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December 26, 2014 at 5:20 pm in reply to: Russ Lande explains why cutting ties with Bradford is best option for Rams #14749
znModerator
Tipsheet: NFL quarterback market looks bleakBy Jeff Gordon
This 2014 NFL season reminded us just difficult it is to find a consistently good quarterback at this level.
About half the teams in the league could use an upgrade and pickings will be slim in the free agent marketplace. Fans inevitably demand quarterback change, but they should be careful what they wish for this winter.
NFL.com’s Gregg Rosenthal ranked the top five:
Mark Sanchez: Will playing so-so in Chip Kelly’s system really rehabilitate his value that much? It would be a surprise if any free agent available got starter money. Sanchez is a 1B option.
Brian Hoyer: The more he played this season, the more he looked like a high quality backup.
Ryan Mallett: It sounds like the Texans want Mallett back, and there probably won’t be a ton of competition for him.
Jake Locker: He’s genuinely shown flashes of quality starter play, but his durability concerns make him a flier free-agent pickup.
Michael Vick: We’re nearing the end of the line here, but he should still be able to get work.Rams quarterback Shaun Hill made Rosenthal’s “others” list, along with former Mizzou standout Blaine Gabbert and the likes of Colt McCoy, Christian Ponder, Matt Moore, Jimmy Clausen and Tavaris Jackson.
Rams quarterback Sam Bradford did not make Rosenthal’s “trade” list, given the current Rams’ claim that Sam is still the man here.
Players who did make that list include Jay Cutler, Geno Smith, Mike Glennon, Robert Griffin III and E.J, Manuel. Glennon and Manuel seem likely to be traded — if anybody cares — and the other three could get another shot where they are, perhaps with new coaches.
The Rams appear unlikely to draft their starting quarterback for 2015, since the franchise is overdue to actually produce a winning season. So those demanding change could be sorely disappointed with Jeff Fisher, Les Snead and Co.
December 26, 2014 at 4:32 pm in reply to: Russ Lande explains why cutting ties with Bradford is best option for Rams #14745znModeratorWell, my least favorites on that list are Sanchez and Gabbert.
My main wish is that they find a couple of Healthy Studs
for the OLine.
For the love of God, can we see a topnotch OLine again
in my lifetime ?w
vI don’t like any single one of them. Apparently they don’t either, cause the talk from the Rams is sticking with Bradford.
Then, the issue becomes, is there a good more developmental prospect in rounds 2 or 3.
Someone like Andrew Luck, or, maybe Steve McNair.
December 26, 2014 at 4:10 pm in reply to: Derek Carr, Odell Beckham Jr., Aaron Donald headline All-Rookie Team w/3 Rams #14743znModeratorRams got 3. Mason, Robinson, Donald.
znModeratorI think it will be minor surgery. Kinda a scope job on his shoulder, nothing like an ACL type thing. He can have the surgery in a couple of weeks and be ready to go in a month or so. At least conditioning stuff. No worries.
Why do you think that? Is that a hunch, or did you read something I missed?
I am not TD, and I haven’t even played TD on tv, but I read around on it real quick just now. Based on what I read, Shoulder dislocations can lead to labrum tears, and the surgery on that has been perfected. It is true that the player has less risk of recurrence than with an ACL and that it takes less time to rehab. It can be 3-6 months from surgery to full participation. If he has the surgery in January, then, that means he’s back 100% somewhere from March to June. It would be before camp at the latest.
http://www.stlouisrams.com/fans/health-and-wellness/shoulder-dislocation.html
Surgery is recommended for the player who experiences multiple dislocations or who chooses to undergo surgical stabilization following the first episode. Historically, surgical repair was done through an open incision. Now, this procedure is most commonly performed arthroscopically. The labrum that is torn is repaired back to the bone socket using a variety of either metal or plastic anchors in order to reestablish stability of the joint. Following surgery, the athlete is kept in a sling for four to six weeks. Physical therapy is prescribed to regain shoulder motion, strength, and return to football-related activities. …. The success rate of surgical repair of a dislocated shoulder is reliably greater than 90%. This success is defined as no further episodes of instability with the ability to resume strenuous activity.
http://www.uwbadgers.com/genrel/051910aac.html
How long? After surgery to repair a torn labrum, a rehabilitation program can take several months to return the athlete to 100 percent. Depending on the sport and the severity of the injury, it may take anywhere from three to six months to bring the athlete back to full participation.
Rehab? Recovery from this surgery requires a lot of patience. The athlete will take as much as eight weeks to regain their full range of motion. Return of full strength may take another four to eight weeks after that. During the rehab, it is important to limit several motions of the arm in order to prevent the labrum from being re-torn. During the early stages of rehab, it is important to keep the muscles of the shoulder in shape without actually moving the arm.
znModerator
Rams are familiar with “Mr. December”By Jim Thomas
As he closes out his third NFL regular season, quarterback Russell Wilson has been Mr. December for the Seattle Seahawks.
He is 11-2 this month since entering the league in 2012, with a 102.1 passer rating, 21 touchdown passes and only six interceptions.
This is shaping up as another December to remember. Wilson was the NFC offensive player of the week last week when he threw for 339 yards, rushed for 88 and accounted for three touchdowns in a 35-6 victory over NFC West rival Arizona.
The red-hot Seahawks have won five in a row, outscoring opponents 114-33 in that span. Wilson didn’t make the Pro Bowl this year, but because of another strong finish is garnering some late MVP support around the league.
But as well as Wilson plays in December, it would be hard to top his spellbinding performance against the Rams 10 weeks ago in St. Louis, when he became the first player in NFL history to throw for 300 yards and rush for 100 in the same game.
“He’s the most dynamic dual-threat quarterback in the league,” Rams linebacker James Laurinaitis said.
Wilson completed 23 of 36 passes for 313 yards and two TDs in that Oct. 19 contest at the Edward Jones Dome. He also gained 106 yards on just seven carries, one of which went for a 19-yard TD and another going for 52 yards on a non-scoring play.
Those TDs came during a furious second-half rally, as did 264 of Wilson’s 419 passing and rushing yards. The Seahawks, who trailed 21-3 at the half, couldn’t quite catch the Rams in a 28-26 defeat.
