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June 26, 2015 at 9:07 pm in reply to: the 2015 D: articles & vids on McCleod, Ogletree, Ayers, Gaines, Hayes, Fairley #26797
znModeratorSiriusXM NFL Radio
Nick Fairley says the Rams D-Line is going to be fun to watch. Fairley, St. Louis Rams DT, joined The End Zone and talked about the talent on the Rams Defensive Line, what his playing weight is right now, and why he signed in St. Louis.
June 26, 2015 at 8:57 pm in reply to: Wagoner & others: Is Nick Foles the answer at QB for Rams? #26796znModeratorGregg Rosenthal of NFL.com, The Turn on Deflategate and Foles’ uphill battle with the Rams
RamBill: Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com talks about and Nick Foles’ uphill battle with the Rams. He considers it that because of a first time OC and a group of WR’s who haven’t had a 1000 yard WR since Torry Holt left STL. They talk about re-signing Foles with the questions being when and how much? Rosenthal thinks whatever contract they do with him should lean toward a pay-as-you-go type of deal.
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Can Nick Foles help the Rams win? ESPN NFL Insider Dan Graziano thinks that it is a bad sign that Chip Kelly was willing to trade Nick Foles to St. Louis. According to Graziano, Foles isn’t the kind of QB who can elevate the performance of the rest of the team. He can’t raise a team to contender level by himself.
http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=espn:12999540
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June 26, 2015 at 6:52 pm in reply to: Wagoner & others: Is Nick Foles the answer at QB for Rams? #26792znModeratorThe SF game, Philly and Foles looked like crap.
I will say that was his worst game last year.
znModeratorUm…a racing picture, a racecar, a horse….and…a snake eating something.
Now is it just me, or does that list have something
that doesn’t quite belong?w
vSnakes are quick. He is talking about a snake striking prey. Not a snake sitting back with some wine and candles complimenting the rice.
znModeratorRams defenders aren’t shy about voicing their potential in 2015
elisabeth Meinecke
ST. LOUIS — Scary.
That’s how William Hayes is predicting the Rams’ defense will look in its second season under coordinator Gregg Williams.
“Last year, we were going into the season still trying to really get familiar with the scheme,” the defensive end explains. “Guys came in this year with a different mentality. We didn’t come in this year trying to figure things out. We’ve already got everything figured out. We know what’s expected of us. And we know the schemes like the back of our hand. It’s going to be scary this year.”
The unit’s final numbers last year didn’t do its talent justice, thanks to a slow start to the season. Despite two shutouts, the Rams finished 17th in the league in yards allowed last year, though slightly better than average at getting to the opponent’s quarterback (40 sacks, tied for 13th). But the stat that likely hurt most was a 6-10 record, kicked off by a 1-4 start.
The Rams’ defense, however, isn’t shy about its potential this September.
“It’s about time for us to push into that top five defense in almost every statistical category, and I think that’s what we’re aiming to do, and I think that’s what we’re going to accomplish,” says linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar. “I think we can go head-to-head with any offense in this league, and I think we can stand toe-to-toe with any defense.”
Or, as defensive end Eugene Sims says: “I wouldn’t say we’ll have to go toe-to-toe with any defense. Any defense will have to go toe-to-toe with us.”
These aren’t idle words, uttered carelessly or naively in the relaxed atmosphere of the offseason. Rams defenders have a healthy confidence in what they can become, and there are several reasons to think they may prove right come fall. For starters, there’s the team’s familiarity with Williams — as Hayes points out, it’s the first time in four years with the Rams that he’ll have had the same coordinator in back-to-back seasons. And Williams has been using that familiarity to harp on the concept of starting fast, so much so that Sims edited one of the alarms on his phone to “fast start.”
“Once we get in meetings (during OTAs) every day, we have a different type of picture — we have a racing picture, we have a racecar, a horse, a snake eating something, that says, ‘Fast start,'” Sims says. “He overemphasizes it every day, so we wake up to it pretty much.”
The theme runs through the entire team.
“We’re preaching start fast. That’s something we haven’t done since I’ve been here,” says Dunbar, who joined the Rams in 2012. “We usually get out of the block 2-2, 1-3, something like that. So I think if we start fast, I think that will give us the momentum to carry on throughout the season.”
One way to help accomplish that, Dunbar says, is by ensuring every practice has a sense of urgency.
“Make sure practice has a sense of urgency. Everything you do as an individual, and as a core, just a sense of urgency. And I think it’s something that if you preach, it’s basically the law of attraction,” he says. “I feel like defense is playing a little faster (in OTAs), a little quicker. I think we’re anticipating a little better.”
But there’s something else, besides the familiarity, that justifies the Rams’ confidence for the upcoming season: an even deeper roster. This offseason, the Rams acquired former first-rounder Nick Fairley, a defensive tackle, from Detroit and linebacker Akeem Ayers, who won a Super Bowl with the Patriots last season. Add those names to a unit that already includes the likes of James Laurinaitis, Chris Long, Aaron Donald, Robert Quinn, E.J. Gaines and Alec Ogletree, and you start to picture the nightmare Hayes was describing for opposing offenses. Entering his eighth NFL season, Hayes has been around long enough to know.
“It’s probably the best group of talented guys I’ve ever played with,” he says. “And I’ve played on some pretty good defenses, especially in Tennessee.”
Williams, meanwhile, appears committed to getting the most out of his roster depth and spoke at the end of OTAs about the variety of packages for his linebacker group, which also includes Dunbar, who is entering his eighth NFL season and won a Super Bowl with the Saints. The coach struck a similar tone when speaking of Fairley’s addition to the defensive front.
“The thing that has been really fun for me to watch is the big eyes that he had when he came in and saw the talent in that room,” Williams said. “We just don’t play four guys or three guys on defense. We try to have as much of a 50-50 split or 45-55 split of a ballgame keeping those guys fresh.”
For someone like Hayes, there’s a personal goal of ensuring his level of play stays consistent with his teammates.
