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February 20, 2015 at 11:23 am in reply to: Chargers, Raiders propose shared NFL stadium in Carson #18744
znModeratorMy first thought – after “Eww, that’s the ugliest stadium I’ve seen in my life, and why is it levitating?” – is “Don’t the Chargers and Raiders play in the same division?”
So if the Chargers and Raiders are both going to take home in the same stadium, the league is going to have to realign some divisions.
One of those teams moves to the NFC West, and the Rams move to the NFC East – stay in St. Louis – and enjoy a divisional rivalry with the Chiefs.
But – damn! – I gotta say that is some strange bedfellows, there.
I would think they would keep it to a simple divisional alignment and just swap one NFC west team for one afc west team.
But what if tampa bay shares a stadium with indianapolis? Then what?
February 20, 2015 at 9:33 am in reply to: Chargers, Raiders propose shared NFL stadium in Carson #18741znModeratorMaybe the Buffalo Bills will move to Iowa. And share a stadium with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
znModeratorBen Obomanu says some Seattle players believe decision to throw was made to get Russell Wilson Super Bowl MVP
Conspiracy theories are fun right?
No matter how silly they may sound, there is something about believing in nefarious circumstances in an otherwise simple situation that captures the imagination.
However, the belief in such theories can be just as strong and real despite what actually occurred. With some members of the Seattle Seahawks, that could be the case in regards to the fateful decision to throw at the goal line at the end of Super Bowl XLIX.
Former Seahawks receiver Ben Obomanu joined Brian Abker of Sports Rado 950 KJR in Seattle on Wednesday and said he’s heard from current players on the team that believe the decision to throw on second-and-goal at the 1-yard line was rooted in a desire by the coaching staff to make Russell Wilson the MVP instead of running back Marshawn Lynch.
“I’ve heard a couple people express that sentiment,” Obomanu said. “A couple players, current players, have expressed that sentiment and I can give them some leeway because I know it’s hard to process and when you take a step back and you take a couple weeks post-game, post the emotions running, you start trying to find questions to ask yourself and when you get back with your parents, your friends, your buddies, all these kind of ideas creeping in. I think though some guys have expressed that same concept of actually believing that the organization in some kind of way was trying to allow Russell Wilson to be the star.
“With the whole thing with Marshawn and interviews and not giving interviews and the MVP conversation and cars and all those things that happen on the field, the guys have expressed ideas of it being easier to handle Russell Wilson accepting those kind of things and having that kind of thrust upon him as opposed to the possibilities that are unknown with Marshawn. I don’t know if guys actually believe it. I don’t know if they’re hearing it from family and friends but that’s one, I don’t know if you guys have heard it, but that’s one of the craziest kind of things that I’ve heard in my conversations with guys trying to process this whole thing.”
The decision to throw backfired horribly. Wilson was intercepted by Malcolm Butler to seal the victory for the New England Patriots. However, the thought the coaches were trying to do anything outside of winning the game seems pretty ridiculous for many reasons.
For one, the votes for MVP are collected before the end of the game, meaning the outcome of that play may have had very little to do with who won the award if Seattle had won. Also, Lynch got the ball on first down as well. If he isn’t tripped up a yard shy of the goal line, he’s the hero anyway.
Even though the play didn’t work, there is sound logic for throwing the ball on the play. New England had eight defenders near the line of scrimmage with one-on-one matchups on the outside. With one timeout left, throwing on second down would have allowed Seattle to run on both third and fourth down and get the plays off before the end of the game. The problem came in Jermaine Kearse getting jammed brutally by Brandon Browner at the line of scrimmage, which allowed Butler a free break at the pass intended for Ricardo Lockette.
It was the wrong decision to throw a slant and Seattle paid for it, but there is logical reasoning for Seattle to have handled the situation as they did. Pete Carroll and Darrell Bevell just never factored in an interception as a possible outcome of the play they called.
Obomanu said the root issues that players may be struggling with is their desire for Lynch to be back with the team next season and hoping the play-call doesn’t push Lynch toward possibly walking away.
“I think guys are more concerned about having Marshawn back and so I think that’s where that conversation and those ideas stem from is the need and the want to have Marshawn Lynch come back and be an effective player,” Obomanu said. “So they don’t want anything lingering from the Super Bowl to be a determining factor in him retiring or something.”
That part could be very real. Even if there was no intent to make Wilson “the star” over Lynch in that play-call, if Lynch and other players on the team believe there was, it could create just as many trust issues for the players to overcome.
znModeratorMORSE SHINES
By Jim Thomas
Among the 52 offensive linemen invited to the NFL Scouting Combine, Mitch Morse of the University of Missouri finished second in the bench press, hoisting the 225-pound weight 36 times. He was topped only by Ereck Flowers of Miami (Fla.), who had 37 reps.
