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znModeratorGot tested Monday got the results Weds. I got the COVID. Pretty mild symptoms so far. I think seeing Staley and now Barry leave makes me feel worse than the virus has.
Best wishes ER, and keep us informed.
znModeratorRams Brothers@RamsBrothers
Do you realize we live in a world where the Rams make the playoffs 3 of 4 seasons, draft starters in later rounds, can properly manage the cap, and are mass-producing coaches like it’s a regular thing?Cameron DaSilva@camdasilva
Someone on IG Live told John Johnson to sign a 2-year, $20 million deal with the Rams.“You sleep, bruh. I know my worth.”
He’s getting more than that, I can guarantee it.
znModeratorDr. Anthony Fauci is unloading months of frustration and I’m so happy for him. Truth bombs… pic.twitter.com/G4dvsMutAU
— Rex Chapman🏇🏼 (@RexChapman) January 21, 2021
znModeratorone question i do have is how his system fits the current players. it worries me a little. i hope he has the ability to adapt.
I think he switches up to a 4/3 in which case instead of needing an edge rusher, Rams need a true right DE. If they do go to the 4/3, they have plenty of candidates for both DT spots and right DE. Just need the pass-rushing right DE, Quinn’s old spot.
…
znModeratorA dozen years have taught Falcons’ Raheem Morris perception is everything
Dan Pompei Oct 13, 2020
https://theathletic.com/2001776/2020/10/13/falcons-raheem-morris-coach-perception-is-everything/
Raheem Morris was 32 years old.
He had dinner plans for the night of Jan. 16, 2009, with defensive back Ronde Barber.
The Bucs had just finished a 9-7 season, Jon Gruden’s seventh as their head coach. They had missed the playoffs and had not won a postseason game since Super Bowl XXXVII six years earlier.
Barber called Morris. No answer.
Texted. Nothing.
Called again. Voicemail.
At 9 p.m., Barber still had not heard anything.
Morris had been the Bucs’ defensive backs coach for the last two years. Before that, he spent one year as the defensive coordinator at Kansas State. The previous four years, he was a lower-level defensive assistant for the Bucs.
On Christmas 2008, the Bucs announced Morris was being named defensive coordinator. It was a thrilling promotion for him.
Then the Broncos called. They wanted to interview Morris to be their head coach.
Morris was stunned.
After the interview, the Broncos told him not to be surprised if they offered him the job.
Morris was waiting to hear from the Broncos on the afternoon of Jan. 16 when he headed to the barber shop for his weekly cut. While he was in the chair, his phone rang. But it wasn’t the Broncos. It was Bucs general manager Bruce Allen, asking to meet with him and team owners Joel, Ed and Bryan Glazer in their offices at the team facility.
Morris wasn’t even sure where the offices were. He figured they wanted to hear about his plans for the defense.
He was wrong.
They were firing Gruden, and they wanted him to be the head coach of the Bucs.
Barber ate alone that night.
Raheem Morris is 44 years old.
He is taking over as the interim head coach of the winless Atlanta Falcons, even though the defense he has led since the offseason has been mostly awful, allowing the second-most yards per game in the NFL.
Morris wasn’t promoted because of what he did on defense. The Falcons chose him in part because he has been a head coach before, because he has experience on offense and defense and because he connects with people so well, according to Falcons president Rich McKay.
Morris has not been the target of a head coaching search since January 2009.
A lot has happened in his life since.
Raheem Morris was 32 years old.
It was easy to see his promise.
Two weeks after Kyle Shanahan joined the Bucs in 2004, he called his father, Mike, then head coach of the Broncos. “Do whatever you can do to hire this Mike Tomlin guy,” he told him. “But if you can’t get him, you have to get his assistant, Raheem Morris. They both will be head coaches eventually.”
Tomlin found Morris different from almost everyone. “He was an unbelievably quick learner in just about all circumstances,” he says. “He had unbelievable retention skills and an ability to relate and instruct. The rate in which he learned was shocking.”
Whatever “it” was, Morris had it, and it was apparent to anyone around him.
They called him “Ra,” like the ancient Egyptian sun god.
Radiant energy flowed from him and through the Bucs organization, from punter to president, from equipment room to draft room.
“When you got in a room with him, you realized how magnetic he is,” Barber says. “The Glazers loved Ra. The players loved him. Everybody did.”
Morris related easily to his players, in part because they shared a generational bond. His background was similar to that of a number of the young men he was coaching.
Irvington, N.J., where Morris grew up, was famous mostly for violent crime and crack cocaine.
Until he was in third grade, Morris lived with his grandmother Lillian Morris, who overcame much as an African American woman and became a teacher and homeowner. Raheem learned from watching her, and he learned from watching his father, Kenny Vaughn.
For a time, Vaughn worked two full-time jobs and one part-time job, 20 hours a day, six days a week. He fixed buses, worked as a distributor at a pharmaceutical company and drove a delivery truck.
“I saw him as a zombie for about four or five years,” Raheem says.
Vaughn eventually went to night school so he could get one job that paid the bills. Then Morris and his mother moved in with him. “When you are the head of the household, you have to take care of your kids,” Vaughn says. “You have to take care of your family. Raheem didn’t ask me to come here. I had the pleasure of having him.”
As a freshman at Irvington High School, Morris was given a C in English. It was unacceptable to his father, who subsequently forbade his son from playing sports.
Morris got his grades in line and became a standout football and basketball player who earned a football scholarship to Hofstra.
“It was definitely the right decision by my dad to hold me out and not accept the low standard,” Morris says. “It changed the culture for our family.”
It set him on a path to become the head coach of the Bucs.
What he didn’t know is the Bucs were not his destination, just a means to get where he was supposed to be.
Raheem Morris is 44 years old.
It is easy to see his promise.
Morris had been the assistant head coach to Dan Quinn in Atlanta prior to Quinn’s dismissal, and Quinn leaned on him for quite a bit. “You need somebody behind you who can give you the real facts,” Quinn said before being fired. “‘I know you may not have seen this, but you need to know this.’ He’s always been able to deliver those messages to me. ‘You better have a conversation with so and so. You should consider this.’”
Quinn has known Morris for 24 years, since Quinn was an assistant coach at Hofstra and Morris was a safety. He always has appreciated Morris’ ability to know when something is off and then communicate directly about it.
When Morris was hired as Washington’s defensive backs coach after being fired by Tampa Bay, cornerback DeAngelo Hall was an entitled veteran, reputed to be difficult. Hall, in fact, was trying to leverage Washington into trading him.
“I was a little bit of a malcontent and an asshole without a doubt,” says Hall, who was recently hired as Washington’s radio analyst. “I’d be the first to admit it. If Ra could handle a dude like me, he could handle anybody.”
Morris challenged Hall to practice harder and be an example to teammates. Hall complained about head coach Mike Shanahan, expecting Morris to act as a go-between. Morris told him to take his problem to Shanahan and handle it like a man.
“It was his ability to be real and not sugarcoat it,” Hall says. “Having a coach kick it to me straight was the turning point for me.”
Morris always had a knack for connecting with players, and his time in Atlanta has enhanced it.