“I don’t want there to be a huge difference from when Chris Long is in the game and when I’m in the game. I don’t want people to say, ‘Well, gosh, if Chris was in the game, that wouldn’t have happened,'” Hayes says. “My goal is never to be the drop-off. When I come in, I want to be the spark. I want excitement when I come in the game. That’s what I thrive on — just trying to be the best football player I can be.”
June 25, 2015 at 8:14 pm in reply to: If Fisher does not top 9-7 this year, does SK fire him? #26762znModeratorI’ll trust him when I see him start to get a handle on the team’s competitiveness.
Oh, and. To me, that’s fair.
June 25, 2015 at 6:17 pm in reply to: If Fisher does not top 9-7 this year, does SK fire him? #26760znModeratorguess that’s why I cite evidence that seems to me to be fair. You’ve heard the list. But if I cite the lack of preparedness at the beginning of the season, the brilliant DL that could not get a sack, the repeated collapses from winning positions that one would normally think of as pretty safe … I feel like those are pretty good indicators.
For a lot of people, though, those things are not evidence, they’re symptoms to be analyzed. And different people arrive at different conclusions about them.
What I saw on defense at first, for example, mirrored or echoed what I saw in 2011 with the offense. It wasn’t in sync yet. The players themselves talked about spending extra meetings just trying to get the defensive system down. They talk now about how they didn’t really know the defense. In a situation like that, same as early 2011 with the offense, players make big mistakes.
I saw the whole sacks things differently, for example. I thought they had to adjust at the back end and play the safeties in such a way that they could quickly shut down short, quick passes. In fact once they started doing that, the Rams safety play in 2014 was, IMO, about as good at coming up and making stops as I have ever seen it, at least since the old days. I saw Quinn having to get used to being the center of attention (with people having studied him in the off-season), I saw Langford being less effective in those conditions than Donald would later be. I saw Hayes playing at less that 100% because of his surgery, but still being forced to play in spite of that because Long was out.
I also look back at Wms’s past and don’t see him as being sometimes good—he has a few stretches of consecutive seasons where his defenses have been surperb.
So I see you taking a lot of things as evidence which, to me, are more like (as I said) symptoms, with different explanations accounting for them.
Anyway in the end this is just opinion from me, too. Truth is, I anticipate seeing how they do with the system under their belt, new blood ready to step up, and young talent (including, for me, Gaines, McDonald, Ogletree, and Donald) capable of taking a next step. (That’s not a certainty, but of course it is a possibility).
A season like 2014 is just going to produce competing viewpoints. To me, it would be strange if it didn’t.
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June 25, 2015 at 5:57 pm in reply to: If Fisher does not top 9-7 this year, does SK fire him? #26758znModeratorWhich was the whole point of Vermeil’s famous remark about playing good football with Kurt after Green went down. And that’s what coaches and players always say about injuries. The remaining guys need to step up and compete their asses off. Take things as far as they can.
But in the case of extensively damaged OLs—with multiple simultaneous injury replacements—they can’t step up and compete at an effective level.
Warner is of course a rarety. Most teams don’t lose a starting qb with a good or great future starter on the bench. In fact the Rams were so lucky with that it happened twice–Warner for Green, Bulger for Warner.
In the first 5 games of 2007, for example, the Rams fielded 5 different OL combinations. I submit that once you get that deep into your bench (and your recently signed injury replacements from the street) you can’t compete anywhere near effectively enough. And it’s not just the fact of fielding back-ups. The unit has to cohere, and can’t do that well enough under those conditions.
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June 25, 2015 at 5:49 pm in reply to: If Fisher does not top 9-7 this year, does SK fire him? #26755znModeratorapparently, he is simplifying the offense too,
To be fair? They did not say they’re simplifying the OFFENSE.
What they’re doing is simplifying the playcalling terminology. That’s all they’ve really said, anyway.
What this tells me is that Cigz has more recently coached in the college ranks, where that’s a trend. Schott, in contrast, began as a pro qb coach in 2001.
June 25, 2015 at 4:30 pm in reply to: If Fisher does not top 9-7 this year, does SK fire him? #26749znModeratorApart from cases where injuries might be foreseeable (and I don’t put Sam in that category) one can’t–or shouldn’t–judge a coach’s performance before or after the season on that basis.
Any roster is vulnerable to key injuries. Pre-season projections cannot really take them into account. One always needs to assume a decent level of health. The Sam injuries are great examples as to why.
Good discussion as always, but I jump in here to drive a point home: yes, you have to assume a decent level of health. Maybe I don’t know what you mean by “one can’t–or shouldn’t–judge a coach’s performance before or after the season” based on injuries. To me, though, it has always been important to account for how extensive injuries to one key unit can impede its effectiveness to the point of taking either the whole defense or offense down with it.
For example (rhetorical question), how well would the defense do in 99 if they lost all but say one of the DL players? Carter out, Wistrom out, Agnew out.
This is an old thing of mine. What we’ve seen is that happening a lot to the Rams OL, starting probably in 2006 and certainly having a terrible effect in 2007. In fact you can line up Bradford’s TD% and INT% in 2012 with the first set of 8 games where 8 different players manned the 3 spots at center, LOG, and LOT, and then with the 2nd set of 8 games where the OL was relatively healthy. Last year;s OL started off shaky because of the injury and recovery issues they had during the summer, which limited the time they played together as a unit. Then when they got healthy, they got smacked again by injuries in the Chiefs game. Comparing Davis’s performances in each set of games before and after the Chiefs game, you can see the direct effects of that on him (that’s even with a high qb rating against Seattle).
znModeratorfrom off the net
==
Goat Daddy
I bought Rams season tickets today.
If St. Louis loses the Rams I will see their last season here. And if they do move there’s a good chance we won’t see another team here for many a moon, if ever again.
The more important reason is I think Rams fans in St. Louis have to show up this year to demonstrate that we support out team. It is something, maybe the only concrete thing we can do as fans.
