franchise can mutually benefit from. Along with an estimated 40,000 jobs being created due to the construction process and ongoing operations, anyone with some common sense would deduce that a city garners more revenue as a result of a professional sports team joining its economy.
As it turns out with so many assumptions made in today’s age, the end result is not as clear cut as it sounds.
According to Vanderbilt sports economist Josh Vrooman, a stadium’s impact on a city’s economy is often unfounded and overblown. “The net local impact of a professional sports team is zero, if not negative sum, particularly for an NFL team playing in a monolithic space-eating stadium,” Vrooman said in an email conversation with the Los Angeles Daily News. “The stadiums are rarely used, and the economic architecture is designed so as to hermetically capture almost all of the gains within the venue.”
Impact studies for venues like the Inglewood project tend to leave out factors that can negatively influence an area’s profitability. Increases in traffic congestion, the diversion of economic activity which may weaken the surrounding area’s small businesses, and low-paying seasonal wages for stadium employees are just some of the concerns moving forward.
In order for the stadium project (and essentially the Rams as a whole) to be successful in Los Angeles, economists cite the ability to use the venue for purposes other than football as a way to maximize its earning potential. Kroenke plans on doing just that, creating a layout for the complex that one anonymous owner in Los Angeles likens to a “NFL Disney World.”
Utilizing a stadium for only ten Sundays a year doesn’t make sense, and it’s crucial for the Rams organization to establish its venue as an “entertainment experience” in order to draw in non-football fans looking for the glitz and glamour of Los Angeles’ nightly antics.
What Happens Next
Seemingly forgotten in the hype and headlines of the big move, St. Louis finds itself picking up the pieces after what now looks like a temporary rental of a pro football franchise. Regardless of the team’s recent struggles, the Rams had an established fan base due to a championship pedigree found early on in St. Louis—a time famously known as the “Greatest Show on Turf.”
Now that the city’s team of 21-years has skipped town, what’s the next chapter for St. Louis, and will the Rams’ absence severely affect the city’s progress moving forward?
It’s not as grim as one might think when all is considered. By losing out on keeping its franchise, the city of St. Louis and Missouri as a whole managed to save an estimated $550 million in public funding—money that would have been used to build a new stadium demanded by Kroenke.
On top of the immense amount of taxpayer dollars being saved for public service improvements (schools, parks, infrastructure, etc.), the tax subsidies that had to be promised in order to build a new stadium is a crummy deal nixed before it could do any real harm.
Although St. Louis was receiving $4.2 million year from collecting taxes on tickets, concessions and other transactions, part of the deal to keep the team in Missouri included having the city pledge all “game day” revenue towards financing a new stadium. Now city goers can spend more on bars, restaurants and other local businesses that don’t require tax subsidies.
In the end, St. Louis taxpayers and citizens came up with a surprising win. The Rams unintentionally saved the city and state from spending hundreds of millions of dollars that could be better used elsewhere. And while the big move will leave some football diehards reeling, hope for sports-crazed St. Louisans is still on the horizon—opening day is only a month and a half away.
Brian Menickella is a co-founder and managing partner of The Beacon Group of Companies, a broad-based financial services firm.
znModeratorThere seems
to be so much of it in the last ten years.Starting with Clinton, right-wing conspiracy theories are more prevalent and constant during democratic presidencies.
That’s at least in part because they are well-funded. There’s well-funded resources out there that sort of act like gas stations for people, and fuel the thing.
February 16, 2016 at 9:43 am in reply to: Rams & qbs in free agency (from RG3 to possibly Fitzpatrick) #39072znModeratorand i have read the articles by chris cooley ripping his game apart.
That article was so damming, it doesn’t amount to anything as simple as switching systems. RG3 did not know how to do basic stuff in the offense, and that goes way beyond switching systems. I have never seen a coach rip into a qb like Gruden did with RG3, and that was with the owner making it clear RG3 was a favorite of his…Gruden defied him.
I don’t see how you could read that article and see anything other than a qb struggling to even grasp the basics.
The guy has huge problems, and it doesn’t help that his own teammates don’t think highly of him.
===
ROBERT GRIFFIN III TEAMMATES APPLAUD BENCHING ‘Now We Can Start Winning’
Several members of the Washington Redskins tell TMZ Sports … they’re PUMPED the team is benching RG3 … with one player saying, “Now we can start winning games.”
We spoke with a handful of Redskins players — all of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity — and they were all on the same page … they’ve been wanting the move for a while.
One player told us, “We’re relieved. This is good for the team.”
Another player was more blunt … saying, “We have a better chance of winning with [Kirk Cousins] than Robert Griffin. Sometimes teams need a change and we obviously did.”
Even the defense is excited — with one starter saying, “The team is excited with the change. We are all looking forward to Kirk leading us this season.”===
Report: Several Washington offensive linemen dislike RG3
Michael David Smith
Report: Several Washington offensive linemen dislike RG3
As Robert Griffin III morphed from the rookie of the year in 2012 to a huge disappointment in 2013, questions started to be raised about whether his offensive line disliked him. At one point late in the 2013 season, it was observed that Washington’s offensive linemen hardly ever helped Griffin up after sacks, and reports out of the team’s locker room began to indicate that players were tired of Griffin’s refusal to take the blame when things went wrong.
Two years later, Griffin still doesn’t seem to be winning any friends in the locker room.
At today’s press conference, Griffin was asked about problems with the team’s pass protection. Although Griffin said he wouldn’t point fingers at his offensive linemen, he also didn’t put the blame on himself, even though many observers have pointed to Griffin’s lack of pocket awareness as a bigger problem than Washington’s offensive line.
According to Jason Reid of ESPN, Griffin sidestepping his own responsibility for making the line look worse than it played is exactly the kind of thing that causes him problems in the locker room. Reid wrote on Twitter after Griffin’s press conference that coaches say “several” offensive linemen dislike Griffin.
There seem to be two problems facing Griffin. The more important one is that he simply hasn’t played very well since suffering a severe knee injury at the end of his rookie season. But another problem is that he hasn’t shown that he has the leadership qualities that a quarterback needs. And until he starts playing better, it’s hard to see how he’ll be able to rally his teammates around him.
===
znModeratorThat is exactly what Vince Foster said about Benghazi right before his emails turned up in Whitewater.
So, those are the guys who killed Scalia?
On email?
In Bengazzara?
.
znModeratorIn fact it fans the flames.
There will be very few flames.
That’s my bet.
znModeratorJared Goff “confident” he’ll be best quarterback in draft
Josh Alper
Jared Goff “confident” he’ll be best quarterback in draft
The Scouting Combine gets underway next week, kicking off the pre-draft evaluation process for all 32 teams.
Given the importance of quarterbacks to success in the NFL, the top players at that position will get close scrutiny from any team in need of one. That group is made up of Cal’s Jared Goff, North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz and Memphis’ Paxton Lynch right now and Goff explained to Peter King of TheMMQB.com why he thinks he’s the right choice for a team looking for a long-term solution.
“I think my accuracy is as good as it gets at this level,” Goff said. “I think my pocket presence and my ability to extend plays speak for themselves. I’m confident I’ll be the best quarterback in the draft.”
