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znModeratorStu Jackson@StuJRams
ESPN NFL analyst @MattBowen41 picked the Rams signing Davante Adams as the best overall move of the first week of free agency. Spoke with Bowen for a deeper dive on why he likes the fit and what Adams will bring to LA’s offense:March 21, 2025 at 7:39 pm in reply to: why Davonte Adams is good…update, must read: Matt Bowen on Adams #155633znModeratorbump
znModeratorWhat was the best overall move from free agency week?
Matt Bowen, NFL analyst: The Rams signing wide receiver Davante Adams. He’s an upgrade over Cooper Kupp on his new two-year deal, as Adams can get loose against press coverage and create separation to the ball. Opposite Puka Nacua, Adams can win one-on-one as the “X” receiver, plus he will be schemed to attack zone voids off motion and in play-action. This is a really good fit for Sean McVay’s offense.
Lindsey Thiry, national NFL reporter: The Rams signing Adams. After retaining Matthew Stafford with a reworked contract, the addition of Adams provides Stafford a 1-2 punch along with Nacua. For a team that missed the NFC Championship Game by a mere play last season, the addition of Adams should be enough to help bring another deep playoff run.
Which team has taken a step backward?
Matt Bowen, NFL analyst: The San Francisco 49ers. With quarterback Brock Purdy set to cash in on a new deal, Kyle Shanahan’s team had to move on from core players. The 49ers said goodbye to Deebo Samuel Sr., Dre Greenlaw, Talanoa Hufanga and more. However, the 49ers could make a trade with Philadelphia for edge rusher Bryce Huff, who had 10 sacks in 2023 for the Jets under new Niners defensive coordinator Robert Saleh.
Ben Solak, NFL analyst: The Seattle Seahawks. They downgraded at quarterback and also shipped impactful receiver DK Metcalf. If Sam Darnold retains his level of play from Minnesota to Seattle, the dropoff from Geno Smith to him won’t be too damaging — but it’s likely that Darnold won’t match his 2024 output. The Seahawks have also not addressed their offensive line, electing to spend big money on aging edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence, who is coming off a foot injury. I don’t see the vision.
Field Yates, NFL analyst: The 49ers. I don’t expect the 49ers’ record to dip again after an injury-riddled 6-11 season in 2024, but this team will have a much different look. The defensive line will be largely reshaped, and the receiver room is guaranteed to look different after the trade of Deebo Samuel Sr. But this offseason did not catch San Francisco off guard: The departures, trades and releases are setting up a substantial raise for quarterback Brock Purdy and a new phase of team building.
March 21, 2025 at 2:14 pm in reply to: why Davonte Adams is good…update, must read: Matt Bowen on Adams #155631znModeratorESPN NFL analyst Matt Bowen explains what Davante Adams brings to Rams offense
Stu Jackson
The Rams have always prized receivers with aggressive hands who remain grounded through the catch, and Davante Adams’ physical traits and overall skill set fit that mold.
But there’s more to that fit than just those things.
Adams is 32 years old, but “he’s not in a rapid decline,” according to ESPN NFL analyst Matt Bowen. The lower-body quickness is still there, and he’s still separating at the same rate. That ability to create separation, especially at the top of his routes, combined with a high-velocity thrower like Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, stands out to Bowen.
“He is a complete pro when you’re talking about someone who plays the wide receiver position,” Bowen told theRams.com in a recent phone interview. “That’s a veteran player who has savviness, has detail to his overall game, not just his route-running ability, his overall game. His football IQ is extremely high-level. What he can do in terms of playing the position of wide receiver, he’s still one of the top players in the league at beating press coverage and getting free off the line of scrimmage, which is a critical part of playing that position, because more and more teams in the NFL want to play man coverage. Why? Because they can disrupt timing. They can challenge wide receivers and then make it hard to throw underneath rounds. So having a player like Davante Adams, who still has the lower-body quickness, is very critical to playing that position.”
Here’s a closer look at Adams’ skillset, and his potential influence on scheme and personnel, from Bowen’s perspective.