“What Dan taught me the most was finding a way to reach everybody through different means,” Morris says. “He lets the players form a standard. It is player-led. It’s their ideas. That makes them more accountable. He’s devoted to player development, using resources from other sports and walks of life. It’s not just Dan. I have to give credit to the organization, (former general manager) Thomas Dimitroff, (owner) Arthur Blank.”
Raheem Morris was 32 years old.
When he walked into the lobby of One Buc Place as a head coach for the first time, he passed a statue of Gruden celebrating a Super Bowl victory.
Following Gruden would not be easy.
It would not be easy because of what Gruden meant to the organization and the city, and it also would not be easy because of what Gruden meant to him.
Gruden gave Morris his first NFL job, mentored him and promoted him. Then he gave him his blessing to replace him.
“Take it and run with it,” he texted Morris.
He would try, but it was going to be a mud run.
Upper management was going to have a say in Morris’ coaching staff. Morris was told the Bucs were getting rid of assistants who were Gruden guys but retaining some of the others.
Morris was told, “We’ll get two older coordinators who can help you win. You can oversee it.”
In conjunction with general manager Mark Dominik and the Glazers, Morris hired Jeff Jagodzinski to be his offensive coordinator and Jim Bates to be his defensive coordinator.
By the third preseason game, it became apparent to Morris that Jagodzinski, the former head coach at Boston College, did not prepare players as Morris wanted. Before the fourth preseason game, Morris fired Jagodzinski and replaced him with quarterbacks coach Greg Olson.
Bates, who had been an NFL defensive coordinator for eight years, changed the defensive system for which the Bucs were known. But he didn’t have the players to make his two-gap defense work. Ten games into the season, Morris took over defensive coordinator duties and went back to a Tampa-2-style defense.
“I didn’t have enough knowledge of what Bates needed to get it done the right way,” Morris says. “I felt like I failed him. With Jagodzinski, I felt we failed each other with a lack of preparation. I take the bullet for both of those guys.”
Morris knows he should have insisted on hiring different coordinators. But the second-youngest head coach in modern NFL history had not yet earned the right to be bold with his superiors.
He also acknowledges that he should have pushed back when upper management wanted to purge veterans before his first season. Linebacker Derrick Brooks, running back Warrick Dunn, wide receiver Joey Galloway, quarterback Jeff Garcia and defensive lineman Kevin Carter were all pushed out.
Morris called each player and told him he would not be back. “It was the most hurtful thing I’ve ever done in my coaching career,” he says. “All those guys, though they may not have had five or 10 years left, I should have been able to get the most out of them for the following year at least. They were really good character guys and had played a long time. It would have been really helpful for the young guys to have them around.”
The Bucs’ philosophy in 2009 was to go young.
Or cheap.
“Probably one of my biggest mistakes as a head coach was going that young that early,” he says. “I didn’t value, or our program didn’t value, how experienced players could have helped to groom guys.”
In Morris’ first season, the Bucs didn’t win a game until their eighth try. They finished 3-13.
Morris frequently dined with Rays manager Joe Maddon. During an offseason meal at 717 South before Morris’ second season as head coach, Maddon wanted to know more about a football season.
Maddon: “What’s important in your sport?”
Morris: “You want to get to 10 wins quickly, to win the race to 10.”
Maddon: “I like that. You should tell your players that.”
Morris told his team, and the media, that the Bucs were in a “race to 10.” The Bucs ended up winning 10 games but finished third in the NFC South and out of the playoffs.
His performance that season was not unrecognized. He finished second to Bill Belichick in the voting for coach of the year. The Glazers extended his contract.
The next season, he had the youngest team in the NFL. He said his team was “youngry.” In addition to being youngry, the Bucs also were volatile, with many challenging personalities. Among them were Winslow, Freeman, defensive linemen Michael Bennett and Albert Haynesworth, wide receiver Mike Williams, running back LeGarrette Blount, safety Tanard Jackson and cornerback Aqib Talib.
Barber and other veterans had “quasi-interventions” with Morris about how to handle issues those players created. “For a young coach trying to deal with a bunch of, I’ll say impressive personalities, it wasn’t easy,” Barber says.
The Bucs were not equipped to handle adversity.
They began the 2011 season with a 3-1 record, but wiped out and skidded off-road in a loss to the Bears in London.
“The problem with us,” Morris said after the game, “is we’re too young.”
The Bucs finished 4-12 and gave up more points than any team in the league.
After Morris walked off the field following a 45-24 loss to the Falcons on New Year’s Day, his act as Bucs coach faded to black.
Raheem Morris is 44 years old.
He realizes how a football organization should work in a way no 32-year-old could.
Some of that can be traced to Mike Shanahan, who hired him in Washington in 2013.
At 35, Shanahan was named head coach of the Raiders, replacing Tom Flores. Two years later, he was fired. He then served as a position coach in Denver, later becoming the offensive coordinator for the Broncos and 49ers before getting another chance to be a head coach.
He understands Morris.
“I told him I wanted him to have a learning experience like I had after my first head coaching job,” Shanahan says.
Shanahan showed him how to take command of an organization, and how to change his focus from portrait to panorama.
He talked to him about building a staff and which qualities are most important in player evaluations. He went into detail about the differences between gathering information on pro personnel and college personnel. He showed him how to set up a draft. He emphasized the importance of being able to communicate precisely what he wanted in players at each position.
Shanahan’s actions, as well as his words, stuck with Morris. “His ability to lock in and watch something over and over and over and over until he got it was one of the biggest takeaways I took from him,” Morris says. “He kind of had that Kobe Bryant mentality of he’s not gonna leave the gym until he has an answer.”
Raheem Morris was 32 years old.
He already had a Ph.D. in defense. At Hofstra, he was coached by Joe Gardi, the defensive coordinator for the Jets and the “New York Sack Exchange” in the early 1980s.
Morris later became an assistant for Gardi. That’s when Jets coach Herm Edwards noticed him during a Hofstra practice in the Jets’ practice bubble. Edwards offered him a minority internship, and Morris learned how the NFL plays defense in Jets camp.
Edwards then recommended Morris to Bucs defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, who hired him. He learned every day from Kiffin, defensive line coach Rod Marinelli and secondary coach Tomlin, especially Tomlin.
In each of his first five seasons in the league, the Bucs finished in the top five in defense and were No. 1 twice.
Kiffin’s Tampa-2 defense became Morris’ foundation, but he built on it in unpredictable ways. For instance, on one coverage, he made defensive backs interchangeable so the quarterback couldn’t be sure which player had which responsibility.
“He likes to take his players, see what they are capable of, and make something new out of what has been around forever,” Barber says. “He’s not scared to take those chances and invent something because he thinks his players can do it.”
Raheem Morris is 44 years old.
Morris has something few head coaching candidates have — expertise on offense and defense.
When Washington drafted Robert Griffin III in 2012, Mike Shanahan held a series of meetings with his offensive coaches to explore ways to use him. He invited Morris to those meetings, too.