Goff is working with former Cardinals and Colts quarterback Ryan Lindley as he prepares for the combine, where he said he plans to take part in all of the drills. Any team taking Goff will hope that his talent proves more formidable than what Lindley’s displayed during his time in the league and that will be especially true if the Browns, who pick second, decide to hitch Goff to new coach Hue Jackson. The Browns don’t have the best history with drafting quarterbacks, but Goff says he’s not intimidated by the possibility of being the next would-be answer to the team’s prayers.
“I’m not worried about it,” Goff said. “I’m excited about it. Whatever team I go to, I’ll be excited to go. I want to be the future of a franchise. I think I can be a guy who can make an impact right away.”
The Browns could use such a guy, which should make all three of the quarterbacks of great interest to Cleveland over the coming weeks.
znModeratorAccording to Fisher, the Rams have had no internal discussions about Peyton Manning. Didn’t say they weren’t interested in Manning if he doesn’t retire, just that they haven’t discussed it.
I don’t think they will shut (or open) any particular door at this point.
I really liked the fact that he said this draft is deep at qb, ie. there’s intriguing guys after the 1st round.
znModeratorPFF’S TOP 75 FREE AGENTS OF 2016
Matt Claassen reveals the top 75 players on the free agent market, selected by PFF’s team of senior analysts.
https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2016/02/15/pro-pffs-top-75-free-agents-of-2016/
Free agency kicks off in less than a month, so we are taking a look at the best players available this offseason. Our senior analysts have taken everything from past performance, age, injury history and more into account to give you our top 75 player about to hit the free agent market. The list is not based on what players will earn in their next deals, but rather how we think they’ll play going forward.
We will continue to update the list as cuts, franchise tags, and re-signings take place, so keep checking back to stay up to date.
(Editor’s note: This is the initial list, published on Feb. 15, 2016)
1. Von Miller, OLB
2015 team: Denver BroncosMiller is technically a free agent, but let’s be honest—he’s not going anywhere. The Super Bowl MVP is an elite defender whose stock couldn’t be higher after an outstanding playoff run.
2. Alshon Jeffery, WR
2015 team: Chicago BearsJeffery struggled with injury in 2015, but was among the best receivers this season when he was on the field. His 2.87 yards-per-route-run ranked fourth among wide receivers. Jeffery is by far the top talent in an otherwise lackluster wide receiver free agent pool.
3. Josh Norman, CB
2015 team: Carolina PantersNorman built upon a good 2014 season to blossom into one of the best cover cornerbacks in the league; he led all CBs with a 54.0 passer rating allowed into his coverage during the regular season.
4. Muhammad Wilkerson, DE
2015 team: New York JetsHis recovery from a broken leg might be a bit of a question mark, but he has finished among the top five 3-4 defensive ends in our grading in three of his four years in the league.
5. Olivier Vernon, DE
2015 team: Miami DolphinsVernon broke out in a contract year with a 92.5 overall grade that ranked behind only Khalil Mack and Von Miller among edge defenders. He had a league-high 57 total pressures over the final eight weeks of the season.
6. Jason Pierre-Paul, DE
2015 team: New York GiantsJPP did not play as well against the run as he has in the past, but 41 total pressures and six batted passes in half a season proved he can still make an impact.
7. Kelechi Osemele, G/OT
2015 team: Baltimore RavensOsemele is best suited as a guard, but has the versatility that teams value. He was a top-10 guard each of the last two years prior to moving to tackle.
8. Eric Berry, S
2015 team: Kansas City ChiefsOur Comeback Player of the Year regained his 2013 form to finish as the sixth-ranked safety in overall grade and coverage grade.
9. Malik Jackson, DE
2015 team: Denver BroncosThat’s back-to-back great seasons for Jackson, who can play a variety of defensive line techniques. He makes his mark as a pass rusher, but also plays well against the run. He’s tied for the seventh-most total pressures in the regular season among interior defenders.
10. Cordy Glenn, OT
2015 team: Buffalo BillsGlenn ranked 11th among all offensive tackles in pass-blocking efficiency while allowing just two sacks and two hits all season. He was our 10th-ranked tackle overall tackle and has continued to improve as a pass-blocker each year.
11. Kirk Cousins, QB
2015 team: Washington RedskinsCousins was a nice surprise for Washington in his first full year as a starter. In fact, he had the eighth-best passing grade over the last nine weeks of the regular season. His 78.5 accuracy percentage ranked second in the league. While he needs to be more consistent week to week, he showed improvement in 2015.
12. Eric Weddle, S
2015 team: San Diego ChargersWeddle is still one of the better coverage safeties in the league, but did not have his best year in run defense. His 85.9 coverage grade ranked second among safeties in 2015.
13. Sean Smith, CB
2015 team: Kansas CitySmith posted three solid seasons with Kansas City to become their No. 1 corner. He allowed a reception once for every 12.7 coverage snaps in 2015, 12th-best among corners with at least 400 snaps in coverage.
14. Danny Trevathan, LB
2015 team: Denver BroncosTrevathan is a well-rounded, young player who ranked fifth among inside linebackers in run stop percentage and tackling efficiency in 2015.
15. Sam Bradford, QB
2015 team: Philadelphia EaglesBradford led the league in accuracy percentage when under pressure and had just two negatively-graded games from Week 4 and on. He played over 1,000 snaps for the first time since 2012, but his injury history is certainly something for teams to consider.
16. Richie Incognito, G
2015 team: Buffalo BillsIncognito returned to the field in dominant fashion as our top-ranked left guard last season. His strength is his run-blocking, but he has been good in pass protection over the years as well. Incognito hasn’t finished a season with a negative grade in pass- or run-blocking since 2007.
17. Damon Harrison, NT
2015 team: New York JetsHarrison is the premier run-stuffing nose tackle in the league. He’s had the highest run-stop percentage among defensive tackles each of the last three years, and his 18.1 percent last year was the highest in the PFF era among interior defenders with at least 200 snaps in run defense.
18. Evan Mathis, G
2015 team: Denver BroncosWith a new team in 2015, his performance dipped a bit, but he still finished with the highest run-blocking grade among guards for the fourth time in five years.
19. Doug Martin, RB
2015 team: Tampa Bay BuccaneersMartin had a career-season with an overall grade of 87.8 in his contract year with the Buccaneers. His 57 missed tackles forced and 906 yards after contact led the league. He’s just 27, and if he can stay healthy, he could be one of the few options for a long-term solution for a team.
20. Robert Ayers, DE
2015 team: New York GiantsAyers hasn’t managed to expand his role to more than primarily a pass-rusher, but he’s been excellent in that regard. He’s ranked in the top 12 for pass-rushing productivity among 4-3 defensive ends each of the last three years, including the top mark of 15.2 in 2014.
21. Derrick Johnson, LB
2015 team: Kansas City ChiefsThe 33-year-old has long been one of the best inside linebackers over the last several years. Outside of an injury in 2014, he hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down. Johnson ranked in the top eight among all off-ball linebackers in coverage and run defense last season.
22. Nick Fairley, DT
2015 team: St. Louis RamsFairley settled for a one-year deal with the Rams last season, and had his highest-graded year, despite being limited in playing time.