Skillset
Bowen expects the Adams to be the Rams’ “X” receiver. Within that role, Adams’ ability to beat press coverage and separate at the top of the route is particularly important for the isolation routes that are a staple of the Sean McVay offense, whether that be the quick-game and underneath stuff or the deep outs and comebacks that Stafford likes to throw.
Bowen also said Adams can stretch the field both vertically and horizontally.
“And then when you want to scheme him open, what have we seen consistently with Sean McVay’s offense? Those deep in-breaking throws where there’s going to be a window there, Stafford has to anticipate it,” Bowen said. “We know he can, and that Davante Adams can get to that window. Put that combination together, that’s a receiver who can be very productive in this offense. And the last part of this is what he can do inside the plus-20 yard line, really the plus-10 yard line, (what) I call the low red zone. That’s, again, isolation throws. Will Sean McVay get him some free access off the ball? Sure. He’ll use the motion like we’ve seen with Puka (Nacua) and with Cooper Kupp in the past, to get that free access off the ball. But (if) you want to win one-on-one in red zone, this a really good player to have in your lineup.”
At the same time, Adams also offers positional versatility – meaning, the ability to also play either the slot or the “Z” receiver position as well – in terms how the Rams want to create matchups.
Scheme and personnel impact
According to Next Gen Stats, Adams has the most touchdowns out of condensed formations in the NFL since 2020 with 19. The Rams’ 60.7% usage rate of condensed formations last season was highest in the league.
Couple that with Los Angeles’ use of motion, and it will naturally allow the Rams to marry one of Adams’ best traits with their offense.
“In terms of what they do schematically, from condensed or reduced sets, a lot of motion and movement, and a lot of play-action, that’s going to create those zone voids,” Bowen explained. “When you have a player like Davante Adams, remember we said that high football IQ, he knows where to find open grass, he knows when to settle a route down, he knows when to extend a route across the field. He understands the depth of linebackers, the coverage rotation at the safety position. He can find those pockets of open grass or open turf for Matthew Stafford.”
Adams’ ability to recognize those voids and overall football IQ pairs nicely with Nacua’s. According to Pro Football Focus data, Nacua averaged the most yards per route run against zone coverage, and seventh-most against man among wide receivers.
Having two receivers like that will change the Rams’ offense the most when it comes to critical down-and-distance situations – think 3rd-and-7 to 3rd-and-10 – especially having a receiver like Adams who can win matchups in those scenarios. Per Next Gen Stats, the Rams – who ran pass plays on nearly 80 percent of 3rd-and-7 or longer situations – averaged the second-fewest yards per game in those situations, and their -0.44 Expected Points Added (EPA) per pass play in those situations was sixth-worst. EPA measures the value of each play in terms of how much it contributes to the offense’s likelihood of scoring, so a negative EPA in third-and-long means that negatively contributed to the Rams’ likelihood of scoring.
“Third-and-seven to 10 is hard because, from a defensive perspective, we know what you have to run, right? There’s only so many things you can do, only so many routes you can run. You got to get past the sticks, correct?” Bowen said. “… Those are the situations you have to win. When you win third-and-seven to 10, you’re going to be a prolific offense, you’re going to score a lot of points, and I think that’s where Davante Adams will really come into play this season, is those third-and-two to six, and especially third-and-seven to 10, where he can separate, when he can beat coverage, when he can make a play in a tight-window throw, when he can high-point the football on a 50-50 throw, where he can make those plays for you, I think that’s a critical part of what he can bring to the offense.”
znModeratorznModeratorfrom https://www.lafbnetwork.com/nfl/la-chargers/la-chargers-news/los-angeles-rams-historic-contracts/
Alaric Jackson’s new contract, averaging $18.8 million per season, establishes him as the highest-paid undrafted free agent in NFL history, surpassing Tony Romo’s peak of $18.0 million.
znModeratorNote: I red-bolded “Rams relevant” stuff
***
2025 NFL draft class: Strengths, weaknesses, big questions
For months, the 2025 NFL draft class has been billed as weak relative to recent years by scouts and media analysts. It has been labeled thin and void of blue-chip talent. And sometimes, it has been called flat-out bad.
