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January 27, 2016 at 5:18 pm in reply to: (reporters:) some takes on the conference champ games #38171
znModeratorPart of what makes their offense so complex to defend is their use of five-receiver formations, a multitude of variations of the same play, and the wideouts’ ability to diagnose coverages as quickly and proficiently as Brady.
Sight adjustments.
The Patz have this down to an advanced fine art.
..
znModeratorAnd the philosophy of conceding the short stuff & protecting against the long strike, with the hopes that the offense makes a mistake somewhere, during the possession.
This is an interesting discussion, with a lot of ins and outs and ups and downs.
But I will say that the Patz tended not to have a long game, which changes the dynamic.
Brady was 25th in the league in percentage of passes thrown 20 yards or more (that is, all in the air…not counting RAC).
January 27, 2016 at 4:35 pm in reply to: Wagoner: Plays that shaped the Rams season (10 articles total) #38165znModeratorPlays that shaped the Rams season No. 5: Nick Foles’ rough day
Nick Wagoner
EARTH CITY, Mo. — In what would soon become the Rams’ final season in St. Louis, the 2015 season results were predictable.
The Rams had their ups, they had their downs and ultimately those again evened out to what would be another mediocre finish under coach Jeff Fisher.
Over the next week, we’ll take a look back at 10 plays that led to the Rams’ 7-9 finish this season.
Here’s No. 5:
Date: Oct. 11, 2015
The play: Midway through the first quarter, the Rams trailed the Packers 7-0 but had pieced together a drive that took them to Green Bay’s 33. On second-and-9, quarterback Nick Foles dropped back to pass but was quickly surrounded by Packers defenders, as linebackers Clay Matthews and Nick Perry brought him down for a sack. Matthews, in particular, hit Foles with plenty of force on a play that Fisher said should have been a penalty on Matthews for using the crown of his helmet. No flag was thrown, and the Rams’ drive stalled before a punt. Foles wasn’t the same the rest of the game, going on to throw four interceptions after throwing just one in the first four games combined. The Rams lost 24-10 in a game that was there for the taking.
Why it mattered: Not only was Foles unable to bounce back in the game against Green Bay, he never really seemed to be the same after that. He started the first two games after the bye — both Rams wins — and then the two losses that followed but threw just one touchdown pass in those four games. Fisher benched Foles after a 37-13 loss to Chicago in favor of Case Keenum. The loss to Green Bay wasn’t the end of the world, but it was another reminder that below-average quarterback play is a quick path to a loss in the NFL. It was also the beginning of the end for Foles in 2015. He started two more games because of a concussion to Keenum but showed that he isn’t the team’s long-term answer at the position. That means that the Rams are still seeking a solution at the game’s most important position once again, even though the Rams signed Foles to a contract extension before he took a snap with the team.
They said it: “Clay hit him with the crown of his helmet, right in the chest,” Fisher said. “It goes back to the referee [Brad Allen] is the one who’s going to make that call, and he doesn’t see the front of the quarterback. He’s (positioned) to the throwing hand.
“So Brad couldn’t see it. I clearly think it was roughing because of the crown of the helmet to the chest. But from his perspective, he couldn’t see the contact. It was kind of one of those things that happens. Sometimes you get those calls. Sometimes they’re right, and sometimes they’re wrong.”
January 27, 2016 at 4:35 pm in reply to: Wagoner: Plays that shaped the Rams season (10 articles total) #38164znModeratorPlays that shaped the Rams’ season No. 6: Season-opening hope
Nick Wagoner
EARTH CITY, Mo. — In what would soon become the Rams’ final season in St. Louis, the results were predictable in 2015.
The Rams had their ups, they had their downs and ultimately those again evened out to what would be another mediocre finish under coach Jeff Fisher.
Over the next week, we’ll take a look back at 10 plays that led to the Rams’ 7-9 finish this season.
Here’s No. 6:
Game: vs. Seattle, Week 1
Date: Sept. 13, 2015
The play: To get to overtime in the season opener, the Rams and Seahawks traded a series of blows over the first four quarters. Electrifying punt returners Tyler Lockett and Tavon Austin each scored a touchdown on a punt and the Rams jumped out to a surprising 24-13 lead before Seattle surged to a 31-24 lead. The Rams tied it again late in the fourth quarter on a 37-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Nick Foles to tight end Lance Kendricks. After 60 minutes, no winner had been decided. After a bizarre failed pooch kick gave the Rams prime field position to start overtime, they kicked a field goal to take a three-point lead, followed by Seattle’s chance with the ball. As the Seahawks marched down the field, they found themselves facing a fourth-and-1 at the Rams’ 42. Instead of throwing it, Seattle dialed running back Marshawn Lynch’s number. But before Lynch ever got rolling, defensive tackles Michael Brockers and Aaron Donald converged on him to drop him for a loss. It was a walk-off stop for the Rams, giving them a 34-31 upset victory.
Why it mattered: For one fleeting week, the Rams offered genuine hope. The win against the then-two-time defending NFC champions, led by a big performance from Foles and a ferocious defense, provided some optimism that the Rams just might finally be turning the corner. Of course, many recognized that the Rams had big wins against teams like Seattle before under coach Jeff Fisher and wanted to wait to see how the season would play out before making postseason plans. It would later turn out to be more fool’s gold as the Rams continued to play well in the NFC West division but not enjoy much success against much of anyone else. Beyond that, the final tackle was a reminder of just how bright the future is for Donald. He had a huge game against the Seahawks and though Brockers deserved as much or more credit for the final tackle, it was just one of many big plays for Donald on the season.
They said it: “The guys got on a roll, we kind of got our energy and the guys are feeling great,” defensive end Robert Quinn said. “So once we started getting back there, we just try to stay consistent. ‘A.D.’ started it off and after that, guys just tried to follow him. We’ve got a special guy in 99 so I guess we just need to follow his lead.”
January 27, 2016 at 4:31 pm in reply to: ESPN will televise Reese’s Senior Bowl practices & other S.B. details #38163znModeratorfrom off the net
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Flipper336
Guys that will have their draftnik coming out parties IMO.
Kyler Fackrell, Utah State –
Big long guy with tons of power in his hands and rare movement skills for a man his size. Could play the Edge and be a nightmare pass rusher, off the line as an OLB and cover every type of TE, set the edge, and blow up the run, or play the middle and make plays all over the field. One of the top talents in the entire draft.Joe Schobert, Wisconsin –
Similar versatility as Fackrell but more of a technician and less of a freak.Deiondre’ Hall, Northern Iowa CB –
Great length, fluid movement, good instincts and ball skills.Leonte Carroo, Rutgers WR –
I have already talked about him a bunch but still had to put his name here.Chris Moore, Cincinnati WR –
Nothing elite about him but does everything well. Makes tough catches and is fearless. Route running should get him noticed this week.Cole Toner, Harvard and Willie Beavers, Western Michigan OT/OG –
Only real question is their completion level, should put a lot of that in the rear view mirror this week.Darian Thompson, Boise State S –
Really solid player that always seems to be in the right place. Lots of interceptions but also a very good run defender.Kevin Byard, Middle Tennessee State S –
Big hitter that sometimes needs to focus more on wrapping up but is very athletic and could help with mismatches that defenses often can’t deal with.Brandon Allen, Arkansas and Jake Coker, Alabama QBs –
More guys I have already talked about but need to list.Christian Westerman, Arizona State OG –
Big fan of this player. Not a huge mauler but has some power. Really shows off when asked to pull or get to the second level and hunt. Great technique. Slightly poor mans David Decastro?Noah Spence, Eastern Kentucky EDGE –
Not Von Miller…but might be the closest as a pass rusher in this draft.NOT SAYING THIS GUY WILL SHINE BUT…
Jeff Driskel, Louisiana Tech –
Want to see how he takes to coaching. Very weird prospect because he makes easy plays look difficult and is only a one read guy but then might be the best deep ball passer I saw this year and makes extremely accurate passes on the move. Lots of inconsistency but intriguing amounts of wow.January 27, 2016 at 4:26 pm in reply to: (reporters:) some takes on the conference champ games #38162znModeratorCarson Palmer facing fallout after ghastly playoff performance
By Jeffri Chadiha
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Of all the factors that led to the Arizona Cardinals’ 49-15 loss to the Carolina Panthers in Sunday’s NFC Championship Game, the biggest trudged into an interview room inside Bank of America Stadium wearing a sharp navy blue suit and a predictably glum expression. Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer knew how bad his night had been. The flight home, the offseason of second-guessing, all the questions that would arise in the wake of it probably would be even worse.