I liked the seats I got in section 411 on about the 45 yard line for about $75.00 a seat.
znModeratorI am proud to say I only have a couple of those.
znModeratorIMO…Wms has delivered before. And his ex-players (or the vast majority of them) speak highly of him. But I don’t always like the way he talks. There’s something…off…about it. There’s something that isn’t quite the dignified coach about it. There’s a kind of unctuousness to it. Not always but it’s there.
So I am fine with statements like this:
“The good teams I’ve ever been on, and some of the greatest defenses I’ve ever been a part of, it was much more important to them than it was to me,” Williams said.
Yeah, that’s prodding the D to act like they want it. Saying, talent alone won’t cut it.
But then, and maybe it’s me, there’s that other quality too.
I am not quite putting my finger on it.
June 24, 2015 at 2:39 pm in reply to: the 2015 D: articles & vids on McCleod, Ogletree, Ayers, Gaines, Hayes, Fairley #26719znModeratorRodney McLeod happy to be back with the Rams
By Nate Latsch
http://www.scout.com/nfl/rams/story/1557768-rodney-mcleod-happy-to-be-back-with-the-rams
The St. Louis Rams showed free safety Rodney McLeod how much they valued him this offseason when he was a restricted free agent.
The Rams tendered the two-year starter at the second-round level, which equates to a one-year contract for $2.4 million, and just about made certain that the safety would be back in St. Louis for the 2015 season.
“It meant a lot, honestly, just to see them and how they appreciate me around here and the work I’ve put in the past three seasons,” McLeod said during OTAs. “It’s just a blessing, man. I don’t look at it any differently. I approach every day the same as I have the past three years, just hungry and motivated, honestly, and just trying to bring a Super Bowl back here and do whatever I can.”
It was possible that another team could offer a contract to the 24-year-old, but the Rams would have had the ability to match any offer or receive a second-round draft pick. The tender showed a significant commitment to McLeod, who worked his way from undrafted free agent to special teams stalwart to starting safety.
“Talking with my agents and things like that, we kind of had a good idea that the Rams were possibly going to do whatever it took to bring me back,” McLeod said. “I’m just happy to be back, man, and just ready to take on the season — start the year off with Seattle; no better game than that — and just focused on trying to get to the playoffs and win the Super Bowl. Do whatever I can.”
The 5-foot-10, 195-pound McLeod, who turned 25 on Tuesday, was all over the field for the Rams last season.
McLeod was credited with 96 tackles (64 solo), six passes defensed, three quarterback pressures, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He ranked fifth on the team in total tackles, but was tied for the team lead in fumble recoveries, tied for second in interceptions and tied for third in forced fumbles.
“Every year he just steps it up a huge notch, from being our best special teamer the first year, to starting last year to now he’s in a role as a starter,” Rams coach Jeff Fisher said. “He gets the game. Moves very well. I thought he played really well last year. He misjudged a couple deep balls, but everybody does that. But I thought he was really active, knew what to do, and run-supported very well.”
McLeod is looking to step his game up even more this season.
Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams is expecting more out of his group in his second season. McLeod said he also received some good feedback from assistant secondary coach Brandon Fisher and defensive quality control coach Dennard Wilson this offseason.
“I feel like I need to make more plays,” McLeod said. “Going back we started off this year looking at plays from last year, things that we need to work on, looking at other Pro Bowl safeties and things that they do that I can add to my game. Brandon Fisher has been getting me right and Dennard (Wilson) as well. And just taking it on the field. I think you can just see a lot of things that we practiced before OTAs got started out here on the field.”
McLeod said he could see a lot of differences with his defensive teammates going into the second season under Gregg Williams’ leadership. The safety feels more comfortable in the system and knows what his defensive coordinator wants him to do.
The Rams are looking to break through defensively after ranking in the middle of the pack last season in several statistical categories. They were 14th in the NFL in rushing yards allowed (110.3 per game), 17th in points (22.1) and yardage (351.6) allowed and 19th in passing yardage permitted (241.3).
St. Louis returns all 11 starters on defense from last season, but added two potentially key players in defensive tackle Nick Fairley and outside linebacker Akeem Ayers.
“Those are the two big pickups for us,” McLeod said. “The D-line, how can you get much better? But adding Nick is tremendous. And adding a guy like Akeem who has been to the Super Bowl and knows what it takes; just adding that leadership to what we already had. Secondary-wise, we just started off so much faster and built off last year. Training camp is going to be great. Game 1, just look out.”
McLeod can’t wait to put the pads on and get the season going and he’s not alone.
The team’s stronger play in the second half of last season, including the shutouts against the Oakland Raiders and Washington Redskins, has many of the players eager to see what they can do in 2015.
“Last year we kind of just got started,” McLeod said. “I think this year you’re going to see a lot of that and a lot of guys making plays. The sky’s the limit for this group.”
And McLeod is happy to be back to be a part of it.
znModeratorA quick search tells me that Ayers fell out of favor in 2014 with then new Titans coach Whisenhunt. He also had offseason surgery on both knees.
Here’s something about 2013:====
Ayers said he played through the injuries last year. He played in all 16 games, starting 14, but recorded career lows in tackles (56), sacks (one) and quarterback pressures (four).
“It was actually pretty bad even before the season started,” he said. “I didn’t know the severity of the injury until pretty much after the season. I pretty much thought it was soreness or pain that would eventually go away.
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Here’s something from an article from early 2014:
========A second-round draft pick by the Titans in 2011 out of UCLA, Ayers was a regular starter in his first three seasons. He started 44 of 48 games from 2011-13 and even posted a triple-digit tackle total (110) in his second NFL season.
He’s been an invisible man under a skeptical new coaching staff this season, however. Ayers hasn’t dressed out the past two weeks and has played just once all season. He’s champing at the bit to get back on the field.
…
Ayers clearly has something to prove to his new coaches. They weren’t impressed with the film they saw from Ayers last season, and he hasn’t blown them away in the past eight months either. Ayers dealt with knee injuries a year ago, which he acknowledges limited his production.