But as NFL analysts, scouts and executives dive further into the class ahead of Round 1 on April 24, that narrative is shifting. Thanks to underclassman declarations and a closer look at Day 2 and 3 prospects, this class could be stronger than previously predicted.
How did we get here? After talking to more than a dozen scouts and general managers over the past few weeks, a clear pattern emerged. What started as a quest for historical perspective on the inferiority of the 2025 class became a deep dive into positional value, team-building philosophies and the idea that good players are out there — scouts just need to find them.
“The people saying this is a bad class just haven’t watched enough players yet,” an AFC college scouting director said.
What are scouts saying about this class?
“There are four, maybe five, blue-chip players,” one NFL general manager said. ”After that, it’s 40 guys with a late-first-round or second-round grade.”
Scouts view the 2025 class as light on future All-Pros but strong on starters. “You’re going to see a ton of rookie starters from this class because it’s such an experienced group,” an AFC South area scout said.
Though the class appears to lack high-end, can’t-miss prospects seen as future stars — such as Caleb Williams and Marvin Harrison Jr. last year — it has fewer players ranked high based purely on potential. As an AFC East area scout put it: ”Player No. 15 on your board might have the same grade as No. 50.”
That’s great for teams selecting in the middle of the first round or later. It also benefits teams with three or more picks in the first two rounds, such as the Chicago Bears, who have three selections between pick Nos. 10 and 41, and the Buffalo Bills, with three selections between Nos. 30 and 62.
This could also mean more trades starting in the middle of Round 1 through Round 2 due to a lack of leaguewide consensus regarding the top players in the draft’s strong middle class. The reverse seems unlikely, as there could be fewer trades into the top 10 because of the lack of blue-chippers and elite quarterback talent.
The narrative change for this draft class was supported by the Philadelphia Eagles’ dominant Super Bowl LIX win over the Kansas City Chiefs. The position groups that fueled Philly’s win — defensive end, defensive tackle and versatile defensive backs — are the strengths of the 2025 draft.
“This is a meat-and-potatoes draft,” one NFL area scout said.
Which position groups have the biggest questions?
The lack of buzz surrounding the class reflects the number of quarterbacks at the top of the board. Miami quarterback Cam Ward is seen by most as the class’ top passer, followed closely by Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders. But scouts wouldn’t have ranked them in the top passers drafted in 2024.
“There isn’t a single guy this year you’d take over the six drafted [in the first round] last year,” an AFC scouting director said.
Though scouts are down on the expected first-round quarterbacks, they like the depth at the position. One scout said he likes this group better than 2021, a surprise given there were five QBs selected in the first round that year, including each of the top three picks (Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson and Trey Lance).
This is also a down year for elite wide receivers after a run of great classes that featured game-changers such as Harrison, Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase.
Travis Hunter (Colorado) will likely be a top-three pick, but teams are divided on his primary NFL position after he played wide receiver and cornerback in college. Many evaluators prefer him at cornerback, with receiver being a secondary position, and Hunter is listed as a corner at the combine. If he’s classified as a defensive player, it would greatly diminish the top-end strength of the receiver class.
Scouts are also torn on Tetairoa McMillan (Arizona) and Luther Burden III (Missouri) because of questions about their deep speed. There could be five receivers drafted in Round 1, but none are seen as better prospects than last year’s top three of Harrison, Malik Nabers and Rome Odunze.
Which position groups have scouts excited?
The running back class has a chance to be special, as six backs have at least a second-round grade in my pre-combine rankings. There is also depth.
”If you can’t find a starting running back this year, you’re really just not trying,” an NFC West area scout said. “There will be starters coming out of Rounds 5, 6 and 7.”
Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty leads the way and has a first-round grade, but teams will find starters in Round 2 in Ohio State’s Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson, Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson, North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton and Tennessee’s Dylan Sampson. There’s a good chance this year’s draft will feature the most running backs picked since the draft was reduced to seven rounds in 1994 (30 were drafted in 1998 and 2017).
It’s also another strong year for tight ends. Tyler Warren (Penn State) and Colston Loveland (Michigan) are seen as top-15 players, according to NFL scouts. The depth is strong behind them, with seven more tight ends having a good shot of being selected by the end of Day 2.
