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znModerator——
The Rams need to come up with another TD a game basically to be a true playoff contender. Otherwise, the defense has to be truly dominant. I still think there’s room for improvement with this team. Some of the younger players _ those w/2 or 3 years now in the pros _ have to start producing at a higher more consistent level.I would think that Fairley and Brockers would be in on most run downs.
What held Barrett Jones back last year?
Back surgery.
Minus Wisniewski or some other free-agent center, I think Barrett Jones could be the starting center in 2015.
When the head coach tells you to your face _ just you and him _ 24 hours before the start of free agency that Bradford isn’t getting traded, you tend to believe it.Never had a head coach lie to me like that in 21 seasons on the Rams beat. Not Rich Brooks, Dick Vermeil, Mike Martz, Scott Linehan, Steve Spagnuolo, or interims Joe Vitt and Jim Haslett.
Wasn’t surprised that Bradford/Condon dug in their heels, especially once I got an indication of how big of a pay cut the Rams wanted him to take. Pretty insulting. Not surprised there was a demand for Bradford.
When the pay cut is down to an amount where Bradford/Condon know they can get that much on the open market _ as a released player _ it’s pretty clear the team doesn’t want you.
About a year ago, Kroenke took over 100 percent of the team.
I thought CHip and Lucia would always retain a small percentage. Even just token? No?
I’m a little surprised too. But didn’t work out that way.
znModeratorHey RFL old friend.
Public service announcement thing —>
http://theramshuddle.com/topic/board-stuff-using-quote-please-read/Thanks.
znModeratorHe signed. It’s official.
I am ecstatically underwhelmed.
Jim Thomas @jthom1
Rams announce they have signed OT Garrett Reynolds; probable third tackle.
Nick Wagoner @nwagoner
Rams make it official, announce that they’ve signed offensive lineman Garrett Reynolds via Twitter.
znModeratorAdam Caplan @caplannfl
G/T Garrett Reynolds is expected to sign with the #Rams, source confirmed.
March 18, 2015 at 4:11 pm in reply to: Big Board: Lack of sizzle doesn't mean this class lacks substance #20881znModeratorI have a Real bad feeling about this years draft.
They say it’s deep at a couple of positions including guard.
Okay.
Fine with me.
March 18, 2015 at 4:02 pm in reply to: Big Board: Lack of sizzle doesn't mean this class lacks substance #20878znModeratorWell, noting that this or that class has more “third year” players
doesnt really tell you if more players from that draft class
ended up as quality starters or quality role players.You are using criteria that works for assessing individual player predictions.
That doesn’t work for whole draft classes.
In fact I remember when I first heard this–it was about the 83 draft, in advance of the 83 draft. Before that draft, the usual types were saying this was the deepest draft they had seen since 75. And, yeah…sure enough. (That’s the draft where the last 2 picks of the 1st round were Marino and Darrell Green).
That doesn’t mean those same analysts were right in advance about the prospects of any given individual player in that draft.
Can I prove the general point to you statistically? No. I am also content if you don’t believe it, too. However, as Ag points out, Snead has already indicated how he feels. They say they traded for Barron because they didn’t mind losing picks this year, given the quality of this year’s draft.
.
March 18, 2015 at 3:29 pm in reply to: Big Board: Lack of sizzle doesn't mean this class lacks substance #20868znModeratorWhat evidence do you have that last years draft class
was “one of the deepest in years” ?What made last year’s class was the record number of third year players that entered the draft. Of course, that depleted the talent in this years class.
Ag answers it. It’s the number of highly graded players that enter.
That does not mean that every single player will pan out as predicted.
But I have never seen it work this way–analysts say this IS a deep draft, taken as a whole, then it turns out it wasn’t. Or analysts say this ISN’T a deep draft, taken as a whole, and then it turns out it was.
Those claims about an entire draft class have a far lower burden of proof than for making predictions on individual players, one at a time.
The entire time I paid attention to the draft, if analysts say there is more highly-graded talent taken together om this one than in most drafts, I have never seen it turn out not to be true.
March 18, 2015 at 3:02 pm in reply to: Big Board: Lack of sizzle doesn't mean this class lacks substance #20857znModeratorCan Snisher find some of them? Can
they find another EJ Gaines?I personally am not skeptical of those claims. In fact over the years they have held up. For example last year’s draft was said in advance to be one of the deepest in years. And sure enough that’s the draft they find a Gaines in round 6.
znModeratorHoly shiest. What that tells me is that we HAVE to draft our qb of the future in this draft.
Unless Foles holds up.
znModeratorGarrett is the nephew of former linebacker Jack “Hacksaw” Reynolds.
Positives: High-cut with the thick-lower body build scouts prefer for the strong-side tackle position. Good initial burst off the snap as a run blocker. Provides an initial pop at the line and can generate movement. Good upper body strength to lock up defenders. Improved sustain of blocks as a senior. Alert in pass protection. Recognizes the blitz and reacts accordingly. Good bloodlines; father, Art, and uncle, Jack, both played professional football. Jack, better known by his nickname “Hacksaw,” played 15 years in the NFL for the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers.
