Get to know Arkansas OL Beaux Limmer | Pick 217

Stu Jackson

https://www.therams.com/news/get-to-know-arkansas-ol-beaux-limmer-pick-217

The Rams used their ninth selection in the 2024 NFL Draft on Arkansas offensive lineman Beaux Limmer, who was chosen in the sixth round, 217th overall.

Here’s what you should know about him:

1) Feats of strength

In his school bio, Limmer was noted as of the strongest players on the team, “squatting 605 pounds and benching a team-best 445 pounds during the offseason.”

2) Durability and availability

Limmer started 41 games overall during his career with the Razorbacks, including the final 36 consecutively.

3) Snaps

Limmer last year led Arkansas for the second consecutive season in offensive snaps with 809.

4) Senior Bowl participant

The annual college all-star event in Mobile, Alabama has been a good resource for the Rams, and it counted Limmer among its participants this year.

Besides Limmer, it also featured Rams 2024 draftees Braden Fiske, Kamren Kinchens, Brennan Jackson, Tyler Davis and Joshua Karty.

5) Bench press beast

Limmer put up 39 reps of 225 bounds on the bench press at this year’s NFL Scouting Combine, five more than any other player.

from https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/the-rams-cant-replace-aaron-donald-but-chris-shula-grandson-of-don-has-a-plan

According to Next Gen Stats, Donald generated 659 pressures since 2016, 239 more than the next-closest defensive tackle (Chris Jones, 420).

ME: the reason they take this stat from 2016 is cause that’s the year Chris Jones was drafted, so it’s a straight-up comparison. It looks like they went, whose second to AD in pressures? Jones. Well let’s compare them by looking only at the years they were both in the league together.

The Rams can’t replace Aaron Donald. But Chris Shula, grandson of Don, has a plan

Eric Williams

https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/the-rams-cant-replace-aaron-donald-but-chris-shula-grandson-of-don-has-a-plan

What to say?

Chris Shula had envisioned this moment for a decade, rolling through the thoughts in his mind of how he would articulate his vision to players as a first-time NFL defensive coordinator.

On the first day of offseason work, the words came naturally for the new DC of the Los Angeles Rams.

“That was something I had been thinking about — how to set the tone in front of the entire unit,” Shula told FOX Sports in an exclusive interview. “You just want to set the expectations of the standards that you want to hold them accountable to, the style of play that we want to play with. But not only that, we want to build relationships with these guys, get them to feel comfortable, be able to ask questions and be vulnerable.

“I wanted to get all that out there in that first meeting. So I spent a lot of time and put a lot of thought into what I wanted to say and how to go about it. You don’t just want to go right to football. … You want to show them that we really care about them, and we’re going to have a plan for them to get better every day.”

Shula had a practice run a decade ago as the defensive coordinator for Division III John Carroll. Then he worked his way up as a position coach with the Los Angeles Chargers and, for the past seven seasons, in various capacities with the Rams.

“No matter what’s happening, up or down, he’s always steady,” said Rams inside linebacker Ernest Jones. “He’s super intelligent; the way he’s been able to transfer my game from a pre-snap position is second to none. … Players love him, and he’s going to fit in perfectly.”

In his first season as an NFL defensive coordinator, Shula faces the monumental task of replacing future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald, who retired this offseason after a decade of dominance. Shula knows it will take a committee approach to fill the huge void left by arguably the greatest interior defensive lineman in league history.

Shula plans to focus on what his players do best. And that goes back to what his grandfather, Hall of Fame coach Don Shula, taught him during his visits to Miami as a youngster: Schemes may change over time, but the fundamentals of killing blocks, tackling, taking the ball away and the pursuit of the football remain the same.

“I don’t take it for granted, as far as what he accomplished in this league,” Shula said of his grandfather, the all-time winningest NFL coach. “I don’t really think about it, as far as holding up a legacy or anything like that. But it is cool to hear different stories about him.

“One thing that stuck out to me, and still does, is everybody thinks football has changed so much. [My grandfather] always said, ‘As far as I’m concerned, it’s still about blocking, getting off blocks. Tackling and breaking tackles. Securing the ball and taking the ball away.’ … [So] we try to emphasize here just the simplicity of football.”