23. Donald Penn, OT
2015 team: Oakland RaidersThe veteran left tackle is aging, but plenty of teams can use a reliable pass protector these days. Penn has also missed just 52 snaps over the past eight years.
24. Casey Hayward, CB
2015 team: Green Bay PackersHayward hasn’t quite replicated his excellent rookie year, but he has earned a positive coverage grade in each of his four seasons. If he can stay healthy again going forward, he’s free agency’s best option for a slot cornerback.
25. Kelvin Beachum, OT
2015 team: Pittsburgh SteelersIf not for his ACL injury last season, he may have been higher on this list. Beachum was one of the best pass protectors in 2014, allowing just 19 total pressures during the regular season.
26. George Iloka, S
2015 team: Cincinnati BengalsIloka is a well-rounded safety who has graded positively in run defense and coverage the last two seasons. In 2014, he allowed a passer rating of 18.4 when targeted in coverage, among the lowest out of all safeties that season.
27. Reggie Nelson, S
2015 team: Cincinnati BengalsBest as a deep safety, Nelson has earned positive coverage grades each of the past five seasons, with last year’s +8.1 cumulative grade being the second-highest of his nine-year career.
28. Brandon Brooks, G
2015 team: Houston TexansBrooks was a top-10 guard in 2013 and 2014 before experiencing a dip in run-blocking performance last season. On the plus side, he did have his best year in pass protection, and there is good reason to believe he can bounce back going forward for a team with a zone-heavy offense.
29. Marvin Jones, WR
2015 team: Cincinnati BengalsJones probably isn’t suited for a No. 1 receiver role, but he’s definitely proven to be an effective starter, particularly with his work after the catch.
30. Jerrell Freeman, LB
2015 team: Indianapolis ColtsFreeman drastically improved his run defense and tackling efficiency in 2015, after having his worst season against the run in 2014. He’s good in coverage, but which player will we see in run defense going forward?
31. Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB
2015 team: New York JetsHe’s had his ups and downs over the years, but has also shown that he can be an effective starter in the league, and should be a consideration for a few teams.
32. William Hayes, DE
2015 team: St. Louis RamsHayes has been very effective in a part-time role over the last four seasons with the Rams. Last year was his most effective as a pass rusher, and he ranked among the top five edge defenders in run defense grades.
33. Mitchell Schwartz, OT
2015 team: Cleveland BrownsSchwartz has been good in pass protection, but the sheer number of dropbacks have made his pressure totals look worse than his overall efficiency. He’s a reliable player who has not missed a snap in his four-year career.
34. Lamar Miller, RB
2015 team: Miami DolphinsFor the second-straight year, Miller was effective in the ground game despite running behind one of the worst run-blocking offensive lines in the league. At 24-years-old and having averaged fewer than 200 rush attempts over the last three seasons, Miller should have several good years ahead of him.
35. Ramon Foster, G
2015 team: Pittsburgh SteelersFoster has consistently been an above-average pass protector, and he earned a career-high run-blocking grade in 2015.
36. Bruce Irvin, LB
2015 team: Seattle SeahawksIrvin’s athleticism has allowed his role to evolve over the years with the Seahawks, and his run defense has improved at the same time. However, his per-snap pass-rushing productivity has dipped as he’s asked to do more in coverage; he still might be best suited as solely a pass rusher.
37. Adam Jones, CB
2015 team: Cincinnati BengalsWhen it comes to strictly on-field performance, Jones has always fared well in coverage. He plays almost exclusively on the outside, and is coming off his second-highest coverage grade since 2007.
38. Tashuan Gipson, S
2015 team: Cleveland BrownsIn every free agent market, there are players who have fantastic highs, but dreadful lows. Gipson might be the best example of that this offseason. He was a top-10 coverage safety two years ago, but dropped all the way into the bottom 10 in 2015.
39. Jaye Howard, DE
2015 team: Kansas City ChiefsHoward had some great run defense performances early on in 2015, and even though he didn’t sustain it for the full season, it was still impressive to see as his first full year as a starter.
40. Trumaine Johnson, CB
2015 team: St. Louis RamsJohnson had his best season as a starter in 2015, allowing a 55.0 passer rating when targeted—second-lowest at the position.
41. Janoris Jenkins, CB
2015 team: St. Louis RamsIt’s tough to know what you are getting with Jenkins week-to-week, but he has shown the ability to create big plays. He has 13+ combined pass defenses and interceptions in three of his four years as a pro, but has also allowed at least five touchdowns in every season (22 total).
42. Derrick Shelby, DE
2015 team: Miami DolphinsShelby made quite an impact in his increased role, with 41 pressures and 25 run stops as he helped replace the injured Cameron Wake.
43. Prince Amukamara, CB
2015 team: New York GiantsAmukamara is a capable starter when he’s healthy and may have been higher on the list, but he’s missed multiple games in four of his five seasons. Still, he’s graded above average in coverage over the last four years.
44. Chris Ivory, RB
2015 team: New York JetsIvory is an underrated player who doesn’t have the highest ceiling, but has been very consistent with positive rushing grades in each of his six seasons in the league. He’s forced 99 missed tackles on rush attempts over the last two years.
45. Mark Barron, LB
2015 team: St. Louis RamsBarron has fared well so far in his transition from safety to linebacker. He was still slightly below average in coverage, but was in the top-third of linebackers in run defense, despite being a little undersized.
46. Patrick Robinson, CB
2015 team: San Diego ChargersRobinson allowed more than 30 receiving yards just once all season in his first year with the Chargers. The inconsistency he displayed with the Saints is still a concern, though.
47. Rolando McClain, LB
2015 team: Dallas Cowboys2015 was somewhat of a disappointment for McClain, as he regressed in run defense in the few weeks following his return from suspension. He did play better down the stretch, and looked closer to his 2014 form, though.
48. Stefen Wisniewski, C
2015 team: Jacksonville JaguarsWisniewski had the third-highest pass-blocking efficiency among centers in 2015, as he allowed just 13 total pressures during his first season with Jacksonville. He’s a young, durable player who has missed 19 snaps over five seasons in the league.
49. Ian Williams, NT
2015 team: San Francisco 49ersWilliams is a level below Damon Harrison, but he’s a similar type of player who is a very good run defender at nose tackle.
50. Akiem Hicks, DT
2015 team: New England PatriotsThe move to New England really seemed to bring out the best of Hicks once he got settled in. He earned the highest overall grade of his career despite playing a part-time role, and had above-average grades in both run defense and pass-rushing for the first time of his career.
51. Husain Abdullah, S
2015 team: Kansas City ChiefsRegardless of whether he’s been a starter or a part-time player, Abdullah has played all over the field, and performed well in doing so. He’s earned a chance to be a full-time starter once again.
52. Walter Thurmond, S
2015 team: Philadelphia EaglesThurmond handled the transition from cornerback to safety better than could have been expected, while he also provides the flexibility to cover the slot. His +7.2 overall cumulative grade ranked 12th out of 88 qualifying safeties last season.
53. Leon Hall, CB
2015 team: Cincinnati BengalsHall isn’t quite the player he used to be, but he’s still one of the better options for slot cornerbacks in the league. He has earned positive overall grades and coverage grades in each of his nine NFL seasons.