Negatives: Over-achiever type. Has the size and toughness, but may lack the pure athleticism for the NFL. Too high in his stance and in his hand placement in pass protection and can be pushed into the pocket because he loses the leverage battle. Good effort to block on the move, but isn’t particularly nimble, especially laterally.
znModeratorSounds like a backup.
Unless he is at guard. That is, from what I just read here (quickly) his drop-off was at tackle.
The league is full of guys who do well at guard in their 2nd or 3rd stop.
Which promises nothing, of course…depends on how good they are at finding them.
znModeratorNormally, a starting qb up for his 2nd contract will get around the avg. for that kind of deal, which is 19 M give or take. (Wilson will probably raise the average).
However, Foles really didn’t finish the last 2 seasons. Is that a factor? IMO, not really. Maybe they do an incentive-heavy deal, like Kaepernick.
Then the question is this.
Do you pay Foles around 19 M?
That will depend on the season, right? Cause 2 things could happen. He plays well enough that you consider him your starting qb going forward. In which case–it’s around 19 M or he walks. Or he does not play well enough to earn that kinda dinero, in which case, yes he’s cheaper but do you want him to be your starter.
Some might say, well, if he doesn’t play well enough, just pay him less.
Problem is, there is a chance someone out there still likes him as a starter and therefore is willing to pay more.
Which is okay, depending on whether you want him, but it does mean you have no qb except Keenum and a rookie if you draft one.
I suppose they could trade Foles for… someone.
..
znModeratorThe Rams managed to win the 1945 NFL Championship Game 15–14
Fisher!
znModeratorI’m excited that Foles is committed to remaining himself. And that he wants to get to know his teammates.
Because that’s what it is about.
znModeratorI say top five. Thats just how
i see it.Me too. In the top 5. 1st through 5th. Or, higher.
znModeratorEagle Eye: Why Sam Bradford Will Thrive
By Fran Duffy
Anytime there is a change of the guard at the quarterback position, it’s going to be met with a ton of attention. A wide-ranging spectrum of emotions will flow from the team, fans and media, whether it be excitement, anxiety or even scrutiny. “Franchise quarterbacks” do not grow on trees. They are rarely available to be had in the prime of their careers.
In the case of Sam Bradford, whose career with the St. Louis Rams was largely affected by injuries and the fact that he played under four different offensive coordinators in five seasons (Pat Shurmur, Josh McDaniels, Brian Schottenheimer and newly hired Frank Cignetti), the Eagles are getting a quarterback with what Chip Kelly called a “tremendous skill set” and the pedigree to be a team’s signal caller moving forward.
Is there a risk? Sure. But this is a move that can take this offense to the next level – a high-upside quarterback with a talent base that this coaching staff will look to take advantage of in 2015. What lead to the decision to trade for Bradford? What does the staff see in the former No. 1 overall pick? Let’s go to the tape and see how Bradford looks in four of the most important factors in NFL quarterback play: decision-making, accuracy, pocket mobility and arm strength. Do these four factors make up everything in a successful NFL signal caller? Far from it. But these at least give you a glimpse of what Bradford brings to the table as the Eagles’ new starting quarterback.
======
follow the link…lots more, with gifs of plays and analysis of them
March 16, 2015 at 9:43 pm in reply to: reporters on the trade (Wagoner, Thomas, Clayton, King, & many more) #20764znModeratorBernie: Rams can’t be dumb about protecting Foles
By Bernie Miklasz
In attempting to gauge how Nick Foles will do as the Rams’ starting quarterback in 2015, it makes sense to start by looking at the coaching.
Foles had an advantage when Philadelphia drafted him into the NFL in 2012. Foles had a chance to break in under Andy Reid, one of the most dependable offensive minds in the game. Reid knows how to coach quarterbacks.
From 1999 through 2012, Reid’s Philly offenses were ranked seventh in the NFL in points, eighth in passing yards, eighth in touchdowns from scrimmage, fifth in touchdown passes, 14th in yards per passing attempt (6.88) and had the fourth-best ratio of touchdown passes to interceptions.
Foles was the beneficiary of good rookie schooling from Reid in 2012, and that prep work probably helped him to get ready to play for new Eagles coach Chip Kelly in 2013.
Foles started 18 games under Kelly in 2013 and ‘14, with the Eagles winning 14 of the starts. In Foles’ two seasons in the Kelly system, the Eagles ranked eighth in the league in passing yards, ninth in touchdown passes, and fourth in yards per passing attempt (7.96).
Philadelphia was No. 2 in points from scrimmage on offense (424) in 2013, and followed up with a No. 6 ranking with 397 scrimmage points last season.
And the Rams?
With Jeff Fisher as head coach over the past three years, the Rams were 21st in yards per passing attempt, 19th in touchdown passes, 25th in passing yards.
That’s hardly an outlier. While many Rams fans liked to blame offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer for the team’s mediocre offense, this view badly overlooks Fisher’s dreadful history with NFL offenses.
Fisher-coached teams have ranked among the NFL’s top 10 in points from scrimmage only three times in his 19 full seasons. And it hasn’t happened since 1999, when Fisher was in his fifth full season as coach of the Tennessee Titans.