“It’s not 2023 good, but this tight end class is stronger than last year’s or 2022,” an AFC South area scout said.
And finally, the defensive line group must be lauded. Penn State edge Abdul Carter anchors the class, followed by Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham and Georgia edge Jalon Walker. There are 31 defensive linemen in my top 100 — the most I’ve had at that group.
One NFL general manager said that “a third of the first round might be edge rushers and defensive tackles.”
Is there a recent class comp for the 2025 group?
“It reminds me of the 2015 first round with two quarterbacks at the top and then just a bunch of really solid players,” said an AFC North scout with more than 20 years of experience.
The 2015 draft featured Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota as the first two picks, but five future Pro Bowlers were drafted in the top 10. That comparison might be too pessimistic, however.
The 2016 draft might be the best comp. Quarterbacks Jared Goff and Carson Wentz came off the board at the top, but the rest of the top 10 was dominated by the trenches with Joey Bosa (No. 3), Ronnie Stanley (No. 6), DeForest Buckner (No. 7), Jack Conklin (No. 8) and Leonard Floyd (No. 9). The 2016 class also featured a star running back drafted high (Ezekiel Elliott at No. 4), which could be mirrored in this draft if Jeanty goes in the top 10.
”This class might not have a superstar quarterback, but at the end of the day, it’ll have more [long-term] starters than 2021 or 2022 [one each],” an NFC scouting director said.
znModeratorSleeperNFL@SleeperNFL
Most TDs in the last two seasons:🥇Kyren Williams – 31 TDs
🥇Jahmyr Gibbs – 31 TDs
🥈Derrick Henry – 30 TDsGames played during that stretch:
1️⃣ Derrick Henry – 34 Games
2️⃣ Jahmyr Gibbs – 32 Games
3️⃣ Kyren Williams – 28 GamesMarch 20, 2025 at 8:37 pm in reply to: why Davonte Adams is good…update, must read: Matt Bowen on Adams #155621znModeratorfrom 2025 NFL free agency signings: Ranking best deals, contracts — https://www.espn.com/nfl/insider/story/_/id/44295980/2025-nfl-free-agency-signings-ranking-best-deals-contracts-fits-values
5. Wide receiver Davante Adams signs with the Rams
The deal: Two years, $46 million ($26 million guaranteed)Three years ago, the Rams were seeking a second wide receiver to play alongside Cooper Kupp and they signed veteran Allen Robinson to a three-year, $45 million deal. It didn’t go great. Fast-forward to 2025, and they’re trying the veteran free agent route again. With Kupp being released (he signed with the Seahawks), the Rams are turning to Adams on a two-year deal to line up opposite Puka Nacua. And this time, I think it will turn out better.
Make no mistake: Adams is on the decline. He’s 32, and we often underestimate the rate at which age can erode a player’s ability. Maybe I’m doing it right now. But Adams’ decline is coming from such a high peak, and the evidence is there that he’s still a very good receiver. And in my view, he is a value at the price Los Angeles paid. Even in his down 2024 season, Adams averaged 2.1 yards per route run — and he was catching passes from Gardner Minshew (with the Raiders) and Aaron Rodgers (in a dysfunctional Jets offense). That’s still pretty good.
The advanced metrics suggest a similar story. His open score was 77 last season (via ESPN’s receiver scores), down from a peak of 99 in 2020 but still well above average. (Adams’ catch score dropped to a disastrous 5 last season, but it is more volatile from year to year, and I’d be less worried about age affecting his hands than his shiftiness.)
Now put that player in a Sean McVay offense in which he can be the No. 2 option behind an exceptional Nacua, and there’s a world where this could really work out, at least for a year. It makes all the sense in the world for the Rams, running it back with quarterback Matthew Stafford for another year with great offensive playmakers and an exceptional defensive line in place. I think the $23 million per year for Adams is going to age very well. After all, if Tutu Atwell is getting $10 million these days, you had better believe Adams is worth $23 million.
znModeratorfrom https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2025/3/20/24389725/rams-news-jared-verse-eagles-philadelphia
Rams’ Jared Verse Had Priceless Reaction to Eagles Fan Writing Him a Super Nice Letter (si.com)
“The letter read: “Hello from a Philadelphia Eagles Fan! And a 66-year-old one at that. I was watching the Eagles-Rams game and saw you help up a knocked over cameraman. Really help him and then made sure he was O.K. I’ve watched way too much football in my day and that’s very atypical!”