Surprisingly, Iowa strongman Brandon Scherff — he of the 480-pound hang clean — had only 23 reps Thursday. Scherff is generally considered the best offensive lineman in this year’s draft class.
Among other highly-regarded offensive linemen, Pitt’s T.J. Clemmings had only 22 reps and LSU’s La’el Collins had only 21. Scherff and Collins both had formal interviews scheduled with the Rams at the Combine.
At tight end, Southern Illinois Carbondale and Kirkwood High product MyCole Pruitt had a decent showing, tying for 10th at his position in the bench press with 17 reps.
February 19, 2015 at 11:52 pm in reply to: Dirt is turning in Inglewood; Stadium up next? … and other relocation stuff #18728znModeratorRams ending popular St. Louis fan events, promotions
INDIANAPOLIS — The St. Louis Rams are canceling a series of events for fans and season ticket holders, including the popular Fan Fest held in August and the Cheer for a Cure breast cancer awareness fundraiser held in October, sources confirmed Thursday.
Rams staffers were recently notified that the activities were canceled via internal memo on Feb. 12. The team is not expected to officially announce that the events are cancelled, opting instead to move forward with a reduced promotional schedule.
The Rams have not responded to SB Nation’s request for comment.
Fan engagement has been an important part of the team’s marketing efforts in recent years, with an increasing number of events added to the calendar. One of the more popular events, Fan Fest, began in 2012. Free and open to the public, it’s centered on the team’s intrasquad training camp scrimmage that includes an autograph session with players afterwards and other activities. Last year’s Fan Fest drew more than 15,000 fans.
Yoga Blitz, the Voice of the Fan Luncheon, and a breakfast event for personal seat license holders were also on the list of cancelled events.
Brian Killingsworth, the Rams vice president for marketing and brand strategy, resigned last month after the three seasons with the team. During his time in that role, the Rams ramped up their efforts to connect directly with the team’s fans. He took a similar role with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The news comes with the Rams facing the potential of a lame duck season in St. Louis. In January, it was revealed that owner Stan Kroenke is planning to build an NFL stadium along with the Stockbridge Capital Group in the Los Angeles market, on 300 acres of land in Inglewood owned by the two partners. Efforts are also underway to build a new NFL stadium in St. Louis, but the project still has a number of hurdles to clear, including details about how the project would be financed.
znModeratorIt’s kind of funny you would fly the “optimist flag” with a picture of Waterloo.
Well Waterloo was also someone’s victory, right?
Though…no trees at Waterloo. So, wrong.
And therefore…what could you really possibly know about the Rams?
znModeratorSure. I think they were CAPABLE of 10-6 last year. Even without Bradford. And there is no reason why we CAN’T win 10 this year.
As I’ve said about 700 times, I see a team with a lot of talent which is stuck in a competitive malaise. Occasionally, they flash their talent, always when far behind on the season or in the game. Then, when they get the chance to WIN something significant … they fold again.
I will believe they are breaking out of that mindset when … they actually break out of the mindset and win meaningful games.
It won’t be talent that changes things, although they have major holes at QB and OL. It will be competitive focus and discipline that actually wins some games that matter.
You and I see the same facts about the roster, about flashes of quality, etc. The difference is in how we extrapolate a trajectory forward. You have continued, game after game, year after year, to project an optimistic trajectory. I’ve done it some as well. I was really expecting something last year. I was on board for the bet on Bradford and I expected the Defense to step up. Probably all of us shared that optimistic trajectory to some degree or another.
The problem is that, game after game, year after year, the Rams have folded in virtually every meaningful situation. They haven’t even been able to get their record to .500, even with a superb opportunity going into the final 3 games last year. They just folded. Again.
A losing mindset is the hardest thing to turn around. And talent is never enough. Nor are flashes of quality. Winning requires a different mindset than losing, and I see ZERO evidence of the Rams getting there.
Well good post.
But I think they can do it.
Just flying the optimist flag.
February 19, 2015 at 7:53 pm in reply to: Snead on Total Access & other places, including press conference #18722znModeratorFebruary 19, 2015 at 7:16 pm in reply to: Snead on Total Access & other places, including press conference #18719znModeratorCombine One-On-One with Les Snead
Myles Simmons catches up with Les Snead on day one of the NFL Combine.
February 19, 2015 at 7:09 pm in reply to: Grayson, Hundley, Petty, Carden etc. … the qbs this year #18718znModeratorfrom off the net
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thehammer
Brugler@dpbrugler·Feb 13
This is a wow stat: Marcus Mariota and Brett Hundley have combined for 56 fumbles the last three seasons (Hundley: 29, Mariota: 27)znModeratorCombine Recap: Day 2
By Myles Simmons
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The second day of media availability at the 2015 NFL Scouting Combine has come to a close, with quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers taking to the various podiums. Here are some of the biggest takeaways form Day 2.