As longtime Nashville columnist and sports-talk host Joe Biddle recently noted, Fisher had a lot of nicknames during his time in Tennessee. Some of the favorites were “Coach 8-8” … “Coach Field Goal,” … and “Coach Three-and-Out.”
From a pure football standpoint, it’s easy to understand why Sam Bradford is elated to go from a bland Fisher-coached offense to a more dynamic Kelly-coached offense. It’s nothing personal. It’s just that quarterbacks tend to thrive in Kelly’s system.
And the Fisher run-based system? Not so much. What’s really surprising is Fisher’s absolute failure to build a strong offensive line. The Rams have been average at best at running the football, and their quarterbacks still take too many hits.
For a coach who is all about physical football, it’s astounding to see the Rams trudge on with such a pedestrian offensive line.
Even now the Rams began the free-agent season by pumping more money into Fisher’s favorite side of the ball, the defense.
Then again, perhaps that’s why Fisher has only six winning records in his 19 full seasons as an NFL head coach — including two winning seasons over the past 10 years.
Foles is going from a quarterback-enhancing offense to one that does little to cultivate outstanding QB play. Maybe new offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti and new QBs coach Chris Weinke can improve things, but it’s important to remember (for the 100th time) that this is Jeff Fisher’s offense.
It made sense for the Rams to save $11 million in salary-cap space by shipping Bradford’s big salary and chronic-injury records to Philadelphia. It made sense for the Rams to pick up a second-round draft choice in the swap.
Bradford never prospered in the Fisher offense.
Bradford never has come close to approaching the kind of season that Foles delivered in 2013, when he put up 27 touchdowns, only two INTs, an average of 9.1 yards per passing attempt, and a league-best passer rating of 119.2.
That doesn’t mean Foles is a better QB than Bradford.
I think we’ll get a better read on that now that the quarterbacks have switched teams and coaches.
If he can stay healthy Bradford certainly fits the QB profile Kelly was looking for. He has a quick mind, is adept at reading defenses, and doesn’t hesitate to check down instead of taking an avoidable sack or risking an interception by heaving a foolish pass. Bradford’s experience in a spread offense at Oklahoma will make him comfortable in Kelly’s up-tempo attack.
So why did Kelly sour on Foles? Kelly wouldn’t have made this trade unless he felt Bradford was superior to Foles. A coach doesn’t trade a lower-salaried quarterback with healthier knees — and give up a premium second-round draft pick on top of it — unless he was convinced he was landing a much better quarterback in return.
At the end of the 2014 season, Kelly praised Foles’ personal qualities but noted that the quarterback “gets banged up a little.” To some, that would be rather humorous considering Bradford’s history of frequent injuries. But Eagles insiders say Kelly’s comment was more about Foles’ habit of taking unnecessary hits by holding onto the ball too long.
Unlike Bradford, Foles hasn’t had two reconstructive surgeries on his left knee. But injuries have knocked Foles out in each of the last three seasons. There was a broken hand in 2012, a concussion in 2013, and a broken clavicle that sidelined him for the final eight games of 2014.
Foles has a slow release, and a longer throwing motion, and that can put him in harm’s way more often. And as a few QB analysts have noted, Foles is visibly uncomfortable when there’s clutter in or around his pocket.
Despite the return of big-play wide receiver Jeremy Maclin to the Philadelphia offense — Maclin had missed all of 2013 with a knee injury — Foles’ play declined last year. His completion percentage fell four points, to 59.8. He threw almost as many interceptions (10) as touchdowns (13.) His yards per attempt plunged by two yards, to 7.0.
And Foles’ passer rating plummeted to 81.4. For perspective consider that Rams’ backup QB Austin Davis had a passer rating of 85.4. And fellow Eagles quarterback Mark Sanchez — who took over for the final eight games — had a higher rating (88.4) than Foles. And was more accurate.
So what happened?
For whatever reason, Foles’ play deteriorated under pressure last season. I have to throw some numbers at you, listed by category. The blitz numbers come from STATS LLC. The under-fire numbers are from Pro Football Focus:
FOLES WHEN BLITZED
2013: completed 64.6% for 10.73 yards per attempt, six touchdowns, no INTs and a passer rating of 125.1
2014: completed 53.8 percent, for 6.86 YPA, one TD, two INTs, and a passer rating of 67.9.
FOLES WHEN UNDER PASS-RUSH FIRE
2013: under pressure on 34.3 percent of his dropbacks, completed 48 percent, had an adjusted accuracy rating of 68.1 percent, threw three TDs and no interceptions.
2014: under pressure on 34.1 percent of his dropbacks, completed 39.8 percent, had an adjusted accuracy rating of 51.9 percent, threw four TDs, and had five INTs.
That’s significant difference in both categories.
A negative difference.
And please note that Foles came under pass-rush heat at a slightly lower rate in 2014 compared to 2013. Moreover, Pro Football Focus gave the Eagles a better pass protection grade in 2014 compared to 2013.