“So I thought ‘who is this guy?’ and watched your play the rest of the game. No news to you buy you are an AMAZING player and I wish we had you in Philly,” the Eagles fan continued. “Later on I saw you flatted 350 lb Jordan Mailata on the Eagles OL. Went on Wikipedia and saw your background. Impressive. So, Merry Christmas and wishing you and the Rams well—hope to see you in the playoffs. Good luck and good health. I’ll be following you from now on.”
Verse posted the letter to his Instagram story and wrote: “Guess I should have opened this before the game … Hope you still a fan” with a heart emoji.
The Eagles got the best of the Rams in the playoffs and went on to win the Super Bowl, but Verse might have to change his tune about the fan base after receiving that nice of a letter from the unnamed fan.”
March 20, 2025 at 8:05 pm in reply to: 1st FA wave over, assessments + 2nd wave of signings & extensions #155616znModeratorJoe Noteboom (is he still on the roster?)
Noteboom is not listed on the Ram official roster. In Over.the.Cap, he is counted as dead money on a contract that expired in 2024 & OtC does not list him as being on the Rams roster.
March 20, 2025 at 7:57 pm in reply to: 1st FA wave over, assessments + 2nd wave of signings & extensions #155615znModeratorRams Bros.@RamsBrothers
Really like the offseason the Rams have put together so far. After settling the Matthew Stafford contract situation, they:Re-signed:
• Jimmy Garoppolo
• Alaric Jackson
• Tutu Atwell
• Ahkello WitherspoonSigned (via FA):
• Davante Adams
• Poona Ford
• Coleman Shelton
• Nate LandmanTraded/released:
• Jonah Jackson
• Cooper Kupp
• Joe Noteboom (is he still on the roster?)Tendered:
• Dylan McMahonRams are definitely in a BPA situation in this upcoming draft, with emphasis on CB, TE, and iLB. They have a roster right now that is built for a deep playoff run.
March 19, 2025 at 10:44 am in reply to: 1st FA wave over, assessments + 2nd wave of signings & extensions #155607znModeratorfrom https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2025/3/18/24388891/rams-free-agency-nate-landman-linebacker
International implications:
Landman was born in Zimbabwe. He became a US citizen during his sophomore year of college. He’s currently the only player in the NFL of Zimbabwean heritage, though Andrew Mukuba of Texas should soon join him. Mukuba, a safety, will likely hear his name called on either day two or three of next month’s NFL Draft.
By the numbers:
Landman appears to be a better run defender than coverage player at linebacker. He played 809 and 543 snaps for the Falcons in 2023 and 2024, respectively, posting Pro Football Focus (PFF) run defense grades of 85.4 (10th of 90 players using a 20% snap threshold) and 73.9 (29th of 94).
On the 2024 Falcons defense, Landman ranked third in run defense behind safety Jesse Bates and linebacker JD Bertrand.
In 2023 he also ranked third with corner Tre Flowers and Bates coming in ahead of him.
March 19, 2025 at 10:40 am in reply to: 1st FA wave over, assessments + 2nd wave of signings & extensions #155604znModeratorSame kind of thing, Landman is MIKE, gets to sideline and takes right angle, and pops the runner, forces him to lose ball. A thumper-type, cleans up missed tackles by Dbs pic.twitter.com/zKpxJV1IfN
— Jim Youngblood 53 (@53_jim70721) March 19, 2025
March 19, 2025 at 10:36 am in reply to: 1st FA wave over, assessments + 2nd wave of signings & extensions #155603znModeratorSosa Kremenjas@QBsMVP
Nate Landman in run defense among LBs in 2023, per @PFF (min. 150 snaps):52 stops (1st)
12.6% stop percentage (1st)
2.7 average depth of tackle (13th)Will need to dive into the tape but those are some impressive numbers.