“He’s always taking advantage of his legs,” Rams coach Jeff Fisher said. “He’s a special athlete. He’s got a great release. He just extends plays all the time. He knows where to go with the football.”
The Seahawks have a talented group of skill players around him, headed by Marshawn Lynch but also including backup running back Robert Turbin as well as an underrated receiver corps.
But it’s Wilson who brings the added dimension because of his ability to pass and run.
“It’s almost as if there’s an extra player,” Fisher said. “He’s like the 11th and 12th player on offense. Because of his legs, he’s just so hard to defend.”
So the 12th Man in Sunday’s Rams-Seahawks rematch at CenturyLink Field may not be Seattle’s rabid fan base, but rather the 5-foot-11 guy playing quarterback — Wilson.
“Obviously Russell is the best improv quarterback in the National Football League,” Laurinaitis said. “He has such control over the football game. Even when those plays break down, it’s not somebody scrambling or panicking, and trying to find something.
“It’s so rehearsed and so well done, it’s almost like he makes the perfect decisions at the right moments.”
Wilson went through a bit of a midseason slump, but already has a personal-best 4,078 yards passing and running.
Of that total, 842 yards have come on the ground along with six TDs. Many of his 112 runs have come on designed plays, where he’ll fake a handoff to a running back, then pull the ball out, keep it himself, and dash into the secondary of a hoodwinked defense.
“He knows how to pull it in the zone read at the right time,” Laurinaitis said. “He’ll just hand it to Marshawn over and over, and it seems like right at the right moment — where a team’s maybe within one score — he’ll decide to pull it and it’s a 65-yard run. And you’re like, ‘Goodness.’”
He fooled Rams linebacker Alec Ogletree on just such an option read on the 19-yard touchdown in October.
Of course, many of Wilson’s rushing yards come on plays that are, as Laurinaitis puts it, totally improvisational. Trouble is, Wilson doesn’t always run when he’s scrambling.
“He’ll keep the play alive, and when he’s scrambling he’ll look to throw downfield, too,” Ogletree said. “That’s probably what he’s best at, is running around and throwing the ball. So we’ve definitely got to try and contain him and be ready for the challenge.”
In fact, there may not be a better quarterback in the league when it comes to throwing on the move.
“I’d have to say so,” Rams safety T.J. McDonald said. “He’s definitely dynamic in that sense. The best and biggest thing that you see on tape is he makes good decisions with the ball.”
Because of that, defensive backs have to do what players and coaches call “plastering” the wide receiver. That is, staying with the wideout no matter what Wilson is doing on a rollout or scramble. At least until Wilson crosses the line of scrimmage.
The Rams have had varying degrees of success corralling Wilson since he’s been in the league. Maintaining outside contain is essential, particularly for the defensive ends and linebackers. Otherwise, Wilson will simply roll outside when warranted.
A strong inside push can lead to some sacks because Wilson isn’t tall enough to just stand in the pocket all day and look over linemen for passing lanes.
“He does fine (in the pocket),” Fisher said. “They move the pocket a little bit for him. But drop-back stuff, when they go no-back and things like that, he makes good decisions and he gets rid of the football.”
znModeratorOdell Beckham picks up $10,000 fine
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/12/25/odell-beckham-picks-up-10000-fine/
by Josh Alper
Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham has notched a lot of firsts during his rookie season, but not all of them are positives.
On the other side of the ledger is Beckham’s first fine as an NFL player. Giants players have received word from the league about fines levied for their behavior during a chaotic game with the Rams that featured three ejections after a brawl on the sideline.
Beckham was hit late by Rams linebacker Alec Ogletree to touch off that brawl and he’s been fined $10,000 for kicking at Ogletree when Ogletree was on the ground after the tackle. Ogletree was penalized for a late hit, but said Wednesday that he hasn’t heard from the league about a fine.
Rams coach Jeff Fisher said that he thought Giants kicker Josh Brown should have been ejected for kicking at a Rams player, but he was penalized and fined $8,200 instead. Brown said, via the Associated Press, that he plans to appeal.
Defensive end Damontre Moore joined wide receiver Preston Parker with a $15,000 fin eafter getting ejected for throwing punches during the melee and long snapper Zak DeOssiewas fined for a late hit. With defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins also picking up a fine for roughing the passer, Giants players wound up handing over more than $72,000 for their actions in a game that saw players on both teams lose control of themselves far too often.
December 25, 2014 at 1:28 pm in reply to: Russ Lande explains why cutting ties with Bradford is best option for Rams #14712znModeratorLike Marino. As you know Marino wasn’t a running QB
BUT he was awesom in the pocket — he was nimble — he could MOVE.
We dont know if Sam will be slower, or clunkier in the pocket
because of the second kneee operation.Yet in the last 2 years Bradford has a lower sack percentage than any of the other 3 qbs.
That;s because, in part, he does move more in the pocket than given credit for, he has a quick release, and he was coached under Schott to get rid of the ball and in fact if anything Bradford is a highly “do as coached” kind of qb.
I don’t know about 2 surgeries. That’s an unknown. But Bradford’s knee injuries did not come from being HIT. One involved contact, one didn’t, but in both cases what we saw was a hyper-extended knee, and those are different animals from a knee being hit. A hyperextended knee happens when the knee is bent backward–the foot is planted wrong, and the leg and body weight push the wrong direction. It’s a freak thing. You can get it from anything. I have had a few myself, in fact one last fall (I still can’t sleep in certain positions because of lingering issues from what the doctor said is a bruised miniscus.) Not once in my history of knee extensions did it come from contact. It just came from planting the foot a certain way producing an awkward angle bending the knee.
So rightly or wrong I take what Bradford had as freak occurences.
Though I don’t know what it means about his play, because we don’t know what the odds are for a repeat after 2 surgeries. That;s why I always say IF Bradford can come back.
BUT because they are freak things, I never take his knee as an indication of his toughness or durability taking hits. Freak hyper-extensions just don’t indicate that.
znModeratorfrom off the net
==
jrry32
Schotty frustrates me at times but I don’t know of many fan-bases that like their OC. I will say that watching this team week after week, I don’t think Schotty is the problem. Tavon’s usage frustrates me but I also don’t think Tavon is “there” yet as a WR. I would like to see him used more on deep routes but that’s digressing from my point. The guy called a great game today [Giants game] and the offense has overachieved this year with the QB play and IOL play we have. I’d keep Schotty. The guy deserves a full year with a starting caliber QB.