Shula also learned the game from other members of his family. His father, Dave, played a year in the NFL as a receiver and spent 15 years as a coach, including four-plus seasons as head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals. He currently serves as the receivers coach at his alma mater, Dartmouth.

Chris’ uncle, Mike, was the offensive coordinator for three NFL teams and was the head coach at Alabama before Nick Saban. Mike Shula is currently an offensive analyst at South Carolina.

Shula and Rams head coach Sean McVay share a bond through their family’s football legacy. McVay’s grandfather, John McVay, was an NFL head coach and later served as general manager of the San Francisco 49ers, teaming with offensive guru Bill Walsh to lead that franchise to five Super Bowls. Sean’s father Tim was an all-state quarterback in high school in Ohio and played defensive back at Indiana.

Sean McVay and Chris Shula also share another bond: They were college teammates at Miami University in Ohio.

“He’s that guy that everybody feels like he’s their best friend because he’s so present when he’s with you,” McVay said of Shula. “He’s so authentic. He’s so refreshingly secure in who he is, and he’s been prepared for this opportunity.

“I’m excited because I think he’s surrounded by a bunch of other good coaches, and I think he’s really ready to help these players be the best that they can be.”

Early on Rams, Shula worked for former Rams defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, who’s from another multi-generational football family. Phillips saw Shula’s potential from the start.

“He’s a sharp guy, a quick learner, a hard worker and an outstanding coach,” Phillips said. “We turned things around there pretty quickly. We worked really well together. He can coach inside and outside linebackers really well, along with the rest of the defense. He’s a Shula.”

Along with Phillips, Shula worked as an assistant with the Rams for defensive coordinators Brandon Staley and Raheem Morris, now the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons.

Shula, 38, said he’s taken bits and pieces from all three defensive minds, learning the importance of keeping things simple from Phillips, innovation from Staley and the value of building good relationships with players from Morris.

Shula and his staff are now knee-deep into building the defense they want. The biggest question, of course, is how to fill the huge hole in the middle of the line left by Donald.

“Obviously, we’re going to have to step up as a group,” Shula said. “We made a big point to Kobie Turner that we don’t expect him to be an Aaron Donald, because he really is one of one. We knew when he was in the game how offenses were going to protect against us. Now, it’s a little bit more of a guessing game.”

Shula mentioned the possibility of Turner, who had nine sacks as a rookie nose tackle and finished third in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting, expanding his role to play multiple positions along the defensive line. And he expects the pass rush to benefit from the chemistry and ability of a pair of Florida State rookies, Jared Verse and Braden Fiske. They were the Rams’ top two selections in this year’s draft.

“We liked them each individually as players, whether they were on the same team or not,” Shula said. “I think [playing together is] going to help them definitely, especially when they get into those rush-type situations if they’re on the same side. There’s some really good clips of them rushing together. I think that’s a feel thing. We like the package deal we got with them.”

However, Philips believes the Rams will have to find another player like Donald who can consistently win one-on-one pass rush opportunities. According to Next Gen Stats, Donald generated 659 pressures since 2016, 239 more than the next-closest defensive tackle (Chris Jones, 420).

Donald finished with 111 sacks in 10 NFL seasons, second among defensive tackles to Hall of Famer John Randle (137.5). Donald is No. 3 in league history in tackles for loss with 176.

“We could utilize Aaron in a lot of different ways,” Phillips said. “So, that takes away your one-on-one advantages. We tried to make sure Aaron had a one-on-one as much as we could, especially in passing situations because he could beat people one-on-one.

So, it’s just the personnel you have and try to utilize what they can do. They have other good players obviously, but there aren’t any Aaron Donalds, that’s for sure.”

Shula also said the Rams will continue to use a 3-4 defensive front for their base scheme. And even though Turner can’t replace Donald by himself, the second-year pro will be a major factor.