March 19, 2025 at 10:23 am in reply to: 1st FA wave over, assessments + 2nd wave of signings & extensions #155602znModeratorJim Youngblood 53@53_jim70721
I doubt Landman is a 3-down LBer, unless he improves his pass rush stuff … but as a 240-pound MIKE-type, I think he’s going to help the run defense and maybe he’ll continue to force fumbles ..Ladman shuffes his feet, keeps balances and READS the wham/sift action of the H-back … mental play on this is good as is the tackle. And pushes RB back… he's maybe 240 pounds or so? Not sure. Weights can be off. pic.twitter.com/9CqeCUasQa
— Jim Youngblood 53 (@53_jim70721) March 19, 2025
znModeratorKeeping an OL together through an NFL season is rough work.
Every team's most-used OL combination from 2024 per TruMedia and the snap% of that group. pic.twitter.com/mmRPSF03kr
— Rich Hribar (@LordReebs) March 18, 2025
znModeratorHow important is it to have a really good WR2 in today’s NFL?
“I think it's absolutely critical. With the way defenses play now it becomes easier to bracket a number one receiver within the context of your defensive structure.”@GregCosell on latest @RossTuckerPod: pic.twitter.com/aG3iBg5LSg
— Ross Tucker Podcast (@RossTuckerPod) March 18, 2025
March 19, 2025 at 7:59 am in reply to: 1st FA wave over, assessments + 2nd wave of signings & extensions #155599znModeratorJim Youngblood 53@53_jim70721
I doubt Landman is a 3-down LBer, unless he improves his pass rush stuff … but as a 240-pound MIKE-type, I think he’s going to help the run defense and maybe he’ll continue to force fumbles ..znModeratorThey removed the web page for Ira Hayes, one of the Marines who raised the flag on Iwo Jima. pic.twitter.com/dqIqqpluIW
— 🇺🇸Jerry Mander🇺🇦 (@realpublicius) March 18, 2025
znModeratorThey do the Rams at 4:58 in.
March 18, 2025 at 6:37 pm in reply to: 1st FA wave over, assessments + 2nd wave of signings & extensions #155594znModeratorWho is Nate Landman?
from Lance Zierlein: https://www.nfl.com/prospects/nate-landman/32004c41-4e10-8404-7773-9eee03d2b855
Colorado
Height
6’ 2 1/2’’
Weight
238 lbsOverview
Four-year starter with excellent intangibles but below-average positional traits. Landman’s best seasons were in 2018 and 2019 but his Achilles tear in 2020 hurt his momentum and his 2021 tape was very average prior to suffering a shoulder injury. The lack of flow quickness and agility prevents him from consistently acting upon what his eyes tell him. Landman’s inconsistencies with coverage and tackling further hinder his chances of making an NFL roster.
Strengths
Team captain.
Sets the front and gets teammates lined up.
Good ability to key and diagnose the blocking scheme.
Steps downhill into leveraged positioning in the gap.
Peeks past incoming block to read play development.
Possesses the temperament teams look for inside.
Reads and darts into passing lanes in spot drops.Weaknesses
Below-average athleticism and pursuit speed.
Unable to flow quickly enough to stay ahead of blockers.
Change-of-direction quickness is lacking.
Needs better pop to take on and stack up the block.
Fails to come to balance quickly enough as pursuit tackler.
Lack of agility and length limits open-field tackling success.
Will need to come off field on passing downs.
Suffered an Achilles tear in 2020.March 18, 2025 at 6:12 pm in reply to: why Davonte Adams is good…update, must read: Matt Bowen on Adams #155592znModeratorBut it makes me wonder who 159 was.
And 140.
159 is Tommy Tremble, CAR TE
There was no 140 because of ties, they counted 2 141s. And the other 141 was Deebo.
In 2024…
Adams was 15
Nacua was 19
Atwell was 37
Robinson was 77
Johnson was 115
Parkinson was 120
Kupp as mentioned was 141March 18, 2025 at 10:25 am in reply to: why Davonte Adams is good…update, must read: Matt Bowen on Adams #155584znModeratoryeah. they’re the same age but injuries have clearly got the best of kupp. i love kupp, and it was a bummer to see, but this one you could see a mile away.