This one, as he was more than willing to admit, was on him.
Sure, you can point to other reasons for Arizona’s blowout loss. The Cardinals’ top-flight defense couldn’t contain Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, and Pro Bowl cornerback Patrick Peterson muffed a punt at a critical juncture in the second quarter. But Palmer had six turnovers attached to his name when this contest ended. He picked the worst possible time to suffer through his worst game of the season.
The really sad part is that this was supposed to be the year when Palmer put all those issues — along with the theory that he wasn’t capable of taking a team deep into the postseason — behind him. Now all those questions are right back in his face, as his team tries to make sense of what went wrong in this contest.
“I kept digging us into a hole,” Palmer said after completing 23 of 40 passes for 235 yards with one touchdown, four interceptions and two lost fumbles. “And we couldn’t find a way to get out of it.”
The worst possible scenario for Palmer was exactly the one that played out on Sunday night.
The Cardinals had won their previous game — a 26-20 overtime victory over Green Bay in the Divisional Round — despite a slow start by their Pro Bowl quarterback. It was an instant red flag for anybody who knew how dangerous the Panthers could be in their own stadium. Carolina had jumped out to a 31-0 first-half lead over Seattle in its own Divisional Round win. The Panthers were more than capable of doing the same to Arizona if Palmer couldn’t get his team focused early.
We quickly learned that Palmer didn’t stand a chance in this game. The Cardinals didn’t cross midfield until the second quarter, when they trailed 17-0. Palmer also committed three turnovers in that quarter, including two fumbles off sacks and an interception by Panthers free safety Kurt Coleman with 49 seconds left in the half. That final giveaway cost Arizona a shot to shave a 24-7 deficit to 24-14.
In fairness to Palmer, he could’ve used better protection against a Carolina pass rush that has become more potent in the postseason. But Palmer never seemed capable of jump-starting his offense when it needed it most. Remember, this was a unit that led the league in total offense (408.3 yards per game) and finished second in scoring (30.6 ppg). The one thing the offense was supposed to do well was put points on the board when it mattered most.
The easy explanation for Palmer’s problems was an injured index finger on his right (throwing) hand that he’s been playing with since late in the regular season. That wasn’t an excuse that Arizona head coach Bruce Arians was buying.
“Carson didn’t lose the damn game,” Arians said. “And nothing is wrong with his damn finger. You can keep all them questions. We just didn’t play well enough. Our best players especially didn’t play well enough.”
That last sentence typified Arizona’s biggest dilemma on Sunday. The Cardinals beat Green Bay primarily because Pro Bowl wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald went off in the second half of that game. When the Cardinals needed a spark, Fitzgerald delivered in a huge way. It’s what great players do in these moments: They carry their teams when all else seems to be failing.
Fitzgerald couldn’t do that in this contest. Neither could Peterson, David Johnson or any other Cardinal who has Pro Bowl-caliber ability. That left Palmer to do the very thing that made him the first overall pick in the 2003 draft and a man who played himself into the league MVP conversation earlier this year. This was the time when he needed to add a key notch to his legacy.
Palmer instead spent most of the second half making mistakes that resulted from him forcing the issue. He led Arizona to another touchdown early in the fourth quarter — capped off by a 21-yard touchdown pass to tight end Darren Fells — but that only made the score 34-15. Palmer threw interceptions on the next two possessions, with the second one being returned for a 22-yard score by Panthers Pro Bowl linebacker Luke Kuechly. By that point, the only question left worth pondering was whether Palmer would be allowed to finish the game.
Arians ultimately left his starting quarterback in to continually throw downfield in a contest that had long since ended. With every pass, Palmer seemed to be sending a message that his team wasn’t going to surrender.
“When you’re down that much, you’re not going to throw a bunch of check-downs and walk off the field,” Palmer said. “We’re going to fight. We’re going to keep throwing and not take a knee. We’re not going to just throw the ball to the halfback and get tackled on downs. We continued to fight and it was just too much to overcome.”
The most glaring aspect of Palmer’s tough night was that it came at the same time that Carolina’s star quarterback, Cam Newton, was doing pretty much whatever he wanted. This game was billed as the first ever playoff matchup of two former Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks (who both had been the first overall selections in their respective draft classes). At 36, Palmer had experienced almost everything a quarterback could’ve encountered in this league. The 26-year-old Newton, on the other hand, was just starting to come into his own.
It’s not the fairest comparison, but Newton looked like he was built for this stage. He played with more swagger, more consistency and more flair. Palmer was rigid from the start, the same as he was in the early stages of that win over Green Bay. Though he had more weapons to work with on offense than Newton, Palmer seemed less certain of how to capitalize on them against a Panthers secondary that had been plagued by recent injuries.
So now Palmer gets to face the fallout. He has started four playoff games in his career, with three ending in losses (he didn’t finish the first, a January 2006 defeat to Pittsburgh, because of a severe knee injury). It would be one thing if Palmer had amassed those numbers by his fourth or fifth year. It’s an entirely different matter when you’re talking about a player who just finished his 13th NFL season.
The reality is that Palmer might not have many great opportunities left to lead a team to a championship.
“This is as low as you can feel,” Palmer said. “You put so much into this and you come into the season with such high expectations. To lose like this hurts.”
Palmer admitted that the pain of this defeat prevented him from savoring the overall success that Arizona enjoyed this season. This was still a team that made huge strides, both by going 13-3 and winning the NFC West. But as Palmer pointed out, “There is still another step left for us [to take].”
Unfortunately for Arizona, that opportunity was missed on Sunday because the quarterback wasn’t up to the task.
znModeratorI would rather you sawed your toes off, toe.
Mis dedos son tus dedos
znModeratorKnowing that, why do opposing teams not make more of an effort to jam them up at the snap, and try to disrupt that rhythm.
Just guessing, you can do that if you also have one of the league’s best pass rushes.
It’s the combination, not just one thing. Not just jamming, but beating the OL quickly too.
Remember in early 2014 when GW’s defense had to adjust to teams throwing quickly on them.
znModeratorA dirt-stained white jersey, tattered undershirt, bloodied socks. They revealed many of the bruises, cuts and scrapes that come with hitting the deck 20 times before and after throwing a football.
Marc!
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Patriots Report Card: Team effort a failure
http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/patriots/2016/01/patriots_report_card_team_effort_a_failure
QUARTERBACK: S (Survivor)
Once again, Tom Brady was a (S)urvivor. It wasn’t his greatest day, but can you blame him after being hit a career-high 23 times? The results of all the concussive chaos were poor decision-making and inaccuracy. The Broncos repeatedly took away his first option, forcing him to hold the ball an average of 2.43 seconds. Most of the season, that number barely was higher than 2. Broncos defensive coordinator Wade Phillips’ scheme put pressure on the Pats line to protect longer. It couldn’t. Brady completed 48.2?percent of his throws, threw three picks (the one on the two-point conversion doesn’t really count, but it ended the season) and converted only 2-of-15 third downs (13.3 percent).
OFFENSIVE LINE: F
If your quarterback gets trampled all day (four sacks, 23 hits) and you can’t open a hole for a single run, you failed miserably at your job. Linebackers Von Miller (21/2 sacks) and DeMarcus Ware (seven hits) embarrassed tackles Marcus Cannon and Sebastian Vollmer. Neither could handle the quickness, agility or power. Cannon gave up a ridiculous 10 pressures, two sacks and seven hurries, plus he had a false start on a third-and-1 QB sneak. Why move if you didn’t block anybody all game? Ware repeatedly beat Vollmer off the line to the outside and with a spin move inside that left him blocking air. Interior pressure also was a problem with guard Josh Klein allowing 11 pressures, four hits and seven hurries. Defensive linemen Malik Jackson and Derek Wolfe created the kind of interior pressure Brady hates, all while Denver blitzed only 17?percent of the time. Center Bryan Stork wasn’t much help and took a stupid penalty for a post-whistle head butt that negated a 5-yard run. On one play, Cameron Fleming cam in to play next to Cannon, putting more than 600 pounds of beef in front of Miller. Miller came out of his stance so fast he was past them both and on a path to Brady before Fleming turned his hips. Noise was a factor for the line, but not as big as the physical mismatches.