1) Mr. Popular
As you might expect on a day where quarterbacks speak, there were a lot of media members waiting for the chance to speak to Oregon QB Marcus Mariota. You can see from the picture just how many people and cameras surrounded the young signal-caller when he spoke this afternoon.
Also as you’d probably expect, Mariota was calm, cool, and collected at the podium, answering questions with ease. Many of the questions focused on his ability to adjust from Oregon’s quick-hitting, no-huddle offense to an NFL system. Though he said he’s confident in his abilities, he did say that huddling would be an adjustment for him.
“It’s new — I haven’t done it since high school, so it’s been a while,” Mariota said.
“I think for any rookie quarterback it’s going to be an adjustment, stepping up, playing at this new level,” Mariota added. “For me, I’m going to continue to absorb as much as I can, learn from all the people that I can, and do my best in any situation I get into.”
One way he’s been working on that was with his private quarterback instructor, Kevin O’Connell. The coach has been hired by the Browns to fill their open QBs coach position.
“While working with Kevin O’Connell, he’s given me a play sheet and at night he tells me to just read the play-calls out loud,” Mariota said. “That’s something little, but the way this process goes, it’s going to help me in terms of just speaking in the huddle and articulating the plays.”
Florida State’s Jameis Winston will likely be just as popular when he speaks tomorrow. He did not have his media session on Thursday because his standard medical testing went long, according to NFL Insider Ian Rapoport.
2) More quarterback chat
As Rams general manager Les Snead put it yesterday, when it comes to the quarterbacks in the 2015 draft, “If we’re going to, let’s call it, put two on the pedestal and tell everybody else that they’re not worthy, I think human nature is going to say that one of the guys are going to prove us all wrong.”
Bryce Petty, Brett Hundley, and Sean Mannion are three such young men, each of whom spoke at the podium on Thursday.
For his part, Hundley said that despite the perception of his skills, he wants to be ahead of them all.
“My goal is to be No. 1,” he said.
That’s No. 1 overall, which he clarified at a reporter’s request. Still, Hundley said that it’s not the only thing he’s focused on than just trying to elevate his status to the perceived top echelon of incoming QBs.
“There are a lot of things that I am going for right now,” Hundley said. “That, and plenty of other things that I’m working hard to get done.”
One hurdle spread offense quarterbacks have to clear is just getting used to making the calls in an NFL offense. That’s goes especially for Petty, who said he had not called a play until the Senior Bowl in January. At Baylor, all the plays were signal-based from the sideline.
“It’s was great for me in experiencing exactly what it was,” Petty said. “Before that I had no idea what to expect even as far as what a play call was. So that was as great experience for me to get into it, really see what a day-in, day-out practice was like, because that’s what we’ve got to do.”
“It’s a learning curve a little bit, going from what we were doing at Baylor to where we are now, but it’s all part of the process,” he added.
As for Mannion, while he played more of a pro style in college, the quarterback didn’t concede that it would make him the most prepared to be a Day-1 starter for an NFL team.
“That’s not for me to really decide,” he said. “I feel great in a pro style system. It’s something I’ve run my whole life, and I really feel comfortable in that. I feel really confident in my ability to execute that very well. But I’m not in a position to say what that means for the other guys.”
3) Quick hits
…In a great Day 2 tidbit, Iowa offensive tackle Brandon Scherff said that he was a 290-pound quarterback in high school with a 190-pound center.
“That probably should be flip-flopped,” Scherff joked, saying the team would quarterback sneak on 2nd-and-5 because no one could tackle him
“Why not?” he said.
Scherff is quite the athlete, as he played football, baseball, tennis, and threw discus and shot put, in the course of his high school career. He’s also a tough guy, playing in a game a week after tearing his meniscus during the 2014 season.
We’ll have more on him as combine week continues.
…There hasn’t been a running back drafted in the first round for a few years, but that’s not deterring Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon from thinking the 2015 class could break the streak.
“There are a lot of running backs here, including myself, who are trying to reverse that trend,” Gordon said. “I think we have the talent to go in the first round this year.”
Gordon rushed for 2,587 yards in 2014, second only to Barry Sanders’ FBS record 2,628 yards set in 1988.
…La’el Collins spoke yesterday, but this one is worth sharing regardless. Coming out of LSU, he overlapped a bit with current Rams defensive tackle Michael Brockers.
“When I was young, I went up against Michael Brockers a lot in practice,” Collins said. “I think it was a pretty good matchup. He definitely prepared me for the future. … He taught me a few things, but the young pup was there, too.”
St. Louis selected Brockers with the 14th overall pick in the 2012 draft.
znModerator]Five things we learned at combine: Rams
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/16221/five-things-we-learned-at-combine-rams
INDIANAPOLIS — Observed and heard at the NFL combine on Thursday:
1. Weinke headed to St. Louis: The St. Louis Rams are hiring former NFL quarterback Chris Weinke as their quarterbacks coach. Weinke will replace Frank Cignetti, who was promoted from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator last week.
