Stu Jackson@StuJRams
Sean McVay said figuring out how to fit all of the pieces in the secondary together has a been a “good, positive process.”

McVay said those players are learning all of the spots on the back end of the defense, and that “you’re seeing Trent McDuffie all over” those spots.

There are certain guys that will play just safety or just outside corner, McVay said, but they have a lot of guys who can play safety, star, dime, and money positions

BREAKING: California will impose a 100% tax on payments distributed from Trump’s Jan. 6th “slush fund.” pic.twitter.com/IIfPUQrbuc

— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) May 27, 2026

Re-Ranking the NFL’s Top 5 Quarterbacks | Move the Sticks

Bucky Brooks and Lance Zierlein talk exclusively quarterbacks on the latest edition of Move the Sticks. The MTS duo weighs in on an internet debate comparing Aaron Rodgers and John Elway, before discussing Matthew Stafford’s contract extension with the Los Angeles Rams. Then, Bucky and Lance re-rank their top 5 quarterbacks heading into the 2026 NFL season.

0:00 – Welcome to Move the Sticks

1:40 – Aaron Rodgers vs. John Elway debate

11:43 – What makes a generational QB talent?

14:30 – Patrick Mahomes as an example of a QB anomaly

18:40 – Matthew Stafford extended & top 5 QBs heading into 2026

24:50 – LZ throws in a surprise at No. 4

27:53 – Bucky rounds out his list with a rising star

30:55 – The QBs just off the list & up-and-coming QBs

Anish Moonka@anishmoonka
Finnish scientists trucked in real forest dirt and grass and laid it over the gravel at four daycare yards. They let the kids dig around in it for a month. The blood tests came back with changes the researchers hadn’t expected to see so fast or so clear.

The study ran at ten daycares in two Finnish cities with 75 kids aged three to five. Four of the yards got the forest treatment: about a tennis court worth of soil and grass laid over the gravel, plus planters and peat blocks the kids could dig and climb on. Three others stuck with their normal gravel yards. The last three were daycares where the kids were already visiting real forests every day.

After one month, the variety of bacteria living on the kids’ skin shot up, and the kind that helps train the skin’s immune defenses jumped the most. Their gut bacteria started to look like the gut bacteria of the forest-visiting kids. Their blood showed more of the immune cells whose job is to keep the body from freaking out at harmless stuff like pollen and peanuts, and overall inflammation dropped. The kids on the plain gravel yards showed none of this.

Childhood asthma in the US doubled between 1980 and 1995. Food allergies in kids jumped 50 percent between 1997 and 2011, then jumped another 50 percent between 2007 and 2021. And peanut allergies in one-year-olds tripled between 2001 and 2017.

The Finnish researchers think one of the reasons is simple: kids today don’t get dirty enough. 37 percent of American preschoolers now spend an hour or less outside on a normal weekday. Their immune systems are getting trained in environments stripped of the bacteria humans have always lived around.

Aki Sinkkonen, who led the study, put it in plain words: “It would be best if children could play in puddles and everyone could dig organic soil.” The Finnish government is now helping pay for daycares across the country to make the same changes.

from Mike Sando, My favorite offseason move by every NFL team: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7309904/2026/05/27/nfl-offseason-draft-free-agency-2026/?source=athletic_targeted_email&source=athletic_targeted_email&campaign=18078211&userId=603890

Los Angeles Rams
Acquiring cornerback Trent McDuffie from the Chiefs

The Rams had to fix their cornerback problem while Matthew Stafford remained in MVP form, which meant it had to be done as soon as possible. The team correctly determined that the top cornerback in the draft, Mansoor Delane, would not be available to the Rams with the 13th pick in the first round.

And so McDuffie became the Rams’ target. Unlike some other players available by trade, McDuffie did not wear out his former team. The Chiefs would have loved to keep him on their roster. They simply decided they were not going to pay him what he commanded from the Rams, given their other commitments.

from https://theramswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/rams/2026/05/26/matthew-stafford-led-nfl-in-these-defensive-coverage-schemes-in-2025/90261240007/?taid=6a15c40b804c350001606370&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=trueanthem&utm_source=twitter

…according to Pro Football Focus, Stafford led the league in PFF passing grade against Cover 3 and Cover 6 in 2025. Stafford had a 91.3 passing grade vs. Cover 3 (zone defense with three defensive backs) and a 91.6 grade against Cover 6 (two safeties plus four defenders underneath in zone).

