Tremayne Anchrum bringing versatility, winning mentality to Rams

Stu Jackson

https://www.therams.com/news/tremayne-anchrum-clemson-versatility-winning-mentality

Tremayne Anchrum was preparing to find the best opportunity for himself as an undrafted free agent during the final round of the NFL Draft when he received a surprising phone call from Rams head coach Sean McVay.

“Honestly, we didn’t really know where our future kind of lied,” Anchrum said on a video conference Saturday. “I knew I was going to be a day three kind of guy. Getting to those later rounds, we started getting calls about, ‘Hey, we’d love to have you as a free agent.’ I got a couple of head coaches that called me talking about, ‘Hey, we want you now.’ Me and my father were kind of making arrangements for that. But, then Coach McVay called and said, ‘Hey, are you ready to be a Ram?’ At that moment, we all kind of figured I was going to be a free agent, but with the news, we were all really excited.”

Both his skillset and college background will fit well into the Rams’ culture.

Anchrum was Clemson’s full-time starting right tackle in 2018 and 2019, with the Tigers compiling a 29-1 record across each of those two seasons. They also appeared in each of the last two college football playoff national championships, winning it all in 2018.

Though he was primarily a right tackle, he would spend time at guard during the practices leading into the playoff games and championship games in order to give teammates rest and also work on his technique at other positions. That cross-training is an approach run game coordinator and offensive line coach Aaron Kromer takes with young players in his position group.

“I’m comfortable on the right side of the line, mostly, right tackle, right guard,” Anchrum said. “But again, I am open to playing any spot on the line.”

Including this year’s selections, Anchrum played alongside 30 future NFL draft picks at Clemson, according to Pro-Football-Reference.com. He said being around and competing with that talent helped prepare him for the next level.

“Playing for a high-level team like Clemson is a way, way advantage that you can never really underestimate,” Anchrum said. “When you have a competition level that high where you play with the Clemsons, the Alabamas, the Ohio States of the world, you know what an authentic mindset looks like. You know what a championship effort looks like from a backend, on the front end, what it feels like, and the day-in day-out commitment that it takes to win. Knowing that, playing with a lot of great players, which I don’t think there’s a negative to, but it really holds you accountable, staying at that level of competition, staying on your A-game every single day, taking that into the next level is going to be invaluable.”

He’ll take that mindset with him, no longer worried about having to prepare for free agency.

“It’s a little relief, I guess. It takes the hard part out, which is the decision making,” Anchrum said. “Now the only decision right now is just to go out and play, and dominate.”

….

cbs sports

2020 NFL Draft: Ranking every team’s draft class

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2020-nfl-draft-ranking-every-teams-draft-class-packers-picks-raise-questions-ravens-crush-it/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

8. Rams
This might have been one of our favorite drafts. Cam Akers is a cheaper upgrade over Todd Gurley; Van Jefferson is one of the best route runners in this class. Terrell Lewis is a first-round talent if he can stay healthy and Terrell Burgess is a versatile defensive back. And Brycen Hopkins is another athletic tight end who’ll likely find success in Sean McVay’s offense. Grade: A-

This is what Andrew siciliano had to say when I asked him about the rams uniforms pic.twitter.com/F5n1LKD3IH

— HoldenCantor (@HoldenCantor) April 30, 2020

The LA Rams added 9 new rookies at the 2020 NFL Draft. What is the floor/ceiling of new rookie kicker Sam Sloman?

link https://ramblinfan.com/2020/04/28/la-rams-rookie-floor-ceiling-sam-sloman/

With the 248th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the LA Rams selected Sam Sloman, Kicker, out of Miami of Ohio. By looking at his statistics we can project to see what he can become. First, let’s look at his basic attributes. Then looking at we know we can use it to project a comp for both their floor and ceiling.