54. Brandon Mebane, DT
2015 team: Seattle SeahawksMebane hasn’t been the same player since the Seahawks’ Super Bowl championship season, but he can surely still make some impact for a defensive front.
55. Alex Boone, G
2015 team: San Francisco 49ersBoone has historically been good in the run game, but his first negative run-blocking grade came in 2015 with a switch to the other side of the line.
56. Greg Hardy, DE
2015 team: Dallas CowboysHardy played well in Dallas, just not to the level we saw prior to his suspension. He could still be that great defender, but his off-field baggage may cause issues when trying to get a big contract.
57. Joe Barksdale, OT
2015 team: San Diego ChargersBarksdale hits the market again after a one-year deal with San Diego. He has shown good stretches of play over the last few years, and if he can sustain that level for an entire season, he could be a steal of a signing on a small contract.
58. Brandon Boykin, CB
2015 team: Pittsburgh SteelersBoykin wasn’t given much playing time early on in Pittsburgh, but once he was more involved, he continued to have success like he did in Philadelphia. Over the final five weeks of the regular season, he allowed a passer rating of 65.0 when targeted, and had the eighth-highest grade in coverage among cornerbacks.
59. Russell Okung, OT
2015 team: Seattle SeahawksA few years removed from his best, Okung has shown his potential. Maybe a change of scenery can help him regain that form. If not, at worst he’s been an average tackle over the last three seasons.
60. Matt Forte, RB
2015 team: Chicago BearsForte has hit the dreaded age 30 for running backs, but if his play over the second half of the season is any indication, he still has something left in the tank. Forte was the highest-graded rusher over the final six weeks of 2015, and could continue to be effective in a lessened role to keep him healthy.
61. Haloti Ngata, DT
2015 team: Detroit LionsLike Mebane, Ngata isn’t the run defender he once was—his -1.2 cumulative run defense grade in 2015 was the worst of his career. Still, he had one of his better pass-rushing years, as he generated 33 total pressures.
62. Manuel Ramirez, G/C
2015 team: Detroit LionsRamirez has been solid over his career and could still be a viable short-term option at age 33. He has the versatility to play either center or guard, which also helps his stock.
63. Antonio Gates, TE
2015 team: San Diego ChargersGates can still be an effective receiver as a short-term solution, despite his being one of the older players at the position. He had the seventh-highest overall grade and ninth-best yards per route run (1.79) among tight ends in 2015.
64. Nick Perry, OLB
2015 team: Green Bay PackersPerry definitely hasn’t made the impact you want from a first-round pick, but he’s been far from poor. He has shown good pass-rushing games, even though it has been largely inconsistent week-to-week.
65. Dwayne Allen, TE
2015 team: Indianapolis Colts2015 was rough for Allen, who had one of the lowest overall grades among tight ends (due largely to his performance as a run blocker) before a season-ending injury. However, good performances in 2014 and 2012 give hope for a bounce back next season for the 25-year-old.
66. Terrance Knighton, NT
2015 team: Washington RedskinsKnighton didn’t make much of an impact during his lone year in Washington, but he’s only 30, and might be able to regain his previous form that shined when he was with the Broncos.
67. Rishard Matthews, WR
2015 team: Miami DolphinsMatthews managed to earn a starting spot despite three new receivers being brought in during last offseason. His season was shortened due to injury, but he ranked among the top 20 wide receivers in receiving yards per route run.
68. Jeff Allen, G
2015 team: Kansas City ChiefsAllen turned his play around in 2015 to earn the first positive run- and pass-blocking grades of his career. However, which player is he going to be going forward: the one who graded negatively in his first three seasons, or the one who graded well in limited time in 2015?
69. Andre Smith, OT
2015 team: Cincinnati BengalsSmith is coming off the worst season of his career, but injuries and concussions may have played a part. Still, he’s just a few years removed from being our highest-graded right tackle in the league,
70. Jason Jones, DE
2015 team: Detroit LionsJones has consistently generated pressure over the last two years, and would primarily be a rotational pass-rusher going forward.
71. Mike DeVito, DE
2015 team: Kansas City ChiefsDeVito has consistently played well versus the run during his career, and should still be able to make an impact as a part-time role player.
72. Brock Osweiler, QB
2015 team: Denver BroncosOsweiler struggled some with consistency during his small sample size last year, but did show enough with positive grades in five of his eight games to earn his shot at a starting gig next year.
73. Jeremy Mincey, DE
2015 team: Dallas CowboysMincey’s playing time was cut down in 2015, and he had one of his least productive seasons with the arrival of Hardy. Prior to this past season, Mincey had earned above-average grades in five-straight seasons.
74. Ben Jones, C
2015 team: Houston TexansJones didn’t have as much success last year after moving from guard to center, but he proved capable of playing the position and should do better if he can cut down on the penalties.
75. Junior Galette, DE
2015 team: Washington RedskinsGalette has red flags with both injury and off-field concerns. Still, when it comes to strictly on-field play, he’s a proven pass rusher.
znModeratorBenFred: Who is Grubman fooling?
By Ben Frederickson
The worst thing about guys like Eric Grubman is that they feel the need to fight what, to the rest of the world, is obvious.
The NFL’s executive vice president should just shrug and admit it — yeah, the relocation game that ended with the St. Louis Rams moving to Inglewood, Calif., was rigged from the start, and I did my part, OK?
That’s how Jerry Jones rolls. St. Louis football fans probably despise the Dallas owner, but at least the billionaire doesn’t pretend to be something he’s not. He wears his power and his greed on his sleeve like a pair of platinum cufflinks. His desire to influence the Rams’ return trip to Los Angeles was as clear as the picture on the world’s largest high-definition TV at AT&T stadium.
Then there are guys like Grubman. He recently took umbrage at speculation he is in line for a job with the Los Angeles Rams, as if he didn’t use his position as the league’s point man on relocation — a position some foolishly hoped would require a shred of neutrality — to help steer Stan Kroenke and his team to the league’s desired location.
“I was personally insulted by that,” Grubman told Post-Dispatch NFL writer Jim Thomas at the Super Bowl. “I don’t like that implication or insinuation. It could not be further from the truth.”
So, Grubman says he he won’t wind up working for the Rams. Got it. But insulted? Give me a break. How dare anyone assume Grubman ends up on Kroenke’s payroll after he, you know, acted like it? He should get a check after all the hard work he put in.
Thanks to Post-Dispatch reporting, ESPN’s recent piece on the relocation process and a phone call Grubman made to The Bernie Miklasz Show, we can disregard Grubman’s hollow outrage and simply examine his actions.
• Grubman bid for the Inglewood land before Kroenke won it. So, the Chargers hopes to move to Carson, Calif., started in a pretty big hole.
• Chargers owner Dean Spanos and his Carson crew believe Grubman relayed to the Rams some Carson-specific information that helped the Rams beat the Chargers to the punch in terms of announcing their respective stadium plans.
• During the Los Angeles committee’s August meeting in Chicago, Grubman took a coffee break while the Carson team presented. When the Rams made their Inglewood pitch, he moved to the front of the room and even cleared up an owner’s question.