I think arguably that our offense has overachieved. Our QB play this year has been a major issue and it’s hard for an OC to look good when his QB misses a lot of plays. I don’t think there are a lot of OCs out there that could do much with Hill and Davis at QB. To add onto the QB woes, we lost our #1 WR and our starting LT early in the season. Davin Joseph and Scott Wells have been bad. We’re not winning the LOS because Joseph and Wells severely limit what we can do. They have arguably been the worst players at their positions this year. And our offense has to work to compensate for the liabilities they are in the middle of the OL. Our C and RG can’t be relied upon in the run game and we have to design blocking schemes to cover for their issues. It seems like a lot of our success running it comes outside the tackles or on misdirection such as counters and traps. I don’t notice a lot of success running the ball inside the tackles to the front-side of the play. And we’re breaking in a rookie LT. Actually both our RT and LT have had consistency issues because Joe Barksdale has struggled the second half of the year. And our WR/TE corp is much better this year but still not the best in this league.
I’m not saying the guy needs to have the perfect offense…but is it too much to ask for Schotty to have an offense with average talent before we judge him? So…lets fix our interior and lets stabilize the QB situation.
I’m not concerned about the defense. They’ll be fine. They’re still in their first year in a new scheme with a lot of young players. I think we’re pretty set aside from depth and upgrading on adequate starters. You don’t need an All Pro at every position and you can’t afford an All Pro at every position. Defensively, next year, we could be top 5.
Today [Giants game] sucked but even the 2000 Ravens gave up 36 points to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Our defense had a bad day. Beckham’s two TDs came off blown coverages. I lay that at the feet of the players. Trumaine playing like he was hung over certainly helped them with that.
On the long Beckham TD. Mark Barron wasn’t supposed to be on an island. That’s the blown coverage. You can see it if you watch the replay. Trumaine seems shocked that Joyner is doubling his guy. And I would be too because based on my knowledge of our scheme and that coverage, Joyner should have been carrying Beckham Jr. up the field in trail position with Barron over the top. He hung Barron out to dry. But that’s the issue with rookies. They make mental errors. And it’s probably why Joyner hasn’t been playing as much lately…he’s still adjusting to the scheme.
znModeratorOthers
C Demetrius Rhaney (IR) 2014 Round 7.
OT Steven Baker (Practice Squad)
OG Travis Bond (Practice Squad)It is likely that these three will be on the Rams 80 man roster at the beginning of training camp. They will be given a chance to make the 53 man roster but I would think it would be very unlikely that they could earn a starting role in 2015.
Good post TD.
As for what I quote…Bond was getting some buzz last summer. Rhaney, too, though he was seen as more raw. Bond was not a draft pick or a UDFA…he was a young ronin, a bounce-around player without a team, same as Mike Person (Bond was with the Vikes and Panthers in 2013). Boudreau has made good use of that type before before (for example, Barksdale). I agree that IF Bond and Rhaney stick around, it won’t be as starters but as depth.
I also agree that it’s probably not likely that they would sign a high-market FA for the OL. More of a reclamation guy and/or another young ronin.
znModeratorzn wrote:
And sack #s don’t count as much btw if you consider sack percentage. So while Seattle is 32nd in passing attempts, they’re also 28th in sack percentage… which is a bad combo.Well the fact that RW has had to deal with a lot of sack-pressure
and still only has six INTs, may indicate
that he handles/manages pressure a lot better
than most QBs.w
vI agree about Wilson–he has a level head under pressure and can also make plays. But there’s a reason the Rams usually beat the living hell out of him, win or lose.
znModerator21st in attempted passes.
That;s a little misleading. Seattle as a team is ranked 32nd in passing attempts. http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/sea/2014.htm
THe reason that translates to 21st as an individual for Wilson is because many qbs were benched or injured this year, so there are a lot of them with counted attempts who do not have that many games. For example Stanton is 31st in attempts, Palmer 32nd, and Lindley 47th, but Arz as a team is 16th. Chances are if Palmer played all year, he would push Wilson down to 22nd.
So what Wilson being 21st as an individual tells you is that basically, only 21 teams this year started one qb in at least 13 out of the 15 games.
Meanwhile, if you compare teams, Seattle with Wilson throwing is 32nd in attempts.
And sack #s don’t count as much btw if you consider sack percentage. So while Seattle is 32nd in passing attempts, they’re also 28th in sack percentage… which is a bad combo.
December 24, 2014 at 7:43 pm in reply to: Tweets – 12/23 /Quinn and Donald make the Pro Bowl – 12/24 – fines #14687znModeratorHard to play with a bad back, isn’t it, Barrett?
Though what we hear on Jones is that not just the surgery, but the aftermath set him back. That;s according to him. He had gained the weight and muscle he needed, then after the surgery lost a lot of it because he couldn’t lift. He even says it will take this off-season to get it back.
December 24, 2014 at 3:46 pm in reply to: Tweets – 12/23 /Quinn and Donald make the Pro Bowl – 12/24 – fines #14671znModeratorJanoris Jenkins, Tavon Austin are Pro Bowl alternates
By Nick Wagoner
EARTH CITY, Mo. — The St. Louis Rams landed two defensive players on the Pro Bowl teams announced Tuesday night in the form of end Robert Quinn and defensive tackle Aaron Donald. But when all is said and done, the Rams could actually have four players making the trip to Glendale, Ariz. for the annual all-star exhibition.
Cornerback Janoris Jenkins and punt returner Tavon Austin received nods as Pro Bowl alternates, which means if players ahead of them at their positions are unable to go or are still playing late into the postseason, they could get the chance to make their first appearances in the game. It’s unclear how far down the alternate list both players are so it remains to be seen how many would have to miss the game for either Jenkins or Austin to go.
At cornerback, Jenkins is behind a group that includes six players who have made the playoffs. That includes Denver’s Chris Harris and Aqib Talib, Indianapolis’ Vontae Davis, New England’s Darrelle Revis, Arizona’s Patrick Peterson and Seattle’s Richard Sherman. The further any or all of those players advance in the playoffs, the better Jenkins’ chances.