Sloman is the third kicker added to the LA Rams’ roster, and the only rookie signed to the team from college. Despite adding two non-NFL kickers prior to the draft, the plan all along seemed to be adding a college kicker as well. As soon as his name was called, the Rams immediately set a three-way heated competition for the one kicker spot vacated by former veteran kicker Greg Zuerlein. Newly hired Special Teams coordinator John Bonamego’s influence surely played a part in this competition, as he most likely wants to have an option to go with the kicker who has the best accuracy, the longest range, and the most consistent number of touchbacks at kickoff. Bonamego must have liked what he saw in Sloman.

Basic Attributes

-Accurate in short to mid-range kicks

-Under average leg strength

-Struggles in kickoffs in bounds

-Keeps improving every year

-Makes extra points on a consistent basis

Ceiling-Stephen Gostowski

What stood out to me about Sloman was the fact that he was such a high percentage kicker with a limited range like a Stephen Gostowski. Gostowski has one kick made over 60 yards. Only 14.96 percent of his kicks that he made were longer than 50 yards while 66.84 of kicks made were in the 20-39 yard range. That’s a lot of kicks for the short to medium range. Comparing them to Sloman’s senior year stats, Sloman made 19.23 percent of his kicks made at 50+ yards, his highest being 53. He also made 57.96 percent of his kicks from 20-39 yards out. While their average for 20-39 yards is a bit off, I’m only comparing his senior season to Gostowski’s entire career.

Floor-No Roster Spot

While I would like to compare a floor and a ceiling to a player, Sloman’s floor ends up in just one place, simply not making the roster is a real possibility. The LA Rams signed two kickers in Lirim Hajrullahu and Austin MacGinnis this offseason and there is no guarantee that Sloman will win in any competition to land a roster spot. The lack of leg strength could be an issue as the Rams were expecting 60+ yard kicks on a consistent basis before the departure of kicker Greg Zuerlein. And the fact that Zuerlein fell below .500 at the 40-49 yard range was something the team stated as a goal this offseason.

Final Projection

If, and I mean if, Sam Sloman cracks the roster and beats out one of the most clutch kickers in CFL history in Hajrullahu, he should be a tier or two under Gostowski. He will make a good percentage of his kicks every year and be reliable up to a point. That is, he won’t be placed into situations requiring significant his leg strength. His range will likely restrict the Rams to field goal attempts of under 60 yards. However, Sloman did demonstrate a significant improvement in his range during his senior year and may develop that long-range kick under Bonamego’s watchful eye.

As always let me know in the comments section your thoughts about the likelihood of Sloman making the Rams 55-man roster. New ST coordinator John Bonamego, despite having two solid kickers on the roster, persuaded the Rams to select 5-foot-8 205-pound Miami of Ohio kicker Sam Sloman in the seventh round. Does he know something we don’t? That’s likely the case. But Sam Sloman has a very uphill battle ahead of him to make the Rams’ roster.

CROMWELL21

Rams sign UDFA
Bryan London II. LB. Texas State. Cut Jeff Holland

Rams sign 22nd UDFA.
LB Daniel Bituli. Tennessee. Pretty highly rated udfa.

Josh Reynolds Flashing ‘Legit Juice’ on the Deep Ball Made Brandin Cooks Expendable for Rams

GARY KLEIN

https://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/story/2020-04-28/rams-deep-ball-faith-josh-reynolds-shows-why-brandin-cooks-expendable

Late in the game against the Chicago Bears last season, Rams receiver Josh Reynolds lined up to the right just inside the on-field number at the 50-yard line.

As quarterback Jared Goff executed a play-action fake, Reynolds ran up the field, and then angled diagonally across the middle. With two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Kyle Fuller futilely giving chase, Reynolds caught a perfectly thrown pass, took a few strides and then somersaulted across the goal line into the left corner of the end zone for an apparent 51-yard touchdown.

Unfortunately for the Rams, the spectacular play was nullified because of an illegal-formation penalty.

But Reynolds’ long-distance route and catch left an impression.