“He’s going to be a guy who’s on the field a ton,” Shula said about Turner. “We love to have the flexibility to move those guys around, depending on the personnel group that’s in the game. We’re lucky, because he can play multiple spots pretty easily, whether it’s physically or mentally.

“We can keep people guessing where we can kind of move him around. And the nice thing about Kobie is he’s so selfless, he’s always going to do what’s best for the team. So it will be fun to use that chess piece accordingly.

“It’s going to be interesting to see how it all plays out.”

Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.

Rams ‘knocked it out of the park’ in 2024 draft | ‘NFL Total Access’

link to vid: https://www.nfl.com/videos/lewis-rams-knocked-it-out-of-the-park-in-2024-draft-nfl-total-access

from PFF, Most underrated player on all 32 NFL teams: https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-most-underrated-player-all-32-nfl-teams-paulson-adebo-trey-smith#LAR

LOS ANGELES RAMS: LB ERNEST JONES

Naturally, Aaron Donald received all the attention on the Rams’ defense over the past decade. His retirement means Jones should get more recognition, especially if he continues to play like he did in his third season. He finished the 2023 campaign with an 86.2 PFF overall grade, which ranked 13th at the position. He was also one of just three linebackers to earn run-defense and pass-rush grades above 80.0.

from https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2024/5/18/24159243/rams-news-espn-post-draft-nfl-power-rankings

Rams in top 15 of ESPN’s post-draft NFL power rankings (ramswire)

“In ESPN’s post-draft power rankings last year, the Rams were slotted in at No. 25. Coming out of the 2024 draft, the Rams are 14th in ESPN’s poll, the same position they were in after free agency.

.

ESPN picked the Rams’ most improved unit as the secondary, which isn’t wrong; the additions of Kamren Curl, Darious Williams, Tre’Davious White and even Kamren Kinchens will make a big difference in the defensive backfield.

.

The Rams did a lot to improve their defensive front in the draft, but they still had Aaron Donald on their roster at the end of the 2023 season. Last season, Los Angeles had 10 interceptions — tied for 23rd in the NFL. Improving the secondary was a focus during free agency and the draft, with the Rams signing cornerbacks Tre’Davious White and Darious Williams and safety Kamren Curl and selecting safety Kamren Kinchens in the fifth round.

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The only NFC West team ranked higher than the Rams is the 49ers, who are No. 2 behind the top-ranked Chiefs. Of the teams in the top 10, the Rams will face six of them in 2024, which shows how difficult their schedule will be.”</p>

Rams’ 2024 Schedule: Instant Reaction

J.B. Long

https://ramsfansunited.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=16899&p=289487&sid=a351058f6c1d9d805b9bfe3fc50e0bac#p289487

It’s my favorite day of the offseason, and we’re coming in hot.

At long last, the schedule is real – and it’s amazing. I’m absolutely thrilled with it and hope you are, too.

Let’s check the basics, and we’ll start by ripping the Band-Aid.

The bye lands in Week 6, and that’s brutally early. Earliest since returning to Los Angeles, in fact. 2015 was the last time the Rams had an open date this high on the slate.

Thursday Night Football lands in Week 8 at home against the Minnesota Vikings. That’s not bad… Except for the fact that there’s a second TNF, this time at San Francisco in Week 15.

There’s nothing good about having to double up. It’s easily the worst part of the hand the 2024 Rams have been dealt. But if we’re looking for silver linings, at least the first Thursday is versus a team from the central time zone, potentially with a rookie starting quarterback. And the second is a short flight up to the Bay Area for the rematch with the 49ers, perhaps streamlining the short week of preparation?

Also, if you’re somehow intact after that Week 15 trip to Santa Clara, and especially if you come away victorious on Thursday, December 12, then you’re teed up for a closing kick with a de facto “mini-bye” leading into the three-game finish at New York and home to Arizona, Seattle.

On to objectively better news.

There’s only one true road back-to-back and it’s right out of the gates, at Detroit and at Arizona in the first two weeks. Technically, the Rams also play back-to-back road games in December, but those are separated by 10 days (at Santa Clara on a Thursday, followed by a flight to New Jersey the following week).