“When he gets his opportunity we expect to see production, and see him compete. I’m expecting consistency,” Whisenhunt said. “The only way he is going to get back on the field is if that happens. He needs to be consistent in his approach and not making mistakes. … (Whether he plays) is really going to be up to him as far as how he prepares and does on the practice field.”
znModeratorSome historical background on the sinking of the USS Indianapolis. Some of the details in the IND speech aren’t quite historically accurate (though of course it doesn’t matter how accurate it is in every detail).
From a source: Captain McVay’s request for a destroyer escort was denied despite the fact that no capital ship lacking anti-submarine detection equipment, such as the Indianapolis, had made this transit across the Philippine Sea without an escort during the entire war. McVay was not told that shortly before his departure from Guam a Japanese submarine within range of his path had sunk a destroyer escort, the USS Underhill.
From a source: . The captain, Charles McVay III was court martialed for failing to direct his ship in a zig-zag path. The captain of the Japanese submarine I-58, Mochitsura Hashimoto, testified that it wouldn’t have mattered and he’d have sunk the ship anyways. Captain McVay was found guilty. He later committed suicide. . In 2000, the US Congress approved a resolution – signed by President Clinton – that McVay’s record should reflect that he “is exonerated for the loss of the USS Indianapolis.”
Of the 1197 men on board the ship, 880 went into the water, not 1100.
The Indianapolis did send out distress signals. She sent 3. They were ignored, mostly through negligence. From a source: One commander was drunk, another had ordered his men not to disturb him and a third thought it was a Japanese trap. For a long time the Navy denied that a distress call had been sent. The receipt of the call came to light only after the release of declassified records.
They were mostly attacked by white tip sharks, which are infamous for their feeding frenzies involving shipwrecks and plane crashes.
While there was a shark feeding frenzy, the sharks fed mostly on dead bodies which had drifted away. But attacks on the living certainly did happen. From a source: One survivor recalled being woken by the pain of teeth crunching his hand. He fought back – the men were discovering that if you poked a shark firmly in the eye it would retreat, unused to retaliation.
Many of the men who died in the water drowned from exposure, starvation, and/or dehydration; or because their life-jackets became water logged and they drowned; or because they drank saltwater and sank into delerium; or because they succumbed to wounds they received in the original explosions. Estimates of the number who died from shark attacks range from a few dozen to almost 200.
The PBY which landed was directly advised not to land on open seas, which violated regulations anyway, but they saw men being mauled by sharks and landed in spite of their orders. The plane was damaged in the landing and could not take off again. It cruised around the edges of the survivors, picking up men who were alone, figuring that men in groups stood a better chance. Quint wouldn’t have been picked up by the PBY because as he seems to describe it, he was in a group. So Quint would never have been in line waiting his turn. (Not that it matters–the important part is him saying that that is when he was “most frightened,” waiting his turn.)The PBY only picked up 56 men, some of whom it had to tie to its wings. Ships had been alerted and later approached, picking up everyone else, including the crew and survivors on the PBY. The PBY was then deliberately scuttled and sunk.
From a source, on the landing of the PBY: I watched the PBY circle and suddenly make an open-sea landing. This took an awful lot of guts. It hit, went back up in the air and splashed down again. I thought he’d crashed but he came taxiing back. I found out later he was taxiing around picking up the singles. If he hadn’t done this, I don’t think we would have survived. He stayed on the water during the night and turned his searchlight up into the sky so the destroyer Cecil J. Doyle (DE-368) could find us.”
From a source: It was obvious the sinking and the failure to rescue the crew was a scandal, which the navy first tried to hide by revealing the loss of the Indianapolis on the same day that President Harry Truman announced the Japanese surrender.
znModeratorwhen I was in HS I worked their training camp at Santa Clara University in the summer of 1979 and 1980
Any stories from that? Just curious.
znModeratorThe Rams Shouldn’t Rush to Sign Nick Foles to a Long-Term Deal
Anthony Stalter
http://www.101sports.com/2015/06/23/the-rams-shouldnt-rush-to-sign-nick-foles-to-a-long-term-deal/
Rams coach Jeff Fisher recently confirmed that the Rams were interested in signing quarterback Nick Foles to a long-term contract, which begs the question: Are Fisher and the Rams being proactive or putting the cart before the horse?
Three years ago, Joe Flacco decided to bet on himself rather than signing a long-term extension with the Ravens in the 2012 offseason. After a rough first half, Flacco turned red-hot down the stretch and into the playoffs, leading Baltimore to a Super Bowl victory.
Flacco parlayed that success into a six-year, $120.6 million contract worth $52 million in guaranteed money.
If Foles doesn’t want to take a similar risk, he and his agent could “settle” for a deal in the range of $13-17 million, which is a realistic figure that ESPN’s Rams reporter Nick Wagoner has thrown out for Foles in recent weeks.
If the guaranteed money is low, then the risk is low and therefore signing Foles to a contract extension makes sense.
But, are Foles and his agent willing to accept peanuts, considering how much today’s quarterbacks are making?
It’s doubtful, and if the base salary and guarantees come anywhere close to what Chiefs QB Alex Smith signed for in 2014 (five years, $76 million with $45 million guaranteed), the risk outweighs the reward in my eyes.
Foles had a terrific 2013 season, throwing 27 touchdowns and just two interceptions. But, he played in a “quarterback-friendly” offense equipped with packaged plays that allowed him to make reads quickly and distribute the ball based on how the defense reacted pre and post-snap.
Foles is a cerebral player and there’s no doubt that he’ll pick up Frank Cignetti’s playbook in St. Louis. And it’s not like he didn’t have to read defenses and cycle through his progressions under Chip Kelly in Philadelphia.
The challenge for Foles will be playing under center after taking the majority of his snaps from shotgun in Philadelphia. It’s not the physical act of taking a snap from under center that’s the problem: It’s the timing and anticipation that’s vital for a quarterback in a pro-style offense.
Accuracy in the NFL is vital on every attempt. Don’t hit the receiver in the right spot and, at best, it’s a minimal gain or an incompletion. At worst, it’s a turnover worth six points for the opposition.