Shanahan encouraged the coaches to spend time with one another because having knowledge about the opposite phase gave all of them advantages. Among the other young coaches on the staff Morris was drawn to were Kyle Shanahan, Matt LaFleur and Sean McVay.
“We would sit around and argue football 24/7,” Morris says. “It gave me a better understanding of what we want to do and how to do it on offense. It was a great learning experience.”
Morris went to Atlanta in 2015 as the assistant head coach in charge of defensive backs. The following year, Quinn had to hire a wide receivers coach. Quinn and Kyle Shanahan, who was the offensive coordinator, asked Morris to help them vet candidates.
When Morris was walking through a mall, a thought came to him. “Right now, we don’t need a great receivers coach,” he thought. “We need a great communicator who Kyle Shanahan respects. We should just hire the best coach, regardless of position.”
He shared his thought with Quinn, never suggesting he take the position himself. After some deliberation, Quinn called Kyle Shanahan to see what he thought about Morris coaching wide receivers.
“Honestly, Dan,” Shanahan told him, “that’s an unbelievable idea. Raheem would be perfect.”
Morris was the new wide receivers coach — except he didn’t know anything about the position.
There was so much to learn.
How does a wide receiver win at the line of scrimmage?
Which routes go with which routes?
How does each play time up?
What is the quarterback’s progression on each play?
What’s most important versus man coverage?
What’s most important versus zone coverage?
Which traits are most important to the Falcons’ scheme?
He had question after question for outgoing wide receivers coach Terry Robiskie, then-quarterbacks coach Matt LaFleur and offensive assistants Mike LaFleur and Mike McDaniel.
When Kyle Shanahan joined the Falcons in 2015, he taught the offense to quarterback Matt Ryan in detail. The meetings were videotaped. Morris studied the videotapes. Then he went back to Shanahan with questions.
“I’d be like, ‘Dude, where are you getting this stuff?’” Shanahan says. “He’d say, ‘I got your teaching tapes and watched them at night.’”
Tomlin believes Morris has separated himself because of his attitude about learning. “He has redeveloped himself as an offensive coach,” Tomlin says. “Over the course of his career he’s displayed the ability to learn in great detail the 22-man perspective on the game… Everybody can’t switch hit, and he does it very fluently.”
Once Morris started coaching Julio Jones and company, he coached them like they had never been coached, teaching them from the standpoint of how a defensive player or coach would try to contain them.
“He had a huge impact on what we did on that 2016 offense even though his No. 1 skill set was as a defensive coordinator,” Kyle Shanahan says.
When Kyle Shanahan left the Falcons to become the head coach of the 49ers after the 2016 season, he told his father the first coach he wanted to hire was Morris. He could have been his defensive coordinator, his assistant head coach or even his offensive coordinator.
Kyle Shanahan asked Quinn if he would let Morris go, but before he finished his question, he got his answer.
Don’t even think about it.
Raheem Morris was 32 years old.
Two of his players, Barber and punter Dirk Johnson, were older than he was.
He looked more like a player than a coach. He listened to the same music his players did and talked trash as if he were one of them.
Like many of them, he was single. After work, he often headed to 717 South. Salmon is his favorite, and restaurateur Michael Stewart made it like no one else. Some of his players usually were in the house, so they ate together and hung together.
People noticed. It was hard not to. Morris’ personality drew eyes like blinking neon. “He was the life of every party,” Barber says.
“The microscope was on all of us,” Morris says. “If you are caught having dinner with Josh Freeman or Cadillac (Williams), I didn’t see it as a bad thing, instead of me eating by myself. I don’t think I tried to escape the players. My idea of coaching was communication, feedback, being a part of them, getting them to play hard for me. I probably did that the wrong way.”
Raheem Morris is 44 years old.
He used to be able to hold his own on the court with his Bucs players. He could drive to the hoop, and at 5-foot-11, dunk with ease.
He’s slower up the court after tearing a patella in a pickup game during his time in Washington. His game is about the set shot now.
Of course, he has aged in other ways, too.
In early 2012, Morris was trying to get over losing his job. Nicole Marie Moulton was trying to get over losing her father.
They met, bonded and helped one another through difficult times.
Two years later, Nicole became Mrs. Morris. Now, there is Maliya, 4, and Jalen, 1. Morris also has a daughter, Amaya, 10, from a previous relationship.
“Once you have children, you’re grounded,” says Vaughn, Morris’ father. “He’s a family man. He loves it. He has responsibilities like I had when I had him. It’s not just about you anymore. He grew up.”
Morris is more than a coach to Barber. “Family” is what Barber calls him. Amaya is his goddaughter. The Barbers and Morrises vacation together almost every summer on a horse ranch in Montana.
“Maturity-wise, I’ve seen him grow tenfold,” Barber says. “He doesn’t have to be the loudest and the guy who stays up all night and spends the most money at the bar. He’s grown out of that phase of his life. … Being married with three kids, he’s grown up a lot as an individual, and it’s probably reflected in his coaching.”
Kyle Shanahan says if he were an NFL owner, he’d hire Morris because he knows he would be one of the best head coaches in the NFL.
“Dude needs another chance,” Hall says. “He was a young, first-time head coach with a bad organization, didn’t wanna spend money. He deserves another shot.”
At the NFL quarterback coaching summit in June, 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh spoke of the difference between being ready for a job and being prepared. That resonated with Morris.
“When I became a head coach, I was ready, but I wasn’t prepared,” he says. “If you are prepared, you are strong enough to tell your owners, your general manager, why you need Derrick Brooks. Now I’m ready and prepared at the same time.”
Morris is a fully grown coach, a fully grown man, ripe to become what some saw in him 11 years ago.
His failures have served him well, gifting him with perseverance, perspective and patience.
“Who he was at 32,” Barber says, “is not who he is at 44.”
znModeratorMost games this season with 10 or fewer yards allowed in coverage:
🔒 Jalen Ramsey: 7
🔒 Jaire Alexander – 6
🔒 Kyler Fuller – 5 pic.twitter.com/HKCi7T4Alr— PFF (@PFF) January 20, 2021
znModerator“Let this eat at your soul, you hear me? Let’s work out, get better next year.”@YouTubeTV Mic'd up: @MichaelBrockers pic.twitter.com/Lgj5JKZEBY
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) January 20, 2021
znModeratorD’Marco Farr@DMarcoFarr1
3 days removed so now I can say good luck to the Packers. But…you got really lucky AD got hurt the week before. No guarantees in ball but I’m sure that’s a different game if he’s healthy.znModeratorJourdan Rodrigue@JourdanRodrigue
I’ll add that, strictly in my opinion, McVay’s frustration with his offense (including in himself) that was apparent throughout the season seemed to lean toward bringing DC who he has known for years and who has been a HC. McVay seems to want to throw himself into the offense.The bond between Morris and McVay is really strong. Have been on two staffs together as they were developing into current lives as HC/interim HCs, and basically did their football version of growing up together. Morris has coached a lot of different systems on both sides of LOS.