That’s the first thing to watch with Foles in 2015: do the Rams understand what he is, and how to put him in a position to succeed?
When harassed by the defense in 2013, Foles didn’t lose his cool. He made plays. But Foles wasn’t the same quarterback under pressure in 2014. That’s almost certainly the reason why Kelly lost patience with him.
That’s why it’s imperative for the Rams to solidify their offensive line. If the coaching staff watched video of Foles in 2014, they can’t possibly think it’s a smart idea to throw this kid to a pack of jackals by setting him up behind another flimsy O-line.
znModeratorJim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch discussed the offensive line void on The Wendy’s Big Show Monday. Here’s what he had to say about potential signings:
“They’re still looking for three starters. They need a starting center, a starting right guard and a starting right tackle. All the guys the Rams would like to have on the offensive line are still in play.”
– On right tackle Joe Barksdale: “The market has still not developed. I think the Rams have a decent chance to get him back on the rebound.”
– On free agent center Stefen Wiesniewski: “From the Oakland Raiders, he made a few trips last week, Tampa Bay and Seattle. But he left there without a contract. He’s still in play.
– On free agent right guard Justin Blalock: “He was released by Atlanta last week. Visited Detroit and I think there’s still a chance he’ll visit St. Louis some time this week.”
Thomas discussed how the Rams’ approach to the draft will change depending on what, if any, offensive linement they sign.
“Let’s just say they get two of these three. Let’s say they resign Barksdale and they get Blalock. Well then you still need a center. Now there’s no center worth taking 10 overall, but you may still want to get a tackle. It’s not just the starters we’re talking about. The Rams have only seven offensive linemen under contract. And really three of those seven are guys you probably don’t want on the roster. Most teams take nine into the regular season so you need to find some guys that can play.”
March 16, 2015 at 9:35 pm in reply to: OL in free agency … Barksdale, Blalock, Wisniewski, etc. #20762znModeratorTime for Rams to Finally Repair Offensive Line
By Randy Karraker
http://www.101sports.com/2015/03/16/time-for-rams-to-finally-repair-offensive-line/
At the end of the 2014 NFL season, the Rams had one of the best front sevens in football, and an offensive line that clearly was deficient and needed reinforcement, if not rebuilding.
Nearly a week into free agency, the Rams have added linebacker Akeem Ayers and defensive tackle Nick Fairly to their front seven, flipped quarterback Sam Bradford to Philadelphia for Nick Foles, and re-signed wide receiver Kenny Britt and tight end Lance Kendricks. Notable by its absence in the transaction listings for the Rams is any mention of additions to the offensive line. In fairness, the Rams may have made additions by the subtraction of injury-plagued tackle Jake Long and disappointing center Scott Wells.
The failure of those two to provide meaningful quality play extends the Rams’ streak of ineptitude in adding offensive linemen to fifteen years, through the tenures of general managers Jay Zygmunt, Billy Devaney and Les Snead, and coaches Mike Martz, Scott Linehan, Steve Spagnuolo and Jeff Fisher. To find the last acquisition through draft or free agency of offensive tackles that played at an above average level for the Rams for any period of time, you have to go back to the 1997 draft, when they selected Orlando Pace with the first pick in the draft and Ryan Tucker in the 4th round.
In 1999, the Rams signed Adam Timmerman and Andy McCollum as unrestricted free agents, and Tom Nutten as a street free agent. All of those moves under President of Football Operations Dick Vermeil served the Rams well for years, with that group staying with the Rams until the mid-2000’s.
Since 1999, the Rams have spent draft choices on John St. Clair, Kaulana Noa, Andrew Kline, Travis Scott, Scott Tercero, Larry Turner, Alex Barron, Richie Incognito, Claude Terrell, Mark Setterstrom, Tony Palmer, Dustin Fry, Ken Shackelford, John Greco, Roy Scheuning, Jason Smith, Rodger Saffold, Rok Watkins, Barrett Jones, Greg Robinson, Mitchell Van Dyk and Demetrious Rhaney. That’s fifteen drafts, 22 drafted offensive linemen, six players that were at one point regarded as starters, and no Pro Bowls. The six “starters” would be St. Clair, Barron, Incognito, Smith, Saffold and Robinson.
The Rams traded a second round pick to New Orleans in 2003 for Kyle Turley, who was average for half a season before injuries began affecting him, and after sixteen games and sixteen starts, he never played for the Rams again. They wound up trading Jason Smith…the second pick in the 2009 draft…during Fisher’s first training camp in 2012 for Wayne Hunter, who started four games for the Rams, and dealt a seventh rounder (that wound up being quarterback Matt Flynn) for Adam Goldberg. Goldberg started 48 games for the Rams in six seasons, but was never considered above average.
Free agency has yielded lots of wasted dollars. In 2013 Jake Long signed a four year, $34 million deal and got $11 million of that for playing 22 of 32 games, with the other ten eliminated by ACL injuries. Center Scott Wells was never really healthy for the Rams after being a Pro Bowl performer in Green Bay, and signing a four year, $24 million deal with St. Louis. Center Jason Brown, guard Jacob Bell and guard Harvey Dahl were paid millions of dollars, but their play never matched their paycheck.
