NFL Scouts Say Paxton Lynch is NFL Draft’s Best Quarterback

link: http://ramblinfan.com/2016/04/08/nfl-scouts-say-paxton-lynch-is-nfl-drafts-best-quarterback/

The Los Angeles Rams will be in contention to take on of the draft’s best three quarterbacks later this month. Whether that be Carson Wentz, Jared Goff, or Paxton Lynch is unclear, but as of now, many mock drafts have the Rams taking Lynch. While Wentz is said to be the draft’s best quarterback and Goff is said to be the most NFL-ready, according to sources and writer’s around the league, Memphis’ Paxton Lynch is the best quarterback in this year’s draft.

Eliot Shorr-Parks ‎@EliotShorrParks
Lynch is the best QB in the draft, IMO from talking to scouts https://twitter.com/3dPrizzy/status/714485992489660416 …
12:16 PM – 28 Mar 2016

Two GMs told NFL Media analyst Bucky Brooks that the 6-foot-7 Lynch has the highest ceiling of any quarterback in the draft. Brooks said,

“He may come in and it may take him some time to get on the field, but in terms of his long-term potential and talent, he has more talent than some of the other guys in the class,” Brooks said. “Because of that, he could pass them. But it may not be in year one or two, it may be in year three or four when he finally realizes that potential.”

Eliot Shorr-Parks is just a beat writer in Philadelphia, but he is a good source and does have his connections around the league meaning he is regularly talking to scouts around the NFL to see what they think about this year’s quarterbacks. Shorr-Parks has been saying for quite some time that from talking to scouts, Lynch is the best quarterback in this year’s draft.

Meanwhile, Bucky Brooks from NFL.com seems to be getting the same impression. It is uncertain who the two general manager’s are that told Brooks that Lynch is the best quarterback in the draft, but we can keep our fingers crossed that one of them was Les Snead. The Rams seem content in starting Case Keenum this year which is why drafting a guy like Lynch now when they have not one, but two guys who are able to start in Nick Foles and Keenum, makes a lot of sense.

Lynch won’t be able to start right away as it is, and Snead and Fisher have had the philosophy of building for the future rather than the now in years past. This would make Lynch a perfect fit in Los Angeles. The Rams sit at 15 which is exactly the area in which many mock drafts and draft experts believe he will go. If this is a team that is looking for their franchise quarterback, they may actually get lucky and be in position to take the best one in the draft.

Part of Rams pitch to move to Los Angeles: Creating a global platform

Vincent Bonsignore

link: http://www.insidesocal.com/nfl/2016/04/08/part-of-rams-pitch-to-move-to-los-angeles-creating-a-global-platform/

The Rams move from St. Louis to Los Angeles was motivated by many factors, most of which were obvious from a domestically economic standpoint.

But it’s clear now an even broader vision was being formulated by Rams owner Stan Kroenke, one he expressed to fellow National Football League owners upon asking them for permission to make the move from St. Louis to L.A.

Kroenke wanted to use the platform provided by being in the second-biggest market in America to sell the Rams brand across the world.

A point Rams CEO Kevin Demoff explained in a story in the London based Guardian.

According to The Guardian: The Rams pitch mirrored the philosophy of team owner Stan Kroenke, who is also the lead shareholder of the English Premier League team Arsenal, and has long looked for ways to maximize the marketing power of that franchise with the Rams and his NBA and NHL teams in Denver. Rams management believes Los Angeles gives them an identity that is appealing around the world, conjuring images of a glamorous and important metropolis.

As Demoff explained:

“I think in Stan’s vision, Los Angeles and London are on-par as world class cities, and you can link those opportunities with the Denver opportunities for an international platform. That was the thought with Los Angeles.”

The Guardian went on to write: The Rams could not sell themselves internationally from St Louis. While some NFL franchises in smaller US markets like the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers are iconic names known around the world, the St Louis Rams did not resonate globally. As the Los Angeles Rams, they think they have a chance to emerge from the slurry of NFL teams and perhaps build name recognition in other countries.