141 out of 159 is not what you want in your #2 wideout. That’s not good enough for your #3 WR.
But it makes me wonder who 159 was.
March 18, 2025 at 10:23 am in reply to: 1st FA wave over, assessments + 2nd wave of signings & extensions #155583znModeratorJust to be absolutely clear, I am not complaining about the Rams’ drafting ability.
I know. I was just grabbing a chance to type it up.
March 18, 2025 at 3:26 am in reply to: 1st FA wave over, assessments + 2nd wave of signings & extensions #155580znModeratorThey have a hole or 2 to fill but this is already a better team that the one that game just short against the Eagles on the road in the snow.’
Adams and Ford are good signings. They are set up to draft well. This will be a better team than the one that took the division last year.
Last year they got solid to great contributions from 6 draft picks: Verse, Fiske, Kinchens, Karty, Limmer, and Whittington (ie. with Whitt it was not just on offense, on different special teams units too). That includes the defensive rookie of the year.
In the last 3 drafts combined they had 9 6th round picks. Usually the hit rate on round 6 is anywhere from 2% to 8.84%, depending on your source. That means that 9 6th round picks should yield at best 1 player. But of out of those 9 Rams picks I would say so far that we know the Rams hit on 5: Lake (2022), Ethan Evans (2023), and 3 from 2024: Whittington, Karty, & Limmer. That’s a 55.6% hit rate. They have 4 more 6th round picks in 2025.
So IMO if they continue this good streak drafting, they ought to come up with 4-5 players, ie. counting
both immediate and depth/future contributors. As a result, the 2025 team could be even better than we already know it is.And now that they’re set at P and K, they can focus on drafting a long-snapper.
Even if you discount the kickers and make it just 7 picks, that’s still 3 “hits” in round 6 out of 7 picks, which is 42.8%, which is 5 times the normal hit percentage.
Meanwhile in the last 2 years, after they had a serious re-evaluation of their drafting, they have had 7 hits in rounds 1-3, which now includes 6 starters (Avilla, Turner, Young, Verse, Fiske, Kinchens), or an unbelievable 85.7% hit rate.
If they can keep this up, they will be getting a few more players. Or to be more specific, if the percentages stay the same or close to the same, they will be getting 4-5 starting and/or contributing players out of this draft.
March 17, 2025 at 9:38 pm in reply to: 1st FA wave over, assessments + 2nd wave of signings & extensions #155578znModeratorThey have a hole or 2 to fill but this is already a better team that the one that game just short against the Eagles on the road in the snow.’
Adams and Ford are good signings. They are set up to draft well. This will be a better team than the one that took the division last year.
Last year they got solid to great contributions from 6 draft picks: Verse, Fiske, Kinchens, Karty, Limmer, and Whittington (ie. with Whitt it was not just on offense, on different special teams units too). That includes the defensive rookie of the year.
In the last 3 drafts combined they had 9 6th round picks. Usually the hit rate on round 6 is anywhere from 2% to 8.84%, depending on your source. That means that 9 6th round picks should yield at best 1 player. But of out of those 9 Rams picks I would say so far that we know the Rams hit on 5: Lake (2022), Ethan Evans (2023), and 3 from 2024: Whittington, Karty, & Limmer. That’s a 55.6% hit rate. They have 4 more 6th round picks in 2025.
So IMO if they continue this good streak drafting, they ought to come up with 4-5 players, ie. counting
both immediate and depth/future contributors. As a result, the 2025 team could be even better than we already know it is.March 17, 2025 at 4:31 pm in reply to: 1st FA wave over, assessments + 2nd wave of signings & extensions #155570znModeratorfrom PFF, 2025 NFL Free Agency: 5 best value signings –https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-free-agency-5-best-value-signings-2025?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=dhtwitter&utm_content=null
T Alaric Jackson re-signs with Los Angeles Rams
Jackson’s deal is a very slight annual overpay but locking up their starting left tackle for three more years was the right move for the Rams. His 79.2 PFF pass-blocking grade ranked 22nd among all offensive tackles last season.
znModeratorLet’s hear your pick! ⬇️🤝 pic.twitter.com/DeIEu8oE3v
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) March 17, 2025
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