Linemen in camp now:

Barnes (C)
Jones (C, & G?)
Rhaney (C)
Wang (C)

Saffold (G)
Reynolds (G, & T?)
Washington (G)
Bond (G)
Brown (G)
Donnal (G, & T?)
Wichman (G)

Robinson (T)
Baker (T)
Havenstein (T)
Darrell Williams (T)

Interesting. Chris Long said he is just NOW getting back to 100% after his injury.

wv wrote:

I’m enjoying the Patriots
mishandling of this.

w
v

I live in Patriot Land. And, they are not registering that they mishandled it. For example, dining out for breakfast this morning, I got to read this:

============

Commentary: It’s all about the NFL, not about the deed

The league punishes Tom Brady and the Patriots, not because of what they did but because it’s desperate to show itself as a rock of integrity.

http://www.pressherald.com/2015/05/13/commentary-its-all-about-the-nfl-not-about-the-deed/

NEW YORK — The evidence is thoroughly equivocal and the competitive advantage is nowhere to be found, yet the NFL is punishing Tom Brady and the New England Patriots as if they belong in Sing Sing. This case, perhaps more than all the others in the past year, sums up the NFL approach to justice: If you crack down hard enough on the little things, no one will notice the real scoundreling.

The NFL chose the wrong case to throw a book at, but then, the league is always far more worried about appearances than reality. Sure, all smiles. But when Commissioner Roger Goodell, right, needed to show he’s the boss, the merits of the case notwithstanding, Pats quarterback Tom Brady felt the brunt.
Sure, all smiles. But when Commissioner Roger Goodell, right, needed to show he’s the boss, the merits of the case notwithstanding, Pats quarterback Tom Brady felt the brunt.

So Brady gets a four-game suspension for undermining “the public confidence” in the NFL over an esoteric and unproven matter of air, and his team is stripped of draft choices and $1 million. I see. And what is Roger Goodell’s punishment for turning the moral underpinning of the league into sand? The NFL is so desperate to look like a rock of integrity after a year of damaging scandals that it has ginned up a case out of literally … nothing. A few whiffs of PSI.

Deflategate would be more of a ‘Gate’ if the league had proven the balls were in fact deflated. But they haven’t. That’s what is so peculiar about this entire deal. The Ted Wells report commissioned by the league is perfectly clear on this point: No one is sure which of two gauges were used to check the pressurization of the balls. The gauges gave significantly different readings; one read much higher than the other and showed the balls were legally inflated.

The referee in charge of checking the footballs, Walt Anderson, is pretty sure he used this gauge. Yet the NFL disregarded this critical point – and the testimony of its own official. Nevertheless the NFL decided the “preponderance of the evidence” showed Brady and the Patriots manipulated game balls. That’s how eager they are to find wrongdoing.

Even harder to find is evidence of harm: The Patriots won the AFC championship game, 45-7. In the first half, with the supposedly softer spheroids, Brady completed just 11 of 21 passes with an interception. In the second half, when everyone agrees the game balls were fully pressurized, the Patriots scored four touchdowns and ran away with the game.

Did Brady attempt to influence how much air was in the ball? Sure. Every quarterback in the league is princess-and-the-pea sensitive to the texture and grip of the ball in his hand, and asks equipment managers to inflate them to their preference. If you dock Brady four games, then you have to dock Aaron Rodgers, too.

Rodgers admitted last season that he “pushes the limit” on how much air is in the ball. Rodgers has large hands and likes an extremely hard ball. He said he tells his equipment guys to “even go over what they allow you to do and see if the officials take the air out of it.

It’s not cheating. It’s a preference. And it comes with an equalizing downside. If a softer ball is easier to grip, it also decelerates when you throw it, loses velocity and doesn’t travel as far. If it’s overinflated the way Rodgers likes it, then it travels farther, faster.

You want a scandal? Greg Hardy. The defensive end has been caught brutalizing his former girlfriend four times. For this he has been docked just 10 games. Brady gets four games for a whiff of air. Hardy gets 10 games and a new contract with the Dallas Cowboys for serial beatings.

This how it goes in Goodell’s NFL. They throw the book at marijuana tokers to distract from the abominable abuses of NFL doctors when it comes to painkillers. And they throw the book at Brady and the Patriots to rescue the commissioner’s authority after a year during which he misapplied his power in cases of domestic violence and child abuse.

Brady is the league’s attempt to re-establish control over discipline after the Ray Rice fiasco. The commissioner badly compromised the league by giving Rice just two games for socking his wife when he thought no one was looking. But when a video went viral and it turned out everyone was looking, he made the suspension indefinite and tried to make it seem like Rice lied to him. A former judge later found Goodell not credible and ruled he “abused his discretion” in his handling of Rice’s case.

As Brady’s agent, Don Yee, told Fox Sports, “The NFL has a well-documented history of making poor disciplinary decisions that are often overturned when truly independent and neutral judges or arbitrators preside.”

That’s the real root of this matter: The authority of the commissioner’s office has been badly weakened. The union is lobbying hard to have discipline placed into the hands of a neutral arbitrator.