Weinke is an intriguing addition for the Rams. While he hasn’t been an NFL quarterbacks coach before, he brings extensive experience working with NFL quarterbacks from his time at IMG Academy. He’s worked with top signal-callers such as Russell Wilson and Cam Newton and has earned respect from many corners of the football world for his record.
This is a good, calculated hire by Rams coach Jeff Fisher. Weinke is an outside the box, creative hire who should inject some new life into the quarterbacks room and the offense. It’s needed on both counts as the Rams attempt to get the offense rolling in 2015.
2. Hundley has plenty to prove: UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley has been widely regarded as the third-best quarterback prospect in this year’s class behind Oregon’s Marcus Mariota and Florida State’s Jameis Winston. But that’s a description he doesn’t take too kindly to.
Hundley told assembled media Thursday his goal is to be the No. 1 overall pick and believes the quarterback class as a whole is underrated. Winston and Mariota are probably out of the Rams’ range (barring a trade up), leaving them to sort through the other prospects. Scouts have told me that Hundley is going to be a major work in progress but Weinke might be the type of coach who can get the most out of him.
After his time on the dais, Hundley told me that he has a formal 15-minute interview set up with the Rams this week. That doesn’t guarantee anything in terms of his draft status but it does show there’s at least some level of interest on the Rams’ end.
3. Snead praises Kroenke: Not that you’d expect anything different but when Rams general manager Les Snead was asked about owner Stan Kroenke not engaging his fans, Snead offered praise for his boss.
“I give him unbelievable thumbs up,” Snead said. “[He’s] competitive. …The guy wants to win. Even in St. Louis, you’re a lower revenue team. Never once has there been a problem with not being able to stay in and compete. And hey, the guy knows sports. He’s got a lot of sports teams. There’s a rational patience to him, where you can tell him your process, and he’ll let you evolve and see if it works.”
4. Chargers aren’t worried about relocation: There has been plenty of discussion about relocation to Los Angeles and the San Diego Chargers this week. Obviously, it’s a situation that everyone in St. Louis is also monitoring closely because of similar conversations involving the Rams.
Despite the growing tension between the Chargers and San Diego, general manager Tom Telesco said the football side isn’t allowing it to seep into their work.
“I don’t think so,” Telesco said. “I know what our job is. Our job is to put the best football team on the field that we can and stay focused with that. I let the politicians and lawyers work on everything else. We’ll work on the football. I don’t see it as a distraction at all as of right now. So we’re just focused on doing our job.”
5. Neither are the Raiders: Oakland Raiders coach Jack Del Rio is new to his team but before accepting the job, he asked Raiders owner Mark Davis about Oakland’s version of relocation rumors.
“I asked point blank what Mark Davis, what his thoughts were on the potential of relocation and he indicated to me that it was his desire to keep the team in Oakland and that they’re working hard to do that,” Del Rio said. “That’s his commitment to look at it that way. I’m from the area. I can coach anywhere but I’m from there and it would be great to keep it right there. Hopefully we can get that done.”
In the meantime, like the Chargers, Del Rio will keep his focus on the football.
znModeratorBTW Weinke and Cignetti know each other from when they were both in SF (2007).
znModeratorRFL, I have a completely different view. We all know the same things, and there’s no new info at this point, so this is all just interpretation and opinion on all sides. Given that, where they stand now, I see them as is as capable of 10-6 or better.
We’ll see.
znModeratorfrom off the net
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alyoshamucci
Arm length can dictate draft position more than anything else sometimes.
For instance
La’el Collins and Scherff are OGs. Both under 34″ arms with 33 1/4 and 33 3/8th respectively. They just dropped out of the top ten. Peat. Ogbuehi and Clemmings will likely take their place with 34.5, 35.5 and 35.5 respectively. Ereck Flowers maybe too at 34.5. Both OK Ots have long enough arms.
Tackles I want long arms, OGs and OCs I want BIG HEAVY HANDS.
Corey Robinson Made my head turn at 6-7 335 with 35 5/8th inch arms AND 10.75 hands. He just made himself some money as a right tackle.
Scherff was the only person with 11″ hands. That’s really big.
Kuandjio has 34.5 inch arms AND 10 7/8th inch hands.
znModeratorBased on last year it looks like if a team drafts an OL player in either round 1 or round 2 that a player has a pretty good chance of starting his first year. But if you wait until round 3 you should count on him being no better than a backup his first year. With that in mind one possibility for the Rams would be to trade down from the #10 position to pick up a second round choice, then draft OL in rounds 1, 2, and 3 and with the other round 2 pick draft a QB. That should give the Rams two starters plus a backup on the OL and a backup QB.
