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April 11, 2020 at 12:26 pm in reply to: Over the Cap Podcast: The Rams Edition, April 10, 2020 #113554
znModeratorLMU93
the general gist of what he says
Gurley’s contract was the far more egregious mistake and totally unnecessary at the time.
Cooks deal was inevitable when they made the trade. He’d been very productive and the assumption was that would either continue (which it did in 2018) because the offense was throwing the ball all over the place or he would take another step forward and just command more targets. It was more the structure of the deal that was the mistake with Cooks. They at least get a 2nd round pick back which is nearly as valuable as a 1st.
Goff’s deal gets more criticism and it’s undeserving because QB deals are just a different animal. He was hardly Mark Sanchez and was just as deserving as Stafford or Garoppolo. Goff’s deal is not their problem. Not restructuring his deal this year, while limiting their 2020 spend, is a good move as his numbers become much more manageable going forward.
He questions Ramsey much more and even bringing Brockers back once they’d signed Robinson although it’s not an expensive deal in 2020.
Are the Rams worse in 2020 without Todd Gurley? Cooks? Likely not. Rolling over $8M in cap room in 2021 by letting Cooks go (not sure I understand that part) and net a 2nd round pick now. Extra $10.5M plus $2.5M in offsets for Gurley. The bigger picture is they save more money doing this now than holding onto them and releasing in 2021. Probably not a championship roster but they’re hardly forfeiting the 2020 season. They are no worse off without TG and BC but “it just looks bad…” They become more middle of the road in the league in 2021 cap space.
znModeratorAnytime “Florida” is in the first two words of a headline, you know it’s going to be wild. https://t.co/MNsV8Uh2Xu
— Ted Nguyen (@FB_FilmAnalysis) April 11, 2020
znModeratorMike Garafolo@MikeGarafolo
Brandin Cooks was traded for the third time. Asked the fine folks at @NFLResearch where that ranks. They have records back to 1980 and say only Eric Dickerson (four) has been traded more times since then. So there’s a good bit of trivia for your virtual holiday dinners.znModeratorESPN Stats & Info@ESPNStatsInfo
The Rams don’t have a 1st-round pick this year but they do have four 2nd/3rd-round picks, tied for most in the NFL.In 2019, the 2nd Round produced the player who led all rookies in:
Rec yds – A.J. Brown
Yds from scrim – Miles Sanders
Int – Juan Thornhill & Sean Murphy-BuntingznModeratorRams had to admit their mistakes to clear the books for 2021 free agents https://t.co/GD2XdqgzSs
— Rams Wire (@TheRamsWire) April 11, 2020
znModeratorHere's @GregCosell answer to what happened to Brandin Cooks last year and just what the Texans are getting with him from today's @RTFPodcast: pic.twitter.com/nC9kU7Z939
— Ross Tucker (@RossTuckerNFL) April 10, 2020
znModeratorIf you’re gonna use your one shot on tv to go out in a blaze of glory, you do it like this:
pic.twitter.com/WRKbNmLIYi— Imraan Siddiqi (@imraansiddiqi) April 10, 2020
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‘They don’t get to summer in the Hamptons? Who cares?’: CEO says US should let companies owned by billionaires get ‘wiped out’ during the coronavirus crisis
Social Capital CEO Chamath Palihapitiya told CNBC that poor-performing billionaires, hedge funds, and massive companies — including airlines — deserved to be “wiped out” during the coronavirus pandemic.
During the interview, Palihapitiya said “zombie” companies run by billionaires that aren’t performing well shouldn’t be propped up during the public-health crisis. They should be exposed to the market forces at play, he added.
Nearly 10 million Americans filed for unemployment in a span of two weeks. Palihapitiya said average Americans filing for unemployment would bear the brunt of the economic crisis, not billionaires, their companies, or hedge funds.
“On Main Street today, people are getting wiped out. And right now, rich CEOs are not. Boards that have horrible governance are not. Hedge funds are not. People are,” Palihapitiya said. “It’s happening today to individual Americans, and what we’ve done is disproportionately prop up and protect poor-performing CEOs’ companies and boards. And you have to wash these people out.”
But Palihapitiya said the employees of these companies would not be at risk if the companies went under — instead, speculators and the wealthy would take the hit.
“When a company fails, it does not fire their employees, it goes through a packaged bankruptcy,” Palihapitiya said. “If anything, what happens is the people who have pensions inside those companies, the employees of these companies, end up owning more of the company.”