𝕋𝕠𝕞 – 𝕃𝔸 ℝ𝕒𝕞𝕤@TL_LARams
McVay and Goff’s OC/Pass Game Coordinator/QB coach by year:
2017 – LaFleur (OC) and Olson (QB)
2018 – Waldron (PGC) and Taylor (QB)
2019 – Waldron (PGC and QB)
2020 – O’Connell (OC) and Waldron (PGC)As you can see, there is no consistency in the coaching set up from year to year. It’s no surprise McVay blocked O’Connell from interviewing with the Chargers
znModeratorI don’t know what kind of system he will bring with him to the Rams.
It looks like it’s a 4/3. Unless he adapts. But then, coordinators most always bring their own systems, they don’t switch up to fit the team.
So if they got to a 4/3, they go from having no outside edge rusher to having no right DE.
…
znModeratorSo if the Rams hire Morris, Atlanta likely receives comp, right?
No Atlanta let him go. So he wasn’t their employee to lose.
znModeratorAlbert Breer@AlbertBreer
Sources: The Rams blocked OC Kevin O’Connell from interviewing for the same job with the Chargers. They really value O’Connell, and the job he did for them this year.Lines of communication remain open, so things could change. But that’s where the Rams stand now.
Jourdan Rodrigue@JourdanRodrigue
Brandon Staley wanted to interview Rams OC Kevin O’Connell for an OC job on his staff, but so far request has been denied by Rams, sources said (lateral move). Staley saw KOC as a guy who could help w/ Justin Herbert’s development and call plays; McVay does not want to lose him.znModeratorJourdan Rodrigue@JourdanRodrigue
I am told that former Falcons DC/interim head coach Raheem Morris is the top external candidate for the Rams DC job, and things could move quickly toward him this week – but the Rams have also been working through interview process with internal candidates as well.McVay and Morris have a ton of history and rapport together from a couple different staffs, FWIW. Falcons ran a 4-3 but everybody has to be multiple now or suffer, so don’t think we should see cement there. I’m more interested in what happens on back end and need LB answers too
Rams “base” (such an archaic term since everyone is in sub packages) anyway should always be: “Aaron Donald, then whatever gets Jalen Ramsey into the most action”…anybody got a good shorthand name for that?
znModeratorOriginally posted by Jack, moved by me
…
.
link https://theramswire.usatoday.com/2021/01/19/rams-raheem-morris-defensive-coordinator-target/
Rams targeting Raheem Morris as next defensive coordinator
Cameron DaSilva
January 19, 2021 1:36 pmA potential big hire for the #Rams, as Raheem Morris was the target in several other places. https://t.co/gvds9UVZOp
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 19, 2021
The Los Angeles Rams have identified their target to replace Brandon Staley as the team’s defensive coordinator. According to Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Rams are focusing on former Falcons interim head coach and defensive coordinator Raheem Morris.
Morris was Atlanta’s interim coach for the final 11 games of the season after Dan Quinn was fired, going 4-7 during that stretch. The Falcons’ defense got off to a terrible start by allowing at least 30 points in four of their first five games, but they turned things around a bit once Morris transitioned to interim coach.
Morris, 44, was head coach of the Buccaneers from 2009-2011, his first and only stint as a full-time head coach. Tampa Bay went 17-31 in that span and after Morris was fired, he joined Washington as the secondary coach from 2012-2014 – which is where he crossed paths with Sean McVay for a second time; they also worked on the same staff in Tampa Bay.
He also has experience on the offensive side of the ball, coaching Atlanta’s wide receivers from 2016-2019.
The Rams ranked first in scoring defense and yards allowed, so Morris will have some big shoes to fill if he does get the job.
znModerator“The mob was fed lies by the president and enabled by me.” pic.twitter.com/swanodNnMW
— Rex Chapman🏇🏼 (@RexChapman) January 19, 2021
January 19, 2021 at 10:38 am in reply to: Why I think the Center is significantly better than the right. #127034znModeratorWell I had a response based on body parts. One group is xxxxxxxx, the other group is xxxxxxx.
But it wasn’t an appropriate response.
But basically I think you’re right.
znModeratorRampage2K-
Kornhieser said it best about the Green Bay game with this simple statement about the Goff/McVay issues when he said “Goff wasn’t the Rams problem, Rodgers was…”
znModeratorCam Akers playoff rushing:
🐏 Rushing Grade – 84.8 (1st)
🐏 Yards after contact – 154 (1st)
🐏 First down runs – 13 (1st) pic.twitter.com/madJnfTEWv— PFF Fantasy Football (@PFF_Fantasy) January 19, 2021
znModeratorDeadpool
Offense:
QB:
Lets just dive into it. If there is a serious talk of an open competition, then there is a serious issue here. Note, I said IF. I have a feeling this is a signal for Goff to get his stuff together and fast. Because there is no way there is an open competition with Goff, Wolford and Perkins. Or a rookie somehow. I think Goff is safe for a season, but unless something dramatic changes, he could be jettisoned after next year.
Wolford – I like his off schedule ability, but I don’t think he is a longterm solution. And I don’t think he is Taysom Hill type. He just isn’t that big.
Perkins – Who knows what they have with him.
RB:
Akers could be special. He’s for sure a very capable lead back. I loved the pick, and I still love this kid.
Henderson – I hope he can stay healthy and be a capable backup. change of pace back, hasn’t shown it yet, but there are glimpses
Jones – if Brown goes, I like this kid as a 3rd back.
WR –
Kupp and Woods are obviously back. They are good, they fit the system and aren’t going anywhere.
Jefferson – He slides into that 3rd WR role, unless Reynolds comes back. But I doubt that happens. He’ll be just fine with a season under his belt. Rookie WRs usually take 3 years to hit their stride. He’ll be one year closer next year. No concerns.
Tryston Jackson – just a guy, probably a cap casualty.
Webster – saves 850k with no dead money, he’s gone if I’m in charge lol.
TE:
Higbee – Someone needs to figure out how to utilize him better with that contract of his. He has shown the ability to make an impact.
Hopkins – He’s the #2 next year unless Everett comes back on the cheap. He was my #1 ranked TE so I am excited to see him with a full offseason under his belt.
Thats it. Everett and Mundt are FAs. I think Mundt could come back. But TEs are available cheap in the draft and in FA. I want a guy that can block. From the FB spot as well as in-line. Let Higbee and Hopkins do the catching.
OL:
Whitworth is coming back for one more year? I think so, he’ll be fine. He’s a heck of a leader, heck of a locker room guy and a heck of a community guy.
Havs – He is fine, he would cost 3m in dead cap and save 5 million in cap space if cut, he could be a restructure? maybe. I doubt he is going anywhere unless they think Evans is ready to be a fulltime RT.
Edwards – He is starting at OG somewhere, I really like him and think his arrow is pointing up.
Corbett – He’s cheap at 1.5m, and the Rams would save all of that if they cut him with no dead money. I think he is upgradable, but if they bring him back, it won’t ruin my off season.
Allen – I’d cut him and save 920k, and put that money to good use. He is just not an answer to any OL question.
Noteboom – I just don’t know what to do with him. If he stays, he’d probably be a super sub, because he can be a OG or OT. But then what? He’ll be a FA after next season like Whit. Do you resign him? If cut, he’d save 920k. I think he is a super sub next year.