In order to be accurate, quarterbacks must perfect their footwork. This is an area at which Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Aaron Rodgers excel. They know how to time their drop steps to match their receivers’ routes and throw in rhythm so that their release point is the same on every throw. This doesn’t come naturally. The great ones have worked at the technique.
Foles is already drawing praise for his leadership and there’s no doubt that he has the size and arm strength to succeed in St. Louis, just as he did in 2013 with Philadelphia.
But just assuming Foles will make a seamless transition from Kelly’s offense to a more traditional system is a risk.
So, why pay him even average money before he’s proven he can deliver in live games?
Also, many argue the Rams should sign Foles to a deal now in case he has a great season and costs more in the offseason.
But, the guy will be quarterbacking a run-first offense. What type of numbers do you think Foles is going to put up in a Rams offense that wants to run the ball the majority of the time
Andy Dalton played in a run-first offense for the Bengals last year and threw for 19 touchdowns with 17 picks. Smith threw for 18 touchdowns and six picks with KC, while Colin Kaepernick finished with 19 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Russell Wilson, who played in Seattle’s run-first system, put up 20 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
While we haven’t see the offense that Cignetti will run, it’s safe to assume, based on Fisher’s preferences and the moves the team made this offseason, the Rams are going to pound the ball on the ground.
It’s just a projection, but Foles’ ceiling is realistically 20-23 touchdowns with 10-15 interceptions. Those aren’t exactly Andrew Luck numbers.
The people suggesting the Rams pay Foles now are the same people that love to point out how Foles will have success because the Rams are going to run the ball effectively. Well, if the Rams aren’t going to require their quarterback to put the ball in the air 40 times a game, it will limit Foles’ opportunities to rack up big yardage and big touchdown totals. Thus, his asking price isn’t going to be high when he becomes a free agent.
I know the argument…”But, there won’t be better options than Foles!” Valid point, but the Rams can still make him prove his worth this season without handing him a new contract and thus blindly assuming he’ll exceed their expectations.
Again, if he’s not going to post elite quarterback numbers, why worry about having to pay him elite money at the end of the year? The Rams could always franchise him and then work on a deal that’s fair for both sides.
Don’t get it twisted: I’m excited to watch Foles this season. I loved the Sam Bradford trade when it went down and the Rams made the right decision to unburden themselves from Bradford’s contract and durability issues a year from now (regardless of how either Foles or Bradford performs in 2015).
If Foles is willing to accept a new deal for peanuts, by all means, sign him now with the risk being low.
But, when it comes to signing him for even average QB money, I’d rather the Rams risk having to pay Foles a little more a year from now if it means knowing that he can succeed in their system.
I’ll take that over regretting a long-term commitment if the production never comes.
znModeratorYeah, I agree with you. Although I still don’t think he’ll be any good.
Sorry to say, I agree with you.
I hope Tavon can break through and begin to have an impact on offense but even if he doesn’t I still think his punt returning skills make him invaluable.
I am very wait and see on this. I don’t rule out him improving some when it comes to the receiver part of his game. I agree that as a returner alone he’s worth his…er, TWICE his weight in gold.
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znModeratorWhat we have here IMO (just after a glance) is confirmation that an aggressive, established team can overcome penalties.
But what we don’t get is a breakdown of the penalties. So for example, the Rams were killed by false starts & penalties that negated gains on return teams. Or so you would think.
The break down. This is the bulk of their penalties.Offensive Holding 25. The league avg. is 20
False Start 21. The league avg. is 19.
Delay of Game 8. The league avg. is 4.5.
Offensive Pass Interference 8. The league avg. is 3.3. The big offenders here are Cook and Britt.Robinson is the most penalized offensive player: 11, including offensive holding (6), false start (4), & face mask (1)
Then there’s the next 4
J.Jenkins, 8 – OFFENSIVE holding (on INTS?) (2), DPI (2), unsportsmanlike conduct (1), delay of game (1), illegal contact (1), defensive holding (1), illegal block above the waist (1)
E.Sims, 6 – horse collar tackle (2), roughing the passer (2), unnecessary roughness (1), defensive holding (1)
J.Barksdale, 6 – false start (6)
S.Wells, 6 – offensive holding (4), illegal use of hands (1), false start (1)
Rams were
3rd in offensive holding, behind IND and Dallas.
9th in false starts, behind (among others) Seattle (who was 1st), New England, and Arizona.
2nd in delay of game, behind SF
1st in offensive pass interference, with 8. Next was Oakland with 6.
3rd in unsportsmanlike conduct
8th in unnecessary roughness, behind (among others) Pittsburgh and Seattle.
8th in roughing the passer
10th in neutral zone infraction, behind among others Seattle and Baltimore.
23rd in defensive holding…New England (1st), Seattle, IND, and ARZ among others are ahead of them.
27th in DPI.
17th in defensive offsides.
znModeratorYeah but the quote sorta implies that prior to this year he wasn’t as dedicated to mastering his craft as he is now. I think it takes some of the really special athletes time to figure out that athleticism by itself isn’t enough in the NFL.
I just took it as (potentially) a Brian Quick situation, ie. he’s breaking through. Going from more green to more savvy. I don’t think it meant he didn’t work before.
znModeratorhttp://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/01/pro-gun-myths-fact-check” rel=”nofollow”>http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/01/pro-gun-myths-fact-check
10 Pro-Gun Myths, Shot Down
Fact-checking some of the gun lobby’s favorite arguments shows they’re full of holes.—By Dave Gilson
| Thu Jan. 31, 2013By cutting off federal funding for research and stymieing data collection and sharing, the National Rifle Association has tried to do to the study of gun violence what climate deniers have done to the science of global warming. No wonder: When it comes to hard numbers, some of the gun lobby’s favorite arguments are full of holes.
Myth #1: They’re coming for your guns.