• In early December, one day before the St. Louis Board of Aldermen’s Ways and Means Committee voted on public financing for the St. Louis stadium task force’s proposed riverfront stadium, Grubman called into “The Bernie Miklasz Show” on 101 ESPN radio and said, among other things: “St. Louis will surely fall short of having a compelling proposal that would attract the Rams.”
Remember, this wasn’t Jones flexing his mouth and financial muscle for Inglewood, or Carolina owner Jerry Richardson flying from city to city to strong-arm support for Carson.
In the nasty battle for Los Angeles, some thought Grubman would be Switzerland. Those people now think he’s Napoleon.
The former Goldman Sachs banker isn’t alone, though. The NFL is littered with Grubman types. See Rams executive vice president Kevin Demoff. See NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.
Goodell spent part of his recent “state of the league address” linking the risk of concussions to the risk of … falling off the couch. It was as laughable as Grubman taking offense to the notion he will wind up on Kroenke’s payroll.
That’s the problem with selling out for The Shield. You can lie through your teeth, and the money will keep rolling in. But sooner or later, you wind up looking like a shill.
February 15, 2016 at 6:29 pm in reply to: 2016 mocks & rankings & general draft commentaries, thread 2 #39044znModeratorLos Angeles Rams Mock Draft Round-Up: Pre-NFL Combine
by Blaine Grisak
link: http://ramblinfan.com/2016/02/15/los-angeles-rams-mock-draft-round-up-pre-nfl-combine/
Every Monday here at Ramblin’ Fan, we take you around the web to get a glimpse at who the Los Angeles Rams may take with the 15th overall pick in the NFL Draft. This is a big week as the NFL Combine begins on February 23rd. After having what seemed like every expert having the Rams selecting quarterback Paxton Lynch, experts were all over the place last week with offense still being the top priority. Here’s this week’s mock draft round-up.
NFL.com 4-Round Mock Draft – Chad Reuter
15th – Paxton Lynch, QB, Memphis
“A new town for the Rams (same as the old town) means the need for a new strong-armed, agile gunslinger at quarterback such as Paxton Lynch.”
43. Los Angeles Rams: Kendall Fuller, CB, Virginia Tech
45. Los Angeles Rams: Tyler Boyd, WR, Pittsburgh
76. Los Angeles Rams: Jack Allen, C, Michigan State
107. Los Angeles Rams: Joe Schobert, OLB, Wisconsin
CBS Sports – Rob Rang & Dane Brugler
Rang: Jared Goff, QB, California
“With rookie Pro Bowl running back Todd Gurley and the playmaking Tavon Austin on offense and the NFL’s most ferocious defensive line, the Rams are only a legitimate quarterback away from contention in the NFC West. Enter Goff, a local product sure to excite the “new” Los Angeles fan base. Goff lacks the build and arm strength scouts would prefer, but he is an instinctive quarterback who wins with anticipation and accuracy.”
Brugler: Laquan Treadwell, WR, Ole Miss
“The Rams haven’t had much luck drafting the wide receiver position in the early rounds over the past 15 years, but Treadwell could change that trend.”
Walter Football – Charlie Campbell
15th – Laquan Treadwell, WR, Ole Miss
“The Rams could use a big receiver to pair with Tavon Austin. They need an upgrade over Kenny Britt, while Brian Quick didn’t pan out. Here’s a receiver who could help improve the passing offense for Los Angeles. Treadwell would also help the team’s blocking for Todd Gurley.
The 6-foot-2, 229-pound Treadwell is a natural receiver who is good at winning 50-50 passes and running after the catch. However, he lacks the speed to separate from most NFL cornerbacks. Thus, he’s not a prospect on a par with A.J. Green, Julio Jones or Amari Cooper. The big wideout is a phenomenal blocker, however.
In 2015, Treadwell had 82 receptions for 1,153 yards and 11 touchdowns. He recorded 48 receptions for 632 yards and five touchdowns in 2014 before an ugly injury ended his season. Treadwell caught 72 receptions for 608 yards with five scores in 2013.”
SI – Two Round Mock Draft – Chris Burke
15th – Carson Wentz, QB, North Dakota State
“Of all the 31 teams currently in Round 1 (sorry, New England), I might argue that the Rams are most likely to take a quarterback at their current slot. The Browns might not fall in love with a QB enough to justify taking one with the No. 2 pick, the Texans could be too low to nab their future starter and there are few other obvious landing spots. But Los Angeles can open its new era by taking the high-upside Wentz, then seeing what he can do in camp.”
43. Ryan Kelly, C, Alabama
45. Michael Thomas, WR, Ohio State
Bleacher Reports Pre-Combine Mock Draft – Justis Mosqueda
15th – Laquan Treadwell, WR, Ole Miss
“In 2013, the St. Louis Rams drafted Tavon Austin in the first round after years of the team kicking the can at the receiver position. Last year, the West Virginia product finally started to come on, with his main threat being in the counter run game. The Rams, who now are moving to Los Angeles, still need a traditional receiver.
Laquon Treadwell is about as traditional as pass-catchers come. He was a blue-chip prospect heading to the University of Mississippi, and he met the expectations set out for him. He’s essentially Dez Bryant with a slower projected 40-yard dash.
Treadwell aggressively attacks balls and then fights for every extra yard possible after the catch. Early-career Anquan Boldin production shouldn’t be out of the question—should Los Angeles manage to land a quarterback.”
—
1/23 – Reports: Los Angeles Rams Interview Players At East-West Shrine Game
As you can see, offense is still the top priority for the Rams. In fact, in Reuter’s mock, he has three of the Rams’ first five selections being offense; Wentz, Boyd, and Allen. Reuter also has the Rams most likely replacing Johnson or Jenkins with Fuller in the second round.In other mocks it looks like Treadwell, Lynch, and Wentz are still the top choices for the Rams. However, it is possible that all three of those players are gone by the time the Rams pick at 15. Wentz could be gone to the Cleveland Browns at 2, Lynch to the Philadelphia Eagles at 13, and Treadwell could go to the Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, or San Francisco 49ers.
With free agency and the combine, but as of now, these are some names to look at as the Rams prepare for the NFL Draft.
February 15, 2016 at 6:17 pm in reply to: Detecting gravitational waves could be as important as first use of telescope #39043znModeratorEverything You Need To Know About Gravitational Waves
Answers by Peter Graham, Stanford Physics Professor and Gravitational Wave Researcher, on Quora. http://theramshuddle.com/topic/detection-of-gravitational-waves-marks-new-era-in-astronomy/
Q: How important is the discovery of Gravitational Waves?
A: Extremely important! This is surely one of the most important discoveries in physics in the past several decades. It is not even so much the confirmation of the gravitational waves themselves, we were very confident that they existed, it is that we now have the ability to observe the universe using this entirely new spectrum. Everything we currently know about astrophysics and cosmology arose from observations of electromagnetic waves. Gravitational waves give us a new and entirely different source of information. We will learn a great deal about the universe that we could never have learned any other way.
…
Q: How did LIGO validate the signal they detected?