Part of which explains the Rams playing a game this year in London – October 23rd against the New York Giants – and why they are expected to host three games abroad between 2016-2018 while they play at the Los Angeles Coliseum during construction of their new stadium in Inglewood.

One of those three games is expected to be in China, which brings up another factor in the move to Los Angeles.

As The Guardian points out: Both the Rams and the NFL talk about Los Angeles as a gateway to Asia. The league has long wanted to establish themselves in China, Japan and Korea, but have not had the success of their ventures in the UK primarily because they haven’t been able to play games in those countries. Nine years ago the NFL cancelled a pre-season game between Seattle and New England when logistics proved too difficult. All these years later, they believe they ready to make a push and they hope to use a Los Angeles team to do so.

Demoff pointed out that the Inglewood stadium is only four miles from Los Angeles international airport, and the most common flight path takes planes only a few blocks south of the stadium as they land. With several flights landing daily at the airport from Asia he said he imagines that the first glimpse many of those passengers will get of the US is the Rams stadium out their window.

“When they fly over they’ll say: ‘Look at that stadium,’” Demoff said.

One of the things about these LA articles.

The writers don’t know the team very well, and it shows. But they also have some access. Some of these articles are full of fresh quotations — that was rare in the previous years.

A lot of the time in previous years you would just be reading quotations already available in the press conferences. Now, you see fresh stuff far more often.

Hope that lasts and it’s not just a team policy to court local LA interest.

zn wrote:

Judge Saylor’s assessment of the lawsuit hints strongly at the possibility of an award of litigation costs and other penalties against Seth Carey, the Maine lawyer who signed the civil complaint.

Although the courts rarely dirty their hands by meting out so-called Rule 11 punishments, Judge Saylor’s initial reaction to this specific lawsuit suggests that a much stronger reaction could be coming later.

Agamemnon wrote:

What kind of penalties? Can the judge take away more draft choices?

The punishments, which the article writer speculates about (in a very editorial way), would be aimed at the lawyer.

from the wiki

In the United States federal court system, certain types of conduct are sanctionable under Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Rule 11 provides for sanctions against the attorney or client for harassment, frivolous arguments, or a lack of factual investigation. The purpose of sanctions is deterrent, not punitive.

In law, frivolous litigation is the practice of starting or carrying on lawsuits that, due to their lack of legal merit, have little to no chance of being won. The term does not include cases that may be lost due to other matters not related to legal merit. While colloquially, a person may term a lawsuit to be frivolous if he or she personally finds a claim to be absurd, in legal usage “frivolous litigation” consists of a claim or defense that is presented where the party (or the party’s legal counsel) had reason to know that the claim or defense was manifestly insufficient or futile. The fact that a claim is lost does not imply that it was frivolous.

If they like Lynch it wouldn’t surprise me at all if they traded up to get him. Not into the top 5 obviously.

And my feeling is–sure, why not. A team isn’t as good if it has 21 sterling starters and a hole at qb.

They can add WRs and TEs etc. in later years…they cannot guarantee, however, that they will be able to add a qb in later years.

.

.

wv wrote:

Indeed. Very brave.

Of course there were brave Nazis, and there
are brave terrorists and brave peace-marchers, etc
and so forth.

w
v

Of course. But we don’t appreciate those. We appreciate ours. Which is as it should be, especially since something like a brave Nazi is acting in the name of something abhorrent. Right?

Either way, for me, it’s the photo. I just thought it was an amazing photo.

zn wrote:

I have to admit, I don’t like this whole “grow the league” riff.

Speak of the devil.

…

Part of Rams pitch to move to Los Angeles: Creating a global platform

Vincent Bonsignore

link: http://www.insidesocal.com/nfl/2016/04/08/part-of-rams-pitch-to-move-to-los-angeles-creating-a-global-platform/

The Rams move from St. Louis to Los Angeles was motivated by many factors, most of which were obvious from a domestically economic standpoint.

But it’s clear now an even broader vision was being formulated by Rams owner Stan Kroenke, one he expressed to fellow National Football League owners upon asking them for permission to make the move from St. Louis to L.A.

