Happy 38th birthday to @JustinTuck!

He played a HUGE role in the @Giants’ last two Super Bowl wins with four total sacks on Tom Brady in #SBXLII & #SBXLVI. pic.twitter.com/K8hNgrACol

— NFL Throwback (@nflthrowback) March 29, 2021

Fox News makes roughly $1.6 billion a year, about half of its revenue, from 66 million American pay TV customers who seldom/never watch the network. Why should they subsidize a torrent of lies, right wing propaganda, and wailing about Dr. Seuss? My latest: https://t.co/0rb9BKib92

— Patrick Hruby Presented By YOUR BRAND HERE (@patrick_hruby) March 7, 2021

Proposal for 17-game regular season includes three preseason games

* https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2021/03/29/proposal-for-17-game-regular-season-includes-three-preseason-games/

NFL owners will vote on approving a 17-game regular season schedule for the 2021 season at this week’s league meetings and there’s little suspense over which way that vote will go.

Ever since the league secured the right to expand the regular season, it has been a matter of when rather than if the league would choose to add another week of games to the slate. The league’s new TV deals were negotiated to include a Week 18 doubleheader on ESPN, which joins Steelers president Art Rooney II’s comments from last week as evidence of where the league is going.

The size of the preseason was less certain. A reduction from four games was coming because the Collective Bargaining Agreement only allows for 20 games between the regular season and playoffs. There was question if the league would go to two or three preseason games, but it has now been answered.

Rooney said last week that they’d be playing three games and Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports that the resolution that owners will vote on includes a provision for three preseason contests.

Albert Breer of SI.com reports those games will be scheduled so that there are no games in the week before final cuts and Labor Day, which is a departure from past years when teams have wrapped up the exhibition season a couple of days before making cuts.

The NFL is moving forward with a 17-game regular-season schedule in 2021. If the plan is finalized, the #Ravens will play the Rams in the extra game based on the formula set by the league.#RavensFlock https://t.co/ma7Sgwc96c via @toddkarpovich

— Todd Karpovich (@toddkarpovich) March 29, 2021

WATCH: the moment a hero dog stops traffic to save his owner. 🐶https://t.co/iuw7S3koFo #7NEWS pic.twitter.com/s3HAojw7hm

— 7NEWS Perth (@7NewsPerth) March 26, 2021

2018 NFL Draft: Coleman Shelton Scouting Report

* https://withthefirstpick.com/2018/03/27/2018-nfl-draft-coleman-shelton-scouting-report/

Washington’s Coleman Shelton is an athletic 2018 NFL Draft center prospect with starter potential.

Shelton heads into the 2018 NFL Draft having gained a ton of experience at Washington. He has done a good job when facing top-level competition and performed in high-pressure situations. Shelton has the potential to develop into a starter at the next level, but may need some time.

He features a solid frame for the position with a thick build and long arms. Shelton’s best attribute is his overall athleticism and movement skills. He is someone who can work in the screen game, block on the edges and reach the second level.

His balance and measured approach when in space helps him avoid missing blocks.

Shelton’s quickness out of his stance gives him the ability to seal defenders from the play. However, his lack of strength is a cause for concern. He is able to gain inside hands, but lacks the power to latch and control the action.

This allows the defender to easily disengage and work his way to the ball carrier. Shelton’s inability to press the defender off his frame results in him getting pushed back into the pocket.

His lack of power also limits his ability to generate a push off the line of scrimmage. He’s more of a finesse blocker who uses angles and does his best work on the move. However, Shelton can become a more versatile player by putting more time in the weight room.

Look for an NFL strength coach to focus on improving Shelton’s upper body strength. This will be key for his ability to potentially crack the starting lineup.

The lack of strength also shows up in the passing game where Shelton can be overwhelmed by powerful defenders. However, he does have the foot speed and balance to mirror the rush and protect the gaps.

Overall, Shelton has the potential to be a starter in the NFL. The key will be for him to add strength and become a more physical player. Until he’s able to improve this part of his game he is likely to spend time on the bench.

ALL animals DESERVE a 2nd chance💕.

The Wheel Chair Gang Having Fun (BETTER with sound up LOUD😃).

Whenever ANYONE says that disabled animals cannot have a good life just show them this beautiful video clip.