Fact-check: No one knows the exact number of guns in America, but it’s clear there’s no practical way to round them all up (never mind that no one in Washington is proposing this). Yet if you fantasize about rifle-toting citizens facing down the government, you’ll rest easy knowing that America’s roughly 80 million gun owners already have the feds and cops outgunned by a factor of around 79 to 1.Sources: Congressional Research Service (PDF), Small Arms Survey
Myth #2: Guns don’t kill people—people kill people.
Fact-check: People with more guns tend to kill more people—with guns. The states with the highest gun ownership rates have a gun murder rate 114% higher than those with the lowest gun ownership rates. Also, gun death rates tend to be higher in states with higher rates of gun ownership. Gun death rates are generally lower in states with restrictions such as assault-weapons bans or safe-storage requirements. Update: A recent study looking at 30 years of homicide data in all 50 states found that for every one percent increase in a state’s gun ownership rate, there is a nearly one percent increase in its firearm homicide rate.Sources: Pediatrics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Myth #3: An armed society is a polite society.
Fact-check: Drivers who carry guns are 44% more likely than unarmed drivers to make obscene gestures at other motorists, and 77% more likely to follow them aggressively.
• Among Texans convicted of serious crimes, those with concealed-handgun licenses were sentenced for threatening someone with a firearm 4.8 times more than those without.
• In states with Stand Your Ground and other laws making it easier to shoot in self-defense, those policies have been linked to a 7 to 10% increase in homicides.
Myth #4: More good guys with guns can stop rampaging bad guys.
Fact-check: Mass shootings stopped by armed civilians in the past 30 years: 0
• Chances that a shooting at an ER involves guns taken from guards: 1 in 5Myth #5: Keeping a gun at home makes you safer.
Fact-check: Owning a gun has been linked to higher risks of homicide, suicide, and accidental death by gun.
• For every time a gun is used in self-defense in the home, there are 7 assaults or murders, 11 suicide attempts, and 4 accidents involving guns in or around a home.
• 43% of homes with guns and kids have at least one unlocked firearm.
• In one experiment, one third of 8-to-12-year-old boys who found a handgun pulled the trigger.Myth #6: Carrying a gun for self-defense makes you safer.
Fact-check: In 2011, nearly 10 times more people were shot and killed in arguments than by civilians trying to stop a crime.
• In one survey, nearly 1% of Americans reported using guns to defend themselves or their property. However, a closer look at their claims found that more than 50% involved using guns in an aggressive manner, such as escalating an argument.
• A Philadelphia study found that the odds of an assault victim being shot were 4.5 times greater if he carried a gun. His odds of being killed were 4.2 times greater.Myth #7: Guns make women safer.
Fact-check: In 2010, nearly 6 times more women were shot by husbands, boyfriends, and ex-partners than murdered by male strangers.
• A woman’s chances of being killed by her abuser increase more than 5 times if he has access to a gun.
• One study found that women in states with higher gun ownership rates were 4.9 times more likely to be murdered by a gun than women in states with lower gun ownership rates.Myth #8: “Vicious, violent video games” deserve more blame than guns.
Fact-check: So said NRA executive vice president Wayne LaPierre after Newtown. So what’s up with Japan?
United States Japan
Per capita spending
on video games $44 $55
Civilian firearms
per 100 people 88 0.6
Gun homicides
in 2008 11,030 11Sources: PricewaterhouseCoopers, Small Arms Survey (PDF), UN Office on Drugs and Crime
Myth #9: More and more Americans are becoming gun owners.
Fact-check: More guns are being sold, but they’re owned by a shrinking portion of the population.
• About 50% of Americans said they had a gun in their homes in 1973. Today, about 45% say they do. Overall, 35% of Americans personally own a gun.
• Around 80% of gun owners are men. On average they own 7.9 guns each.Myth #10: We don’t need more gun laws—we just need to enforce the ones we have.
Fact-check: Weak laws and loopholes backed by the gun lobby make it easier to get guns illegally.
• Around 40% of all legal gun sales involve private sellers and don’t require background checks. 40% of prison inmates who used guns in their crimes got them this way.
• An investigation found 62% of online gun sellers were willing to sell to buyers who said they couldn’t pass a background check.
• 20% of licensed California gun dealers agreed to sell handguns to researchers posing as illegal “straw” buyers.
• The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives did not have a permanent director for 7 years, due to an NRA-backed requirement that the Senate approve nominees.June 22, 2015 at 9:57 pm in reply to: the 2015 D: articles & vids on McCleod, Ogletree, Ayers, Gaines, Hayes, Fairley #26680znModerator“It’s probably the best group of talented guys I’ve ever played with,” [Hayes] says. “And I’ve played on some pretty good defenses, especially in Tennessee.”
A little creative license there. Of the 4 Titans defenses Hayes was on, the 2008 D was ranked 7th. Not so much after–the rest are in the low 20s. But the 2008 D included players like Bullock, Haynesworth (in a pro bowl year), Finnegan (in a pro bowl year), Kearse (an old-timer at that point), Vanden Bosch, FS Michael Griffin (in a pro-bowl year), and SS Chris Hope (in a pro-bowl year).
June 22, 2015 at 9:37 pm in reply to: the 2015 D: articles & vids on McCleod, Ogletree, Ayers, Gaines, Hayes, Fairley #26676znModeratorRams defenders aren’t shy about voicing their potential in 2015
Elisabeth Meinecke
ST. LOUIS — Scary.
That’s how William Hayes is predicting the Rams’ defense will look in its second season under coordinator Gregg Williams.
“Last year, we were going into the season still trying to really get familiar with the scheme,” the defensive end explains. “Guys came in this year with a different mentality. We didn’t come in this year trying to figure things out. We’ve already got everything figured out. We know what’s expected of us. And we know the schemes like the back of our hand. It’s going to be scary this year.”
The unit’s final numbers last year didn’t do its talent justice, thanks to a slow start to the season. Despite two shutouts, the Rams finished 17th in the league in yards allowed last year, though slightly better than average at getting to the opponent’s quarterback (40 sacks, tied for 13th). But the stat that likely hurt most was a 6-10 record, kicked off by a 1-4 start.