A: This is a very important question, and also very complicated. In fact, for the real answer I recommend reading the papers that LIGO put out. Here I can just give some of the basic ideas of how it is done. When looking for such a small signal, it is absolutely crucial not to fool yourself because there is always a lot of noise in such a precise measurement. The LIGO collaboration worked very hard for a long time to make sure that they could claim a detection with confidence when it occurred. There are many possible problems with making such a detection and so LIGO applies many different strategies for dealing with these problems. A few of these are as follows. First they built two detectors, one in Washington and one in Louisiana, and required that both detectors see the same signal at (almost) exactly the same time. This greatly cuts down on the chance that the signal is just coming from random noise. There are very few things besides a gravitational wave that are going to hit both detectors at basically the same time with the same signal. They also work very hard to make sure that each detector has as little noise as possible, and that the level of the noise is well understood. For example, the earth vibrates all the time at a small level and this is a noise source for LIGO so they use impressive mechanical systems, a bit like shock absorbers, to keep their mirrors from feeling these vibrations as much as possible. Even the best laser is not perfect, and will have some noise in it. So they build two baselines in each detector to allow them to subtract off the laser noise that will be comment to both baselines. This is just a small fraction of the number of different noise sources they have considered, calculated carefully, and worked hard to understand and reduce as much as possible. They also use blind analysis techniques to help them make sure that they are not fooling themselves and are estimating their uncertainties correctly. And they spend a long time understanding their detector and the noise in it after they turn it on.
The real answer is much longer than this, and is also crucial for truly being certain that gravitational waves were detected and not just noise. The LIGO collaboration has done a very impressive job on a very difficult measurement. It is their impressive work that has most physicists convinced that we have in fact detected gravitational waves. It is truly an amazing experiment.
…
Q: How do I explain to students in the fourth grade what a gravitational wave is, and why its discovery is important?
A: Good question! A gravitational wave is a ripple in space-time. By this we mean that when a gravitational wave passes by us, all the distances appear to oscillate. If it passes between me and you, the distance between us would grow, then shrink again, and so on, oscillating until the wave had passed. We never see this because the gravitational waves that reach earth are so tiny. But if we did have a strong gravitational wave pass through us we would really see this oscillating distance, and it would look really weird!
Their discovery is so important partly because it confirms a key prediction of Einstein’s theory of gravity, called general relativity, which was formulated 100 years ago. But perhaps the main reason the discovery is important is that it opens a new window onto the stars. Gravitational wave detectors are a new kind of telescope that will allow us to learn a great deal more about the universe than we ever could otherwise.
…
Q: What impact does the discovery of gravitational waves have on mankind’s future?
A:This is the opening of a new era in our ability to learn about the universe. People have always wondered what else is out there beyond our planet. We have learned a great deal from observing electromagnetic waves. Gravitational waves have the potential to reveal even more. Possibly, in the future, this could even include looking back to some of the earliest moments after the birth of the universe. I believe our understanding of the universe is one of humanity’s greatest accomplishments.
===
How much can we learn about black holes from gravitational wave astronomy?
We will likely learn a great deal about black holes from observing gravitational waves. Of course it depends on what we see, how many black holes we can detect and with what significance. But it seems likely that we will learn much more about the number and masses of black holes that are formed, which in turn will tell us more about the formation of black holes and stars in general. We will learn important properties such as their spin, or angular momentum. We could learn about merger rates which may eventually teach us about how the supermassive black holes in centers of galaxies formed. We will also test the assumption that such astrophysical black holes follow the known laws of classical general relativity. By seeing black hole mergers we get a test of whether the physics near the event horizon (so-called strong field gravity) is indeed what we expect from our known laws. It is otherwise very difficult to test gravity in this regime and to know that black holes do indeed follow our predictions. Given how many black holes we expect to be able to observe, it also seems likely that we will learn much that is not yet anticipated about black holes. It is a common pattern that once we have the ability to observe a new system we learn many things that no one expected.
===
Peter Graham: How do LIGO scientists know that gravitational wave signal came from two black holes?
Many people had previously calculated what the gravitational wave signals from a large variety of sources would look like. LIGO compares what they see against these “templates” to see which one it matches. Specifically, they look at things like the strength and frequency of the wave and how it changed with time during the event. This exact shape of the signal, or waveform, is then matched to expectations for expected sources such as neutron star binaries or black hole binaries. The expected signals are distinct enough that LIGO can conclude with confidence that they are seeing a black hole binary, and can even get a good measurement of the masses and other properties of the black holes all just from the waveform of the signal.
===
znModeratorCould the Rams be a perfect fit for RG3?
Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/26849/could-rams-be-a-fit-for-rg3
EARTH CITY, Mo. — Undoubtedly, the Los Angeles Rams will be connected to just about any quarterback with a pulse this offseason. Such is life when your current depth chart consists of Case Keenum, Nick Foles and Sean Mannion.
By now, you’ve heard the Peyton Manning rumors for as unlikely as they might be, the Johnny Manziel whispers for as even more unlikely as they might be, and it’s safe to say that will only continue until the Rams add at least one quarterback either via free agency or the NFL draft.
With that in mind, ESPN’s Mike Sando examined five potential landing spots for Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III. Checking in at No. 3 on that list? You guessed it, the Rams.
Obviously, there’d be a certain symmetry in the Rams adding Griffin now. They were the team that received a boatload of draft picks from the Redskins in 2012 so Washington could use the No. 2 overall pick on Griffin. After RG3 led Washington to the playoffs in a dynamic rookie season, it was all downhill after. And now it’s likely that the team will release Griffin assuming it can’t find a trade partner.
From a Rams perspective, it’s fair to wonder whether Griffin would be an upgrade over what they currently have. But there could be some intriguing things about him that would draw the Rams’ interest.
The Rams have made it clear they want to be a run-centric offense with a passing game that can complement with play action passes and deep shots. When coach Jeff Fisher switched from Foles to Keenum last year, he also mentioned the desire to have a more mobile option who could extend plays. Those would seem to be things that would fit Griffin’s skill set.
Of course, Griffin comes with his share of flaws as well or else we wouldn’t even be discussing his possible availability. Only time will tell how the Rams figure out their quarterback conundrum but for now we can throw one more name into the hat.
znModeratorA supreme court justice unexpectedly dies in office. Despite your prejudice such a death deserves an autopsy.
According to whom? Those decisions are local. And I don’t have a “prejudice” against conspiracy theories, I have far more than that—I have complete disdain for them.
znModeratorI think the right-wing conspiracy-theory buzz out there about “murder” is ludicrous and a reminder why I don’t want people like that anywhere near public office.
Either way, whether or not to have an autopsy is a local, not a federal decision.
The facts as we know them so far:
———————————
The death of Antonin Scalia: Chaos, confusion and conflicting reports
MARFA, Tex. — In the cloistered chambers of the Supreme Court, Justice Antonin Scalia’s days were highly regulated and predictable. He met with clerks, wrote opinions and appeared for arguments in the august courtroom on a schedule set months in advance.
Yet as details of Scalia’s sudden death trickled in Sunday, it appeared that the hours afterward were anything but orderly. The man known for his elegant legal opinions and profound intellect was found dead in his room at a hunting resort by the resort’s owner, who grew worried when Scalia didn’t appear at breakfast Saturday morning.