It is a bit of a surprise that Jenkins made the alternate list given his knack for allowing big plays but he also had a couple of splashy interception returns for touchdown as well so it’s likely that earned him some recognition from his peers.
Austin, meanwhile, faces a tougher road to Arizona. Philadelphia’s Darren Sproles and Atlanta’s Devin Hester made the team. Hester could be in the postseason which might create an opening but the Eagles are not headed to the playoffs. Austin is second in the league in punt returns with 391, which ranks second only to Sproles’ 491.
znModeratorRams DBs are exposed against Giants
By Jim Thomas
Just a week ago, the Rams’ secondary looked like the most improved unit on the team this season. With everybody healthy, second-round draft pick Lamarcus Joyner — who hasn’t played badly at all when healthy — couldn’t even get on the field.
So the starters were improving, the depth was good, and looking forward there was the thought that maybe the Rams didn’t need to add much to the secondary for 2015.
Then came the abomination otherwise known as the New York Giants game. There were botched or misplayed coverages, what appeared to be a lack of communication on some plays, and soft coverage that consistently had Rams cornerbacks lining up seven to 10 yards off the line of scrimmage.
As a topper, it didn’t look as if the Rams did anything special scheme-wise to counter the hottest receiver in the NFL in Odell Beckham Jr.
At the end of the day it added up to 391 yards passing, three touchdown throws and a passer rating of 148.8 by Giants quarterback Eli Manning.
“I’ll credit Eli,” Rams coach Jeff Fisher said. “He really played an outstanding game and was in control. Didn’t have much
difficulty on the line of scrimmage getting in and out of things. And he made some big-time throws.”
All true, but the Rams gave Manning plenty of help. For one, it wasn’t the best of days for the front four in terms of the pass rush. And with rare exceptions, the blitzes dialed up by coordinator Gregg Williams were ineffective.
But the secondary made things way too easy for Manning, whose passing total was the most against the Rams since Drew Brees of New Orleans threw for 393 in a 27-16 loss to the Rams on Dec. 15, 2013.
Giving away “freebies” in the passing game is a defensive sin, one that the Rams had seemingly gotten past. But in this season of giving, the freebies returned in droves Sunday, including three plays where Giants wideouts found themselves isolated on Rams safeties.
That’s asking for trouble, creating a matchup that the wide receiver should win the vast majority of times. Three such plays resulted in two touchdowns and 138 passing yards for the Giants.
• Play No. 1: On the fourth play of the game, cornerback Janoris Jenkins was lined up over New York’s Rueben Randle, giving Randle a 7-yard cushion. In what looked like zone coverage, Jenkins followed Randle nearly 25 yards down the field — to about the St. Louis 45 — but then dropped coverage, turning back in the direction of running back Andre Williams, who was in the flat way back at about the New York 30.
That left Randle isolated on free safety Rodney McLeod, who was in pretty good position to make a play but got boxed out. The result was a 49-yard gain to set up a Giants field goal.
• Play No. 2: On the Giants’ next series, Manning threw a 9-yard TD pass to Beckham. Cornerback Trumaine Johnson dropped coverage on the play, which left Beckham isolated on safety T.J. McDonald. Beckham got free by faking inside and then heading out to the right corner of the end zone.
The play gave New York a 10-0 lead before the Rams had run their first offensive play. Fisher said Johnson, who was playing zone coverage, should have been deeper on the play.
“Yeah, he was supposed to sink (into coverage) and have that ball go to the flat,” Fisher said.
Had the lanky Johnson been even a few feet deeper, he probably would’ve been able to tip the ball away.
• Play No. 3: This was the back-breaker play in the game. With the St. Louis offense gaining momentum, the Rams had made it a one-possession game, 27-20, on a Lance Kendricks TD catch late in the third quarter.
But on the third play after the Giants received the kickoff, Manning threw an 80-yard TD pass to a wide open Beckham. This was another coverage bust. With Randle and Beckham lined up wide right, Johnson and Joyner both took the player running the underneath route (Randle).
That left Beckham wide open with only a safety to beat down field — again an unfair matchup. One move later and Beckham was by safety Mark Barron move for a 34-20 Giants lead.
It was a brutally tough day for Johnson, who until Sunday had played well since coming back from a preseason knee injury. Even though he had played only seven games entering the New York contest, Johnson leads the team with interceptions including a 43-yard “pick 6” against Oakland.
But Johnson was so off his game against the Giants that Fisher was asked if Johnson was healthy.
“He’s working through some things,” Fisher said. “I don’t know if he’s 100 percent, but I don’t think anybody was at 100 percent (Sunday). He needs to play better. His technique was poor at times. He gave up uncharacteristic plays. He gave up plays that you would expect him to make.”
All told, Johnsonallowed nine receptions for 150 yards and two touchdowns. Four other completions resulted in third-down conversions.
“We didn’t execute, we didn’t finish, and that’s including myself,” Johnson said. “It starts with me. I put a lot of things on myself. All I can do is go back and fix them throughout the week.”
December 24, 2014 at 3:41 pm in reply to: Tweets – 12/23 /Quinn and Donald make the Pro Bowl – 12/24 – fines #14669znModeratorAaron Donald amazed by Pro Bowl berth
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/14970/aaron-donald-amazed-by-pro-bowl-berth
EARTH CITY, Mo. — As NFL players go, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone more even-keeled and quiet than St. Louis Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald.
Donald has earned a reputation for silently going about his business to the point where he’s often the target of good-natured ribbing from his teammates for it. But when news came on Tuesday evening that Donald was headed to this year’s Pro Bowl , he couldn’t hide his excitement.
“I was just trying to play and at the end of the year whatever happened happened,” Donald said. “I’m just happy. To do this as a rookie, my first year and accomplish something like that is amazing.”
What Donald has done in his first NFL season at one of the league’s toughest positions is amazing in its own right. His eight sacks are the most among rookies and fifth-most among defensive tackles. He also has a team-high 17 tackles for loss. The Rams coaches credit Donald with 29 quarterback pressures and 12 quarterback hits.
Those numbers were enough to make Donald the first Rams rookie since Jerome Bettis in 1993 to make the Pro Bowl and the first Rams defensive rookie to make it since Isiah Robertson in 1971.