Evans – He is another super sub that can play inside and out and isn’t going anywhere. I like his upside.
Anchrum – a 6′-2″ college OT that isn’t long enough to be a OT, so do they view him as an OC? Either way, he is cheap depth.
As already noted, I think Blythe is gone. He just isn’t big enough or tough enough.
Defense:
DL:
AD – Greatest DL of all time – thats it.
Brockers – He is solid, and costs 5m in dead money and only saves 4.6m. I am almost certain he comes back. And thats a good thing.
Robinson – this one is tricky. He saves virtually nothing to cut him, a restructure won’t work. So he is back. And hopefully being healthy, we see a real run stuffing difference maker in there.
Gaines – cheap depth
Joseph-Day – under rated, super cheap depth and a solid rotational guy. Exactly what a good team with minimal cap space needs. He is safe.
As earlier noted, Fox is a FA, but should be a cheap re-sign. If not, move on. I’d like to keep him for the record, but won’t lose sleep if he’s gone.
EDGE:
Hollins – a mid season pickup that has a chance to really compete next year.
Okoronkwo – cheap depth, needs to stay healthy. If cut he saves 920k. I’d hang onto him.
Lewis – Get healthy, he has as much upside as any edge rusher the Rams have. He’s not going anywhere.
Floyd, Rivers and Ebukam are FAs, I think Samson is gone, and I think the Rams will try like heck to keep Floyd. And I think Rivers would be a really nice, cheap, sneaky re-sign on a prove it deal. If they don’t re-sign Floyd it might be time for another veteran reclamation project.
ILB:
Kiser – I think he is too stiff and too injured to be counted on as a starter, but he’s cheap depth and will get a shot to compete for a starting spot.
Reeder – a real nice surprise this year, he is also super cheap and will compete for a starting spot or depth next year.
Young – Another cheap option that can compete for a spot or add depth. he’d save 920k if cut.
Howard – he is an exclusive rights FA, so all the Rams have to do is offer him a 1 year vet min contract and he is back. Otherwise he goes away with no dead cap or savings.
CB:
Ramsey – going nowhere
Long – cheap depth with a chance to move up the depth chart.
Thats it. Williams is a RFA, so I’d put a 1st round tender on him and retain him for another year or get a first round pick. That’ll cost about 4.5m ish Cannot let him go for nothing.
Hill is a FA and I think he becomes a cap casualty. I like him. But how do you justify the cost…
S:
Fuller – showed some real high level play, and looked like a rookie. Maybe hit the rookie wall at the end? He’s not going anywhere.
Burgess – Get healthy and see what they have. I think he could be a jack knife back there doing all sorts of stuff for Staley.
Scott – He’s cheap, good on STs and played well when called upon. He isn’t going anywhere.
Rapp -oh boy, he needs to stay healthy. I think he is crucial to have with Staley’s defense and playing 3 safeties. Esp when JJ goes away.
Hughes and Reed – depth guys and cheap, they will compete for roster spots.
Johnson – the big FA in the secondary. I think he is gone, and that sucks. He brings leadership to that group, is a solid player and I think will be missed greatly.
znModeratorJared Goff-Sean McVay relationship needs ‘marriage counseling’ heading into offseason
Nick Shook
The Rams clawed their way to the Divisional Round before bowing out in a two-score loss to the Packers on Saturday, setting up Los Angeles for an interesting offseason at the game’s most important position.
Jared Goff managed to return from thumb surgery in time to enter the game in an emergency situation and help the Rams earn a wild-card win over Seattle in which its defense was the biggest winner. But Goff wasn’t able to keep the Rams in an offensive showdown with the Packers, who ran away with a 32-18 win. Goff finished the season with an adequate body of work, posting a final passing line of 3,952 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, 13 interceptions, a completion percentage of 67 and a 90 passer rating.
Goff was as effective as he was inconsistent, showing a tendency to start games the Rams ended up winning on a hot streak, and also beginning other contests with struggles typical of his worst days in the NFL. The Rams simply haven’t known which Goff they’d get on a consistent basis, leaving the door open for McVay to take a hard look at his team’s future at all positions — including under center.
McVay told reporters Saturday that Goff is “the quarterback right now,” which wasn’t exactly the most resounding endorsement, and then Sunday he would not implicitly state Goff is the QB going forward in L.A. NFL Network’s Steve Wyche reported Monday there’s more than just inconsistent performance at play with the quarterback situation for the Rams.
“We know John Wolford came in and they were excited about him when Jared Goff got hurt and the way he performed, and then he got hurt,” Wyche said. “So I think a lot of people are wondering if they’re going to bring in a veteran type of quarterback to push Jared Goff this offseason. Or at least have that threat there as a backup to see if they can elevate Goff.
“The people I’ve spoken to said basically at this moment the relationship with Goff and McVay: not great. They need marriage counseling is what one person said to me. I think this is something that they’re going to be able to work through, but there’s got to be some healing and that’s not just with Jared Goff’s injured thumb.”
McVay’s vague responses in Saturday’s aftermath seemed to indicate there was an underlying uncertainty about Goff’s standing that extended beyond his inconsistent play. He did credit Goff for his effort in returning to help the Rams win a playoff game, but noted he needs to meet with Goff to develop a shared understanding heading into an important offseason.
“For me to fully answer that, I think those are conversations that you have between (you and) your players first,” McVay said Sunday, when asked what he needs to feel confident in Goff going into 2021, via the team’s official site. “To be able to have the right plan of attack, I think you’ve got to be able to take a step back, evaluate the entirety of it. What I will say that you certainly can’t take away, that I mentioned to you guys each the last couple of weeks, (is that) for him to come back from a thumb surgery, do what he did in Seattle, do what he did yesterday, it’s a real credit to him, his competitiveness, his resilience. I think there’s a lot of positives from that.”
Positives also emerged from the brief performance of backup John Wolford, who was called into action in Week 17 following Goff’s thumb injury and did enough to get the Rams to the postseason with a regular season-ending win. McVay was unusually optimistic and encouraging when it came to what he saw from his backup in the lead-up to Los Angeles’ wild-card meeting with Seattle, but was robbed of a full showing after an early neck injury ended his day.
Wolford’s existence could be enough to push Goff, one might think, but a third roster spot occupied by someone other than Blake Bortles could prove more effective in pushing the former No. 1 overall pick. After all, that type of draft selection brings with it expectations of a premier passer, not just an adequate one, and with a top-ranked defense essentially being wasted by an offense that didn’t match its performance, it’s time for McVay to search for ways to improve.
“I’d say, I think as you grow, as you continue to learn, that’s just where we’re at,” McVay said, when asked why he might feel a need for a quarterback competition in 2021. “I’m not saying anything other than we’re evaluating that right now. I think it’s important that you do that at every single spot and no position is excluded from that conversation.”