It then took hours for authorities in remote West Texas to find a justice of the peace, officials said Sunday. When they did, Presidio County Judge Cinderela Guevara pronounced Scalia dead of natural causes without seeing the body — which is permissible under Texas law — and without ordering an autopsy.
As official Washington tried to process what his demise means for politics and the law, some details of Scalia’s final hours remained opaque. As late as Sunday afternoon, for example, there were conflicting reports about whether an autopsy should have been performed. A manager at the El Paso funeral home where Scalia’s body was taken said that his family made it clear they did not want one.
One of two other officials who were called but couldn’t get to Scalia’s body in time said that she would have made a different decision on the autopsy.
“If it had been me . . . I would want to know,” Juanita Bishop, a justice of the peace in Presidio, Tex., said in an interview Sunday of the chaotic hours after Scalia’s death at the Cibolo Creek Ranch, a luxury compound less than an hour from the Mexican border and about 40 miles south of Marfa.
Meanwhile, Guevara acknowledged that she pronounced Scalia dead by phone, without seeing his body. Instead, she spoke to law enforcement officials at the scene — who assured her “there were no signs of foul play” — and Scalia’s physician in Washington, who said that the 79-year-old justice suffered from a host of chronic conditions.
“He was having health issues,’’ Guevara said, adding that she is awaiting a statement from Scalia’s doctor that will be added to his death certificate when it is issued later this week.
Guevara also rebutted a report by a Dallas TV station that quoted her as saying that Scalia had died of “myocardial infarction.” In an interview with The Washington Post, she said she meant only that his heart had stopped.
“It wasn’t a heart attack,” Guevara said. “He died of natural causes.”
In a statement Sunday, the U.S. Marshals Service, which provides security for Supreme Court justices, said that Scalia had declined a security detail while at the ranch, so marshals were not present when he died. “Deputy U.S. Marshals from the Western District of Texas responded immediately upon notification of Justice Scalia’s passing,” the statement said.
One thing was clear: Scalia died in his element, doing what he loved, at a luxury resort that has played host to movie stars and European royalty, and is famous for bird hunts and bigger game such as bison and mountain lions.
“Other than being with his family or in church, there’s no place he’d rather be than on a hunt,” said Houston lawyer Mark Lanier, who took Scalia hunting for wild boar, deer and even alligators. Lanier said he first learned of Scalia’s love for hunting through former Supreme Court justice Sandra Day O’Connor. “He’ll do anything if you take him hunting,” Lanier recalled O’Connor saying.
Scalia had recently returned from a trip to Asia, where his last public event was a book signing in Hong Kong. John Poindexter, the Houston businessman who owns the Cibolo Creek Ranch, said Sunday that Scalia and a friend arrived Friday by chartered aircraft, traveling through Houston. At the ranch, Scalia joined about 35 other people invited by Poindexter, who declined to name the other guests.
Later that day, Scalia went out with the group to hunt blue quail. But “he did not exert himself,” Poindexter said. “He got out of the hunting vehicle and walked around some.’’
Law enforcement officials said Scalia attended a private party that night with the other guests and left to go to bed early. But Poindexter said that didn’t seem unusual: All of the guests were tired from traveling to the remote ranch, as well as the day’s other activities. Everyone was in bed by 10 p.m., he said.
Scalia’s behavior, Poindexter said, “was entirely natural and normal.’’
The next morning, Scalia did not show up for breakfast. Poindexter at first thought he might be sleeping late, but eventually he grew concerned. Late Saturday morning, he and one other person knocked on the door to Scalia’s room, an expansive suite called the “El Presidente.” When there was no answer, they went inside.
“Everything was in perfect order. He was in his pajamas, peacefully, in bed,” Poindexter said.
Emergency personnel and officials from the U.S. Marshals Service were called to the scene, then two local judges who also serve as justices of the peace, Guevara said. Both were out of town, she said — not unusual in a remote region where municipalities are miles apart.
Guevara also was out of town, but she said she agreed to declare Scalia dead based on the information from law enforcement officials and Scalia’s doctor, citing Texas laws that permit a justice of the peace to declare someone dead without seeing the body.
On Saturday evening, Scalia’s body was loaded into a hearse and escorted to the Sunset Funeral Home in El Paso by a procession of about 20 law enforcement officers. It arrived there about 2:30 a.m. Sunday, according to funeral home manager Chris Lujan. The funeral home is about 31/2 hours from the ranch where Scalia died.
About 3:30 a.m. Sunday, Scalia’s family declined to have an autopsy performed, Lujan said, so the body was being prepared for Scalia’s funeral and was expected to be transported to Washington on Monday. Late Sunday, it was under guard by six law enforcement officials, including U.S. marshals and Texas state troopers, he said.
Funeral arrangements for Scalia — a devoted Catholic who was given the last rites by a Catholic priest — were unclear Sunday.
February 15, 2016 at 3:50 pm in reply to: NFL salary cap expected to be at least $155M…and how the Rams look #39030znModerator
http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/cap/
A real-time look at the 2016 salary cap totals for each NFL team, including estimated cap space. Assumes a $154,000,000 team salary cap.
February 15, 2016 at 3:28 pm in reply to: NFL salary cap expected to be at least $155M…and how the Rams look #39026znModeratorRand Getlin @Rand_Getlin
I’m told the NFL’s salary cap is expected to jump to at least $155M this year. Nearly $12M more than last year’s ($143.28M).
The Rams are presently have 120+ M against the cap, and that’s before they do anything with already existing contracts.
That’s up to 35 M in space…thought JT says it’s actually more, ie. closer to 50 M.
February 15, 2016 at 12:34 pm in reply to: Rams & qbs in free agency (from RG3 to possibly Fitzpatrick) #39013znModeratorIn terms of RG3, I don’t like his character, mindset, attitude, any of it. And he wasn’t just struggling as a pro qb in recent attempts, he was flat-out bad at it. His quarterbacking issues made Foles’ meltdown look like the second coming of Joe Montana.
February 15, 2016 at 10:41 am in reply to: 2016 mocks & rankings & general draft commentaries, thread 2 #39006znModeratorQB, DL, OL Dominate Round 1
Pat Kirwan
https://realfootballnetwork.com/2016/02/14/qb-dl-ol-dominate-round-1/
As the long list of prospects for the 2016 NFL Draft begins to take shape, it’s becoming more and more obvious that the quarterbacks, defensive linemen, and the offensive linemen provide most of the top prospects throughout Round 1 and into Round Two.
It wouldn’t surprise me to see those three position groups account for as many as 16 of the top 31 picks. Remember, the Patriots lost their 1st round pick as part of the Deflategate scandal.
There could be as many as four QB’s taken among the top 31. We all know about Carson Wentz of North Dakota State, who seems to climb boards by the day. Paxton Lynch is a big, tall athletic looking QB out of Memphis, Jared Goff is a very productive passer out of Cal, and Connor Cook of Michigan State could also squeeze in there.