That Donald has had such an impact comes as no surprise to his teammates or coaches, who have been consistently singing his praises since the team drafted him No. 13 overall in May.
“I think from day one since he got here everyone was impressed,” linebacker James Laurinaitis said. “I remember [Brian] Schottenheimer saying after the first week of OTAs this kid could be defensive rookie of the year. You just kind of saw it week by week as he got more comfortable and just put in there more and more and trusted more and more and he just continued to make plays and splash plays, tackles for loss, sacks, but as a D tackle, he’s very disruptive.
“I love the way he goes about his business. He’s very quiet, takes pride in what he does. He did all that in college. It’s why he won a lot of awards. He’s doing the same thing up here, which is good to see.”
If the Pro Bowl is any indication — and it might not be — next on the list for Donald is the Defensive Rookie of the Year award. The voting for that award is different than the Pro Bowl but it’s still pretty well known that voters tend to look at raw numbers rather than the tape. On either count, Donald has a strong case.
Donald’s toughest competition looks to be from Baltimore linebacker C.J. Mosley, the only other rookie defender to make the Pro Bowl. Dallas offensive lineman Zack Martin is the third and final rookie to earn the honor. Coincidentally, those are the three players the Rams had the most interest in with the pick they ultimately used on Donald.
Donald won nearly every award imaginable at the college level and is off to a good start in doing the same in his NFL career.
And will that Defensive Rookie of the Year award come next?
“Hopefully, we’re going to see,” Donald said, laughing. “We’ll see what happens.”
znModeratorAnyone want to say anything about the
Rams Offensive Line?
Anyone want to talk about what,
if anything, the
Rams need to do about the OLine?Are we ALLLLL in agreement,
they need a new Guard and Center?
Yes? No?w
v
———————————
Ram43 reposting
BonifayRam
(on Barksdale)
…JB has large holes in his game….. Very limited athleticism for a OT! Not much can he do about that. OT’s in todays NFL have to have a good amount of this stuff & fact is JB does not have enough. This lack of athleticism @ OT causes JB to be a step late at times which we have seen a ton of this season against the speeders. Bottom line here JB has a terrible time dealing with double-moves or edge rushers. This is the problem!The best about JB is he has proven UN breakable! Some other good is JB has the perfect frame & size for a ORT. JB is a very strong ORT. JB when he is effective uses his great strength to stop the bull rush in pass protection with ease. Another area of good stuff is his ability to get running room by walling off defenders also with ease. I also have seen JB staying home against stunts & stuff but Joseph usually fails to work well with JB in this area.
I have no doubt that teaming Saffold with JB next season on that right side would result in a much positive turnout. But now you have a king size hole next to a STILL very young & not that experienced Greg Robinson who had had his worse game of the season last Sunday. Even Saffold could not help Robinson. Playing a rookie or a WWC next to Robinson would not be advisable either. If JB can not hold his own @ ORT then we need to look elsewhere ASAP.
I thinking that it would be very wise to offer JB a nice One yr contract only. Buying the Rams some additional time in getting the OL back up to contention. I would NOT over pay JB period. If another team wants to overpay for JB then let it be so!
Yeah I want to say one thing about the OL, or rather OL discussions. Invariably, I read “tape” guys who focus on the play of individual players and then assume that adds up to a coherent picture. It doesn’t. It is genuinely true that OLs are more than the sum of their parts.
For example, if you just look at Barksdale, he played well for all of 2013 and approximately half of 2014. Now did he get “exposed”?
I doubt it.
I think like most ROTs he plays better when the OL is coherent as a unit. Which is why, for example, the Rams OL was fine in the 2nd half of 2012 even though their ROT, Richardson, had never played well before in any season in his career.
The issues with the 2014 OL, to my eye, are a rookie + banged up players and injuries. Long goes out, moving Robinson to LOT (which means a rookie LOT), and Saffold is not full strength, neither is Wells, and Joseph is playing because Robinson moved to tackle. Meanwhile Jones had back surgery over the summer and could not lift because of it–he himself says he has to get back in shape in the off-season.
What about 2015? Yes they need a guard and a center and quite probably a 3rd OT.
That;s not that hard to do. I think they will do it through their “all markets” approach…getting guys in every way it is possible to get them. I see this as completely fixable.
…
znModeratorThis team is capable of “anything.”
Quinn could get a strip-sack and the D
could get Six early…etc, etc.Seattle does not have an Odell Beckham
or a Dez Bryant. I could see the Rams
staying close the whole game.Probably not, but i could see it.
They’ll have to stuff Lynch,
of course.And Ogletree will have to play
with his eyes open this time.w
vPlus again…there’s match-ups. The Rams just match up with Seattle. They DON’T match up with Arizona.
Now as you say anything can happen, so this is not a prediction.
But the Rams have played Seattle tough at home now with 3 different qbs. Two of which were Clemens and Davis. Out of 2 previous games on the road, they were taking it to them in 2012 after a 3-game stretch where Seattle was averaging 50 points a game, and everyone predicted the Hawkz would slaughter the Rams. In 2013, unfortunately, the OL had fallen apart by the time that game came around. And I mean much worse than the present OL. More like 2007 level fallen apart.
It’s actually very simple. Seattle is 32nd in passing attempts and yet Wilson is 28th in sack percentage. They make up for that because Wilson can improvise his way out of trouble.
So what do they not match up well against.
A tough division foe who knows them, who is also capable of the following: containing Lynch (which the Rams have done before), containing Wilson (which the Rams have done before just not last game), and beating Seattle’s average or below average OL (which the Rams have done before).
Seattle regularly leaves Rams games bruised and beaten up…and that’s regardless how well they were playing in previous games.
That’s all potential though, I know. The vegas odds favor Seattle. But the Rams ARE capable of beating those odds against that team.
I am not predicting it, but yeah it’s possible.
znModeratorHappy holidays to everyone.
Have pie. Love life.
znModeratori do know, that GW’s system worked not that long
ago in New Orleans — they won a Ring with him.
And that Defense, as i recall gave up a lot of yards
and big plays, but they also got a ton of turnovers.The problem with the GW New Orleans defense (IMO) was that they did not have the defensive personnel to be a consistent top unit. They had one good year statistically sandwiched by 2 very mediocre ones.