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Broncos’ defense kept Brady under siege throughout
To put that in perspective, it was the most hits taken by any quarterback in any game this NFL season. Brady took 99 hits in his previous 17 games, an average of 5.8 per game. The most he had taken before Sunday was 12 against the Eagles last month. Brady had taken 19 hits in his last four games combined before Sunday.
…
They used an NFL-high 13 starting combinations on the offensive line this year, and it showed. Brady bailed them out of many games by getting rid of the football quickly. But they played Sunday like they had two tackles playing out of position, and a rookie (Mason) playing right guard for only the second time in his life.
January 27, 2016 at 9:26 am in reply to: Cascadic Multigrid Algorithm for Computing the Fiedler Vector of Graph Laplacian #38137znModerator, Urschel had his research published in peer-reviewed academic journals in his spare time.
I don’t like what’s happening to the game of football.
Used to be, players were too proud to publish in peer-reviewed academic journals.
Why don’t they just dress quarterbacks in graduation gowns and have done with it.
January 27, 2016 at 1:33 am in reply to: ESPN will televise Reese’s Senior Bowl practices & other S.B. details #38131znModeratorSenior Bowl Practice Report: Day 1
Myles Simmons
MOBILE, Ala. — Senior Bowl week is underway, and with it, much of the NFL universe has come to watch practice. Be it coaches, scouts, general managers, or media, there were hundreds of individuals at both the North and South team sessions on Tuesday.
The day began with weigh-ins and measurements, and then the players were able to hit the field and show off why they were invited to participate in the premier college All-Star game. The South was up first, holding practice at Fairhope Municipal Park Stadium.
Coached by the Jaguars’ staff, members of the South team showed some physicality in most of their drills, particularly the one-on-one situations. That goes for the offensive vs. defensive linemen, the running backs vs. linebackers, and the receivers vs. defensive backs.
As the South practice was finishing up, the North got its session started about a half hour away at Ladd-Peebles Stadium — the Mobile venue that will host all other practices and Saturday’s game. There, the Cowboys coaches led the players through their first exposure to an NFL staff and practice style.
Despite a little traffic on the journey between venues, we at therams.com were able to take in both practices and have plenty to go over from both.
SHEPARD FLASHES FOR SOUTH
Wide receiver Sterling Shepard was one player on the South squad who caught my eye — in addition to most of the passes thrown his way.
Shepard was a significant key to Oklahoma’s run to the College Football Playoff, leading the Sooners with 86 receptions for 1,288 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2015. Those big numbers also landed him in the conference’s top three in each category.
Given his success not only in 2015 but also throughout his college career, it wasn’t a surprise to see him make a number of strong receptions on Tuesday afternoon. He also had an opportunity or two to take an end around out of the backfield.
OAKMAN IS A LARGE HUMAN BEING
Remember Shawn Oakman?
If you were on Twitter on New Years Day 2015 chances are you’ll at least recognize the meme that took over the internet.
And in case y’all forgot who Shawn Oakman is… I loved these memes pic.twitter.com/hY29zbdaP1
— Myles Simmons (@MylesASimmons) January 26, 2016
That now famous picture came from Oakman standing at the coin toss of the Cotton Bowl — Oakman’s Baylor squad facing Michigan State — ostensibly the most intimidating figure you can imagine. And, well, his stature hasn’t really changed much in the year since.Still think Shawn Oakman’s stature as a human is pretty wild. That is one large dude. pic.twitter.com/hpt6IIy8E1
— Myles Simmons (@MylesASimmons) January 27, 2016
Yes, Oakman sported his trademark look at the South practice, wearing his jersey tucked into his shoulder pads. And sure, he looked as intimidating as ever. But that doesn’t mean everything has come easy for the defensive end. Oakman’s production decreased from the 2014 to 2015 season, as he recorded only 4.5 sacks as a senior — down from 11.0 as a junior.EXTRA POINTS
— To me, one of the fun aspects of the Senior Bowl is the opportunity to ask players about their former college teammates who now happen to be Rams. Today, former Georgia offensive lineman John Theus had plenty of positive things to say about running back Todd Gurley.
“I love Todd,” Theus said. “Great kid, hard worker. Very talented. Y’all have got a good one for sure.”
Along with a couple other roommates, Theus actually lived with Gurley when the two were freshmen in 2012. As members of the same recruiting class, they got to know each other well.
Theus used that “s” word so many used throughout 2015 to describe what it was like to play with Gurley at UGA.
“It was definitely special,” Theus said. “Todd’s a heck of a player — a freak athlete. Being around him every day, and living with him some, you see stuff that everybody doesn’t see every day.”
We’ll have more of Theus’ thoughts on Gurley in a full profile later in the week.
January 26, 2016 at 11:59 pm in reply to: ESPN will televise Reese’s Senior Bowl practices & other S.B. details #38129znModeratorL.A. Rams GM Les Snead has his eyes on potential draft prizes at the Senior Bowl
By Gary Klein
http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-senior-bowl-rams-20160127-story.html
Rams General Manager Les Snead stood inside Ladd-Peebles Stadium late Tuesday afternoon, after the first Senior Bowl practice he would see this week.
A North team that features quarterbacks Cody Kessler of USC, Kevin Hogan of Stanford, Carson Wentz of North Dakota State and Jeff Driskel of Louisiana Tech had just gone through its first workout under Dallas Cowboys Coach Jason Garrett and his staff.
“First day, it’s kid in a candy store,” Snead said of evaluating players. “You want to see everybody.”
There were plenty of eyes.
Snead said “pretty much the entire scouting department” was on hand to evaluate players who are practicing for Saturday’s game and preparing for the NFL draft. The Rams have the 15th pick in the draft, scheduled April 28-30 in Chicago.
Despite light rain during the North team workout, Snead said the quarterbacks “spun the ball” and demonstrated the skills that made them successful during their college careers.
Kessler and UCLA receiver Jordan Payton combined on a long touchdown pass play during one-on-one drills.
“They gave him a double-move, pump-and-go,” Kessler said. “I told him I’d put it up there . . . that USC-UCLA thing.”
Earlier Tuesday, the South team practiced at a high school about 30 minutes from the stadium. Alabama Coach Nick Saban stopped by to watch the team that features several of his former players and is being coached by the Jacksonville Jaguars staff.
Rams Coach Jeff Fisher will not be at Senior Bowl workouts, Snead said. But scouts and many assistant coaches are on hand. Individual scouts are assigned positions to evaluate at practice and on video. Area scouts additionally evaluate players from their regions. Scouts also conduct player interviews.
The contingent will meet nightly to review and plan for the next day.
“You try and divide it so the area scout finally gets to sit down and see the personality of the player and maybe ask a few questions they’ve been dying to ask,” Snead said.
The Rams remain in the process of working out the logistics of their move from St. Louis to Los Angeles.
A decision regarding the location of their temporary training facility could be made in “the next seven to 21 days,” Snead said. The Oxnard facility where the Dallas Cowboys have trained during summer is among the possibilities. The Rams held two days of joint practices with the Cowboys in Oxnard last August.
“We’ve got some guys right now that are vetting, narrowing down the sites to try and figure out what best fits the transition,” Snead said.
Asked where the Rams would conduct their draft, Snead said, “We will be in Los Angeles. We’re the L.A. Rams.”
Measured responses
Players started the day by going through the annual weigh-in that is held in a cavernous convention center ballroom. Hundreds of scouts filled the seating in front of the stage and in 13 rows of bleachers.
Tennessee Titans scout Dale Thompson, a former USC tight end, read the name of each player who appeared on stage in compression shorts or underwear to be measured for height and weight. After each player’s turn on stage, a large graphic appeared on a screen with the player’s photo, height, weight, hand size and wingspan.