In fairness, the current Rams regime did claim Joe Barksdale off waivers in 2012, and he has provided durable, consistent play for the last two seasons. He’s a free agent now, and the franchise would do well to bring him back.
The last time the Rams had consistently representative offensive line play was a decade ago, in 2005. They’ve had some flashes of good play since, but nothing consistent.
An incredible stretch run in 2006 helped Steven Jackson rush for 419 yards in his last three games and 1,528 overall.
The 2013 edition helped Zac Stacy and company rush for 1,752 yards and allowed just 36 sacks. But there hasn’t been a reliable, solid Rams offensive line since Pace, Timmerman, McCollum, Nutten and Barron started that ’05 campaign.
It’s been long enough. We haven’t yet had a week of free agency, but it’s time for Fisher and Snead to sign and draft a group that’s capable of imposing their will in the running game and reasonably protecting Foles. If the Rams hope to compete for a playoff spot, regardless of the style Fisher and new offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti want to employ, it all starts up front.
They can make all the moves they want, but until they repair the offensive line, that streak of non-winning seasons will extend beyond eleven seasons.
znModeratorLance Kendricks happy to stay in St. Louis
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/17106/lance-kendricks-happy-to-stay-in-st-louis
EARTH CITY, Mo. — As tight end Lance Kendricks’ first foray into free agency drew close to an official beginning, all signs pointed to him being headed for greener pastures with the Atlanta Falcons.
During the three-day negotiating window preceding free agency, the Falcons had pushed hard for Kendricks and made a lucrative offer exceeding the others that he’d received. The St. Louis Rams, meanwhile, wanted to keep Kendricks but had a limit on how far they’d go to do so.
Throughout the process, Kendricks stayed in touch with tight ends coach Rob Boras, who was Kendricks’ biggest advocate and vice-versa. As Kendricks tells it, he and Boras would exchange messages with Boras imploring Kendricks to stay and Kendricks telling Boras that nothing was certain.
“He gave me a few calls,” Kendricks said. “He was getting nervous, I heard he was pacing up and down the hallways. I was shooting him some texts but I didn’t want to give him a heart attack.”
Kendricks and Boras can laugh about it now that the 27-year old tight end/fullback/jack-of-all trades has re-signed with the Rams on a four-year contract worth $18.5 million. But it’s quite clear that things were touch and go for a bit on whether the Rams would get Kendricks back.
In fact, Kendricks confirmed Friday that the offer he received from the tight end needy Falcons exceeded the one he eventually took to stay in St. Louis. When the Rams upped the ante to the offer he signed, Kendricks decided to put value on his comfort level over the bottom line.
“It’s not always about the money,” Kendricks said. “I think being able to come to work and be happy and work with some of the people that love being around, that’s a little more important, just the common bond we all have as players and players from St. Louis. We all kind of walk with a chip on our shoulders. For me, I just love it here so I have to make sure I was able to stay.”
That process wasn’t so simple as finding an offer that was in the same ballpark as the one he received from Atlanta, either. Near the end of the season, Kendricks had made it clear that he wanted an expanded role in the passing game wherever he landed in free agency.
The 2011 second-round pick had entered the league with a reputation as a pass-catcher but evolved into more of a Swiss Army knife for the offense in his time with the Rams. In 2014, Kendricks had a career-low 27 catches with 259 yards but did lead the team with five touchdown grabs. In four seasons with the Rams, Kendricks has 129 receptions for 1,388 yards and 13 scores.
“That’s something that was emphasized,” Kendricks said. “With the quarterback changes we had going on last year it was really hard for anyone to get in a rhythm so Coach Boras and [offensive coordinator Frank] Cignetti spoke to me yesterday about implementing more options in the passing game for me so I’m pretty happy about that and I’m excited to see what they have in the works.”
Those numbers might seem awfully low for a player now scheduled to bank in excess of $4.5 million a year but Kendricks’ value to the Rams offense goes beyond the numbers. Kendricks has lined up in-line, in the slot, in the backfield and just about anywhere else you can imagine. And though Jared Cook is technically listed as the starter, the Rams frequently use multiple tight end sets.
Kendricks played 569 snaps in 2014, trailing Cook’s 654 but ahead of Cory Harkey’s 318. Kendricks is usually on the field with Cook and the Rams sometimes even have all three in the game at the same time.
Now that Kendricks is locked in with the Rams, they’ll probably look to find ways to get him more involved. After major drop issues as a rookie, Kendricks has become a more reliable pass-catcher and given the contract, it would appear the Rams have bigger plans for him moving forward.
And Boras can finally relax in the knowledge that Kendricks remained a Ram despite great interest elsewhere.
“He definitely played a huge role in me staying,” Kendricks said. “It would be hard for me to find a better tight end coach than Rob. That was important to me. Rob makes us all better players. Without him, it would definitely be more of a challenge. He makes it easier for us. He puts a lot on our shoulders and he expects a lot out of us. So I was happy to be able to stay.”
znModeratorKendricks gladly takes hometown discount to stay with Rams
By Luke Thompson
FOX Sports Midwest
ST. LOUIS — A strong sense of belonging and respect for the coaching staff kept one of the best tight ends on the free-agent market in St. Louis.