New Orleans:
2009 = 25th in yards, 31st in turnovers, 27th in sack percentage
2010 = 4th in yards, 21st in turnovers, 12th in sack percentage
2011 = 24th in yards, 31st in turnovers, 29th in sack percentageI have no idea why they fell back in 2011, and I haven’t found anything out there in google-land that explains it. There probably are some things out there but it’s a lot to sort through so I just haven’t found anything yet.
Washington was very different. They are good immediately when he takes over, and then he has one bad year (2006) which they bounce back from in 2007. So that’s 3 years of top 10 defense, 1 off year. I did find things on the 2006 Washington defense, and a lot of things went into their collapse, but it mostly had to do with personnel, including losing their MLB.
December 23, 2014 at 10:15 pm in reply to: Tweets – 12/23 /Quinn and Donald make the Pro Bowl – 12/24 – fines #14636znModeratorCasey Pearce @ccpearce
Quinn @RQuinn94 is first Rams defender to make consecutive Pro Bowls since Jerry Gray in ’88-’89Donald @AaronDonald97 is first Rams rookie to make Pro Bowl since Bettis in ’93; first Rams rookie defender since I. Robertson in ’71
December 23, 2014 at 8:52 pm in reply to: Russ Lande explains why cutting ties with Bradford is best option for Rams #14632znModeratorI gotta say, I’m getting tired of being lectured about being emotional rather than objective.
Okay. Agreed, the discussion shouldn’t go like that. I’m coming across a way I don’t intend. So you’re right, I misread you. Misreadings happen…the only sin is if someone is called on it and deliberately doesn’t heed the fact he has been called on it.
Anyway I make an effort to amend all that here.
I took you as talking about how much you personally trust him to stay healthy, though that’s not exactly “emotional” v. “objective”–it’s something else. Still, it’s not what you meant. You meant that objectively he can’t be counted on. So let me put it this way then. One way to put what I am trying to say is that even if –> I <– did not believe Bradford could beat the odds and come through physically, I would still grin and bear it and stick with him anyway, because the payoff is worth it and it can be set up to be win/win if they do it right. (Though I never assumed he will be the only option. More on that in what follows.)
Injuries matter. Some players get injured and are bad bets for what you are calling “objective management decisions.”
But I exempt a starting-caliber qb from all of that, particularly when the 2 recent injuries are (the way I see it) freak things that have nothing to do with being hit. So it doesn’t matter, to me, what the histories are with other players. The qb is worth the chances.
To do this relying on him as your only starter-level QB would be an irresponsible repetition of a bet that has cost this franchise and its fans dearly.
Okay, yeah, I have answered that, but let me make it clearer. What I missed was you saying PROVEN starter.
I am simply assuming there is no other starting level VETERAN qb in the mix–because those kinds of guys are not out there. To my eyes anyway, there are no FAs that I am aware who would be an actual solution, and there are no real trade possibilities for anyone worth it. It’s just a qb-starved league. If there were someone he would already be gone.
This is the list of 2015 FA qbs…I don’t see many on that list who are better than Shaun Hill: http://www.spotrac.com/free-agents/nfl/quarterback/ (That’s because I don’t think Sanchez or Locker qualify as that and I don’t want either one for lots of good reasons).
So the one option they have to add a starting caliber qb is through the draft. It’s a weak draft year for qb or at least one full of unknowns, but they could add someone who has good developmental prospects.
So when I say they will draft someone, that to me IS their one bet for adding a starting-caliber prospect.
I take drafting someone as addressing that issue. I don’t believe there is really any other option. If a vet qb is floating around out there, he’s out there for a reason, and chances are he’s not going to be a solution. So as weak as the draft is at the top, I think they will have to look for a Wilson, meaning a 2nd or 3rd rounder who can develop. He won’t be PROVEN of course but then if Bradford goes out, he wouldn’t be the first rookie qb to start in the NFL.
znModeratorfrom off the net
—
Ramfan Teacher
I rewatched it several times and saw:
1. AO with the tackle in bounds but continued to drive with his feet several steps out of bounds (which was unnecessary) and then put OBJ to the ground. He could have pulled up and just held him but didnt (this is my opinion). Watch Hayes just get out of the way instead of joining in on the tackle with AO.
2. OBJ hit AO in his facemask (with the ball I believe)
3. AO hit OBJ back in his facemask
I wasn’t condoning it. I just wanted everyone to know that the vine video doesn’t really show OBJ hit AO in the facemask after the tackle (you can kind of see it on the AO tackle).
Retaliation would be in the “eye of the beholder”. If someone feels AO’s tackle was legit, then AO just retaliated to OBJ. If AO went overboard on the tackle, then OBJ retaliated to AO being a punk.
Like I said, I feel they both acted like “punks”
znModeratorPerhaps Williams doesn’t have the players to run his defense?
This is all IMO. I think he has gotten a couple of guys to play inconsistently over their heads. Those would be guys who don’t fit necessarily or aren’t up to snuff but they have no choice but to play them. Either way, just an impression, but I think that’s just a couple of them.
To be honest, I would be surprised if this weren’t a consistent top 10 D next year.
znModeratorMy friend, I’ll simply say that I distrust abstract arguments.
The league has seen many cases of a team responding to and improving from a new scheme.
And it has seen many cases of the opposite, too.
So the question is, which is this.
All I can say is what I saw. And I saw this defense playing out of sync from the start, and making mistakes from the start. All along I saw it as execution issues with a young team not absorbing the scheme to the point of it being instinctive. They couldn’t play fast without thinking, yet.
And, I have to say, that’s so completely what I saw, that, I am not going to persuaded by something different. But on the other hand, I am just not that into debating every detail of it…it’s just what I saw, from the get-go.
Whether this or that coach ought to install this or that defense quickly is to ME completely abstract. I just know it didn’t work like that this time. And…I don’t care, either. It doesn’t strike me as a big deal.
I do know that younger teams don’t adapt as easily and I also know that younger teams have a particularly harder time adapting to a complex scheme. I had the exact same feeling about the offense in 2011, with McD. I know that while the 2014 Rams D at least had an off-season, the new CBA cut back how much practice time a team gets, and Wms had never instelled his D under those conditions before.
Now I can’t get anyone else to see what I saw or how I saw it, but that’s what I saw…and I was saying it from the start.