The Rams are now free to join their division rival Seahawks in Cabo, if they so desire, but they have to feel as if their season ended prematurely with such a stellar group on one side of the ball. McVay has plenty of time to work with general manager Les Snead on a plan of attack for 2021.
znModerator@packers busted about this new formation and used it 9X to stifle the @RamsNFL ; both run and pass. @Showtyme_33 @ajdillon7 . What new wrinkle will the #Packers breakout this week to send the @Buccaneers home ? #gopackgo #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/5TaN7MrXXP
— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) January 18, 2021
znModeratorWyche: The Jared Goff-Sean McVay relationship ‘not great’ in L.A. right now
znModeratorThis bloke spent £300 on vets fees and X-rays and it turned out nothing was wrong with the dog, was just copying him out of sympathy 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/CJ8pPqxJqH
— Tom Francis (@TFrancis20) January 17, 2021
znModerator
znModeratoraeneas1
i was thrilled with the mcvay hire, and am still a big mcvay fan, but have been less and less impressed with every passing game… while lefleur put on an offensive clinic this weekend, including easily freeing adams in the endzone using motion, mcvay tinkered with the wildcat instead of rolling goff out, running jets, throwing to akers, throwing to tight ends, etc., etc., etc.,
is mcvay simply a franchise qb away, a mobile franchise qb away (apparently), from regaining his genius? is he a franchise qb and an offensive player of the year away? does everything “need to be perfect” for him to succeed offensively?
22 offenses managed to score more points than mcvay’s gang in 2020, as in two thirds of the league, offenses that included the likes of foles, trubisky, mullens, beathard, fitzpatrick, tua, dalton, etc., and offenses that didn’t feature a qb that had been to 2 pro bowls – somehow their oc’s were able to squeeze more points out of them than mcvay could squeeze out of goff, why? how?
plus i’ve been pretty disappointed with mcvay’s recent comments regarding goff, they make mcvay look petty, and like a bad loser imo… if he thinks it’s time to go in a different direction at qb, if he thinks a different qb would give the rams a better chance at wins, fine, great, let’s do it, i’m all for it, but why say stuff like “I’m not ready to make any sort of statements with regards to any starting position” when asked about goff, stuff like “I’m not saying anything other than we’re evaluating that, and I think it’s important that you do that at every single spot.“<, why end the season like that, why head into the offseason making those sort of comments?
seems that he could have easily taken the high road and responded unequivocally that goff is the rams starting qb going forward, and that he supports goff, especially given how goff played through an injury in the postseason and exceeded most everyone’s expectations, and then do whatever he thinks needs to be done when the time comes, during the offseason or during camp, and explain his decisions then.
znModeratorHe will be turning only 35 this month and already has a head coaching tree… pic.twitter.com/EDJVMS803n
— DOWNTOWN RAMS [DTR] (@DowntownRams) January 18, 2021
znModeratorHow does that happen so quickly after our playoff loss. When did they interview him and/or other options, during playoff week practices?
Yeah. You can interview while teams are in the playoffs now.
znModeratorHead Coach Sean McVay – January 17, 2021
(Opening statement)
“First of all, the finality of everything is so sudden. I think for us right now, the first thing that we’re going to do is kind of catch our breath, let the dust settle, get away and really evaluate everything. Whether it’s free agents as we move forward, I think it’s important that we continue to establish a high level of competition at all spots and continue to do a better job of looking inward. I always want to try to be self-reflective, but whether it’s coaches or players, everything that we do, we want to continue to try to evaluate, reflect, do it at a higher level and try to find ways to continue to be relevant, competitive and also give ourselves a chance to continue our season past these positions, while not minimizing there was a lot of good things that our players and our coaches did to get ourselves in a position to be in the Divisional Round. But you start over. Every single year entails a bunch of change, whether it be good or bad. We’re in the evaluation mode right now. I do think the best way to make those sound decisions and then the competitive decisions that I think are necessary for you to really press the envelope from all angles, is to really take a step back, then give yourself a chance to really look at it with a good perspective, the right perspective, and then be able to make decisions whether it’s free agents, starters and different things like that as we move forward. But the competition, the environment, the atmosphere – I talked with a couple of players about that. Everybody’s earning their spots. I think that’s something that we want to continue to try to really create and make sure the competition is present and relevant in everything that we do. I’m looking forward to attacking that opportunity, but also catching our breath and taking a step back as well.”(On evaluating the starting quarterback position)
“Just like I said, everything’s being evaluated. I’m not ready to make any sort of statements with regards to anybody, starting position or not. We’re going to have a level of competition at everything that we do. That’s where we’re at. I think being able to take a step back, catch our breath and evaluate everything as we move forward and try to be at our best – that’s my answer to the question.”(On clarifying what he previously said about Goff being the quarterback in postgame press conference)
“What I’m evaluating is everything that we do, that includes the quarterback position, but that includes everything. So that’s where we’re at. I think it’s important, like I was kind of saying, to be able to take a step back, catch our breath, be able to look at everything that the season encompassed and figure out the best way to create the most competitive situations at all spots and what we can do to continue to take steps in the right direction. That’s not exclusive to the quarterback, but it’s all encompassing to our entire roster.”(On if he will be keeping his assistant coaches on staff)
“I think, like I said, all things are up for evaluation. Obviously, there’s a lot of them. (Defensive Coordinator) Brandon (Staley) has a busy schedule today and tomorrow. So I think anytime that you have those situations arise that’s one of the most gratifying things, to see somebody do such a great job like he’s done, along with our defensive coaches and then ultimately our players making it come to life. That’s outstanding and even sometimes. Obviously, if you were to lose him that’s a tough loss for the Rams, but that’s also really a unique thing to see him come in and do such a great job then immediately be a prime candidate for a lot of these openings and you realize how precious these opportunities are. So, I think it’s a fluid situation. It’s something that you have to monitor, and you have to be ready to adjust and adapt accordingly if we do end up losing a great coach like Brandon. That’s something that kind of – you just look at the schedule and the way that the off season is set, first order of business is your staff, then what you do is you evaluate your players, your personnel. Then be able to kind of put a plan of attack accordingly based on free agency drafts or things of that nature.”(On if he was happy with the performances by his assistant coaches)
“I’m very happy. I think the other thing too is when you look at what a unique year it’s been, I mean, this has been so different than anything I’ve been a part of coaching wise, especially when you think about guys coming in the first year and some of the changes or the different things that you had to navigate through. But I do think it’s important that when everything is so fresh, there’s so many emotions and you’re still so surprised. I had so much respect for the Packers, but we went in there with the expectation to say, ‘Let’s watch this game coming up here in the afternoon and hopefully see are we traveling to Tampa or New Orleans to go try to play for a conference championship?’ The finality of it all, you kind of just try to stay fully present, locked in, and then once you realize the season’s over – I mean, you’re dealing with the exit physicals today, talking to some of these players, there’s a lot of stuff that you’re thinking you’re hopefully putting off for a couple of weeks that needs to be dealt with in a timely manner with consideration to everybody that’s involved. That’s why I think it’s important, in the few years, I think you just take a step back, catch your breath and then be able to make the right decisions while also being considered of everybody involved.”(On what he is proud of this season)