“Everybody goes through it,” UCLA kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn said, laughing. “You’ve got to be comfortable being uncomfortable.”
Miller in the mix
Braxton Miller moved from quarterback to receiver at Ohio State after he was sidelined because of injuries and then supplanted by J.T. Barrett and Cardale Jones.
Miller is among the most intriguing prospects at the Senior Bowl.
Asked if he considered himself an X factor among the receivers, he said, “I can be. Some of the guys, they mainly played receiver their whole life. I can come back there and still throw the ball if I want to. So it’s whatever the team needs.
znModeratorJohnson made plays but then they didn’t throw much to Jenkins, indicating he was playing well.
However, I take Johnson and keep developing CBs.
They already have Gaines, Roberson, and Joyner. They can add to that.
I don’t remember them ever being this deep at CB before.
.
January 26, 2016 at 9:53 pm in reply to: Snead audio: We should have had a QB Competition last year #38125znModeratorRams plan to have QB competition heading into ’16
Les Snead said Tuesday that the Rams are planning to have all three of the quarterbacks on their current roster â Foles, Case Keenum and Sean Mannion â as well as any potential offseason additions battle for the starting spot.
By Alex Marvez
MOBILE, Ala. — Les Snead wouldn’t say the Los Angeles Rams have buyer’s remorse about trading for Nick Foles.
However, there is something that the general manager does regret about the 2015 season â and it’s a mistake he doesn’t plan for the franchise to make again.
Snead said Tuesday that the Rams are planning to have all three of the quarterbacks on their current roster – Foles, Case Keenum and Sean Mannion – as well as any potential offseason additions battle for the starting spot. Last year, the Rams designated Foles their starter after acquiring him and a 2016 second-round draft pick in a trade with Philadelphia for Sam Bradford.
“If I learned one thing last year we should have let the quarterbacks have a competition from the start and the best man win instead of just passing the torch to Nick,” Snead told co-host Mark Dominik and me on SiriusXM NFL Radio at the Reese’s Senior Bowl.
Foles was impressive enough upon his arrival that the Rams signed him during the preseason to a two-year, $24.5 million contract extension that included $13.7 million guaranteed. Foles, though, struggled to the point that he was benched for the final four games in favor of Keenum as the Rams (7-9) finished without a winning record for the 12th consecutive season.
Snead said the body of work Foles compiled during two seasons with the Eagles prompted his early designation as the Rams’ first-stringer.
“He obviously had a lot of success at Philly and it was proven so we brought him in,” said Snead, referring to Foles’ 15-9 starting record with Philadelphia in 2013 and 2014. “As you go through things with a new quarterback and he’s learning a new system there’s going to be some growing pains whether it’s in OTAs or training camp.
“You saw that a little bit but, hey, we open up and beat Seattle and went to Arizona and won. He did some good things for us. We just ran into a slump there in the middle of the year.”
Snead also defended Foles and the play of the team’s other quarterbacks by pointing to mitigating factors. One of them was having a first-time offensive coordinator (Frank Cignetti Jr.) who was fired before the season ended. Another was disappointing play from the Rams’ receiving corps.
In particular, Snead cited the Rams’ 19-16 loss at San Francisco in the season-finale.
“We had a chance to win four straight at the end of the year. Every wide receiver that dressed out dropped one ball that day. You can’t have that,” said Snead, whose team will have a new wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator next season in Mike Groh.
“I think Nick’s season would have been better and coach Cignetti’s season would have been better and even Case’s last game would have been better had those guys stepped up.”
znModeratorRams minority owner is not to be trusted
April 20, 2010
Bryan Burwell
I know big business is supposed to be a rough-and-tumble contact sport, but wow, does it have to be like this?
Every day as the Rams’ sale process moves along — and as the mysterious billionaire Stan Kroenke continues to drop people’s jaws and raise their blood pressure with one strategic move after another — my mind races to guess what sort of end game might lie ahead.
If Kroenke continues to prove to be this unpredictable (did someone say “diabolical?”) as a potential buyer, how nervous should that make us if he actually ends up assuming full control of St. Louis’ NFL franchise?
As far as I can tell, what we have learned about Kroenke is that every move he makes is straight out of a Machiavellian playbook. From his cunning 11th hour maneuver to gain complete financial control of the franchise, to this latest reported strategy to seek an eight-figure “compensation” from would-be buyer Shahid Khan to step out of the buying process, his actions reek of cold-blooded duplicity.
According to the Sports Business Journal, it turns out Kroenke may not want to buy the Rams. He just wants to maximize the value of his existing 40 percent share of the team by gumming up Khan’s attempt to buy the team.
On Wall Street, there’s a not-so-polite term for such tactics: “greenmail.”
But in St. Louis, the word “blackmail” would work just as well, because what else would you call it when someone basically tells you to just pay him to stop being a nuisance?
Every maneuver the minority owner makes feels more duplicitous than the next. I know he’s not doing anything his original purchase agreement doesn’t allow. But the more you see how cutthroat Kroenke’s business strategies are, the more urgent it seems to me that Khan ultimately finds the economic wherewithal and additional investors to make Kroenke go away.
I have no idea what sort of owner Khan might become. But I do know that he has St. Louis’ best interests at heart. He wants to keep the Rams in St. Louis and would not turn the tenuous lease situation into a devilish ploy at the negotiating table. No matter how contentious those negotiations end up as the city tries to find a creative way to satisfy the Rams’ lease — and drastically improve the amenities at the Edward Jones Dome — Khan’s goal is to keep the team in St. Louis.
No one can assume what Kroenke’s ultimate goal is except that it will end up benefiting Kroenke. He has shown in the short span of a few weeks that he will use any ruthless strategy to maximize his bottom line.
If you don’t think that means using our city’s economic weakness as a way of doing a double-turn back to Los Angeles, you’re sadly underestimating Kroenke’s ability in the art of the (double) deal.
Kroenke has already clearly and dramatically demonstrated that he cares about two things — himself and his money.
Everything else is negotiable.
I’ll give Kroenke credit for this: In a severely depressed economy, he is finding a way to “maximize” the value of his share of an NFL franchise. He has played this thing out with ruthless skill. He has leveraged everything at his disposal, and now he’s just sitting back and waiting to see if, or when, Khan will blink.
Everything about Kroenke’s past indicates he isn’t afraid to do the unpopular thing if it makes him more money. Is this the guy St. Louis wants owning controlling interest in its NFL franchise?
I have now seen more than enough to know that I don’t trust him as far as I can fling a penny off the thumb of a boxing glove.
So now what it all comes down to is this: Are there any other local businessmen and local politicians, who care as much as Shahid Khan does about keeping St. Louis an NFL city indefinitely?
If Khan is shopping for additional investors, this should not be that difficult a process. I would suspect that investors would line up for the privilege. It might be distasteful to buckle under to Kroenke’s demands, but consider the alternatives.
And just as soon as Khan and his new investors do get their stuff together, the people who wind up in control of the negotiations that could reshape the sorry stadium lease need to get their act together.
For a change, wouldn’t it be nice if these folks stopped doing what too often our local pols have been famous for — reacting to a crisis way too late rather than being proactive to prevent another major asset of the community from bolting far, far away?
znModeratorRams owner Stan Kroenke won more than just L.A.
Dan Wetzel
DENVER – Stan Kroenke owns three major professional sports franchises in the Denver area: the NBA Nuggets, the NHL Avalanche and the MLS Rapids, plus the Colorado Mammoth of the National Lacrosse League.
When he is here to tend to their business, which is often, he lives in a spacious penthouse jutting out of one side and on top of the Pepsi Center, the 18,000-seat downtown arena he also owns.
It’s an incredible home, spacious and brilliantly decorated, with multiple outdoor spaces and views of both downtown and the Rocky Mountains in the distance. Once inside, it feels like a standalone home off in some gated community in the suburbs, not something that is an elevator ride from a raucous arena.
“Convenient commute,” Kroenke said with a laugh to Yahoo Sports on Saturday night while watching his Nuggets defeat the Detroit Pistons.
It’s every young sports fans’ dream – can’t we just live in the arena?