Joey Bosa leads the defensive end group, while Alabama’s A’Shawn Robinson is the best of the interior players at this point. But there could be six or seven taken in the first round alone, with another six or seven to follow in Round 2. The offensive line is led by OT’s Laremy Tunsil of Ole Miss, Ronnie Stanley of Notre Dame, and Jack Conklin of Michigan State, and a guard like LSU’s Vadal Alexander could be a late 1st or early 2nd round choice.
We haven’t even gotten to the Combine yet, so there’s still a lot of evaluation to take place. But these are some of the players who seem to be rising to the top of the class.
February 15, 2016 at 10:38 am in reply to: Rams & qbs in free agency (from RG3 to possibly Fitzpatrick) #39005znModeratorNo RG3.
He;s a health issue AND a head case.
znModeratorWe need more of this. These kinds of discussions.
Not that I can contribute much.
But they are in a way our glory.
znModeratorBut then there’s those first 9 games,
including an injury…Bradford is and always has been a slow learner. Not because he’s not smart, but because as an athlete (IMO) he’s more of a “learn it by repping a lot” type and has very little spontaneous improv in him. I have been saying all this since early in his Rams career. He CAN improv when he knows the drill by heart.
So a slow start in a new offense that had no running game and mediocre WRs? To me that’s just expected. Add getting his knee to be less stiff and more flexible to that.
So the slow start is no surprise.
Him doing well AFTER a slow start is no surprise.
The thing people should notice though is all the stuff he was doing once he got tuned in, stuff that people said he CAN’T do.
Yes he was aware in the pocket and did a good job under pressure, stepping up, evading sacks, getting the ball off. People said before he couldn’t do that and yes he was doing that and very well.
He had a high YPA, something people said he would never get. 7.98 is very good.
The only thing he wasn’t that he WAS before was deadly in the redzone. He used to be one of the 2-3 best in the league inside the 10. That wasn’t as evident in 2015.
Interesting about perceptions though. Roethlisberger missed games last year, again…a frequent thing with him. Yet he is supposed to be the epitome of tough. Bradford was out 2 games with a concussion, and that’s coming back from 2 knee injuries. Yet he is supposed to be a china doll, as some put it.
But see last year, Eagles were 22nd in qb hits (meaning 22nd worst, they allowed a lot) yet Bradford ended up being PFF’s best qb under pressure. THAT is a very striking thing. High in hits? Yet also best under pressure? Whazzat combo tellya?
I always felt with Bradford that there were perception problems in talking about him. People just couldn’t SER stuff with him, and often assumed the opposite of what was actually the case.
.
February 14, 2016 at 10:54 am in reply to: Wagoner answers questions, parts 1 & 2, + Wagoner podcast #38980znModeratorRams might use tag to keep one of their cornerbacks
Nick Wagoner
EARTH CITY, Mo. — The offseason is here for the Los Angeles Rams and now that we know where they’ll be playing their home games for the long term, things have settled down enough to spend our weekends answering a few of your Twitter questions.
As always, you can find me on Twitter @nwagoner and fire away with any Rams-related questions you might have. Please use hashtag #RamsMail so I can see them.
On to your questions.
Ryan Moore @Indominuswreckx
@nwagoner #Ramsmail Do you see the Rams using the franchise tag on Jenkins or Johnson, so they guarantee they’ll keep at least one of them?@nwagoner: I’d say it’s unlikely (though not out of the question) that the Rams would use the franchise tag on any of their pending free agents. If they did, Jenkins would be the better bet of the two to get it, but it’s worth noting that they could be interested in using the transition tag to ensure control over one of the two starting corners. The Rams would be playing with fire if both corners hit the open market because they would then expose themselves to the possibility that they could lose both. I don’t expect it to come to that and I still think the Rams would like to keep both Jenkins and Johnson, and there’s zero doubt that they want to bring at least one of them back. How it all plays out will be fascinating, though, because both players performed well enough in 2015 to get a nice payday this offseason.
Shakir Adams @ramssided
@nwagoner Todd Gurly seems eager to replace Kobe as l.a.’s hero. Do you see any dangers in his desire to embrace such a role?@nwagoner: For those that missed it, Todd Gurley appeared on SportsCenter during Super Bowl week and made a mostly joking reference to taking the mantle from Kobe Bryant as Los Angeles’ preeminent superstar athlete. But trust me when I say that Gurley isn’t preoccupied by such thoughts or ideas and he isn’t going to let his fame in the nation’s second-largest market change how he prepares. I’ve only been around Gurley for a year, but he’s a humble young man who understands what it takes to succeed. One needs only to see how hard he worked to come back from his ACL injury and how emotional he was when he won the offensive rookie of the year award to understand that. If Gurley can ascend to L.A. superstar, it will come only as a result of his effort and production and not because he made some joking reference to it on television.
znModeratorThis is bad for the Republicans. Boy, oh boy, I hope we get a floor fight at the convention.
Well, are you sure republican voters think that?
They could be fine with it.
Examples from off the net:
Rob Proud American • 8 hours ago
I liked Donald Trump from the beginning. After tonight, I ADMIRE DONALD TRUMP MORE THAN I THOUGHT I COULD. He said something that I have thought for a long, long time: GEORGE W. BUSH LIED ABOUT WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION TO DRAG THE U.S. INTO AN ILLEGAL AND NEEDLESS WAR!!!!! Finally!!!! A Republican calling that elitist, sinister, evil family of war-profiteers what they are: “LIARS!” Had W. not thinned our nation out financially, militarily, and morally, a sleazy demon like Obama would NEVER have had a shot at the White House!!!! Thank you, Future President Trump!znModeratorfrom off the net
==
Crazylegs: PART 2
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znModeratorI think Mannion could be our Franchise QB if given a chance.
Speaking of which.
Here’s an old post, where I selected from various camp reports on Mannion last summer.
===================
August 1, 2015 at 8:18 pm
observations from camp posts on Mannion
Jimi
Mannion looks solid so far doing extremely well on crossing patterns
Sean Mannion continues to be nails on crossing routes
I really like most of what I have seen from Sean Mannion today.
[Day 2] still liking Mannion
Mike Franke
Sean Mannion had a couple of hiccups in the final 7-on-7 drills mostly for rookies but didn’t have a bad day. His release looks a little weird but he throws a good-looking ball.
thehammer
watching Mannion I felt like John Sutter finding gold At Sutters Mill..much leaner/quicker then Foles, always surrounded by coaches, getting solid reps as the #2…lot to like..codemonkey
Mannion looks like he could already be the QB2.
RamzFanz
Mannion might just be the real deal. I know it’s early and not real yet, but I can’t wait for preseason!
Bold prediction, he’s our #2. I’m not kidding. He’s accurate, athletic, a fast release, and the least intercepted of the 3 non-starters.
CoachO
Mannion wins the backup job. Even after 3 days, he shows much more upside than either Keenum or Davis. It’s just a matter of time before this happens officially, but the sooner the better.
Tortoise
Mannion had the best day for the QBs. He had an interception, and a couple of (well) overthrown balls, but for the most part he was on target. If he can keep this up, #2 QB is his.
znModeratorJustice Scalia Dead Following 30-Year Battle With Social Progress
http://www.theonion.com/graphic/justice-scalia-dead-following-30-year-battle-socia-52356
NEWS IN PHOTOS
February 13, 2016
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