I agree with that.
Like WV I also think that they will acquire FAs (high-market, low-market, or both) and develop their own guys (there’s a chance that someone in this group can play: Barnes, Jones, Rhaney, Bond, Person, Washington, Baker.
This is the year to trade down if they can, IMO. But then…if someone falls to 10 they can’t resist, a BPA type, they might do that instead…though maybe not this year…cause this year, Snead HAS talked about drafting for need.
znModeratorfrom off the net
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tbux
FSU boy is a very smart dude. If you listen to him talk about QB play, you know he knows what he is doing. Like the hire. He has worked with some good ones- smart, smart hire over Garcia.
znModeratorhttp://www.clevelandbrowns.com/news/article-5/Shane-Carden-among-QBs-staking-claim-as-diamonds-in-the-rough-/a5d81d93-3fae-4165-bce8-5b199fec7cde
Carden’s been working hand-in-hand with former Florida State Heisman-winning quarterback Chris Weinke at IMG academy in Florida. Weinke is fast becoming a guru in the pre-draft process. He most recently mentored Cam Newton, Russell Wilson and Ryan Tannehill, refining their games and prepping the players for the combine.Weinke’s biggest focus? Shedding the label that Carden is simply a system quarterback who piled up inflated stats with the Pirates. Carden knows he’ll have to answer that question to every NFL team that talks to him, and he’s ready for it.
February 19, 2015 at 10:43 am in reply to: Grayson, Hundley, Petty, Carden etc. … the qbs this year #18693znModeratorfrom off the net
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alyoshamucci
I don’t know if there’s a better fit for us than Carden.
He’s tough, he’s willing, and he’s a gamer.
Justin hardy has the most EVER receptions in college football. Almost all of those were from Carden.
He throws into right windows. He trusts his recievers. He makes the best of his blocking.
Donte Fowler sacked him three times and hurried him a few others, and Cardens fourth quarter against the gators was spectacular.I don’t know how much psychology and attitude really play into the game for certain, but if it’s anywhere near where I think he’s worth a late first or second round pick, and getting him in the third would be a real steal.
I said about the same thing about cousins though and he went in the 4th. So who knows. Carden is more athletic.
====================
===========Shane Carden among QBs staking claim as diamonds in the rough
INDIANAPOLIS – When Shane Carden arrived at East Carolina University, his teammates and coaches nicknamed him Brett Favre.
Everything about Carden screamed No.4 from the Green Bay Packers: His boyish southern drawl, his rugged Wrangler look and his desperado quarterbacking style on the football field.
“The things he was able to do outside the pocket, I’ve been told sometimes the plays that I make are similar to him,” Carden said with a wide smile.
Carden was among a handful of lesser known quarterbacks who spoke to the media Wednesday — one day before projected first-rounders Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston take the stage in the Lucas Oil Stadium media room — and he impressed with a mixture of quick wit, intelligence and a confidence in his who he is as a quarterback.
While starting for the Pirates for the past three seasons, the 6-foot-2, 220-pounder shattered David Garrard’s school records and was the face of a program that grew tremendously in the national spotlight. Once a sputtering team, East Carolina climbed all the way up to No. 14 in the national rankings with Carden leading a shotgun-spread passing attack.
Longtime media members covering ECU pegged Carden as the best player in school history – over running backs Earnest Byner and Chris Johnson and quarterbacks Garrard and Jeff Blake – and not because of all of the numbers.
Carden’s been knocked for his throwing delivery and athleticism but he has unteachable traits — pocket poise, guts to take a big hit and an arm to thread the needle in the middle of the field.
“I think I can compete with any of the guys here,” he said.
Carden’s been working hand-in-hand with former Florida State Heisman-winning quarterback Chris Weinke at IMG academy in Florida. Weinke is fast becoming a guru in the pre-draft process. He most recently mentored Cam Newton, Russell Wilson and Ryan Tannehill, refining their games and prepping the players for the combine.
Weinke’s biggest focus? Shedding the label that Carden is simply a system quarterback who piled up inflated stats with the Pirates. Carden knows he’ll have to answer that question to every NFL team that talks to him, and he’s ready for it.
“For whatever reason, ECU’s offense has been thought of as some single-read offense – which is very far from the truth,” Carden said. “Certain play-actions are quick reads. But there are a lot of progression reads. There’s safety reads. There’s a lot of different things in talking with these coaches, I’ve realized kind of the complexity of the offense.
“As far as [being a system quarterback], you can’t worry about all that. I feel confident in the offense I ran. I was given the offense and I mastered the offense. I can’t help that it wasn’t pro-style. There’s plenty of who were in pro-style offenses that have had trouble in the NFL.”