The best home schedule I’ve been a part of opens against the rival San Francisco 49ers in Week 3. Wouldn’t want it any other way.

And that brings us to long homestands. For numerous reasons, it’s best to avoid three consecutive home games, if possible. And the Rams have essentially done that in 2024 – a definite boon for a nine-game home schedule.

While the Rams won’t get on a plane in October, the bye week breaks up their month-long SoFi Stadium residency.

As it turns out, the Rams only leave the state twice in the final seven weeks of the season. Four of their final five games are in California, including the big finish – hosting Arizona and Seattle to close out the regular season.

Follow the Formula

As we’ve done in the past, let’s get a quick refresher on the league’s scheduling formula.

The home or away nature of assignments is all predetermined on a rotating basis, such that every NFC team hosts and travels to all the other NFC opponents at least once every four years, and likewise for every AFC opponent at least once every eight seasons.

Thus, we’ve known the Rams opponents since early January; we just didn’t know the dates, times, or television assignments until now.

The Rams always play their NFC West rivals, home and away – those are the core six games.

They’ll also take on the entirety of two daunting divisions in 2024: the NFC North and AFC East – there are another eight games.

The Rams are matched with like-place finishers in the remaining NFC divisions, in this case the 2023 runners-up from the South (New Orleans… yes, for the umpteenth year in a row) and East (Philadelphia) – those games bring us to 16.

And lastly, when the schedule escalated to 17 games, the NFL also instituted a like-place-finisher inter-conference battle. The Rams’ 17th game in 2024 is a home date with Las Vegas, after the Raiders finished second in the AFC West last year.

Sainthood, Confirmed

As an aside, the Rams will face the Saints for the eighth time in the past nine years when they head to the Superdome on the first day of December.

Guess what? They host the Saints again next year, too.

Nonetheless, sign me up for a bonus trip to the Big Easy in February, if necessary.

Feast or Famine?

The longest Thanksgiving drought in the NFL continues, as the Rams head to Detroit to open the season on Sunday Night Football rather than on November 28, as some had hoped.

In fact, the Rams dodge all holiday games this year – no Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Black Friday. (You’ll never hear the radio guy complain.)

Respect on their name?

Prime time assignments this year: five, most since 2020.

That’s more like it after just two last regular season – one Monday, one Thursday.

Also in 2023, the Rams were placed in five early-window regional kickoffs. This time around, they’re on track to play at 10 a.m. on only three occasions – Week 4 at Chicago, Week 11 at New England, and Week 16 at New York (flex potential here!).

Green Bay in LA

The Rams have traveled to Green Bay four straight seasons, losing each time.

It is worth noting that Matthew Stafford has only played in one of those games, however.

The playoff trip following the 2020 season was Jared Goff’s last game as a Ram before the trade. Stafford’s trip in 2021 was the final gut-punch of a winless November (that became undefeated December and eventually a Super Bowl). The last two years, the Rams have been quarterbacked by Baker Mayfield and Brett Rypien at Lambeau.

So, yes, it will be a welcome change to host the Cheeseheads, especially if Stafford is starting in Week 5.

Strength in Numbers

I think Warren Sharp’s methodology makes the most sense, especially this time of year, when it comes to weighing strength of schedule.

Before the sequencing of the schedule was made known, he had the Rams essentially right at league average. Of particular interest, he has the NFC West teams ranked consecutively, 15th through 18th.

So that’s a nice data point and some peace of mind that the playing field is roughly level within the division.

Watch Out For the West

Here’s what the market may be mispricing, though: Everyone’s going in on the North being the best NFC division. I see the West as better. (And we’ll find out in 2024 with 16 head-to-head games.)

The 49ers had won 12 straight NFC West games until the Rams beat them in Santa Clara last January. And the Niners are still the Niners. However, I think the division is rising to the challenge to dethrone them.

Seattle’s roster is in a great place, and the Seahawks feel like they won the coaching cycle.