“Sports and real estate development is a large part of what we do,” said Kroenke, who Forbes estimates is worth $7.7 billion.
Sports and real estate. Real estate and sports.
It’s how Stan Kroenke, despite lacking the big personality or high-profile of a Jerry Jones or a Mark Cuban, has emerged as one of the world’s preeminent professional sports owners and, with construction set to begin on a state-of-the-art, 100,000-capacity, clear-roofed stadium in a 300-acre development in Inglewood, Calif., undeniably one of the most powerful figures in sports in this country.
The franchises here in Colorado are big, his other two are bigger. There is the London-based Arsenal Football Club of the English Premier League and its home arena, Emirates Stadium, the third largest in England.
Then there are the Rams of the NFL, which after approval this month from the NFL will leave St. Louis and return to their Los Angeles roots and into what is expected to be the envy of any venue in the world. It was Kroenke, who after two-plus decades solved the NFL’s L.A. riddle, something many billionaires, businessmen, entertainment moguls, governors, mayors and so on couldn’t.
“The NFL had a problem out there, I was on the committee [looking at relocation possibilities] for years,” Kroenke said. “We never got anything done. It’s hard to get things done in California.”
Hard, but, it turns out, not impossible.
*****
Kroenke, 68, grew up in rural Missouri, where as a child he served as a bookkeeper to his father, a small business owner. He later attended the University of Missouri, where he also earned an MBA. He focused on real estate and operates a vast array of companies and interests, although he still carries himself with a calm, down-home style that belies his immense wealth. His preferred drink is a very cold Coors Light. His wife, Ann Walton Kroenke, is herself a billionaire, part of the Wal-Mart family fortune.
This is the background, the experience, the financial might, the business acumen and the quiet but determined personality that was probably required to solve one of professional sports’ most vexing challenges.
Kroenke was brought in as a local Missouri-based minority owner for the Rams in 1994 to help move the franchise to St. Louis, where the city had built, entirely with public funds, a dome stadium that lacked a tenant. In 2010 he took over full ownership, but plans for a new stadium were slow and complicated and forced him to find alternative options.In L.A. he quietly purchased the land, most of it the old Hollywood Park racetrack, to put up a sporting palace.
“As a real-estate developer, its 300 acres,” Kroenke said. “Three-hundred acres in a city like Los Angeles, in the middle of everything, is very, very unusual to say the least. So that’s a real-estate developer’s dream.”
The project will include much-needed retail, housing and office space for the area, plus the cutting-edge stadium. Costs are expected to soar well over $2 billion. While the NFL has granted San Diego Chargers owner Dean Spanos a one-year window to join Kroenke as a partner on the project, even if Kroenke goes it alone, there will be no direct public funding, almost unheard of in sports business these days.
The plan, both the concept of the stadium and the competency of Kroenke’s team, overwhelmed Spanos’ attempt for a joint stadium with the Raiders down in Carson, Calif. The vote went 30-2. Now they are awaiting Spanos’ decision. If Spanos passes, Raiders owner Mark Davis has one year to consider coming also.
“There is tremendous excitement,” Kroenke said. “It’s amazing.”
Last Monday, the Rams offered a chance for fans to get on a list to buy up to eight tickets each for games the next three years at the L.A. Coliseum, while the new venue is being built. It’s already approaching 50,000, an eye-popping number even for the NFL, and if all come through it would easily exhaust supply.
While the league never doubted there would be interest, the vision for the epic stadium closer to the city’s moneyed Westside is undoubtedly a factor. This is L.A., where they expect big things. So too is the fact it is the Rams that are returning, where a fan base that grew up with them are now in middle age.
Kroenke related a story about a man who was wearing a Rams jersey during the week of the NFL vote as a public display of hope.
“He said, ‘I grew up rooting for the Rams and when they left for St. Louis [in 1995] it was tough for me. So this could be the best week I’ve had in 21 years,'” Kroenke said.
*****
The process, of course, wasn’t all fun. Kroenke notes that the league purposely makes relocation difficult because “it should be difficult.” It is almost always preferred that teams remain in their current markets. However, the realities of the stadium lease in St. Louis and the enormous possibilities of moving to the nation’s entertainment capital was too much. He’s a businessman and has never apologized for it.
Kroenke talks of needing rhino hide to deal with some of the anger back in St. Louis – the reaction could be described as nuclear, if not worse. The truth, however, was he never misled about the possibility of a move, speaking bluntly about the challenges of staying and the possibilities of leaving from the start.
At least some of the local media, most notably Bryan Burwell, the late, great St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist, paid attention and wrote extensively about Kroenke demonstrating a willingness to make an unpopular business move. The portrayals through the years weren’t always flattering, but they spoke to an owner who wasn’t hiding behind glad-handing or phony news conferences (he rarely speaks to the media at all).
Perhaps no one else paid attention or believed Burwell that it could happen. Perhaps they thought L.A. was impossible, or underestimated Kroenke. Perhaps they just couldn’t see past the Arch. This despite year after year Kroenke making clear statements and buying land in Southern California that spoke to his resolve.
Kroenke is acutely aware of how some fans in Missouri feel about the team returning to L.A. He also knows there is no simple answer that solves that.
“There’s an emotional side to it,” Kroenke said. “I understand that. I also think that people in Missouri understand you can’t just throw rational thought to the wind. You have to do something that makes sense. And by the way, the league and my partners are not going to let me stay in a deal that doesn’t make any sense.”
Business is business. It’s what got the Rams out of L.A. in the first place, after all. Still, what do you say to the regular guy who just wanted to have a team?
“I say that 22 years ago they had a stadium that was built and it had no team,” Kroenke said. “And we had a lot to do with bringing a team in for 21 years. And by the way we won a Super Bowl and participated in another one. Some people never do who have been around the league a long time, so I’m proud of that.
“I understand the emotional side of it. But it has to make sense.”
*****
There is little question that L.A. makes sense. On a macro scale having a team and stadium there rather than Missouri is non-comparable. It’s not just the Rams and potentially the Chargers or Raiders who will play at the new stadium, set to open in 2019. It will assuredly host Super Bowls, Final Fours, college regular-season and bowl games, not to mention concerts, rodeos, political conventions and anything else they can think up.
Jerry Jones has said he expects it to eclipse his AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, as the country’s finest venue.
“The commissioner [Roger Goodell] said he thought it would be the greatest sports complex in the world,” Kroenke said. “I’m proud of our architects. It’s a great place that everyone knows, Hollywood Park. I love it. We’ve got a great design, a spectacular stadium and it’s a fantastic place to do everything.
“It’s an opportunity that doesn’t come along every day.”
Actually, it was there for the taking for two decades. No one could get it done. Stan Kroenke, a guy who cumulatively lives months each year inside a sports venue, did. Maybe that total immersion was it. He was a billionaire who was hands-on every step in the way.
The hardest part done, the NFL political battle and relocation behind him, L.A. is now more about fun, the dream project to see fulfilled. The new stadium will have everything, except one thing – a built-in home like this one.
January 26, 2016 at 8:24 pm in reply to: Wagoner: Plays that shaped the Rams season (10 articles total) #38119znModeratorPlays that shaped the Rams’ season No. 7: Blocked field goal finishes it
Nick Wagoner
EARTH CITY, Mo. — In what would soon become the Rams’ final season in St. Louis, the results were predictable in 2015.
The Rams had their ups, they had their downs and ultimately those again evened out to what would be another mediocre finish under coach Jeff Fisher.
Over the next week, we’ll take a look back at 10 plays that led to the Rams’ 7-9 finish this season.
Here’s No. 7:
Game: at San Francisco, Week 17
Date: Jan. 3, 2016
The play: With five minutes to go in overtime of the season finale against the 49ers, the Rams and kicker Greg Zuerlein were one 48-yard field goal away from winning the game and getting to 8-8 for the first time since 2006. Instead, for the third time in the 2015 season, Zuerlein had his kick blocked. It was the end to a miserable season for Zuerlein, who finished last among qualified kickers in field goal percentage after he converted just two-thirds of his attempts. San Francisco got the ball at its 26 and promptly drove into Rams territory, where kicker Phil Dawson made a 23-yard field goal to send the Rams home with a loss.