Along with the work he’s done with Weinke, Carden implemented something outside of the box. Carden spent a chunk of time with ECU’s baseball strength coach in the weight room, in hopes of further improving his arm strength. Carden dove into workout routines that the Pirates’ starting pitchers went through and the quarterback said the techniques helped.
By the time Carden left East Carolina, he had shed the Favre label and earned a new nickname: Captain Carden. His personality won over media members Wednesday. Intertwine his track record for making big-time throws at ECU and it’s easy to believe a team will gobble up the quarterback as a long-term project in the draft’s later rounds.
February 19, 2015 at 1:26 am in reply to: Balzer, Wagoner, and others on Bradford & rumors & contract talks #18688znModeratorBradford’s not on the trade block
By Jim Thomas
INDIANAPOLIS • To be clear, Sam Bradford isn’t demanding a trade. And the Rams aren’t interested in trading Bradford.
So a tweet by CBSSports on Wednesday afternoon stating that the Rams had given Bradford permission to seek a trade was at least a little off the mark.
General manager Les Snead emphatically denied that the Rams are shopping Bradford, and was genuinely surprised when asked about it Wednesday at the NFL Scouting Combine.
“Deleting him (from the roster) is not our answer,” Snead said. “I don’t know that that solves our riddle.”
Snead continued his answer, but first by taking a playfully sarcastic tone to the questioner.
“That’s breaking news is what this is — you know what I mean?” he continued. “Do you want to trade for Sam? Do you have a deal?”
And then he returned to reality.
“He’s a good player,” Snead said. “If some team was interested, I certainly don’t blame them. But I’ll stick to what I said earlier — deleting him is not the answer.”
What the Rams have told Bradford agent Tom Condon during the course of negotiations is that if he wants to check around and see if there is a market for Bradford, go ahead.
Since executive vice president Kevin Demoff joined the Rams in 2009, he frequently has told agents of prospective free agents if they want to see what other teams are willing to pay for their client, feel free.
It’s a negotiating technique, and it’s a way of helping to set the market for a player.
That’s a long way from seeking a trade.
The only difference here is that Bradford is under contract for the 2015 season — due to make $12.985 million in base salary and count $16.58 million against the salary cap.
The Rams would like to lower that cap number by reducing Bradford’s base salary, perhaps working in incentives to give Bradford the opportunity to get back most or all of the $12.985 million if he stays healthy, reaches certain statistical plateaus or is part of specified team achievements.
It’s clear at this point that the sides are stalemated.
The Rams want a salary reduction; Condon doesn’t.
Condon declined comment Wednesday. Demoff’s only public comment was: “We’ve had good discussions with (Bradford’s) group.”
Condon and Demoff are in Indianapolis for the Combine. They have no formal meetings scheduled here, but are expected to talk on the phone.
The Rams are only about a million dollars below the current salary cap projection of about $143 million per team, obviously not nearly enough space to sign their draft picks, re-sign some of their own free agents, and have money to sign an outside free agent or two.
But they have plenty of ways to create cap space. Defensive end Kendall Langford, offensive tackle Jake Long, center Scott Wells, wide receiver Chris Givens, and running back Isaiah Pead all could be subject to pay cuts or outright release to free up millions in cap space.
In addition, the Rams could create as much as $8 million in additional cap space simply by converting defensive end Robert Quinn’s $10.233 million roster bonus into signing bonus.
Even so, without some kind of reduction of Bradford’s base salary, it makes the desired offseason moves more difficult cap-wise.
It’s still early in the negotiating process, but if the stalemate continues through the start of free agency March 10 and on through the draft April 30-May 2, perhaps a trade is possible if the Rams can come up with an alternative to Bradford.
But that’s a doomsday scenario at this point.
At the moment the Rams are almost boxed into keeping Bradford for 2015. For one, he is the team’s only quarterback under contract. Shaun Hill is scheduled for unrestricted free agency in March, while Austin Davis is scheduled for restricted free agency.
All indications are that Bradford wants to stay in St. Louis. And last Friday, coach Jeff Fisher and newly-named offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti made it very clear that a healthy Bradford figured heavily into their plans for 2015. Snead echoed those thoughts Wednesday.
Snead conceded that Bradford’s injury history, including back-to-back ACL knee injuries in 2013 and 2014, was a red flag.
“It’s flying high,” he said. “It’s definitely a red flag.”
But he reiterated: “Let’s don’t delete him. I don’t think that’s the answer. I think the answer is providing insurance in case we do go through more bad luck. Let’s rehab (Bradford), let’s see if he can reach his potential, but let’s do insure the position.”
Whether you call it having “competition” or “options” or “insurance” the Rams need another quarterback on the roster who can do more than walk and chew gum at the same time.
Easier said than done in the NFL, particularly in a year where there’s a thin draft class and an unappealing group of unrestricted free agents.