This only makes sense. The owners pay for Goodell’s whopping salary and this creates a conflict of interest. The commissioner is eager to preserve his power. But you don’t establish your authority by handing down a phony hanging-judge sentence in a case that doesn’t merit it. All that does is erode “public confidence” even further.

Robinson had that toe injury nobody knew about as well…for a man his size that is a bad injury to try and play with.

Mackeyser wrote:

Well, I just agree with all of that.

Yeah I agree with that overall view of Robinson too.

As for the injury issue…you know I read one place where someone said that he had the toe injury in his last 3 games and that it had an effect on his performance.

I can’t back that up right now.

If so, then this is the Rams OL injury saga from 2014:

Pre-season

Long: recovering from knee
Wells: recovering from freak infection (including ICU and lost 40 pounds)
Jones: back surgery, season long effects (because he couldn’t lift weights until recovered)
Barnes: neck, I think
Rhaney: bruised knee final week of pre-season, redshirt IR

In-season

Long: knee, out
Wells: elbow, played hurt
Saffold: shoulder, played hurt
Barnes: ribs
Robinson: toe (surgery after season)

.

Herzog wrote:

Seems to me that the Rams drafted 3 guys that really only fit the guard mold. Brown, Donnal, and Wick.

I mostly agree but I also think that if he works out, Donnal is a swingman, and as such a 2nd stringer at LOT not just ROT.

They do have other tackles on the roster though…the only question is how good they will be this summer.

There’s Reynolds and Baker. Maybe Washington.

Though this is not an argument against signing JB. I would like to see them do that, actually.

Ramsey Glissadevil wrote:

So we should get 2 to 3 hits out our 4 lineman picks?

Ought to. Maybe 2 starters and some useful utility depth. Who knows. But I would say right off that I would really be surprised if both Harkenstein and Brown were NOT hits. Maybe not both as rookies, but it seems to be in the cards for them both.

Where’s the Beef? Rams O-Line

http://fox2now.com/2015/05/10/wheres-the-beef-rams-o-line/

The Rams Rookies Are Adjusting to Being the New Kids

By Luke Schnake

http://www.101sports.com/2015/05/10/rams-rookies-adjusting-new-kids-town/

Someone called police on Jamon Brown the day the Rams drafted him, but not for the reasons too often surrounding NFL prospects. Neighbors made the call to police regarding his family’s reaction to getting the Rams’ call.

“Everyone was yelling,” Brown said smiling. “And we got the police called on us, so everybody was yelling that loud to where we made a ruckus in the neighborhood.”

Brown joined his fellow Rams newcomers Friday and Saturday for their first workouts with coaches. The rookies will remain in town until the June 22 NFL Rookie Symposium. The group of young O-linemen was easily the largest on the field at Rams Park, taking instruction from line coach Paul Boudreau while nearby running backs and receivers worked with lone rookie quarterback, Sean Mannion.

The excitement of reporting for his first NFL assignment isn’t lost on Mannion either.

“It’s a bit surreal, but I think today is when it finally hit me.” Mannion said. “It’s kind of the realization of a dream I’ve had my whole life.”

“I guess I don’t really fit in with the rest of the guys,” Mannion added in regards to being the only player in a red jersey. “That’s alright, I got the same helmet at least.”

A common line from athletes making the jump from college to the pros describes the difference in the speed of action between levels. Brown mentioned it also applies to instruction.

“They expect you to pick up on things quicker than when you were in college.” Brown said. “In college, you slow it down, they kind of walk you through a lot more things. But out here, they show you it, and they expect you to be able to soak it in and apply it to the drills.”

In addition to Brown, the Rams drafted tackles Rob Havenstein (2nd round, Wisconsin) and Andrew Donnal (4th round, Iowa), and guard Cody Wichmann (6th round, Fresno State). Jeff Fisher said Saturday he’s excited to begin working with the rookie linemen and isn’t worried about getting them up to speed given their former football homes.

“It’s great work for them. The Iowa offensive system, the Wisconsin offensive system are probably more closer to what we do.” Fisher said. “Fresno State, Cody (Wichmann) is well coached. We’re really excited about Jamon (Brown) because he’s got tremendous athletic ability. I don’t think it’s going to be a long time for the four of them to catch on to the techniques and what not.”

Mannion says the devil is in the details in learning the Rams offense.

“I know just learning the offense, it wasn’t my first time with certain protections, it wasn’t my first time with certain patterns.” Mannion said. “But the detail that goes into every little aspect of each play is just so much higher. There’s always tons and tons of things to be sharp on, to learn about, so that way the offense can run at a high level.”

Fisher said his newest QB has been as advertised after watching him the past couple days.

“Really nothing different than the private workout,” Fisher said. “We spent a lot of time with him in the private workout, saw him make every throw. Picks everything up real quick, has a good sense for learning, huddle presence. He’s going to be fine. He’ll know what to do. He’s got a good arm.”

Meanwhile, the Rams’ first round pick is chomping at the bit to get in on the action.

Number 10 overall pick Todd Gurley is not able to fully participate in rookie camp due to the torn ACL he suffered at Georgia last fall, but the young running back said he was getting in his mental reps.