Why it mattered: For Zuerlein, it could have been the final kick of his tenure with the Rams as coach Jeff Fisher said one day later that the team intends to bring in competition for Zuerlein in the offseason. And that’s assuming the team re-signs him as an unrestricted free agent. But there were more far-reaching implications of this loss. With the defeat, the Rams dropped to 7-9 on the season, ensuring that they would hold the NFL’s longest streak of losing seasons by extending it to nine. The Rams have not had a winning season since 2003. Had the Rams reached 8-8, they would have at least had some sort of progress, small as it might have been, to show in the record books. Instead, they got more of the same with their third seven-win season out of four total years under Fisher’s leadership.
They said it: “Any time you don’t go up and convert and do your job, you’re not going to be happy about it,” Zuerlein said. “Just because of the
January 26, 2016 at 8:24 pm in reply to: Wagoner: Plays that shaped the Rams season (10 articles total) #38118znModeratorPlays that shaped the Rams’ season No. 8: A fitting farewell
Nick Wagoner
EARTH CITY, Mo. — In what would soon become the Rams’ final season in St. Louis, the results were predictable in 2015.
The Rams had their ups, they had their downs and ultimately those again evened out to what would be another mediocre finish under coach Jeff Fisher.
Over the next week, we’ll take a look back at 10 plays that led to the Rams’ 7-9 finish this season.
Here’s No. 8:
Game: vs. Tampa Bay, Week 15
Date: Dec. 17. 2015
The play: We’re going to take a little bit of liberty here and expand this to multiple plays because they were somewhat unexpected. After struggling offensively all season long, the Rams finally seemed to find some traction in the first half of a 31-23 win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That included a 17-yard touchdown pass from Case Keenum to Tavon Austin, Todd Gurley’s 3-yard touchdown run, Kenny Britt’s 60-yard touchdown catch and Austin’s 21-yard touchdown run. Those four touchdowns came within the first two-and-a-half quarters for a team that struggled to score four touchdowns in back-to-back games, let alone in less than three full quarters.
Why it mattered: Beating Tampa Bay in a late-season Thursday night game certainly didn’t mean much for the Rams in 2015. It gave them a second consecutive win and kept their hopes of a .500 season alive, but that was about all there was. But this was something a little bigger in this sense: It was the Rams’ last home game of the year and, as it turned out, the final home game the Rams would play in St. Louis. That wasn’t lost on the fans who showed up that night hoping to get one final positive memory about a team that didn’t offer many in its time in the city. It was somewhat fitting that the Rams used an offensive outburst to send those fans home happy one more time since it was a high-octane offense that offered the bulk of whatever happy memories those fans had. The relocation discussion lurked in the shadows throughout the season, so hitting on some moments in the team’s final home game is only a natural connection.
They said it: “I don’t know what the fans are thinking, but obviously, the fans tonight were incredible — chanting and yelling and being loud when the defense needed them to be loud,” Keenum said. “It was a great atmosphere tonight. I think it was a great atmosphere for the nation to watch and see. I think it was a good football game. Those guys played hard. They fought to the end and our crowd was in it till the end. It was a lot of fun out there. Tonight, I think it was a great football game.”
situation, I don’t think it makes it any more or less significant.”znModeratorJT (from his chat) on Groh
Fisher doesn’t always do the expected when it comes to staff additions. He did like what Rob Boras did stepping in for CIgnetti the last 4 games of the season _ and got good feedback from the players. But he wanted to add some passing game expertise and feels Groh will bring that.
He worked with Marc Trestman and Adam Gase in Chicago, so he’s been exposed to some pretty good offensive minds there. Has worked w/Saban (at Alabama). Son of an NFL and college head coach (Al Groh). Played QB in the ACC. From the reaction to his departure in Chicago, it sounds like he was a valued assistant with the Bears.
January 26, 2016 at 7:24 pm in reply to: Players on moving – Farr, Warner, Bruce x2, Slater, Hekker, Holt, Gurley, Proehl #38115znModeratorRosey Grier, other ex-players sound off on NFL’s return to LA
http://www.pe.com/articles/rams-792776-return-players.html
The former Los Angeles Rams players in attendance for Sunday’s “Welcome Home Rams” party certainly had a lot to say, both about the Rams return to LA and the other potential for the Chargers and Raiders to join them.
Here is a sampling of what the ex-Rams had to say, both about the current state of the NFL in LA and what the future may hold.
Joe Sweet, WR
Rams 1972-73, Chargers 1975
I just left our church before coming here. Our church is in Inglewood, and we’re all very excited about the possibilities and what we can do.
The city needed a team to come back, and what better team to come back than the Rams. They had so much history here. When I was drafted in 1971 we played in the Coliseum, it already had so much history. This is the Rams city, and I’m glad they’re back.”
Personally, I would like to see the Chargers stay in San Diego and see the Raiders stay in Oakland.
As a former player as I would attend the various events that we’d do and I knew of some (Chargers) fans from the LA area, but I never thought it was enough to make that move. It wasn’t ideal for a new franchise to come here. At least just from my observation, I just don’t think they’d have that many fans even if they’d move up here alone.
Now with the Rams up here, to try and share that market – I think the market is large enough in terms of population – but there certainly would be some lean years for the Chargers before their fan base picks up.
Rosey Grier, DT
Rams 1963-66
I think it’s great in general for the NFL to be back in LA. Just athletes in general, what we have to do is try to encourage younger players to conduct themselves better on the field. I don’t like the things they do to deliberately hurt one another and these are guys that are working for their families. When you’re not playing the game by the rules, then you’re hurting the game, you’re ruining the game. And the young children that watch it, they’re going to do the same thing on the field themselves. So you have to be a role model, and having role models in the local community will help.
Children will listen to what an athlete says, but you’ve got to know who that athlete is. They’ve got to be aware of the character of the athlete themselves. They are people that are looked up to. Each one has a responsibility. As a minister and former actor and athlete, I would expect this is a great thing for LA.
I also like the fact they’re giving 30 percent of the jobs to the community. That makes the community really appreciate it, because the community needs that support.
Reggie Doss, DE
Rams 1978-87
It’s exciting the Rams are coming back. It’s going to add I think a total new excitement to the southern California area. We’re seeing a lot of people around letting us know how excited they are.
I kind of knew about the Rams being the team that would come back, just with the background of owner. I thought he was going to be the guy who would really nail it down. The fans have been dying to get a team back here for so many years, and I’m glad he did.
I think it does help the community more than just the fact of having games being played here. So much positive things happen through the NFL as far as the players are concerned, alongside some of the negative things too, but I think the positives outweigh the negatives. I think it will be a great opportunity for a lot of the players to be impactful in the community, which is needed.
My 10 years playing here it was pretty incredible. Just the atmosphere and the fans and the fanbase that we have. From my first two years when we played in the Coliseum and played in the Super Bowl and then moved to Anaheim, you got to see the entire spectrum of the fans. You saw a ton of fans in Los Angeles and all around. I think that part of it makes it exciting for some of the older guys and what will be exciting for the younger guys.
Greg Bell, RB
Rams 1988-89, Raiders 1990
That’s a given how much the news has energized everybody. Look at all the Rams jerseys and Rams paraphernalia around. This is without a doubt en exciting time, for southern California as a whole.
The fact that we’ve got the home-based team coming home, and so many of us still live here. It’s going to be a fun time.
I went to a Rams reunion that Georgia (Frontiere) put on for us in the Coliseum about 15 years ago and it was something so special about that I can’t tell you. I was sitting at a table with five guys who played for the Cleveland Rams, and they all lived in Gardena and all lived on one street. That history, that’s something that’s going to make this special for the new guys who come in and see the following they have here. It’s probably three times what they had in St. Louis. To see when that stadium is filled, to see when the Coliseum is filled, that’s something special.
As a Rams player the only time I got to play in the Coliseum was against the Raiders, and of course I had a great game, but you felt from that stadium what the LA Rams are really about, because that was our home. I think they’re going to enjoy it for a couple of years until they go to Inglewood.