“Just to be clear, who are we talking about? We’re talking about a hedge fund that serves a bunch of billionaire family offices?” he said. “Who cares? Let them get wiped out. Who cares? They don’t get to summer in the Hamptons? Who cares?”
As the economy slips into further disarray, the US has government stepped in. The Senate passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act nearly two weeks ago to support people, businesses, and the healthcare system. And the Federal Reserve also plans to boost the economy by providing $2.3 trillion in aid, which includes loans to businesses, big and small.
But Palihapitiya stressed the idea that the economy would be better off if the Fed gave money to average Americans, rather than financing businesses.
“I’m not disagreeing with what the Fed has to do,” Palihapitiya said. “What I’m saying is it’s creating a land mine, and it’s creating a bill that will have to come due.”
znModeratorHappy Easter!! #GoodFriday pic.twitter.com/V2XhmOEgXs
— Warren Sapp (@WarrenSapp) April 11, 2020
znModeratorHappy birthday @robertwoods ! You are so valuable to this team!
Here are his highlights from the last game of the 2019 season pic.twitter.com/57fdJorYYj
— RAMS ON FILM (@RamsOnFilm) April 11, 2020
znModeratorjrry32
possible Ram WR after Cooks trade
I didn’t just throw names out there. I made a list of all the guys expected to go from the late first to early third, watched them, and narrowed the list to the guys I liked. I didn’t consider any guys who couldn’t make plays down the field or run the routes asked of the player in Cooks’s role (mainly vertical and speed cuts). Taking them one by one:
1. Tee Higgins – Long strider with sneaky vertical speed and contested catch dominance. Needs to improve his releases against press coverage. If he lasts to our first second round pick, we should sprint to the podium. He’s a first round talent. I’ve seen comparisons to A.J. Green. They are justifiable.
2. Denzel Mims – Very physical with great athleticism and a massive catch radius. Has the speed to separate vertically, the quickness and physicality to uncover underneath, and the catch radius to be a red-zone threat. He also needs to improve his releases against press coverage. Unlikely to make our pick. Ultimate upside is Michael Thomas esque. DeVante Parker might be a more realistic expectation.
3. K.J. Hamler – Explosive speed reminiscent of DeSean Jackson. You can’t teach his acceleration, explosive cuts, or top-end speed. Needs to polish up his routes, lacks size and play strength, and has average hands. Major vertical threat, can do damage on returns and jet sweeps/reverses, and could play inside or outside. Not going to make many contested catches. Upside seems to be DeSean Jackson, but may end up more like Ted Ginn Jr. with the Saints.
4. Laviska Shenault – Plays the game like Anquan Boldin and Juju. Built like a power HB, runs like a power HB, and uses his size and strength to bully CBs in his routes. Strong hands. Huge YAC threat. Needs to polish his route running (tips route depth based on tempo) and show better effort as a blocker. Has durability questions due to his physicality. Explosive acceleration allows him to separate, but his top-end speed isn’t special. Will separate vertically because of his acceleration but fast defenders can recover to contest catches because he lacks the extra gear. Boom/bust prospect with MASSIVE upside.
On the guys I eliminated, Michael Pittman is a contested catch monster and very physical, but I think he’s too tightly wound to run our route tree effectively. He’s more of a linear athlete. Brandon Aiyuk is talented, but he makes more sense as a Woods replacement and needs a lot of development. Jalen Reagor is lethal with the ball in his hands, but he’s small and not fast enough to play the role we want. Chase Claypool is super talented but too raw. I think he makes more sense as a guy who plays as sort of a TE/big slot hybrid. Devin Duvernay seems like a bad fit for our scheme, and his skill-set is kind of one of mismatched parts
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On the guys I eliminated, Michael Pittman is a contested catch monster and very physical, but I think he’s too tightly wound to run our route tree effectively. He’s more of a linear athlete. Brandon Aiyuk is talented, but he makes more sense as a Woods replacement and needs a lot of development. Jalen Reagor is lethal with the ball in his hands, but he’s small and not fast enough to play the role we want. Chase Claypool is super talented but too raw. I think he makes more sense as a guy who plays as sort of a TE/big slot hybrid. Devin Duvernay seems like a bad fit for our scheme, and his skill-set is kind of one of mismatched parts.
Deadpool
I just don’t get some of this: Aiyuk is a swivel hipped nuclear weapon, Woods is a do the dirty work and underneath work because I cant get deep guy. Aiyuk would slip into Cooks spot without missing a beat. Pittman would be fine in Kupp’s spot, Raegor is no smaller then Cooksy Smurf (is that fine I call him that now that he is gone or is someone gonna call me out on that yet?) Reagor is 5′-11″ 206 lbs…, Claypool isn’t as raw as he is more of a big slot then a replacement for a deep threat. Duvernay is actually more like Cooks then everyone else, except Duvernay is more physical and that is being kind.