“Quarterbacks are hard to find, aren’t they?” Snead asked. “You have to turn over every stone.”
Trouble is, there aren’t many stones this year.
“There’s stones out there, but when you turn them over, there’s nothing under them,” Snead said, joking. “People don’t want to give you really good QBs, so a lot of times you’ve got to go find them.”
Keeping in mind that Bradford’s second ACL tear happened two months earlier than his first — meaning he has more time to rehab — Snead said there is no timeline for Bradford’s return.
znModeratorFrom Combine Recap: Day 1
Myles Simmons
http://www.stlouisrams.com/news-and-eve … 4d8901fe4f
2) Donald left an impression
By now we all know that Aaron Donald was both the AP and PFWA’s Defensive Rookie of the Year for his impressive first-year campaign in which he recorded 9.0 sacks and 17 tackles for loss. This was largely a continuation of the defensive tackle’s play at Pitt, where he recorded an NCAA-leading 28.5 sacks in his senior season.
So what does that have to do with the combine? Well, at his press conference today, Duke guard Laken Tomlinson had some particularly complimentary words about the Rams’ D-tackle.
“I would say the toughest D-lineman I played against in my career is Aaron Donald,” Tomlinson said. “He’s a really, really tough guy to block. He’s a really quick, fast-twitch, powerful guy. And he moves well for a big-bodied person.”
Pitt and Duke played one another in 2013, Pitt’s first season in the ACC, with Donald’s Alma Mater coming away with a 58-55 victory.
February 18, 2015 at 10:07 pm in reply to: Balzer, Wagoner, and others on Bradford & rumors & contract talks #18681znModeratorIMO Balzer’s is the best article on this.
February 18, 2015 at 10:03 pm in reply to: Balzer, Wagoner, and others on Bradford & rumors & contract talks #18679znModeratorplaceholder (it’s technical)
February 18, 2015 at 8:39 pm in reply to: Balzer, Wagoner, and others on Bradford & rumors & contract talks #18672znModeratorLes Snead offers more support for Sam Bradford
By Nick Wagoner | ESPN.com
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/
INDIANAPOLIS — St. Louis Rams coach Jeff Fisher offered strong support for quarterback Sam Bradford last Friday as he introduced Frank Cignetti as the team’s offensive coordinator. On Wednesday, general manager Les Snead did the same at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Amidst reports that the Rams gave Bradford permission to seek a trade, Snead was asked repeatedly where he sees Bradford in the team’s future. And each time, his answer was clear.
“I did say deleting him is not our answer,” Snead said. “I don’t know that that (trading him) solves our riddle. … He’s a good player. If some team was interested I certainly don’t blame them. But I’ll stick to what I said earlier, deleting him is not the answer.”
If indeed the Rams believe that to be true — and everything they’ve said and done this offseason would indicate it is — then reports of a trade have little to do with actually trying to trade Bradford and everything to do with helping to gauge what his price tag will be for 2015.
As it stands, Bradford is scheduled to count $16.58 million against the cap. The Rams have made it clear that’s a number they would like to reduce. And though in-person discussions with agent Tom Condon might not happen this week, the line of communication between the two sides is open.
“We’ve had dialogue with Sam and his people so you might need to talk to his people about that,” Snead said.
So, what then, does either side have to gain by allowing Condon to see Bradford’s value in potential trades? Well, the Rams wouldn’t say no if a team came and blew them away with an offer but the more likely outcome is that Condon’s side can use the time to figure out what a realistic price for Bradford would be if he were to hit the open market.
Once that’s established, the two sides could then use that number to come to a fair agreement to keep Bradford in St. Louis. In short, there’s still some work to be done in terms of bringing Bradford back at an agreeable price but the fact remains that barring a major upset, he’ll remain in St. Louis with plenty of other options behind him.
“So let’s don’t delete him,” Snead said. “I don’t think that’s the answer. I think the answer is providing insurance in case we do go through more bad luck. Let’s rehab (Bradford). Let’s see if he can reach his potential. But let’s do insure the position.”
February 18, 2015 at 6:22 pm in reply to: Snead on Total Access & other places, including press conference #18666znModeratorFive things we learned at Combine: Rams
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/16219/three-things-we-learned-at-combine-rams
INDIANAPOLIS — General manager Les Snead met with the media Wednesday at the NFL combine. Here’s what we learned about the St. Louis Rams:
1. In support of Bradford: As is often the case at Lucas Oil Stadium at this time of year, rumors begun churning about the Rams and quarterback Sam Bradford. One report indicated the Rams have given Bradford’s agent Tom Condon permission to seek a trade. While that has to happen for those discussions to take place, things aren’t always what they seem. In other words, the Rams aren’t shopping Bradford. The bottom line is the Rams want to reduce Bradford’s scheduled $16.58 million cap number and the easiest way for both parties to get a feel for Bradford’s market is for his agent to have conversations with other teams.