The Rams’ defense, however, isn’t shy about its potential this September.
“It’s about time for us to push into that top five defense in almost every statistical category, and I think that’s what we’re aiming to do, and I think that’s what we’re going to accomplish,” says linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar. “I think we can go head-to-head with any offense in this league, and I think we can stand toe-to-toe with any defense.”
Or, as defensive end Eugene Sims says: “I wouldn’t say we’ll have to go toe-to-toe with any defense. Any defense will have to go toe-to-toe with us.”
These aren’t idle words, uttered carelessly or naively in the relaxed atmosphere of the offseason. Rams defenders have a healthy confidence in what they can become, and there are several reasons to think they may prove right come fall. For starters, there’s the team’s familiarity with Williams — as Hayes points out, it’s the first time in four years with the Rams that he’ll have had the same coordinator in back-to-back seasons. And Williams has been using that familiarity to harp on the concept of starting fast, so much so that Sims edited one of the alarms on his phone to “fast start.”
“Once we get in meetings (during OTAs) every day, we have a different type of picture — we have a racing picture, we have a racecar, a horse, a snake eating something, that says, ‘Fast start,'” Sims says. “He overemphasizes it every day, so we wake up to it pretty much.”
The theme runs through the entire team.
“We’re preaching start fast. That’s something we haven’t done since I’ve been here,” says Dunbar, who joined the Rams in 2012. “We usually get out of the block 2-2, 1-3, something like that. So I think if we start fast, I think that will give us the momentum to carry on throughout the season.”
One way to help accomplish that, Dunbar says, is by ensuring every practice has a sense of urgency.
“Make sure practice has a sense of urgency. Everything you do as an individual, and as a core, just a sense of urgency. And I think it’s something that if you preach, it’s basically the law of attraction,” he says. “I feel like defense is playing a little faster (in OTAs), a little quicker. I think we’re anticipating a little better.”
But there’s something else, besides the familiarity, that justifies the Rams’ confidence for the upcoming season: an even deeper roster. This offseason, the Rams acquired former first-rounder Nick Fairley, a defensive tackle, from Detroit and linebacker Akeem Ayers, who won a Super Bowl with the Patriots last season. Add those names to a unit that already includes the likes of James Laurinaitis, Chris Long, Aaron Donald, Robert Quinn, E.J. Gaines and Alec Ogletree, and you start to picture the nightmare Hayes was describing for opposing offenses. Entering his eighth NFL season, Hayes has been around long enough to know.
“It’s probably the best group of talented guys I’ve ever played with,” he says. “And I’ve played on some pretty good defenses, especially in Tennessee.”
Williams, meanwhile, appears committed to getting the most out of his roster depth and spoke at the end of OTAs about the variety of packages for his linebacker group, which also includes Dunbar, who is entering his eighth NFL season and won a Super Bowl with the Saints. The coach struck a similar tone when speaking of Fairley’s addition to the defensive front.
“The thing that has been really fun for me to watch is the big eyes that he had when he came in and saw the talent in that room,” Williams said. “We just don’t play four guys or three guys on defense. We try to have as much of a 50-50 split or 45-55 split of a ballgame keeping those guys fresh.”
For someone like Hayes, there’s a personal goal of ensuring his level of play stays consistent with his teammates.
“I don’t want there to be a huge difference from when Chris Long is in the game and when I’m in the game. I don’t want people to say, ‘Well, gosh, if Chris was in the game, that wouldn’t have happened,'” Hayes says. “My goal is never to be the drop-off. When I come in, I want to be the spark. I want excitement when I come in the game. That’s what I thrive on — just trying to be the best football player I can be.”
znModeratorWagoner
The contract is worth $13,8323,180, all of which is guaranteed
Florio
the guaranteed money for 2017 and 2018 can be avoided entirely if Gurley is cut due to the pre-existing knee injury.
So if he never is able to pass a physical with the Rams, he gets the signing bonus and the base salaries for 2015 and 2016. Once he passes a physical, the full contract is guaranteed, without offset.
znModeratorBreaking down Todd Gurley’s rookie contract
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/19413/breaking-down-todd-gurleys-rookie-contract
EARTH CITY, Mo. — The St. Louis Rams signed running back Todd Gurley to his rookie contract last week as part of their annual tradition of signing the bulk of their rookie class at the same time.
Under the CBA, there’s not much mystery to these deals anymore. That makes it easy for teams like the Rams to take their time, educate their rookies and then hand over the big checks that come in the form of signing bonuses.
Gurley said he has no huge plans for his newfound riches, though he said he’ll probably buy his mother a house and could take a trip sometime in the next month before returning to St. Louis to continue his rehab from a torn left anterior cruciate ligament.
“[Signing] was cool, I was definitely smiling,” Gurley said. “I was happy to get it over with and officially be a part of this organization.”
All told, Gurley’s four-year deal offered almost 14 million reasons to smile. The contract is worth $13,8323,180, all of which is guaranteed and includes a signing bonus of $8,313,224 for the draft’s No. 10 overall pick.
Here’s how it breaks down (again, all money guaranteed):
2015
Cap number: $2,513,306
Cash: $8,748,224
Base salary: $435,000
Prorated signing bonus: $2,078,3062016
Cap number: $3,141,632
Cash: $1,063,326
Base salary: $1,063,326
Prorated signing bonus: $2,078,3062017
Cap number: $3,769,958
Cash: $1,691,652
Base salary:$1,691,652
Prorated signing bonus: $2,078,3062018
Cap number: $4,398,284
Cash: $2,319,978
Base salary:$2,319,978
Prorated signing bonus: $2,078,306znModeratorNick Fairley looking forward to first season with St. Louis Rams
http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2015/06/nick_fairley_looking_forward_t.html
The host wore different colors for the third annual Nick Fairley Football and Cheerleading Camp than he had for the first two. In 2013 and 2014, Fairley sported the Honolulu blue and silver of the Detroit Lions. But on Saturday, the former Auburn standout wore the blue and gold of the St. Louis Rams as he joined more than 200 youngsters for drills on the Williamson High School practice field.