Lance Kendricks says he turned down more money from the Atlanta Falcons when he agreed to a deal with the Rams reportedly worth four years and $18.5 million, including $10 million guaranteed. A solid first four years in the league earned him that kind of security, and Kendricks cared more about staying in the right system than maximizing his income.
“I really like my coaches and teammates,” says Kendricks, who led the Rams with five receiving touchdowns in 2014. “I didn’t want to jump into anything new and for me, I was drafted here, so being able to help build this team from the ground up was always a big thing for me.”
He caught 28 passes for 352 yards as a rookie and made a significant jump the next season, setting career-highs with 42 catches and 519 yards. The Rams also improved by five wins in their first season under coach Jeff Fisher and tight ends coach Rob Boras.
Kendricks says those two, particularly Boras, played a big factor in his decision to stay in St. Louis for another four years, even though he’s no longer the top receiving option at tight end. The addition of Jared Cook in 2013 gave the Rams a better, more athletic, downfield threat and cut Kendricks’ yardage numbers in half, though he remained a threat on short routes and in the red zone.
The 6-foot-3, 250-pound former Wisconsin standout knows he can improve considerably on his route running and ability to catch the football. But he still plays a big role in the run-heavy offense and hopes to do even more next season.
“Coach Boras and (offensive coordinator Frank) Cignetti, they spoke to me (last Thursday) about just implementing more options for me in the passing game,” Kendricks says. “So I’m pretty happy about that and I’m excited to see what they have in the works.”
He signed before learning about the trade for Nick Foles. But even though Kendricks admitted to being a bit surprised to see Sam Bradford leave, he says he didn’t panic. Solid numbers in Philadelphia show Foles is capable of getting the ball out to his receivers, and he’ll have several good ones in St. Louis now that the Rams have brought back both Kendricks and Kenny Britt.
A strong bond with the team and the city made the decision a relatively easy one for Kendricks, who says those who have been around the franchise long enough “play with a chip on their shoulders.” Of course, he’s aware of the rumored move to Los Angeles after this season, but that didn’t really concern Kendricks in negotiations.
In the end, no matter how much money he might get, he just couldn’t see himself playing anywhere else
znModeratorNot sure if Steve McNair was goofy looking. He was a winner.
Well they aren’t mutually exclusive categories.
znModeratorJust some opinions. What Mayock’s partial about-face here suggests to me is, you can’t mess with Foles’s mechanics too much. Better just to build around what he does already. That is, the effort to correct him in 2014 may have made him worse. Just a theory.
In terms of his fate as a qb. It will IMO go the normal path. To win, it won’t be just Foles. They will need a run threat, a relatively healthy OL, and defense. If they win with that 4-way combination (Foles + etc.) then he will get all the credit. If they lose, many people will turn against him. Just the normal stuff.
What would I draft to help them win? Another RB.
Why another RB? Just wondering…
Prime reason: there must always be a running game. Not necessarily more runs than passes, but balanced. 55 P – 45 R. I don’t think Foles carries this team passing. I think he’s better as a qb with a running threat. Plus it’s the NFC west. Got to be able to pound it when you have to.
So when I think about that…
I am wondering about Stacy. He didn’t look right last year.
I am wondering about BC. Is he a third down back or an every down back.
I am wondering about Mason. How much can he shoulder.
If there’s just one injury, the running game could be less effective.
So…adding a back makes sure there’s a running game.
Plus it’s a very deep draft for RBs. One of the deepeest in recent memory. So you can do it at bargain rates.
znModeratorMayock’s Slant–After Week 3
Mayock: ” I Would Bang the Table for Foles As A Franchise QB”
http://www.nfl.com/videos/mayocks-slant/0ap3000000400716/Mayock-s-Slant-Nick-Foles-analysis
Mayock’s Slant: The Good and Bad of Nick Foles: Oct. 29, 2014
Just some opinions. What Mayock’s partial about-face here suggests to me is, you can’t mess with Foles’s mechanics too much. Better just to build around what he does already. That is, the effort to correct him in 2014 may have made him worse. Just a theory.
In terms of his fate as a qb. It will IMO go the normal path. To win, it won’t be just Foles. They will need a run threat, a relatively healthy OL, and defense. If they win with that 4-way combination (Foles + etc.) then he will get all the credit. If they lose, many people will turn against him. Just the normal stuff.
What would I draft to help them win? Another RB.
March 16, 2015 at 9:54 am in reply to: reporters on the trade (Wagoner, Thomas, Clayton, King, & many more) #20718znModeratorznModeratorFrom Peter King:
http://mmqb.si.com/2015/03/16/sam-bradford-chip-kelly-jimmy-johnson-eagles-nfl/print/
Now for the craziest facet of the zany week we’ve just seen. Jimmy Johnson, who quietly has become a good sounding board for Philadelphia coach/franchise czar Chip Kelly, knows that when he watches Kelly operate he’s looking at an offensive version of himself from a quarter-century ago. And new Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford, who flies from his home in Oklahoma to Philadelphia this morning to get on a new rehab track for his left ACL injury, still needs to be pinched. Bitterness-free, Bradford can’t believe his good fortune.