“I think the further away you get from just the feeling that you have right now, the more appreciation that you’ll gain. I’m very appreciative of our players, our coaches, all the work and really our staff. I mean, you look at the work that it took to just be able to pull the season off in spite of all the obstacles that we had overcome. I love the way that this team was resilient. It was part of what was a frustrating thing, because we weren’t able to string together a handful of wins, but we were able to consistently respond and get a couple wins then you find a way to have to respond from a setback. There was a lot of positives. I thought we saw a lot of young players step up. I thought we saw the rise of a really special defense. I’m excited about the opportunity to evaluate and move forward, but I am very appreciative of this team. I’m proud of a lot of the things, but I think you’ll get more appreciative and you can look back on it with a better feeling of it the further you get away. But because of the confidence I had in this group, I am disappointed that we’re still not playing and that’s a compliment to the confidence I had in the team and the group of men that we were working with.”(On how he would evaluate himself as a play caller)
“I think you go back, you look at it. I think the first thing is you always have to look inward and you have to be critical. There’s a handful of times, every single game, that you’re not proud of it and then there was a lot of times when you did feel like you were getting some looks that you would hope for, sometimes it worked out and sometimes it didn’t. I do feel very confident in our coaches and our ability to put together a game plan. I feel good about the way that we’re seeing the game as it unfolds and there’s a lot of times where I’ve had a bad play call that the players make right. If you look at it, there wasn’t a real clean look on (RB) Cam Akers’ touchdown run, but he found a way to run through a couple of broken tackles and it seems like a good play call, but that’s not really a good play call, it’s just a great player making a great play. So, I think there’s always a give-and-take there, but I’d like to think that I’m the first one to look inward. I have high expectations and standards for myself and for our offense. This year was not up to par for a lot of reasons and that’s something that I’m excited about attacking, but I do still feel confident in my ability to do that at a high level.”(On if he would like to create more competition at the quarterback position)
“Every position is. That’s kind of what I was saying. So, I know that there’s a lot made of and that’s such a high-profile position, but I think the important thing is not making any blanket statements right now while it’s all so fresh. But I do think the overall theme of competition, that atmosphere, that environment where you’re earning it every single day and making it feel real, making it feel true and authentic is something that we want to try to create. I talked to a couple of our players about that today and I think that that’s something that’ll be helpful – increasing the level of competition, the urgency and everything that we want to do at a little bit higher level. Those are some of the things that the immediate reflection kind of gives some feedback and really give some insight to, if you will.”(On what changed to include competition at the quarterback position this offseason)
“I’d say, I think as you grow, as you continue to learn, that’s just where we’re at. I’m not saying anything other than we’re evaluating that right now. I think it’s important that you do that at every single spot and no position is excluded from that conversation.”(On what Goff needs to focus on in the offseason)
“I think the first thing is kind of, like I said, you to take a step back, catch your breath, evaluate, be able to really make some sound decisions, be able to give some clear insight in to what is the plan of attack moving forward for all spots. Kind of like I was saying, the quarterback is no different. For me to be able to fully answer that, I think those are conversations that you have between your players first. To be able to have the right plan of attack. I think you’ve got to be able to take a step back, evaluate the entirety of it. What I will say that you certainly can’t take away, that I mentioned to you guys each the last couple of weeks, for him to come back from a thumb surgery, do what he did in Seattle, do what he did yesterday, it’s a real credit to him, his competitiveness, his resilience. I think there’s a lot of positives from that.”(On if there is a scenario where Goff is not on the roster next season)
“Like I said, we’re in a situation that we’re in evaluation mode. All those things are things that we’re moving forward, we’re looking forward. I can’t answer any of those questions until, like I said, I take a step back and evaluate everything that is in the best interest of the Rams.”(On any injury updates following the game at Green Bay)
“I’ll have to get with (Vice President, Sports Medicine and Performance) Reggie (Scott) on the entirety of it. I know he was kind of finishing up the exit physicals and all that stuff. Fortunately, it didn’t seem like there was any major setbacks from yesterday’s game. There’s always a handful of guys that go into the offseason and you say, ‘All right, we want to get this cleaned up’ and this looks like it’s going to be another unpredictable offseason. What does that look like in terms of our ability to connect and have an offseason that’s reflective of what we’re all familiar with from years past, prior to this past season. So, I have to connect with him and don’t have all that information right now still.”(On if a deep-threat wide receiver has become an area of need)
I think (Texans WR) Brandin (Cooks) was a huge contributor, he did so many great things for us in those couple of years. I don’t want to take away from the confidence I had in our players that are currently and that were a part of this team are. I definitely think that you did feel not having Brandin this year. What does that mean? I think that’s something that is important to look at. That’s a part of the things that you always want to make sure that you find ways to create explosives. The long explosives and some of the shots down the field wasn’t as prevalent as years past. I think it made it a lot more difficult and your margin for error as much slimmer as an offense when you feel like you’ve got to go 10 and 13 plays to score touchdowns. You want to be efficient, but you want to be explosive as well. I think both of those things can go hand-in-hand, look no further than the offense we saw yesterday. I think they’re a great example of why when we’ve been at the upper echelon of the league, there’s a combination of efficiency and explosiveness. I think you do have to have both of those to be a really good offense. We weren’t as explosive in some of those things specific to the pass game as we’ve been in years past. It’s something that we definitely have to be mindful of addressing moving forward.”(On what he learned about himself in this unique season)
“That’s a really good question. I think that if you stay fully present, I think you can handle things in the right manner. I think you also learn that it’s really important to have great people around you that you can lean on. There are so many people that I can name. I think what you also learned too is that a lot of the things that we thought were the norm, and this isn’t necessarily about myself, but more just the functionality of how you can operate. Whoever would’ve thought that we’d be doing these Zoom meetings all year, it’s not ideal, but there’s ways of efficiently getting things done that you would’ve maybe never thought could have been done before. Having meetings installing on the Zooms, superimposing your video on the screen, where you’re teaching through that. So, I think what you just learn is a lot of different ways to still be able to be efficient and navigate through the non-ideal circumstances. What I think I have more than anything, what you continue to learn is it’s all about surrounding yourself with the right people and want to continue to get better as a leader and continuing to empower people around you and keep doing a good job of making sure that you’re self-evaluating. But, also surrounding yourself with people that are better than you. I’ve got a lot of great people around me and I’m fortunate for that.”(On if he looked back on the loss due to team injuries or depth on the roster)
“I wouldn’t say any of those things, because we were banged up, but a lot of those injuries occurred as a result of playing in the Wild Card Round. You give Green Bay credit. They earned the bye and that’s why they were the No. 1 seed, so, they didn’t have to play in that game, and they got an automatic bid to the Divisional Round. The thing that I mentioned to you guys in the postgame is what really resonates to me, is when I was asked earlier about where I’m at as a play-caller. Things like that drive, when you get the ball back after the defense gets to stop, when it’s 25-18, it’s a seven-point game. Those are where the really good teams find a way to deliver. That’s where me as a play caller, you got to make sure that you’re activating the exact right plays that you want, that give your players the best situation, the best possible scenarios to try to execute and move the football down the field. That’s what I think it takes to be able to get over the hump and to win those divisional games and get yourself an opportunity to compete for a conference championship. That’s what sticks with me from that game because I did think our guys did a great job of kind of just hanging tough. They’re a really explosive team, they did a good job of controlling the time of possession, but then got a stop, made enough plays to feel like you can kind of start to snatch and feel that momentum swinging in our direction after we convert the two-point and then we get the stop. For us not to get that, to get any points and especially a touchdown out of that possession that’s the one that stings. But, they’re a really good football team, you’ve got to play really well to go up there and give yourself a chance. That’s why they’re going to be tough to beat next week at home as well.”(On missing out on having a bye in the playoffs and how to fix the consistency for next season)