So we will live with having 2 entirely distinct views on this, eh?
Cause in my case, it was so completely what I SAW that I see arguments to the contrary as just…not seeing that. A person reaches a place like that. “Sorry it’s what I saw.” And then let’s others debate.
Could I be wrong? Sure. But if it is wrong it’s wrong with a lot of conviction.
So I will always just see us as differing on this.
And, probably won’t even discuss it much.
You and I, old friend, just stand there with a gulf between us on this one.
znModeratorfrom off the net
—
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2307036-giants-rams-brawl-after-late-hit-on-odell-beckham-jr
ajhahn
At exactly 1:16 on the bleacher report embeded video [above] you can clearly see Beckham turn and grab Ogletree by the facemask on his way out of bounds.
I know this doesn’t excuse the teams extreme lack of discipline, but Jeff Fisher is the only person I’ve seen talk about this.
Ogletree initially hit Beckham in bounds, then about a yard out, Beckham grabs his mask and Ogletree goes down on him. Then Beckham takes a swipe at Olgetree’s head. Then Olgetree shoves him down. Then Beckham kicks Ogletree. Then the fight breaks out.
Again, the Rams cannot lose their cool that easily, but it was not a late or dirty hit. The only dirty player on that particular play was Beckham.
znModeratorOff duty, black cops in New York feel threat from fellow police
Reuters
By Michelle Conlin
http://news.yahoo.com/off-duty-black-cops-york-feel-threat-fellow-170110366.html
NEW YORK (Reuters) – From the dingy donut shops of Manhattan to the cloistered police watering holes in Brooklyn, a number of black NYPD officers say they have experienced the same racial profiling that cost Eric Garner his life.
Garner, a 43-year-old black man suspected of illegally peddling loose cigarettes, died in July after a white officer put him in a chokehold. His death, and that of an unarmed black teenager in Ferguson, Missouri, has sparked a slew of nationwide protests against police tactics. On Saturday, those tensions escalated after a black gunman, who wrote of avenging the black deaths on social media, shot dead two New York policemen.
The protests and the ambush of the uniformed officers pose a major challenge for New York Mayor Bill De Blasio. The mayor must try to ease damaged relations with a police force that feels he hasn’t fully supported them, while at the same time bridging a chasm with communities who say the police unfairly target them.
What’s emerging now is that, within the thin blue line of the NYPD, there is another divide – between black and white officers.
Reuters interviewed 25 African American male officers on the NYPD, 15 of whom are retired and 10 of whom are still serving. All but one said that, when off duty and out of uniform, they had been victims of racial profiling, which refers to using race or ethnicity as grounds for suspecting someone of having committed a crime.
The officers said this included being pulled over for no reason, having their heads slammed against their cars, getting guns brandished in their faces, being thrown into prison vans and experiencing stop and frisks while shopping. The majority of the officers said they had been pulled over multiple times while driving. Five had had guns pulled on them.
Desmond Blaize, who retired two years ago as a sergeant in the 41st Precinct in the Bronx, said he once got stopped while taking a jog through Brooklyn’s upmarket Prospect Park. “I had my ID on me so it didn’t escalate,” said Blaize, who has sued the department alleging he was racially harassed on the job. “But what’s suspicious about a jogger? In jogging clothes?”
The NYPD and the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association, the police officers’ union, declined requests for comment. However, defenders of the NYPD credit its policing methods with transforming New York from the former murder capital of the world into the safest big city in the United States.
EX-POLICE CHIEF SKEPTICAL
“It makes good headlines to say this is occurring, but I don’t think you can validate it until you look into the circumstances they were stopped in,” said Bernard Parks, the former chief of the Los Angeles Police Department, who is African American.
“Now if you want to get into the essence of why certain groups are stopped more than others, then you only need to go to the crime reports and see which ethnic groups are listed more as suspects. That’s the crime data the officers are living with.”
Blacks made up 73 percent of the shooting perpetrators in New York in 2011 and were 23 percent of the population.
A number of academics believe those statistics are potentially skewed because police over-focus on black communities, while ignoring crime in other areas. They also note that being stopped as a suspect does not automatically equate to criminality. Nearly 90 percent of blacks stopped by the NYPD, for example, are found not to be engaged in any crime.
The black officers interviewed said they had been racially profiled by white officers exclusively, and about one third said they made some form of complaint to a supervisor.
All but one said their supervisors either dismissed the complaints or retaliated against them by denying them overtime, choice assignments, or promotions. The remaining officers who made no complaints said they refrained from doing so either because they feared retribution or because they saw racial profiling as part of the system.
In declining to comment to Reuters, the NYPD did not respond to a specific request for data showing the racial breakdown of officers who made complaints and how such cases were handled.
White officers were not the only ones accused of wrongdoing. Civilian complaints against police officers are in direct proportion to their demographic makeup on the force, according to the NYPD’s Civilian Complaint Review Board.
Indeed, some of the officers Reuters interviewed acknowledged that they themselves had been defendants in lawsuits, with allegations ranging from making a false arrest to use of excessive force. Such claims against police are not uncommon in New York, say veterans.
STUDIES FIND INHERENT BIAS
Still, social psychologists from Stanford and Yale universities and John Jay College of Criminal Justice have conducted research – including the 2004 study “Seeing Black: Race, Crime and Visual Processing” – showing there is an implicit racial bias in the American psyche that correlates black maleness with crime.
John Jay professor Delores Jones-Brown cited a 2010 New York State Task Force report on police-on-police shootings – the first such inquiry of its kind – that found that in the previous 15 years, officers of color had suffered the highest fatalities in encounters with police officers who mistook them for criminals.
There’s evidence that aggressive policing in the NYPD is intensifying, according to data from the New York City Comptroller.
Police misconduct claims – including lawsuits against police for using the kind of excessive force that killed Garner – have risen 214 percent since 2000, while the amount the city paid out has risen 75 percent in the same period, to $64.4 million in fiscal year 2012, the last year for which data is available.
REPORTING ABUSE
People who have taken part in the marches against Garner’s death – and that of Ferguson teenager Michael Brown – say they are protesting against the indignity of being stopped by police for little or no reason as much as for the deaths themselves.