My top target in every round at WR
Round 1: Tee Higgins – WR – Clemson – 6′-4″ 216 lbs. – a highpoint, catch raduis WR that wins at all levels of the field, but is at his best winning 50/50. Good, not great speed.
Its not going to happen and the Rams have no shot at Ruggs, Juedy or Lamb. Tee Higgins in a slight trade up if he falls into the 2nd round wouldn’t be the worst thing ever. He isn’t a speed demon, but I like him as a Nuk Hopkins-lite. He’d be something the Rams just don’t have on the roster.
Round 2: Jalen Reagor – WR – Arizona State – 5′-11′ 206 lbs. – He’s a jittery HR hitter that is electric deep or in the open field. His hands are iffy IMO, or he’d be higher on my list.
Brandon Aiyuk – WR – Arizona State – 6′-0″ 205 lbs. – Another big play waiting to happen. Can take the top off the defense and is slippery in the open field. Not a very nuanced route runner, hands are OK.
K.J. Hamler – WR – Penn State – 5′-9″ 178 lbs. – Electrifying. In the open field as dangerous as any WR in the draft. Hands can be iffy, and he is small, but a HR hitter and someone a defense needs to plan for.
Denzel Mims – WR – Baylor – 6′-3″ 207 lbs. – Big, strong with decent speed. He can go up and get it. A real 50/50 ball stud. Lacks any real route running.
Each guy brings something different to the table. Reagor and Hamler are sub 6′ electric weapons. Hamler is more of a slot, Reagor works on the outside. Aiyuk is also super fluid in the open field with a 6′ frame and super long arms. Can work inside and out and is a returner. Mims is a bigger bodied contested catch machine with 4.45 speed.
Round 3: Van Jefferson – WR – Florida – 6′-1″ 200 lbs. – A route running technician, good hands and is OK in the open field. Not explosive and not what I would call a HR threat.
He’s #40 on my big board, but I do realize that he probably lasts until maybe from late 2 to mid 3. He is not as explosive as some of the top guys, or as big, but he has outstanding hands, a precise route runner and that makes him about as pro ready as any WR in the class.As a 3rd option behind Kupp and Woods would be perfect for him IMO.
Round 4: Tyler Johnson – WR – Minnesota – 6′-1″ 206 lbs. – A nuanced route runner that knows how to get open. Plays with some physicality. I question his speed and he didn’t run so…
More of what the Rams have, but hey, it works for them so why not add more. You could go with a guy like Lynn Bowden as well if you want a more versatile WR.
Round 5: Devin Duvernay – WR – Texas – 5′-10″ 200 lbs. – a speed demon that would rather run you over then around you. A RB in a WRs body. A smart OC can do alot of stuff with this kid. Small catch radius.
He now makes the most sense if they don’t find a guy early, like 2nd round early. He can get deep, run jet sweeps and do damage in the WR screen game. A beefier version of Cooks w/o the concussion issues.
Round 6: Tyrie Cleveland – WR – Florida – 6′-2″ 209 lbs. – Long and fast. Never ran a diverse route tree, but he can eat up a DB in a hurry. Will need some development.
Van Jefferson’s running mate, He has the length and juice to really stretch a defense. He won’t do much beyond running 9s, but he can take the top off a defense early in his career and open up the underneath stuff for everyone else until he develops.
Round 7: Quez Watkins – WR – Southern Miss – 6′-0″ 185 lbs. – Will take the top off a defense. No idea how to run a route, gets open from DBs being scared of being ran by. Electric in the open field. Needs to add some good weight.
I keep drafting him in my mocks in the 7th so this should be no surprise. He is scary fast, can get deep and does well in the screen department. Again, he needs to be coached up on route running and the route tree, but so did Reynolds.