In the aftermath of a trade that sent speedy receiver Brandin Cooks to the Houston Texans, Rams coach Sean McVay and Goff cited the long play against the Bears as one that convinced them that Reynolds was fully capable of giving the Rams a dynamic deep-ball threat.

“You’ve got to have some legit juice to be able to do that,” McVay said.

Reynolds, a fourth-year pro, is on track to join Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp as a full-time starter for a remade Rams offense. After missing the playoffs last season, the Rams cut star running back Todd Gurley and traded Cooks to clear salary-cap space. So McVay will be challenged to reignite an offense that ranked as one of the NFL’s highest-scoring units in 2017 and 2018 before faltering last season.

The Rams added depth to the receiving corps by selecting Florida wideout Van Jefferson in the third round of the draft. But Reynolds is the immediate heir apparent to Cooks, a four-time 1,000-yard receiver.

“We would not have made the move on Brandin Cooks had it not been for the confidence we have in Josh Reynolds,” McVay said.

Reynolds, at 6 feet 3 and 196 pounds, cuts a different figure than the 5-10, 183-pound Cooks. McVay and receivers coach Eric Yarber have repeatedly referenced Reynolds’ long, smooth stride, his deceptive speed and prolific body control since the Rams selected him in the fourth round of the 2017 draft after his senior season at Texas A&M.

“I’d say I give a pretty good downfield element,” Reynolds told reporters this week when asked whether he could provide a deep threat similar to Cooks. “That was a lot of my college game, and I just didn’t get too many opportunities to actually stretch the field too much. But hopefully I can show that I can kind of fill that role.”

Reynolds has 61 catches for 832 yards and seven touchdowns in his career.

After Kupp suffered a major knee injury during the eighth game of the 2018 season, Reynolds moved into the starting lineup and finished with a career-best 29 catches, five for touchdowns, to help the Rams reach the Super Bowl. Last season, Reynolds started two games while Cooks was sidelined because of concussions. Reynolds finished with 21 catches and one touchdown.

Now he is poised to join Woods and Kupp as a full-time starter.

“We came in together so I’ve spent a lot of time with Josh,” said Kupp, a third-round pick in 2017. “I’m really excited about him being able to step into a bigger role.”

The Rams began their virtual offseason program Monday. Rookies cannot participate until May 11. With all NFL facilities closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it remains doubtful whether teams will be able to conduct on-field workouts before the program ends June 26.

Reynolds said that he had ordered weight-lifting equipment to work out at home. He is contemplating purchasing an indoor cycling bike.

The virtual program will present some challenges, Reynolds said.

“It’s just going to be a little tough with some guys that are more active learners, that kind of need to be on the field to learn it and kind of stick in their minds and stuff,” he said. “But I think ultimately it gives us a new way to be able to study and learn different things.

“So I think it’s a plus and minus, pros and cons for sure.”

When the Rams return to the field, Reynolds will sport a slightly different look. He is switching jersey numbers — from 83 to 11, the number he wore in college.

But he plans to continue showing that he is the same versatile receiver.

Consider: Three plays after Reynolds’ long catch was nullified against the Bears, he caught a 26-yard pass for a first down. That reception set up the final touchdown in a 17-7 Rams victory.

Reynolds, like Kupp, is in the final year of his rookie contract. Of a possible extension, he said, “We’ll just see where it goes.”

His approach this season will not change, he said, even with an expected larger role.

“I’ll approach it the same way I was approaching it when Brandin was there,” Reynolds said. “Just get better a day at a time and try to understand this offense more and more so ultimately I can be in a position to make plays.

“But it does show a lot of trust in me, so I’m glad I was able to kind of build that trust with the team.”

However, isn’t the cynicism expressed by Ball’s question prominent on this very board and among many across the political spectrum: “its too big, Capitalism has doomed us, we can’t change a thing, we’re all fucked, there is no hope, blah, blah, blah.”

I don’t know anyone who says those things, let alone anyone here who says those things.