More than one-third of Stafford’s dropbacks came versus Cover 3 looks last season. Stafford became just the second quarterback over the past decade to surpass 2,000 passing yards against Cover 3 in a single season, joining Jared Goff, who accomplished the feat three separate times — including once under Sean McVay with the Rams.

Having three defenders deep did little to slow Stafford’s aggressiveness. His 19 big-time throws against Cover 3 led the NFL, with no other quarterback exceeding 13.

Stafford was especially effective attacking in-breaking routes. He completed 18 of 21 passes on “In” routes against Cover 3 for a league-leading 304 yards, with Puka Nacua accounting for most of that production.

… Matthew Stafford claims the top spot against Cover 6. He averaged 10.9 yards per attempt and posted a 116.9 passer rating against the coverage, both marks ranking second in the NFL. Stafford also led the league in big-time throw rate versus Cover 6 (12.3%).

The full details of Matthew Stafford's contract have been reported by Albert Breer, laying out what's a pretty straightforward deal for the Rams QB https://t.co/MWVByx0NKs

— Cameron DaSilva (@camdasilva) May 26, 2026

Rams gave less guaranteed money to UDFAs than any NFL team
The Rams didn’t prioritize their undrafted rookie class very much, paying out only $77,500 in guaranteed money

Cameron DaSilva

https://theramswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/rams/2026/05/25/rams-undrafted-free-agents-rookies-2026-contracts/90216813007/?taid=6a145e335d59c2000166fd2b&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=trueanthem&utm_source=twitter

It’s not going to be easy for rookies to make the Los Angeles Rams’ 53-man roster this year. They returned many of the same players from last year’s team, while also adding standout defenders such as Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson to upgrade the cornerback group.

As a result, the Rams kept their draft class small, only selecting five players in total. They did sign 18 undrafted rookies but they’ll face an uphill climb this summer, too, especially after seeing the minimal guaranteed money they got.

Spotrac released contract details for the Rams’ undrafted rookies and only five of them got a signing bonus. Combined, their 18 undrafted free agents received only $77,500 guaranteed at signing, the least of any team in the NFL this year. The next-closest team is the Steelers at $80,000 in guarantees, and they only signed eight undrafted rookies.

Every other team paid out at least $125,000 in guarantees to their undrafted rookies. The Chiefs led the NFL with $3.1 million in guaranteed money paid out to undrafted free agents, having signed 22 players after the 2026 draft. The Chargers’ $244,000 in signing bonuses led the NFL in that department. The Rams’ $77,500 in signing bonuses was the sixth-lowest.

What does this mean? That the Rams aren’t committing strongly to any undrafted rookies. Syracuse tight end Dan Villari leads the Rams’ undrafted rookies with a $45,000 signing bonus, so he accounts for more than half of their team total. But as a tight end in a deep position group, he’s still unlikely to make the team.

from Bucky Brooks, Top five tight end groups in the NFL: https://www.nfl.com/news/top-five-tight-end-groups-in-the-nfl-which-teams-are-most-loaded-at-a-hot-position-heading-into-2026

…

…the Rams’ clever utilization of multiple tight end formations, particularly with three tight ends on the field, seemed to blow the minds of defensive coordinators. The unique personnel grouping poses several problems for defenses due to the “heavy” look. It can force opponents to keep their base defensive personnel on the field against a diverse collection of blockers and playmakers. Additionally, head coach Sean McVay can deploy a few traditional and overload formations that create extra gaps at the line of scrimmage, opening up the running game when defenders do not properly align or fill their assigned gaps at the point of attack. With personnel and formation diversity creating mismatches against lumbering linebackers or undersized defensive backs who struggle to handle the unit’s size, strength or speed, the Rams were able to dictate the terms of the game with their three-TE package.
…

Rank 1
Los Angeles Rams

The Rams’ collection of tight ends lacks star power, but the group’s diverse skill sets and complementary games make it nearly impossible to defend the 12 and 13 packages Sean McVay features on the call sheet. The offensive wizard shook up the football world with his clever use of multi-tight-end sets, sparking a revolution that has defensive coordinators burning the midnight oil as they craft game plans to stop the Rams’ big-bodied passing game.