znModeratorGary Klein@LATimesklein
John Johnson, Taylor Rapp are starters, but Rams could be searching for safety depth in NFL draftMike Renner@PFF_Mike
Unless they trade up, the Rams aren’t going to have a 1st round pick for five straight draftsI’m too lazy to check if that’s a record, but it’s probably a record
Stu Jackson@StuJRams
Rams GM Les Snead has talked about the goal in recent years being acquiring as many top 100 draft picks as possible.With this trade, Rams will have three this year:
No. 52 overall (R2)
No. 57 overall (R2, via Texans)
No. 84 overall (R3)Plus No. 104 overall (R3, compensatory)
znModeratorSporting News’ Austin Anderson: B-
The Rams do benefit by now having four picks in the first three rounds of the 2020 draft; there, they can add young players on affordable four-year contracts. In addition, the team still has two good receivers in Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp, who is going into the last year of his rookie deal. Josh Reynolds stepped in well when Cooks and others went down with injuries last year; he’ll be a solid replacement as the third receiver.znModeratorRams Hall Of Famer @OrlandoPace_HOF was one of the best the league has had to offer. The greatest of his era IMO. While Ogden & Walter Jones were greats, they played in simpler run based systems. Whereas Pace played in a deep route offense, requiring longer QB time in the pocket pic.twitter.com/l4Vy1EKxcu
— RAMS ON FILM (@RamsOnFilm) April 10, 2020
znModerator
April 10, 2020 at 5:33 pm in reply to: Virus-what we need to know, what we do know, and what can be done now #113526znModeratorYeah that’s good discussion.
The new problem is that the “R naught” number–how many people can be infected by one person–has more than doubled. If that turns out to be solid data, it’s bad news. I posted about that today in this thread: http://theramshuddle.com/topic/virus-news/
znModeratorA single person with COVID-19 may be more likely to infect up to 5 or 6 other people, rather than 2 or 3, suggests a new study of Chinese data from the CDC. It’s not clear if this higher number applies only to the cases in China or if it will be similar in other countries.
If the higher number does remain true elsewhere, it means that more people in a population need to be immune from the disease—either from having already had it or from a vaccine—to stop it from circulating.
The new study, published in the Emerging Infectious Diseases journal, shifts the R0 for COVID-19 from about 2.2 to about 5.7. R0 is pronounced “R naught.” It’s a mathematical term that indicates how contagious an infectious disease is. R0 tells you the average number of people who will catch a disease from one contagious person. With the lower number, only 55% of a population needs to be immune from COVID-19 to stop its spread through herd immunity. Herd immunity refers to enough of a population being immune to a disease that the disease cannot travel through it.
But if more people get infected from a single person with COVID-19, then more people need to be protected from the disease to stop it from continuing to spread. With an R0 of 5.7, approximately 82% of the population needs to be immune to reach herd immunity and stop the disease from spreading easily through the population, the researchers concluded.
znModeratorMy own take on this.
That’s 13 picks. I divide them into hits, contributors+, tstt (too soon to tell) promising, just dunno yet, tstt-unpromising, and misses.
Hits: Rapp, Evans, Kupp, Johnson
Contributors+: Everett, Reynolds, Ebukam
tsst-promising: Henderson, Long, Gaines
just dunno yet: Noteboom
tsst-unpromising: Allen
Misses: Franklin-MyersznModeratorTexans acquire WR Brandin Cooks and 2022 4th-round pick from Rams for 2nd-round pick
https://walterfootball.com/nfltrades.php
The pick the Texans dealt for Brandin Cooks is not the one they acquired for DeAndre Hopkins; it’s the 57th-overall choice; not the 40th, which means it’s theirs. This means that the Texans ended up trading Hopkins and 17 spots in the second round for Brandin Cooks and David Johnson.
This trade would’ve made sense a couple of years ago when Cooks was seen as a very promising, young receiver, and Johnson didn’t need a walker. However, Johnson is an injury waiting to happen, while Cooks has been a huge disappointment for his recent teams. He’s been a problem in the locker room, and he has also greatly underperformed lately. He caught just 42 passes for 583 yards and two touchdowns in 14 games last year, as he was phased out of the offense late in the season. Even worse, Cooks has a dubious history of concussions, so one or two more could cause him to miss an extensive period of time.
Bill O’Brien is the dumbest man in the NFL, so it’s only natural that he’d squeeze out one more bad trade prior to the draft. This isn’t as bad as the Hopkins deal, but it’s still terrible. If anyone in Houston is listening, please contact owner Cal McNair and send him this link so he can learn the harm O’Brien is causing to his franchise. I think McNair is spending too much time combing his mustache to pay attention to what’s happening with his franchise, so he needs to be made aware of how awful O’Brien is.
Meanwhile, the Rams obviously won this trade. Cooks no longer had much of a role on offense, so getting a second-round choice for him is a steal, especially when considering how bad his contract is.