I think Inglewood is going to turn into the old “City of Champions” that it was. If there is one thing I really don’t enjoy, I don’t enjoy going to Staples Center. Back when Dr. Buss had the Forum and it was the Fabulous Forum, I remember sitting with him and him telling me his desire to be the Rams owner. It’s something about being the city of champions, something about being in Los Angeles, that the Rams are just going to love.
I tell you what, I spend time up in Oakland with Mark Davis, and the Raiders history is there. The Oakland Raiders rolls smoothly off the tongue. The Los Angeles Raiders never rolled smooth. It’s just something about the mystique of playing the Raiders. Oakland is really the home of the Raiders, just like San Diego is really the home of the Chargers
I think part of Los Angeles’ lore, like any city, is you want to have one team that is yours, and the Rams have always belonged to Los Angeles.
LeRoy Irvin, CB
Rams 1980-89
You can see the fans are more excited. I’ve been working with the Rams booster club for years, and now they’re more energized. You see all the people who were Rams fans who became fans of other teams are starting to jump back on the bandwagon. It’s good for us as players because we’re starting to do things in the community and it also gives us a boost.
It’s just amazing the Rams are here. I’m ecstatic about it. It’s good for us as older players. It’s good for the community because we’ve been in the community for so long without the support of the Rams, and now as they move back and it’s even better for the community.
For 10, 20, years we’ve been doing things in the community without the support of the Rams once they left. Now they’re back, it makes what we’re doing a lot better.
znModeratorDidn’t that 99 team have co defensive coordinators?
I don;t think this is co-coordinators though, like that was.
And yes, 99, Giunta and Bunting.
znModeratorKey changes for the Los Angeles Rams
NFL | Los Angeles Rams | Key changes for the Los Angeles Rams
Key changes for the Los Angeles Rams
January 25, 2016 by Brendan AbbanTwitterFacebook4EmailPrintMore
The 2016 offseason for the Los Angeles Rams has already gotten off to a crazy start. From the team replacing offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti with assistant head coach Rob Boras, to the team moving to Los Angeles and saying good bye to St Louis. The changes have already begun but it could be debated that there are more changes that could be made.Offensive woes
Los Angeles Rams
Tavon Austin is one of the most dynamic players the Rams have on offense but his full potential has not been realized in this Ram’s offense. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports
The changes on the offensive side of the ball have already begun for the Los Angeles Rams who ranked a league worst 32nd. With the firing of Frank Cignetti, the Rams are proving they are not content with being last in practically every offensive category apart from rushing. Cignetti had just been named offensive coordinator this past offseason after the departure of Brian Schottenheimer. Even though Cignetti held the title of offensive coordinator, Fisher also holds some accountability for the offense being so abysmal. Fisher has not coached a top 10 offense throughout his enter tenure in St Louis. The last time Fisher coached a top 10 offense dates back to 2003, over a decade. Although, it was under Cignetti and Fisher’s watch that running back Todd Gurley had such a breakout year and Tavon Austin had the best season of his career but the offense through the air has been disastrous.Tavon Austin was supposed to be one of the most lethal deep threats coming out of West Virginia similar to Desean Jackson but has had yet to have a Jackson like impact. Some of this can possibly be attributed to the fact that since Austin became a Ram he has had six different quarterbacks throwing him the ball none of which have made a pro-bowl except Nick Foles, and everyone knows how that experiment went. As the season progressed teams started to sniff out the Rams tendencies and stacked the box in order to stop Gurley and force them to throw. In games where Gurley rushed for 100 yards the Rams went 4-1. Games where he rushed for under 100 yards they went 2-6. This just shows how badly the Rams need to address the passing game in order to keep defenses honest which caters to my next change the Rams need to address.
Quarterback mediocrity
The Rams haven’t had a serviceable quarterback campaign since Sam Bradford in 2013 where he only played seven games due to injury and before that it was Marc Bulger in 2006. While the Rams thought they had traded for their franchise quarterback last offseason, Nick Foles proved to be Foles gold and was relatively ineffective in the passing game. On the season Foles had a quarterback rating of 30 and a passer rating of 69. The quarterback rating is done on a scale of 0-100 and the highest achievable passer rating is 158.3 which truly speaks to how bad Foles has been as the man under center this season. Even though his replacement Case Keenum also proved to not be the answer either. Through six games Keenum finished the season with a quarterback rating of 47.7 and a passer rating of 87.7. Rookie Marcus Mariota had a better quarterback rating and passer rating(61/91.5) than both of the two seasoned veterans in the league. The point is that the Rams need a productive leader at quarterback, whether they find that quarterback in free agency or the draft remains to be seen but one thing is for sure. If the Rams enter the season playing hot tomato between Keenum and Foles at quarterback, then we can expect much of the same of what we saw this year next year as well.
Head coach
The Rams have been many things over the past few seasons, unfortunately a winning team is not one of them. What they have been though is loyal, loyal to head coach Jeff Fisher. Nearing the end of another playoff absentee season, many were speculating that Ram’s head coach would be part of a list of coaches departing from their respective teams. To the surprise of many though, Jeff Fisher remained as the head coach. Throughout Fisher’s tenure with the Rams the team has had records of 7-8-1, 7-9, -6-10, and 7-9. The team has increased in the level of talent it has on offense and defense but it still has yet to produce a playoff birth. At this point the Rams have a playoff or bust mindset but there have been no indications that Jeff Fisher can be the coach that will get them over the hump.
January 26, 2016 at 1:54 am in reply to: ESPN will televise Reese’s Senior Bowl practices & other S.B. details #38086znModeratorSenior Bowl Preview: 8 Players to Watch
Myles Simmons
Each year the Senior Bowl brings some of the top talent in nation to Mobile, Ala. for what is widely regarded as the premiere college All-Star game. With NFL coaching staffs leading both teams — the Cowboys for the North and the Jaguars for the South — these players will be exposed to the way a pro team runs its week for the first time.
It’s invaluable experience not only for the players, but also for everyone who observes. Be it scouts, coaches, or general managers, much of the NFL flocks to the city in southern Alabama to watch the week’s practices, which are thought of as more indicative of a players’ skill than the game itself.
Over the past few years, the Rams have drafted their share of players who have competed in the Senior Bowl. Many regard defensive tackle Aaron Donald’s showing over the practice sessions as one of the more memorable they’ve seen. Based on his performance in his first two years in the league, that should come as no surprise.
But Rams’ safety T.J. McDonald, right tackle Rob Havenstein, and quarterback Sean Mannion have also participated in Mobile over the past few years. With that in mind, here are some players on both the North and South squad who are likely to make some headlines during the week, and just might end up with Los Angeles in 2016.
NORTH
Carson Wentz – QB – North Dakota State
Wentz spent the last two years as North Dakota State’s starting quarterback, leading the team to its fourth and fifth consecutive FCS National Championships. But playing his four years in FCS, the 6-foot-6 quarterback does have something to prove heading into the spring draft. He could confirm many of the positive impressions of him with a strong week in Mobile.
Braxton Miller – WR – Ohio State
A two-time Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year as a quarterback, Miller made the switch to wide receiver in 2015 in part to help alleviate the Buckeyes’ logjam of QBs. He finished the year with 601 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns. How his skill set fits with a pro offense should be intriguing to monitor this week.
Kevin Peterson – CB – Oklahoma State
Peterson was one of 15 semifinalists for the Jim Thorpe Award, which is presented to the top defensive back in college football. He made five picks in his career, often defending the opposition’s best receiver in Oklahoma State’s defensive scheme.
Adolphis Washington – DT – Ohio State
Washington will have to answer some questions about some of his off-the-field issues, but he was undoubtedly one of the better defensive linemen in college football. Partially overshadowed by potential top-five draft pick Joey Bosa, Washington still recorded 13.5 sacks and 25.0 tackles for loss over his four years at Ohio State.
SOUTH
Jake Coker – QB – Alabama
Running back Derrick Henry may have won the Heisman with his outstanding 2015 season, but Coker proved his value in the Crimson Tide’s run to its National Championship. The 6-foot-5 quarterback completed 67 percent of his passes for 3,110 yards with 21 touchdowns and eight interceptions in his senior year. His experience could prove useful against the nation’s best.