“As you go back, you evaluate and you make sound decisions that are outside the framework of the immediate emotions that you still feel because it is so fresh. I think that’s the first order of business, is to be able to do that and every decision that we make, and that I make, is what I truly believe is in the best interest of the Rams and sometimes that doesn’t always accommodate everybody’s happiness and that’s part of what this job entails. I think our guys know that that’s where I’m coming from. That’s what I’ll always try to do and continue to try to do it at a high level, because the expectations and the standards that I think we’ve set over the last handful of years. That is something that you don’t take for granted, while also knowing you want to continue to press the envelope and find a way to be more relevant later on in the playoffs and just getting there is something that you don’t minimize, but you also know, what we want to be able to do and what I’d love to be able to try to accomplish with these coaches and players you care so much about.”(On if adding new players could help the offense)
“I think what you saw glimpses of yesterday was two rookies that we have really high expectations for and I think have really bright futures and Cam Akers, who’s really emerged as a big time guy the last handful of weeks. And then I thought (WR) Van (Jefferson) showed why the game’s not too big for him. You always want to continue to push the envelope, find ways of adding and creating a competitive roster. I think that’s really a good step in the right direction that you can build off of, specific from that game with two guys from the rookie class that have a chance to really contribute and be big-time playmakers, whether it’s Cam from the backfield or Van on the perimeter. So, that’s the first thing, that’s really how I would answer that. Then I think once you evaluate your roster, your free agents, what does that look like? What are the available free agents, based on kind of how we want to put it together for our whole team and then what does the draft class look like with those kind of those spots that you identify to try to fill those gaps and be more in alignment with what I think we can be capable of in terms of the offensive efficiency and the execution and the scoring more points and all those things that I have full expectation that we’ll get back to.”(On if he has thought about which players he will lose in free agency)
“It’s something that you’re aware of, but I think the first thing is, now let’s take a step back. Let’s look at, alright, who are the guys that we want to make the priority? What does it look like their market will be? I think there’s so many things still to be determined, especially what exactly is that cap number that they’re going to decide upon and based on all the parameters around that. And then how does that dictate and determine what is the fair market value for some of these guys that have played well enough to earn a lot of money and you want to see that. It’s a matter of, you might want to bring them back, but can you afford to do that based on still having a structure in place that limits. It’s easy to say you want them, but if another team wants them more, usually those guys, the money is usually what drives a lot of the decision-making processes and rightfully so, because this is how they support their families. So, I am aware of that. I know that there’s going to be a lot of difficult decisions to be made in the near future and never fun, but it’s also an exciting opportunity to evaluate and put a plan of attack together moving forward.”(On what some of the factors were in leaning towards building an offense focused on high probability route concepts)
“There’s a lot of things I think that would probably be better reserved for another conversation, but that’s not ideal. I think that’s a part of your offense, but to say that that’s the world you want to live in, that’s not the world I want to live in. I think you have to create explosives, we have to create more. There’s a lot of different reasons why we weren’t able to. I think I’ll be the first to say is, it starts with me doing a better job of having a vision, implying the right things, giving ourselves an opportunity to execute those things and then ultimately the players making it come to life. I do think it’s important to have catch-and-run opportunities, but to say that that’s the world that you want to live in, like I was saying, if you do that, the margin for error is so slim and when you’re not efficient on first down, it seems like it’s way too much to try to overcome some of the get-back-on-tracks, the second-and-longs and the third downs. And so, there’s a lot of things that lead into that and that’s why there’s a lot of decisions that are going to be made as we move forward in terms of evaluating how we get better and how we minimize kind of the inability to create some of those explosives. That is a collective effort, but something that definitely is going to be addressed and I think I’m confident that we’ll be able to find solutions.”(On clarifying that it isn’t strictly personnel based in a lack of explosives)
“100 percent. Yeah. It certainly isn’t exclusive to that and I’ll kind of just leave it at that.”(On how S John Johnson III, OLB Leonard Floyd and CB Troy Hill have contributed and if they will be priorities in free agency)
“You look at what (S) John Johnson (III) has meant to our football team. He’s a playmaker, the versatility, all the different things that he could do for our defense. I mean, he had the green dot, where he was the communicator, that’s something that I value so much in terms of the different intricacies of what we were doing defensively from a schematic-perspective. He’s a guy that was incredibly instrumental in a lot of the success we had defensively. He became a big-time team leader for us. I think you really saw him grow a lot this year and we put a lot on him and he showed why he was more than capable. (OLB) Leonard Floyd, we talk a lot about Leonard – the versatility, the relentless passion and really persistence that he played with, ability to affect the quarterback, ability to stop the run. I think he was one of the more complete edge players in this league. Brandon had an experience with him in Chicago that made him feel really comfortable and confident. I felt comfortable (from) going against him and I thought you saw his best this year. And then (CB) Troy Hill, what can you say about the ball production, scoring the touchdowns that he did, the versatility. I think a lot of the versatility that we were able to activate with (CB) Jalen (Ramsey) was a reflection of also Troy Hill’s versatility. You feel comfortable, because in a lot of instances, you’re saying you’ve got this elite corner in Jalen Ramsey and then you can bump him inside, but who’s the guy that can play off of that and have the ability to play both positions as well and Troy certainly enabled us to do that. All three of those guys were really big-time parts of what was the No. 1 defense in the NFL and very important and they had great seasons and they’re all going to be big-time topics of conversation and things that you want to try to figure out. And like I mentioned, how does it all fit together is something that we’re going to navigate and work through. Those guys, they can be really proud of the body of work and the resume that they put on tape this year and what they meant to me and to our team and to our organization.”znModeratorBREAKING: The Chargers are hiring Brandon Staley as their new head coach. So Staley stays in LA, but with the *other* team https://t.co/9Z2HpxyJpZ
— Cameron DaSilva (@camdasilva) January 18, 2021
znModeratorm just speculating on McVay’s thoughts. I have no idea. Plus he is probably pissed right now. I don’t think it is just one game with Goff that bothers him.
Goff had 4 bad games and he was far from being the only factor that made those 4 games bad. The other 13 games with Goff they went 10-3. Goff held his own in the cold on the road against the #1 seed with a busted thumb, and that was (according to one source) while facing the most pressures any defense has put up against a McVay Rams offense.
If the coach can’t figure out how to settle his qb down, build around his strengths, and set him up to be more consistent–then (IMO) the problem is not the qb.
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