My one point, apropos of nothing, that was cool from the conversation with Bradford: The same afternoon he got the news he’d been traded from St. Louis to Philadelphia, he texted his old college roommate from Oklahoma, DeMarco Murray, and the following exchange occurred (from Bradford’s memory Sunday night):
Bradford: “Just got traded to the Eagles. Come to Philly!”
Murray: “Yeah, we’re talking to them now.”
Bradford: “Don’t mess with me. Really?”
Murray: “Dead serious. Talking to them right now.”The rest, of course, is angry Cowboy history.
* * *
Jimmy Johnson has advised Chip Kelly, and the new quarterback likes it.A little history here: When Jimmy Johnson took over the Cowboys a quarter-century ago, he was Chip Kelly. College coach with a satchel of ideas he would bring to the big leagues—a small and fast defense, a willingness to trade in a league that hated trading (Dallas made 55 trades in his tenure), hubris, believing that what won in college could win in the NFL, and being married to no individual player or coach. It worked. Dallas won three Super Bowls, two with Johnson as coach and then one with Barry Switzer coaching Johnson’s players.
So here comes Kelly, with his own ideas the way Johnson had them. Big on sports science; running more plays than anyone in the league; a willingness to deal in a league warming to the idea of building through trades; hubris; believing that was won in college could win in the NFL; and being married to no one.
“You can’t be afraid to make moves. Chip’s not. So some of it is similar,” says Jimmy Johnson. “But there is one big difference: We were the worst team in the league, and people were ready for a big change.”
“Does Kelly remind you of you, 25 years ago?” I asked Johnson the other day.
“Well, in some ways,” Johnson said. “I really like what I have seen out of Chip Kelly. Chip called me and we visited a couple times, and what I heard from him, I liked. No one can say from the outside—right moves, wrong moves. You gotta let ’em play out. You won’t know until you see the results. I felt I was right when I did the things I did, but who knew? I traded away my starting quarterback, Steve Pelluer, to Kansas City. The leading receiver, I don’t remember his name [it was Ray Alexander] we got rid of. I talked to Danny White, and he retired. Then I traded Herschel Walker. You can’t be afraid to make moves. Chip’s not. So some of it is similar. But there is one big difference: We were the worst team in the league two years in a row [1988, 1989]. People were ready for a big change.
“The similarities? We’re both confident, both competent, both know how to win. We talked after he got the new responsibilities this year. I just said, ‘Go with people you believe in, and go with players who fit your personality and fit your system.’ I have talked to Bill Belichick about this too. Certain players are going to be successful in his system and not in others.”
The most controversial trade of them all last week was Bradford and a fourth-round pick to Philadelphia for Nick Foles and a second-round pick. Bradford’s played seven games in the past two years. He’s had two ACL tears to the same knee. By the time this season kicks off, he will have not played in a regular-season game for 22 months. That concerns most everyone who loves the Eagles. It also concerns Johnson.
“Well, with Bradford, the biggest concern I have, and the thing that concerned me with some players that I got burned on, is the injury factor. I remember I traded for [former University of Miami running back] Alonzo Highsmith, because I had great memories, and I did it against my doctor’s recommendations, and he wasn’t the same. So that’s my biggest concern, the health. I love Bradford, but is he gonna be on the field? But if he plays, I like him. Foles, his accuracy was a question. Bradford’s better at that, and it’s not even a questions if he’s healthy. I think Chip looked at Foles as not his guy.”
I asked Johnson if he got a sense in his talks with Kelly that he was going to be active in remaking his roster this off-season.
“Oh yeah,” Johnson said. “The last conversation was over an hour, going over everything. He was loading his guns.”
The Eagles won 10 games in Kelly’s first year, 2013. They won 10 games in his second year, 2014. And have zero playoff wins in his two seasons.
Not good enough.
So you’re Chip Kelly, and you look at the quarterback landscape, and this is what you see:
The quarterback you want, Marcus Mariota, going somewhere in the top five or six picks of the 2015 draft, and you’re picking 20th, and you know it’ll obliterate two drafts to have a chance to move up to get him.
Nick Foles, who had a very hot streak in 2013, but just isn’t accurate enough downfield for your taste.
A bunch of schmoes in free agency.
One interesting, but flawed, prospect: Sam Bradford, the first pick in the 2010 draft, who’d played for an offensively challenged team in St. Louis—and played but seven games in the past two seasons because he tore his left ACL in two straight seasons. Bradford was intriguing because he’d operated a fast-paced spread scheme at Oklahoma, and Kelly was playing a fast-paced spread scheme with the Eagles (though with some significant differences).“From afar, it looks like a blast to play in the offense,” Bradford says. “I feel it’s similar to what I did at Oklahoma—playing fast, putting pressure on the D.”
Bradford told Philadelphia media last week he knew this trade had been in the works for three or four weeks. Bradford is polite and accommodating, almost to a fault. He says the right things the right way. But when we spoke Sunday night, he was almost giddy.