Kroenke wanted to use the platform provided by being in the second-biggest market in America to sell the Rams brand across the world.

A point Rams CEO Kevin Demoff explained in a story in the London based Guardian.

According to The Guardian: The Rams pitch mirrored the philosophy of team owner Stan Kroenke, who is also the lead shareholder of the English Premier League team Arsenal, and has long looked for ways to maximize the marketing power of that franchise with the Rams and his NBA and NHL teams in Denver. Rams management believes Los Angeles gives them an identity that is appealing around the world, conjuring images of a glamorous and important metropolis.

As Demoff explained:

“I think in Stan’s vision, Los Angeles and London are on-par as world class cities, and you can link those opportunities with the Denver opportunities for an international platform. That was the thought with Los Angeles.”

The Guardian went on to write: The Rams could not sell themselves internationally from St Louis. While some NFL franchises in smaller US markets like the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers are iconic names known around the world, the St Louis Rams did not resonate globally. As the Los Angeles Rams, they think they have a chance to emerge from the slurry of NFL teams and perhaps build name recognition in other countries.

Part of which explains the Rams playing a game this year in London – October 23rd against the New York Giants – and why they are expected to host three games abroad between 2016-2018 while they play at the Los Angeles Coliseum during construction of their new stadium in Inglewood.

One of those three games is expected to be in China, which brings up another factor in the move to Los Angeles.

As The Guardian points out: Both the Rams and the NFL talk about Los Angeles as a gateway to Asia. The league has long wanted to establish themselves in China, Japan and Korea, but have not had the success of their ventures in the UK primarily because they haven’t been able to play games in those countries. Nine years ago the NFL cancelled a pre-season game between Seattle and New England when logistics proved too difficult. All these years later, they believe they ready to make a push and they hope to use a Los Angeles team to do so.

Demoff pointed out that the Inglewood stadium is only four miles from Los Angeles international airport, and the most common flight path takes planes only a few blocks south of the stadium as they land. With several flights landing daily at the airport from Asia he said he imagines that the first glimpse many of those passengers will get of the US is the Rams stadium out their window.

“When they fly over they’ll say: ‘Look at that stadium,’” Demoff said.

Can’t imagine he would be a 1st or 2nd day pick. More like a UDFA.

Rams: Quinton Coples could benefit from a scheme change

Vincent Bonsignore

link: http://www.insidesocal.com/nfl/2016/04/06/rams-quinton-coples-could-benefit-from-a-scheme-change/

One of the more under-the-radar moves this offseason was the Rams signing former first-round pick Quinton Coples, who spent most of his first four seasons with the New York Jets before finishing last season with the Miami Dolphins.

It’s easy to discount Coples as a first-round bust considering the Jets released him late in his fourth season and the Dolphins discarded him after playing the final six games with them in 2015.

And just as easy to view the Rams signing him as no big deal.

Going strictly by last season in which he managed just four tackles with two teams, both are valid thoughts. But when you consider how Coples was used his first three seasons with the Jets as a rush end in a 4-3 alignment – which resulted in 16.5 sacks – then understand a new coaching staff in New York meant a switch to a 3-4 scheme in which Coples was used as an outside linebacker, his situation might be more about scheme fit than talent.

And that the switch back to a 4-3 scheme with the Rams, in which Coples can go back to rushing the passer out of a stance – either outside or inside – could result in the kind of production he enjoyed earlier in his career.

“We think he’s probably better suited with his hand down and rushing in an even front type of thing,” Rams head coach Jeff Fisher said. “Now, we’ll do some variation stuff with him but he was just a little out of place. Between his willingness and his lack of production and his ability to spend time with (Defensive Line Coach Mike Waufle), I think that will translate into some good things for him. I think it will translate into some solid production for us an a backup (defensive) end.”

Here is video of Coples being used in a 4-3 alignment, and as you’ll see, there is plenty to like about his explosiveness out of a stance:

Coples was miscast as an outside linebacker in the 3-4, which resulted in a lost season and losing his job.

But as the video of him playing out of a stance shows, there is reason to believe he can get back on track in the more familiar and comfortable surroundings of the 4-3.