“I’m just listening to the play calls and making sure in my head that I’ve got them down.” Gurley said Thursday. “I can still go through the plays in the back by myself.”

Gurley is donning number 30 on his practice jersey, a decision he said came from slim pickings and not wanting to upset a former Rams running back who many Rams fans remember fondly.

“There’s really not too many numbers available…There was 39 which was S-J and I’m definitely not gonna touch that.” Gurley said.

Rams lineman Wichmann knows how to hammer

By Jim Thomas

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football/professional/rams-lineman-wichmann-knows-how-to-hammer/article_782e8582-c8ea-5115-ad7c-2e8d15f82f3a.html

As he watched the rookie class go through the paces Saturday afternoon at Rams Park, general manager Les Snead described sixth-round draft pick Cody Wichmann of Fresno State, thusly: “He’s the kind of guy that’ll give you a rib shot, knock you down, and then help you up.”

That is not a bad thing when your job — as an offensive guard — is to clear the road for running backs and keep the road clear of intruders for your quarterback.

It turns out much of Snead’s description of Wichmann (pronounced WICK-man) was dead on. At Fresno State, the coaches called effective blocks “getting ribs.” Wichmann said they had a scoreboard of sorts, with the offensive linemen awarded points for “getting ribs.”

“And at the end of the year, you get a hammer,” Wichmann said.

That’s if you get the most ribs — and most points — over the course of the season. Well, Wichmann is the proud possessor of two hammers, for the 2014 and 2013 college seasons.

“They had stickers all over it and what-not,” Wichmann said. “Bulldogs stickers, and they put your name on it. It had all sorts of decorations.”

So, is the latest hammer proudly displayed in a trophy room at home?

“I think it’s in the trunk of my car right now,” he replied, shrugging. “I might need it some day.”

Strangely, he then added: “The trunk of my car is a special place.”

We’re not sure what that means.

But Wichmann isn’t sure about the part of Snead’s description dealing with helping opponents get up after knocking them down.

“Once in a while if it’s an opponent I’ll help him up, I guess,” he said, with some reluctance. “Not every time. First couple times you’ve gotta let ’em know you’re here to play, and then maybe after a while you start feeling bad for ’em, I guess.”

The Rams would like nothing better than if Wichmann threw more hammer-worthy blocks for years to come in the NFL. As the last of four offensive linemen picked by the Rams on May 1-2, he’s one of the so-called Refrigerators with Legs in the 2015 draft class.

Wichmann, 6 feet 5 and 311 pounds, started 50 games during his time at Fresno State — the last 32 of which came at right guard. He had previous starting experience at right tackle, but it looks like his NFL future will be at guard.

The 50 starts isn’t a school record, but it’s close.

“Ben Jacobs, he’s a linebacker, plays for the (Carolina) Panthers right now. I think he had 52,” Wichmann said. “So a little short.”

Jacobs indeed started 52 times from 2007-10 for the Bulldogs.

Wichmann was part of some prolific offenses at Fresno State. The 2013 squad led the nation in passing with current Oakland Raiders starter Derek Carr at quarterback. The Bulldogs finished sixth in theFootball Bowl Subdivision in fewest sacks allowed that season.

Over his last three seasons at Fresno, or 2012-14, the Bulldogs averaged 36.4 points and 474.8 yards of offense per game.

“Just playing in all of the games that I’ve played in, just getting that experience on the field, it makes you more aware of certain situations and how to counter other situations,” Wichmann said. “I hope to take what I can from college to the NFL, but I do understand that the speed and the players will be top-notch.”

Earlier in his college career, Wichmann played in the pro-style offense of coach Pat Hill. The Bulldogs switched to an up-tempo spread offense under Hill’s successor, Tim DeRuyter, starting with the 2012 season.

But Wichmann remembers enough of the Hill pro-style; he even brushed up on the terminology before the draft by keeping an old playbook. And that has helped him through the first days of the transition to the Rams’ offense.

“Many of the terms — at least for run blocking — are the same,” Wichmann said.

And make no mistake, even with all the passing under DeRuyter, a player won’t earn a couple of hammers without some bruising work as a run blocker.

“I love when we run the ball,” Wichmann said. “I like to get my hands on people and drive them back, which is kind of my specialty. I would definitely say my physicality is probably one of my strong suits.”

Be it at Fresno State, or at Mariposa (Calif.) High, Wichmann has had a role model to look up to in the great Logan Mankins.

Mankins, who attended both schools, earned six Pro Bowl berths in nine seasons with New England before being traded to Tampa Bay before the 2014 season.

“Basically everyone in the town of Mariposa knows who he is and what he’s done,” Wichmann said. “He’s a big role model in Mariposa for everyone.”

Mankins’ high school jersey is retired and hanging in the school gymnasium, and as such was daily reminder of the goals Wichmann aspires to reach.

“Even at Fresno they have his picture in the main hallway to our meeting rooms,” Wichmann said. “I’d just glance up there every once in a while and tell myself, ‘Gosh, he did it from a small town. Why can’t I?’”

Wichmann is on that path, hammers and all.