And I truly believe the Cardinals are ready to make the leap. They’ve stacked multiple high-value drafts. Their staff had them playing appreciably better in 2023. By the end of last season, their running game was electric. And I’ve been banging this drum for years now – Aaron Donald was Kyler Murray’s kryptonite. Without him on the field, Murray’s flashed MVP potential. So beware in Week 2 (and beyond).

I’d love to be completely wrong about this. But going 5-1 against the NFC West, like the Rams did a year ago, may not be realistic.

Which is fine. 6-0 is the goal, anyway.

First Timer?

The Rams are scheduled to face five of the first 10 picks from the 2024 Draft, including the three quarterbacks.

Caleb Williams will be starting Day One in Chicago, and presumably in Week 4 when the Rams visit.

We’ll see about Drake Maye in New England, but you would assume by November he’ll be at the controls for the Patriots.

Getting J.J. McCarthy and the Vikings at SoFi Stadium in October (on a short week) could be a favorable draw for the Rams defense.

Some other first-round storylines I’m looking forward to…

The first receiver off the board is going to be a twice-a-year chore – Marvin Harrison, Jr. changes the math against Arizona.

You’ll notice the retooled Rams secondary runs the gauntlet right out of the chute – Lions, Cardinals, 49ers, Bears, Packers. We’ll have a grasp of what rush and cover life after Aaron Donald (and under new defensive coordinator Chris Shula) looks like right away.

Brock Bowers was clearly coveted by many, but wound up in Las Vegas at 13 overall. The first tight end selected will bring the Silver and Black to Inglewood in Week 7.

The Rams were in the market for defensive tackles, and the first went to Seattle, Byron Murphy II. Both matchups with him and the Seahawks land in the back-half of the schedule.

The Vikings also traded up to get Alabama’s Dallas Turner at 17, two picks in front of the Rams, who took their edge rusher in Jared Verse.

Los Angeles preferred Verse to Chop Robinson, another outside backer, who comes to town for Monday Night Football in Week 10 with Jalen Ramsey, Odell Beckham, Jr. and the Dolphins.

And then one bonus theme, from early in Round Two: The Eagles thought the Rams were jumping them for Cooper DeJean. Instead, they paid a king’s ransom to get Braden Fiske at 39 and Philadelphia was able to take their defensive back at 40. That might be mentioned on Sunday Night Football in Week 12.

Balancing Act

Finally, you may recall the Rams playing four opponents coming off their bye weeks last season. It might’ve been the understatement of 2023 to say that was a competitive disadvantage. LA went 1-3 in those contests against the Steelers and Cowboys (back-to-back), Ravens and Commanders (also back-to-back).

As of this writing, we don’t have visibility into the calendars of the Rams foes, yet. But as soon as they are public, we’ll follow up in the hopes of avoiding such imbalance in 2024.

from https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2024/5/17/24159165/rams-offensive-line-depth-chart-beaux-limmer-profile

Limmer’s 36.5-inch vertical was tied for second among all offensive linemen. He also showcased his strength with 39 reps on the bench press. That was seven more reps that any other offensive lineman and the most for any participant at any position. As The Athletic’s Dane Brugler noted in “The Beast”, Limmer was considered the strongest player on the team by teammates. According to his strength coach, he squatted 700-pounds last July and could have done more had they let him.

Somehow, despite a 9.8 Relative Athletic Score that athletically compared him to an all-pro player in Joe Thuney, Limmer continued to slide under the radar. And he didn’t just slide under the radar, he slid until the sixth round.

This was one of the more experienced interior offensive linemen in the draft who made 36 consecutive starts in the SEC. Limmer finished his career with 41 starts that included 28 at right guard, 12 at center, and one at left guard. For the Rams to be able to get a player of Limmer’s caliber and experience in the sixth-round is a steal and great value.

In his draft profile of Limmer, Brandon Thorn of the Trench Warfare substack and Bleacher Report said,

“Overall, Limmer is a very athletic, lean, nimble blocker with wiry strength who can strain to finish blocks. His extensive guard experience should at least help him cross-train across the interior as a swing backup in the NFL right away.”

actionjack

I heard an interview on a pod from one of the organizers of the senior bowl. They had to move Fiske the day of the game to the other team due to injuries to the DL. That was the one guy the orgnaizer knew wouldnt freak out if he had to tell him that. Also said if you got to watch the game film of the Senior Bowl to determine MVP of the game, Fiske would have won it.