Sterling Shepard – WR – Oklahoma
Shepard produced in all four years at Oklahoma, particularly in his senior season of 2015 when he caught 86 passes for 1,288 yards and 11 touchdowns. A semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award, Shepard was one of the primary cogs in the Sooners’ offense that reached the College Football Playoff.
Sheldon Rankins – DE – Louisville
Rankins has been plenty productive at Louisville over the past couple years, racking up 26.5 tackles for loss and 14.0 sacks combined in his junior and senior seasons. He’s a versatile player who can line up both on the inside and outside, which helped him to lead the Cardinals in tackles in 2015.
Noah Spence – EDGE – Eastern Kentucky
Spence is another player who has seen his share of off-the-field issues, as they were the reason he transferred to Eastern Kentucky. That said, he is one of the better edge rushers in the class, having racked up 22.5 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks in 2015 — with at least one sack in nine of 11 games. He could improve his draft stock with a strong performance this week.
znModeratorIt just seems like a complicated set-up. Should we also bring in a 2nd down specialist? A first down specialist? A 4th down specialist?
Is this what the NFL has become?
Remember the days when you had one OC and he was in charge of everything?
Just seems weird to me–with a lot of moving parts to get jammed up.
I hope it works.
I dunno…I get the impression that dividing tasks in game-planning is normal. That of course includes perennial winning teams. Heck you can hear things about the GSOT Vermeil/Martz teams where that was already the case.
znModeratorfrom off the net
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TSFH Fan
So, Groh did third down game planning and Bears were 6th in the league in third down conversion rate. That’s got to be a plus, right?
“Coach John Fox opted to retain Groh after taking over last season. His duties included game-planning for third-down situations. His guidance helped keep the offense functional in 2015 despite a rash of injuries at receiver.”
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/ct-mike-groh-rams-20160125-story.html
znModeratorDenver got lucky. They didn’t win the game as much as they didn’t lose it.
I know that as a devoted Patriots fan, you must have some strong emotions over this one.
But, speaking objectively, as someone with no bias for or against the Patriots either way, I would say that it was significant that the Broncos held that offense to mostly a lot of FGs. They had the 3rd highest scoring offense in the league.
Now granted, I didn’t actually see the game…just caught snatches…but if anything, that makes me even more objective.
So I note that while the Patz averaged 28.3 points per game during the season, Denver held them to just 18.
Again, your emotions on this are running high, but I have no feelings about it. I don’t derive as much unbelievable pleasure from seeing the $#$#^^&@$#% #$&%%$##@-ing Patz crash and burn as some might assume. I just calmly note it with disinterested objective sang froid.
January 25, 2016 at 11:48 pm in reply to: Wagoner: Plays that shaped the Rams season (10 articles total) #38077znModeratorPlays that shaped Rams’ season No. 9: Todd Gurley gets loose
Nick Wagoner
EARTH CITY, Mo. — In what would soon become the St. Louis Rams’ final season in the city, the results were predictable in 2015.
The Rams had their ups, they had their downs and ultimately those again evened out to what would be another mediocre finish under coach Jeff Fisher.
Over the next week, we’ll take a look back at 10 plays that led to the Rams’ 7-9 finish this season.
Here’s No. 9:
Game: vs. San Francisco, Week 8
Date: Nov. 1, 2015
The play: By the time the Niners visited the Edward Jones Dome, Rams rookie running back Todd Gurley was in the midst of his announcement to the league that he had all the tools to be the dominant back the Rams drafted him to be when they selected him at No. 10. Gurley had some big games against Cleveland and Arizona, but he hadn’t yet broken a long run for a touchdown. Early in the second quarter of a game the Rams trailed 3-2, Rams quarterback Nick Foles handed the ball to Gurley on first down at the Rams’ 29. Gurley burst through a huge hole in the middle of the line and raced untouched for a 71-yard touchdown that would prove to be the winning points. It was the longest touchdown run of Gurley’s young career and pushed him to become the most prolific rusher over his first four NFL starts since the AFL/NFL merger.
Why it mattered: The reality of this play is that Gurley didn’t have to do a whole lot of work to make it happen. He didn’t make anyone miss or break tackles. But this was really the first chance to see Gurley’s speed at full throttle, his first chance to really let it go in the open field and show how well he had recovered from the torn ACL that kept him out of the first couple of games of his career. And Gurley outran the entire San Francisco defense with relative ease. There weren’t many bright spots for the Rams in 2015. but Gurley was one of them and this play offered perhaps the strongest statement of hope that he can be a focal point for the team well into the future. Taking it even further, Gurley should only be better and faster with every year that passes since his ACL injury. Which means that even though he ran away from San Francisco’s entire defense in 2015, he might still have another gear he can show in the future.
They said it: “I keep bringing up that ‘S’ word, which is special,” Rams coach Jeff Fisher said. “I’ve been saying that he’s special. Again, credit him to get to this point and credit the guys around him … he’s obviously getting a lot of people’s attention.”
znModeratorSteve Hartman @cannonhartman
High ranking Rams official says talks have stalled for a Chargers move to LA in 2016…most likely the Chargers staying in SD in 2016
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Report: Rams, Chargers at impasse over L.A. moveMike Florio
Report: Rams, Chargers at impasse over L.A. move
Here’s a surprise. Rams owner Stan Kroenke apparently is driving a hard bargain with Chargers owner Dean Spanos.
According to Steve Hartman of XTRA Sports 1360 (via NBCSanDiego.com), the Rams and Chargers have reached an impasse in their effort to work out a deal that would bring the Chargers back to L.A. as tenants or partners in Kroenkeworld, the new, multi-billion-dollar stadium being built in Inglewood.
Hartman’s information comes from an unnamed Rams official, news which comes only days after the Rams and Chargers issued a statement that the two teams had agreed not to disclose information regarding their talks.
The Chargers have until January 15, 2017 to negotiate exclusively with the Rams. However, the Chargers need to quickly determine whether they will be staying in San Diego for another year or moving to L.A. on a temporary basis in 2016.
It’s possible that the Chargers have decided that it makes sense to spend one more year in San Diego than to rush to L.A., presumably joining the Rams and USC at the Coliseum. Or maybe Kroenke has realized that he should insist on terms so onerous that neither the Chargers now nor the Raiders later will choose to horn in on the Rams’ new turf. Whatever the value of sharing space with a team that would double the inventory of annual NFL games, the Rams presumably would make a lot more money for themselves if they own the L.A. market exclusively.
Even if they simply squat on L.A. for a year or two, they’ll have a huge head start over whoever joins them there.
PFT initially raised the red flag regarding the possibility that the man known in St. Louis as Silent Stan will be as calculatingly ruthless with a potential partner as he was with a hometown he supposedly loves and then left. League sources have expressed optimism that the deal finalized two weeks ago in Houston comes with assurances that Kroenke will be reasonable, and incentives for him to quickly welcome another team to L.A., including for example the immediate ability to sell premium products at the stadium to be opened in 2019.
Ultimately, Kroenke is going to do what’s right for him and his franchise. The best outcome for Kroenke and the Rams could be to own L.A., with the Chargers staying in San Diego and the Raiders staying in Oakland or going to anywhere else but L.A.
For the Chargers, the best outcome could be staying put. With $100 million in new money from the NFL and $550 million in relocation fees that would be avoided by not moving, that’s plenty of extra cash that could go toward building a new venue in San Diego, if Spanos would be willing to surrender on the issue of finagling public money that simply isn’t there to be finagled.
znModeratorPatriots fire offensive line coach Dave DeGuglielmo
After Tom Brady took a beating in Sunday’s AFC Championship Game, the Patriots have fired their offensive line coach Dave DeGuglielmo, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports via Dan Hanzus of NFL.com.
DeGuglielmo had spent the past two seasons as New England’s offensive line coach. He took the position following the retirement of longtime position coach Dante Scarnecchia. DeGuglielmo worked with the Jets under Rex Ryan before coming to New England.
The dismissal represents a sharp turn of events for DeGuglielmo, who had been praised this season for his work with an offensive line hit hard by injuries to several starters.
znModeratort I’m also thinking that there has to be a little more output from the O than what the Rams were putting up.
Well there’s absolutely no question of that.
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