Thanks to Michael Baines and his team at @TMTRDorg 🙏. pic.twitter.com/rqadDPeTut

— Disabled Animals (@DisabledAnimals) March 25, 2021

from https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/ranking-2021-quarterback-moves-colts-rams-got-best-value-in-blockbuster-trades-bears-texans-fumbled-badly/

1. Rams trade for Matthew Stafford
Cost: QB Jared Goff, 2022 first-rounder, 2023 first-rounder, 2021 third-rounder
Contract: 2 years, $47.4 million ($10 million guaranteed)

The Rams easily gave up the most for their new QB, at least in terms of combined draft assets and salary cap space, but the fact is Stafford is also the safest upgrade of the entire bunch. L.A. fans should note that he was rarely consistently special in Detroit, but he’ll also be working with his best supporting cast in a while, if not ever. They should be playoff contenders while he’s around, so the first-rounders they’re losing shouldn’t be franchise-crippling losses. Best of all, the floor for their QB output has been raised so much just by swapping Stafford in for Goff. This was a totally acceptable gamble for a team on the brink.

Someone seems excited to be catching passes from Matthew Stafford.

Lord, if you're listening — grant this man some health this season. pic.twitter.com/3kE5FOJGpF

— Sosa K (@QBsMVP) March 26, 2021

Rams All Under-25 team: David Edwards

https://www.si.com/nfl/rams/news/la-rams-25-and-under-david-edwards

In this series we take a look at 14 players for the Los Angeles Rams 25 years old or younger and who could be considered foundational or impact players.

Player: OL David Edwards

Age: 24

The skinny: Selected in the fifth round of the 2019 draft by the Rams out of Wisconsin, Edwards replaced Joe Noteboom in the starting lineup at left guard in Week 2 against Philadelphia after a calf injury to the TCU product and never gave up the starting job. Edwards drew rave reviews from head coach Sean McVay and then offensive line coach Aaron Kromer for his sturdy play up front. Edwards started 14 games, playing a total of 977 offensive snaps during the regular season and another 25 in postseason play.

Reason for optimism: At 6-6 and 310 pounds, Edwards can play both guard and tackle. A former high school quarterback who transitioned from tight end to offensive line in college, Edwards was solid in pass protection and run blocking last season. According to Pro Football Focus, Edwards ranked No. 17 out of 80 guards evaluated last season, allowing three sacks. “He’s got a great demeanor about himself,” McVay said about Edwards. “This guy understands football. I think it really came natural to him. You could see he’s been trained the right way, going back to his college days. And the versatility I think has been really impressive. He got a lot of experience playing on the right and the left side last year (in 2019). When we brought him in, he was playing all over the place, but I think he’s really settled in. I think left guard is his most natural spot.”

Reason for concern: Edwards suffered an ankle injury in the NFC Wild Card game against the Seattle Seahawks and did not play the following week against the Green Bay Packers. Bobby Evans started at left guard in his place. So, how Edwards heals up and returns to the field during the offseason will be something to watch. Also, the Rams have a new offensive line coach in Kevin Carberry. And he could see Edwards differently in how he fits up front with the rest of the offensive line group. But Edwards proved he can play winning football in the NFL, and he still has two years left on his rookie deal.

And of course, we can’t forget this scene for Hard Knocks last year.

Zooey wrote:

Part of Goff’s erratic play was making poor reads

I don’t buy that. I don’t even buy that his play was “erratic,” depending of course on what people mean. He did not have a season like Carson Wentz. They went 10-6 with him and won a playoff game and the offense was not what lost the game to Green Bay. He was ranked high in the league converting 3rd downs and ranked high in the redzone. He was also good against the blitz (better than Stafford actually). There were games in 2020 where they could not run the ball so they put it on him (Tampa and then the first Arizona game, and in those games he threw the ball 88 times…they won those games by passing alone).

He had 4 bad games in 2020 and in all 4 games the OL got dominated. Yet he also came through in some games where the OL got dominated (2nd half of the Jets game, the Green Bay game). To me Goff’s biggest flaw is that he presses when the offense is getting beat up. Instead of taking the sack, or running with the ball, or throwing it away, or sliding when he did run, or getting out of bounds, he presses to make plays and to compensate for things falling apart around him. As often as not it’s the wrong thing to do.

I think a lot of the criticism of his play in 2020 was hyperbolic.

I also don’t think he was playing to his full potential in 2020 but then this was a qb whose head coach was F-ing with his confidence. McV was getting to the point where he was being disdainful in public about Goff. That’s toxic coaching. I can’t think of too many situations where a qb does play to his full potential when the disconnect between qb and coach is that big.

I think anyone who reads the Thiry article and concludes the issue is Goff only read half the article. Because the article as a whole does not support that conclusion. You don’t have a 67% completion rate and a qb rating in the 90s if you can’t read defenses.