…

"Braden Fiske was the MVP for this game" 🍢 pic.twitter.com/DBcre5yFfQ

— Ashley Reamer (@Ashley_Caroline) February 3, 2024

…

February 3, 2024…from https://collegesportswire.usatoday.com/2024/02/03/nfl-draft-braden-fiske-shines-senior-bowl/

Braden Fiske’s NFL draft stock keeps climbing. In a recent article, I highlighted his compelling performance throughout the Senior Bowl practice week, particularly noting his dynamic presence in practice sessions and one-on-one reps. His prowess, characterized by a unique blend of speed, power, and aggression, established him as a standout force on the line.

Despite facing challenges in a few reps against Miami’s Javion Cohen, Fiske’s overall dominance, especially in team exercises, underscored his ability to disrupt plays and command the line of scrimmage. Even with a relatively lighter frame, his explosive talent shone through, unequivocally affirming his readiness for the NFL stage. He simply gets off the ball like he was shot out of a cannon at 6’4 295 lbs.

This readiness was further validated during the Senior Bowl game, where Fiske’s performance silenced any lingering doubts about his capability to excel at a higher level. His relentless drive resulted in a constant presence in the backfield, a fact that did not go unnoticed. The game’s commentators frequently mentioned his name, at times dedicating minutes to laud his substantial impact on the game, particularly during the third quarter. NFL analysts Charles Davis and Brian Baldinger both raved about his performance postgame.

Fiske’s performance in the game speaks volumes: a sack, numerous stops in the backfield, and consistent pressure on the offense whenever he was on the field. His initial burst, among the fastest I’ve observed from an ACC interior lineman in recent years, was a persistent nightmare for the opposition. His exceptional play even sparked discussions among spectators and analysts about him being a deserving candidate for the game’s MVP, a remarkable consideration given that he switched teams at the last minute due to roster requirements.

Zooey wrote:

zn wrote:

General manager Les Snead, whose stepson is a long snapper at Texas (Whittington’s alma mater), gushed about the receiver and said everybody in the building referred to him as the Longhorns’ “heartbeat.”

I take that pretty seriously, and that’s encouraging insight. And…on another note, I look at the CB depth chart, and it occurs to me that the Rams must like the look of that. Also encouraging. Because there were guys they could have drafted, but didn’t. Their safeties are suddenly looking pretty damn good with the additions of Curl and Kinchens, and their versatility is important. If they get competent work from Williams and White, any growth Durant and Kendrick show will be bonus.

Whittington strikes me as being a great pick. Not for his WR skills alone–he’s not fast and he’s not quick though he does break tackles at a high rate and has what looks to be excellent open field vision on runs after the catch. A 3rd or 4th WR type who doesn’t challenge the defense on his own but makes clutch plays when he’s out there with other WRs drawing the attention. Kind of what everyone thought Proehl was (though truth is Proehl was actually a very good receiver in his own right.)

But beyond all that, everything you hear about him indicates 2 things that are of value.

* He’s a poster-child of team culture intangibles. Leadership and positivity everywhere. Not just on the team–he reportedly became the team’s representative figure for the entire campus. Pretty much everyone who assessed him talked about his high football IQ. It’s as if he is a future coach who already knows how to “build culture.”

* He has all the signs of being a special teams ace. On every unit. He can do returns; he’s known for his blocking; he’s famously ready and willing to do whatever dirty work that needs to be done; and he seems to be heady, physical, and aggressive when he needs to tackle someone. So he would potentially shine in pretty much every single special teams unit that can use someone of his body type–including a blocker on the LOS for on punts and kicks, a blocker downfield for returns on punts and kickoffs, and a gunner type making tackles in coverage on both punts and kickoffs.

Sean McVay had all the jokes about the Rams' "temporary" office and being a new dad 😅 pic.twitter.com/xPlzUIhfpI

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) May 16, 2024