Colby Parkinson (6-foot-7, 266 pounds), Tyler Higbee (6-6, 253), Terrance Ferguson (6-5, 252) and Davis Allen (6-6, 253) combined for 103 catches, 1,128 yards, and 17 touchdowns while creating and exploiting mismatches all over the field. Throw in second-round pick Max Klare (6-4, 246) and it’s clear few defenses possess the linebackers and safeties to properly match up with the Rams’ supersized tight ends. With McVay presumably spending the offseason crafting unique play designs from heavy formations, this deep and talented tight end corps will continue to create problems in 2026.

from Nate Tice, NFL’s most improved position groups: https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/article/nfls-most-improved-position-groups-that-can-swing-the-season-from-rams-cbs-to-patriots-pass-catchers-and-more-004822724.html

…

Rams cornerbacks

Chris Shula’s defense can maximize oddball personnel

The Rams sent their 2026 first-round draft pick for Trent McDuffie and then double dipped on former Chiefs cornerbacks when they signed Jaylen Watson in free agency. Los Angeles has made the most out of its oddball personnel under defensive coordinator Chris Shula, constantly blitzing and dropping defenders, moving players before and after the snap, and inverting roles in an attempt to confuse quarterbacks.

Shula’s Rams blitz at a healthy clip, majoring in zone blitzes that attempt to trap the quarterback into making a bad decision after getting heated up. They also use simulated and creeper pressures at a high rate — defensive calls that “blitz” an off-ball defender but still using only four pass rushers because of another defender dropping from the line of scrimmage. With the constant switching of roles between cornerbacks, safeties and front-seven players, versatility and intelligence can be attributes just as valuable as size, speed and athleticism.

As well as cornerbacks have played under Shula, getting the most out of Day 3 selections like Cobie Durant and retreads like Emmanuel Forbes Jr. points to strong coaching and game-planning that maximized those players.

The issue that the Rams ran into last season was when they lost the straight talent battle against the league’s better wide receivers. Or “out-blue chipped” as my colleague Charles McDonald likes to say.

Where Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson fit into Rams’ scheme

This is where McDuffie and Watson come in. Not only are both talent upgrades, but McDuffie has All-Pro ability when playing in the slot and on the outside. And both have experience playing in a defense that likes to blitz and throw a lot of funk at quarterbacks and offensive lines under Steve Spagnuolo in Kansas City. The Chiefs and Rams both have similar rates of split coverage (i.e. running two different concepts on each side) over the past two seasons, with a similar rate of Cover 2, a common coverage call behind inverted or simulated looks to make quarterbacks think they’re getting heated up before catching them with a “softer” coverage look.

The Rams led the NFL in using dime personnel (six defensive backs) with 32.4% of their defensive snaps in 2025, the highest rate by an NFL defense since 2020. Three Rams defensive backs, Quentin Lake, Josh Wallace and Jaylen McCollough, played more than 100 snaps in the slot, and that’s not even including the 89% slot snap rate that midseason acquisition Roger McCreary posted. McDuffie will start on the outside opposite of Watson, but Forbes is still on the roster, and McDuffie can kick inside and be used wherever Shula wants him to make the most impact on the play. It’s not only a scheme and role fit, it’s a gigantic talent upgrade. And Watson is no slouch himself on the outside; he rates as a slightly better than league average cornerback by both eye test and advanced metrics.

The Rams currently sit as Super Bowl favorites. Their offense is going to lead the charge if Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford want to add another ring onto their fingers (and at SoFi Stadium again, funnily enough). But shoring up their defense was paramount if they want to overcome the Seahawks and other new challengers in the NFC. McDuffie is much more talented than just a stopgap option (which is reflected with his shiny new contract), but it’s as clean of a fit as a team could want when looking outward to upgrade their roster. The Rams just happened to want to do it twice.

LAFB Network@LAFBNetwork
Kyren Williams: 4th-most missed tackles forced over the last 2 seasons (145).

PFF@PFF
Most Big Time Throws in 2025:

58 – Matthew Stafford
57 –
56 –
55 –
54 –
53 –
52 –
51 –
50 –
49 –
48 –
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46 –
45 –
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40 –
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37 – Caleb Williams
36 –
35 – Bo Nix
34 – Sam Darnold
33 –
32 – Drake Maye
31 – Dak Prescott
30 – Jordan Love, Trevor Lawrence