“Usually,” Bradford said from his home in Oklahoma City, “when you get to go to a new team, you’re going somewhere that’s rebuilding, or somewhere starting over. How often do you get to a team that’s won 10 games the last two years?
“From afar, it looks like a blast to play in the offense. I love the tempo, the mindset. They’re trying to score points every time they snap the ball. Very quarterback-friendly. The ball’s getting out quick, always places to go with the ball. If you’re getting heated up, there’s a place to go with it, always. Constantly putting pressure on the defense. I wish I had more knowledge of the offense to go into depth there. They’ve been top five in offense in both of his years there, and you don’t do that without creating a lot of explosive plays. It almost seems like they go short, short, short, almost lull you to sleep and then they’ll blow one by you. I feel it’s similar to what I did at Oklahoma—playing fast, putting pressure on the D.”
The MMQB Roundtable
The NFL is still reverberating from the frantic series of signings, trades and retirements that marked the official opening of the league year. Our staffers debate the reasons, look at who’s done well (Raiders!) and project what’s still to come
FULL STORY
Bradford flies from Oklahoma to Philadelphia today to start his second act. It’s a strange situation in this way: He tore his ACL in mid-season 2013 and went into rehab led by Reggie Scott, the Rams’ trainer. After tearing the same ACL again last August in a preseason game, he went back to work with Scott to rehab it all over again. And last Tuesday, after a rehab session with Scott at the Rams’ facility in suburban St. Louis, Bradford was told by coach Jeff Fisher that he’d been traded. Bradford was in his car going home when Kelly called to welcome him to the Eagles. They’d never spoken before. Bradford didn’t have a chance—and still hasn’t had one—to thank Scott for all the work he did with him for two years.Now Bradford will be in the hands of new trainers and doctors. Nothing wrong with that, of course, but now he’ll be out of his comfort zone more in terms of rehab than he is with football.
As for that “injury-prone” label …
“I don’t think you let it bother you,” Bradford said. “The past two injuries, I don’t think I’ve done anything wrong. I just think I’ve been unlucky. It just happened. You can’t say now, ‘I just want to make it through the year healthy.’ The more you think about it, the more danger you’re in for it happen again. You’ve just go to play, and that’s what I am going to do.”
Bradford is convinced his knee “is going to be as strong as it ever was,” and he believes the leg will be back to normal by the time the season begins. “I do. I do. I really do,” he said. “Last year, I was as strong as I’ve ever been. By the time I’m cleared and I’m ready to go, when I’m cleared, I will be back to where I was.
“I think I will be as good as I have ever been playing the position. And playing for Chip excites me. I love being challenged. I want to soak up all of it.’’
* * *
The more Johnson spoke, the more he was buying stock in Kelly futures.
“I am a fan of Chip Kelly,” said Johnson, “and I will be a fan of Chip Kelly’s until he proves me wrong. I love his offense, I love his style, I love the nutrition stuff, love his practice schedule, love how he turns over the roster.”
It’s not a honeymoon in every precinct. Philadelphia’s doubting Kelly right now, and there’s still an outside chance he could shock the world and pick Mariota to be his guy at quarterback, should Mariota go tumbling down the draft board. But with the first game six months away, there will be plenty of time for apoplexy. Let’s enjoy one man gambling his future on a quarterback with a wounded knee.
znModeratorYeah this is the guy Holt said he liked.
znModeratorThe math is correct. The rookie pool is 5 million. You need to add ~5 million for IR.
You know who we forgot? Sims. That’s just under 3 M. Could be they draft someone (it’s a deep year for good DEs) or they like Westbrooks or something like that. It’s the final year of his contract.
znModeratorf you ad the money from Quinn and Givins and Pead. You could say the Rams have ~22 million in cap space now. They just haven’t cashed in Q,G, and P. There are numerous ways to gain temporary cap space, but then you are just heading to cap hell. imo
For the record, doing just CG and IP gives them around 2.4+ M.
That would make it about 13+ M, with I figure around 6 M going to rookies and another 2 M or so going to the practice squad and the season.
Quinn would add about another 8 M. You subtract around a 10+ M roster bonus, turn it to a pro-rated signing bonus, and then the signing bonus takes 2+ M out of that 10+ M.
Ag, did I do that right?
.
March 16, 2015 at 2:10 am in reply to: OL in free agency … Barksdale, Blalock, Wisniewski, etc. #20688znModeratorG Justin Blalock — The former Atlanta Falcon almost makes too much sense for the Rams as a short-term placeholder who can start for a year or two while the Rams develop (presumably) a drafted guard. He fits the scheme and he has clear ties to Rams line coach Paul Boudreau and many in the Rams front office, including general manager Les Snead. Blalock took a visit to Detroit last week but left without signing. The Rams have had discussions with Blalock’s agent about his taking a visit to St. Louis and it seems likely that will happen. This is a match that probably comes down to simply making the financials match up.
I more or less just expect Blalock to sign. Makes sense for both sides.
Plus he was hurt a bit this year, so, it makes him a fit.
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