“There’s no real outlet to report the abuse,” said Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, a former NYPD captain who said he was stigmatized and retaliated against throughout his 22-year career for speaking out against racial profiling and police brutality.
Officers make complaints to the NYPD’s investigative arm, the Internal Affairs Bureau, only to later have their identities leaked, said Adams.
One of the better-known cases of alleged racial profiling of a black policeman concerns Harold Thomas, a decorated detective who retired this year after 30 years of service, including in New York’s elite Joint Terrorism Task Force.
Shortly before 1 a.m. one night in August 2012, Thomas was leaving a birthday party at a trendy New York nightclub.
Wearing flashy jewelry, green sweatpants and a white t-shirt, Thomas walked toward his brand-new white Escalade when two white police officers approached him. What happened next is in dispute, but an altercation ensued, culminating in Thomas getting his head smashed against the hood of his car and then spun to the ground and put in handcuffs.
“If I was white, it wouldn’t have happened,” said Thomas, who has filed a lawsuit against the city over the incident. The New York City Corporation Counsel said it could not comment on pending litigation.
At an ale house in Williamsburg, Brooklyn last week, a group of black police officers from across the city gathered for the beer and chicken wing special. They discussed how the officers involved in the Garner incident could have tried harder to talk down an upset Garner, or sprayed mace in his face, or forced him to the ground without using a chokehold. They all agreed his death was avoidable.
Said one officer from the 106th Precinct in Queens, “That could have been any one of us.”
December 23, 2014 at 3:44 pm in reply to: Russ Lande explains why cutting ties with Bradford is best option for Rams #14600znModeratorRFL and I just don’t see him ever being healthy enough to have a snowball’s chance of playing without getting hurt again. He cannot run, he cannot evade rushers, he is a one-legged athlete.
Well but that’s not really relevant. For one thing, so-called running or highly mobile qbs get sacked and hit more often on avg. than pocket passers, not less often. Bradford has a low sack percentage under Fisher compared to all 3 of the other qbs who have started in the same period. The way to beat the rush is (with the blitz) to read the D pre-snap and fire off to hot reads or audible, and otherwise drop and throw in rhythm. Bradford has a quick release so it’s a strength.
For another thing, Bradford’s 2 knees do not come from “being hit.” We saw him take huge hits in the pre-season and just shake them off. And that’s pretty much his career. As someone who has hyper-extended a knee several times, and who knows exactly what that is like, what I saw was the typical freak hyper-extension issue–plant the foot wrong with the body weight pushing the leg at an awkward angle, and you can get hurt. I’ve done it (though mercifully never to the point where I tore an ACL). And I did it doing nothing…the stories are even funny. It never had anything to do with contact.
In terms of what YOU GUYS TRUST, that’s one thing. In terms of making an objective management decision, to me, it seems obvious that you keep Bradford in the mix. If he comes through, good. If he can’t play, then, you move on. But you don’t throw away the possibility of having a good experienced pro qb if there’s a chance he can play. What you DO do, IMO, is set it up so your bases are covered. To me that’s the win/win scenario. I don’t even ask myself if I personally “trust” his odds or luck or chances…that would have more to do with how I personally relate emotionally to possible dangers than it would have to do with how I think you’re supposed to manage this kind of situation.
I personally think you manage this situation be covering your bases. That means doing everything. Give Bradford a win-win contract, have a veteran #2 around, draft a guy. IMO it doesn’t hurt you to do that and if the odds go your way you benefit.
znModeratorbut then at times,
i think to myself IF the players ever really
learn the system, its possible it will be
awesomeThat’s where I stand on Wms. I mean, he has done it before. I think the Denver game gave a glimpse of what they can become…and they can become that pretty soon.
znModeratorAustin is 5th gear and Schotty can only drive a 3-speed. Martz would have made Austin a household name by now.
I disagree. I think Austin has problems with a lot of routes, and in fact that was true in college too. I like Schott and believe that one of his strengths is building around what his players can do…and there’s only so much Austin can do at this point. Plus, as I pointed out, several teams have had problems setting up things for these “all-purpose, not really WRs” combined yardage types, and that includes Seattle, the Jets, and the Vikes.
December 23, 2014 at 3:04 pm in reply to: Russ Lande explains why cutting ties with Bradford is best option for Rams #14585znModeratorBut, I think everyone pretty much assumes that. It’s a given.
The dominant position, on this board anyway, is go with Bradford, bring back Hill or Davis or both, draft a guy.
I don’t think one person in the entire universe assumes they put it all on Bradford alone and just hope for it.
Well, this may or may not be the dominant board position. But it doesn’t cohere with what I am saying.
See, IF YOU DON’T TRUST SAM’S HEALTH, then it would be irresponsible to go with Sam, a Hill-type backup, and a mediocre rook. That is the recipe for the film we have seen the last 2 years. Sam goes down early, and the season goes down the drain.
A back-up level QB cannot raise this long-moribund offense to competitiveness. Hill is probably as good an option as you’ll find at back-up level, and you see where that leaves us.
To keep Sam, re-sign Hill, and draft a rook would PRECISELY be a matter of putting “it all on Bradford alone and just hope for it.” That option would bet our only hope at starter quality QBing on Sam, and his health cannot be trusted. That’s what I am arguing, so whether or not “one person in the entire universe” says what sounds to me to be what you are labeling the board consensus, I am against it!
If Sam Bradford is our only proven, starter-level QB next year, then we are in serious trouble and the FO will be guilty of negligence.
As for whether Sam becomes a star somewhere else, I don’t care. This franchise is stuck in competitive hell. It needs a jolt to get it back on track. It cannot afford another year of groping along led by Clemens, Davis, or Hill.
If ever there has been an off-season in which the FO needs to do due diligence, it is this one.
And due diligence means mounting a massive effort to be sure we have a starter-level QB on the roster whose name is not Sam Bradford.
Except “not trusting his health” isn’t an objective stance, it’s a pre-decision determined by feelings.
The objective stance is, he can be good if healthy but you cannot, given the history, assume he will be.
So you set it up to have options.
“Not trusting” is you. And, you would be non-trustful of that situation.
“See what will happen and plan for different scenarios” is safe, it’s win/win, it’s prudent, it’s good policy, etc.
There’s nothing “irresponsible” about it, it’s good management.
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