After spending his first four NFL seasons with the Lions, the defensive tackle signed a free-agent contract with the Rams in March.
“I feel good being part of their defense,” the former Williamson standout said. “Just the style that they play – attack. It fits my skills, especially the D-line that they have is going to be amazing this year.”
The Rams had a stout defensive line even before adding Fairley, with Chris Long and Robert Quinn at the ends and Aaron Donald and Michael Brockers at the tackles.
St. Louis hasn’t had a winning record since 2003, but Fairley sees the Rams as a team on the rise. In addition to signing Fairley during the offseason, the Rams traded for quarterback Nick Foles, signed Akeem Ayers off the New England Patriots to play strong-side linebacker, drafted running back Todd Gurley to go with former Auburn star Tre Mason at running back and are overhauling their offensive line.
“Looking very, very forward to it because, like I said, it’s going to be great things,” Fairley said of the 2015 NFL campaign. “Because of the type of system that they have and the type of player I am, it’s going to be great.”
A knee injury cut Fairley’s 2014 season in half. But after spraining the medial collateral and posterior cruciate ligaments in his right knee during a game against the Atlanta Falcons on Oct. 26 in London, he’s moving at full speed again.
Fairley faced an unusual circumstance for a defensive lineman during the Rams’ offseason program. St. Louis coaches wanted him to gain weight. Fairley’s weight had been a sore spot for the Lions – the general manager thought there was too much of it – but by changing his eating habits with the help of a personal chef and working hard on his conditioning, Fairley had dropped his weight to 280 pounds by the time he signed with the Rams.
“I think it kind of bettered my game, being able to get that weight off and use my quickness,” Fairley said. “That’s the type of player I am. I’m able to get off the ball real fast. Up in Detroit, when I was able to shed the weight, that’s what kind of player I was.”
Fairley said there’s no secret to weight loss and conditioning.
“Really, it takes hard work and dedication,” he said, “and if you put your mind to it, you can do whatever you want to.”
June 22, 2015 at 1:46 pm in reply to: the 2015 D: articles & vids on McCleod, Ogletree, Ayers, Gaines, Hayes, Fairley #26667znModeratorSecret Superstars: St. Louis Rams
Thomas Maney
https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2015/06/22/secret-superstars-st-louis-rams/
Next up in PFF’s Secret Superstar series is the St. Louis Rams, a team looking to bounce back from a last-place finish in the competitive NFC West. Among the players we’ve highlighted in past seasons are Fred Robbins, William Hayes, and last season’s selection, Zac Stacy. This time another rookie makes the cut in cornerback E.J. Gaines.
In 2013, the Rams didn’t have a single defensive back end the year with a positive overall grade and unsurprisingly finished the season with a losing record. The team responded to this by investing heavily in the secondary during the 2014 draft and used their sixth-round pick on Gaines after his first-team All-SEC senior season at Missouri.
Gaines saw the field almost immediately, playing 52 of 68 possible defensive snaps in the team’s preseason opener against the Saints, compiling a +2.1 overall grade in the process. Among his notable plays was a second quarter pass breakup and a pair of stops. Perhaps the Rams saw all they needed to see as Gaines logged just 53 total snaps in the remaining exhibition games and opened the season starting at the left corner spot.
After a fairly quiet regular season debut against Minnesota during which he surrendered three catches for 25 yards, Gaines Graded above +1.0 overall in three out of his next four games and managed a +5.8 grade through Week 7 – only 10 corners started the season better. Of note was a Week 5 performance at Philadelphia that earned him a +3.0 in coverage after he allowed a meager 26.7 QB rating on 10 targets. In that game, he got his hands on a pair of passes, first making an impressive break on the ball at 5:35 of the first quarter before coming down with an interception in the second quarter at 10:02, taking advantage of a poorly located throw by Nick Foles.
As might be expected from a rookie corner, Gaines also had his share of struggles during the season, including some rough games against the Chiefs, Broncos, and Chargers. He accrued seven of his 14 missed tackles in those three games and allowed a reception on more than 80% of passes that went his way. But take a look at his plays against Arizona in Week 10 (+2.6 overall) breaking up a pair of passes in the end zone (2Q, 5:06 and 3Q, 5:17). Over the entire season, Gaines delivered more of that type of play than he did negative ones – 7:55 of the first quarter in Week 6 and 3Q, 1:02 in Week 16 are two more examples.
Statistically he was outstanding and perhaps the only negative you can find is his tackling: he missed 14 attempts and ranked 60th at the position with a 6.0 Tackling Efficiency Rating (attempts per miss). But he still managed a Top-5 Run Stop Percentage and considering his 5-foot-10, sub-200-pound frame, it’s not too surprising that he had some tackling issues. In coverage, Gaines only surrendered one touchdown all season and the longest gain against him went for 23 yards, the third-lowest figure among corners. His average gain allowed was also very low (9.6 yards) and was bested by just six players. And although he played more than 50% of his snaps at the outside LCB spot, he also fared well in the slot, allowing just 0.95 yards per snap in coverage there (13th out of 61 qualifying CBs).
Further, not only did Gaines contribute on defense, but he also performed well on special teams, specifically as a vice on punt returns. His +6.0 grade on special teams was second only to Johnny Hekker on the team and only one player in the entire NFL (KC’s Kelcie McCray) had a better grade on punt coverage. Take a look at his play during the team’s Week 15 matchup against the Cardinals at 4:21 of the third quarter; Gaines does an excellent job slowing down gunner Jaron Brown.
For a sixth round pick to take a starting job from Week 1 and finish with an overall grade in the 70th percentile among corners is impressive. That’s why E.J Gaines is our Secret Superstar for the Rams and we’re eager to see how he fares in his second season.
znModeratorpublic service bumping. I like pitching the community informal poll threads. Seeing if I can get more outta this one.
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