Snead made it clear the team has no intention of getting rid of Bradford and conversations about how best to keep him have started.
“We’ve had dialogue with Sam and his people,” Snead said. “Deleting him is not the answer.”
2. Barksdale likely to test the market: Free agency is less than a month away, which means that if you aren’t a player receiving the franchise tag, then you’re probably going to see what the market bears when the new league year starts March 10. All signs point to Rams right tackle Joe Barksdale being one of those players, even though he’s one potential free agent the Rams would like to keep.
“With Joe, that one, he was a starter, we’ve had some pretty serious dialogue with those guys,” Snead said. “A lot of times players once they get through, they get close, it’s good to test the market. And it’s not the worst thing for the team, either, because now no one is guessing. Hey, here’s the options. I think it makes the club, the player especially because he now knows reality versus make believe. And it helps the agent make the best decision.”
3. Keeping the other quarterbacks: The Rams also have two quarterbacks who technically aren’t under contract at the moment in Austin Davis and Shaun Hill. It seems unlikely both will be on the roster next season so long as all options are healthy, but Snead indicated it’s possible both could return.
“Austin is really technically not under contract but it’s not like he can go seek another job,” Snead said. “He’s the easy part of the equation. We are definitely chatting with Shaun’s people. We have been chatting with them.”
4. Long progressing, also under discussion: Like Bradford, offensive tackle Jake Long is coming off two ACL surgeries and carries a heavy price tag for 2015. His cap number is $10.5 million and the Rams could save $8 million by releasing him.
Snead said retaining Long wouldn’t be a bad thing for the Rams but, like with Bradford, dialogue is open between the Rams and Long’s representative, who happens to also be Condon.
“I do think as he rehabs if he can get back to Jake Long previous knee, he can help the team win,” Snead said.
5. Where Barron fits: In a question that was a bit out of left field, Snead was asked where he sees safety Mark Barron fitting in moving forward. Snead said that’s an ongoing process but the offseason should allow the team more time to figure out how best to deploy Barron.
Don’t be surprised if the Rams use the “big nickel” they used near the end of the season as more of their base defense in 2015. The alignment puts Barron on the field as a de facto but versatile linebacker while also keeping safeties Rodney McLeod and T.J. McDonald on the field.
February 18, 2015 at 6:01 pm in reply to: Snead on Total Access & other places, including press conference #18665znModeratorCombine Presser: GM Les Snead
Watch general manager Les Snead talk about the Rams organization at the NFL Combine
February 18, 2015 at 4:17 pm in reply to: 2/18 tweets on all things Rams including Wagoner (expanding thread) #18655znModeratorMyles Simmons @MylesASimmons
Little tidbit from Combine land: Duke OG Laken Tomlinson said the toughest player he went up against was #Rams DT @AaronDonald97.
Snead also said that this year it kind of feels like the Rams are “drafting on a diet” without any more picks from the WAS trade.
February 18, 2015 at 4:12 pm in reply to: Balzer, Wagoner, and others on Bradford & rumors & contract talks #18654znModeratorOk, but if he is seeking a trade that says Alot imo. Snead said they gave the agent permission so it must have some legs.
Well the way I see it, he’s not seeking a trade. For one thing, apparently the report is not true; and for another, the “permission to seek a trade” thing means the agent is trying to get a picture of the market. For him to actually seek a trade the Rams would have to be willing to do it…and, they have given no indication of that. The language for what you’re talking about is “XYZ wants to be traded.” That would make it sound less like a pure negotiating tactic.
Anyway here’s JT on that.
Jim Thomas @jthom1
Rams GM emphatically denies that Bradford has been given permission to seek a trade. Says the Rams aren’t “deleting” Bradford from roster.
February 18, 2015 at 4:10 pm in reply to: 2/18 tweets on all things Rams including Wagoner (expanding thread) #18653znModeratorJim Thomas @jthom1
No meeting currently scheduled between Bradford agents and Rams at Combine. But they’ll at least talk (on phone).
Rams GM emphatically denies that Bradford has been given permission to seek a trade. Says the Rams aren’t “deleting” Bradford from roster.
February 18, 2015 at 3:20 pm in reply to: Balzer, Wagoner, and others on Bradford & rumors & contract talks #18649znModeratorPersonally I love the guy to be the RAMS starter, but has anyone thought about how he feels after being in STL for 5 years with really nothing to show for except for bad luck?
I’ve thought about that, and listened to him while I was thinking about that. Fwiw, this is what I came away with–he is dedicated to coming back, feels there’s unfinished business, likes this team, and recognizes what continuing with the same players and same system means.
What I see here? “Seeking permission to trade” is just the agent playing hardball trying to get his client a good deal.
Nothing in this indicates he wants to go, or that the Rams want him to go.
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