Grade for Texans – D-
Grade for Rams – A+znModeratorWhat Brandin Cooks brings to the Houston Texans
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znModeratorLMU93
11 of 22 starters from Super Bowl gone
4 on offense- Saffold, Gurley, Cooks, Sullivan
7 on defense- Suh, Fowler, Littleton, Barron, Talib, Peters, JoynerTimes change quickly.
znModeratorTEXANS PERSPECTIVE
Sheil Kapadia@SheilKapadia
Texans trade 2nd-round pick for WR who totaled 583 receiving yards last year, is due $8M in 2019 and has a frightening concussion history.Aaron Wilson@AaronWilson_NFL
Texans executive vice president of football operations Jack Easterby has an extremely close relationship with Brandin Cooks and that was a major intangible factor in the trade with Easterby vouching for him, according to league sources.Texans wanted a speedy wide receiver corps. Now, they have Brandin Cooks (4.33), Will Fuller (4.28) and Kenny Stills (4.38). Whether that will add up to equivalent production of DeAndre Hopkins is debatable, though
NEUTRAL PERSPECTIVE
Spotrac@spotrac
Top Single Season Dead Cap Hits (all-time)1. Brandin Cooks, LAR, $21.8M
2. Antonio Brown, PIT, $21.2M
3. JaMarcus Russell, OAK, $18.9M
4. Nick Foles, JAC, $18.75M
5. Ryan Tannehill, MIA, $18.4M
Andrew Luck, IND, $18.4MPeter King@peter_king
Assuming the NFL plays in September, Cooks will have caught passes before turning 27 from:
Brees
Brady
Goff
Watson3 QBs who have played in Super Bowls and a fourth who has a good chance to one day.
@brandincooks is 26 years old. NFL teams have used the 20th, 32nd, 23rd and 57th picks in the draft to acquire him. First-, first-, first- and second-round picks spent to acquire one player in four distinct transactions. Cooks’ is one of the strangest careers in recent history.
Albert Breer@AlbertBreer
Retooled skill position group around Rams QB Jared Goff: Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods, Josh Reynolds, Tyler Higbee, Gerald Everett, Malcolm Brown, Darrell Henderson.Pretty different than it has been.
RAMS PERSPECTIVE
Rich Hammond@Rich_Hammond
The Rams will have to retain a $21.8 million cap hit in 2020 for Brandin Cooks, per a source.the goal is to mitigate the number of those “something isn’t working” situations to begin with. That’s never going to be totally possible, but limiting them is the goal.
In cutting Gurley and Cooks, the Rams absorb a massive combined salary-cap hit in 2020 (it could be as much as $33.5 million) but free up space in 2021 (approximately $20 million) for an offseason in which they will need to re-sign or replace players such as Kupp, Jalen Ramsey and John Johnson.
The Rams’ trade of Brandin Cooks makes sense in the micro. They’re changing their offense and need long-term cap flexibility.
In the macro, though, it raises serious questions about what has been going on in the front office.
Cameron DaSilva@camdasilva
According to Over The Cap, the Rams have $58.4M in cap space next year – depending on what the salary cap is set atznModeratorIt’s the week of the conference championship! Last year the Rams surmounted a terrific come back in arguably the loudest stadium in the league. @brandincooks had 107 yards and some major catches to keep the Rams in the game, putting them in position for points! pic.twitter.com/E5nSX08sqx
— RAMS ON FILM (@RamsOnFilm) January 13, 2020
znModeratorThe process date of the Brandin Cooks trade will be very important. Cooks holds $21.8M of dead cap w/ the #Rams. If this is processed after June 1st, that will split into $8.8M in 2020, $13M in 2021. If not, LA will lose $5M of cap space this year.
— Spotrac (@spotrac) April 9, 2020
znModeratorBrandin Cooks trade grades: Another disaster for the Texans, and an admission of failure for the Rams
Bill Barnwell
In the latest battle of Bill O’Brien versus any conceivable or feasible notion of draft pick value, the Texans fired off one of their last remaining selections to not solve their self-created problem, trading for wide receiver Brandin Cooks. Even if Cooks returns to his prior form, the Texans seem to operate in a vacuum in which there is no concept of what the other 31 teams are doing or thinking. This trade is an admission of failure from the Rams. It’s a flailing response to failure for the Texans.
It’s easy to understand why the Rams made this move, although it’s the end to yet another disastrous contract extension for general manager Les Snead. In the summer of 2018, I cautioned that the contract extensions handed to Cooks and Todd Gurley were poorly-structured. Less than two years later, neither player is on the roster.
Rams trade Brandin Cooks to Texans for second-round pick
Los Angeles Rams get: 2020 second-round pick (No. 57)
Houston Texans get: WR Brandin Cooks, 2022 fourth-round pickRams grade: B
Texans grade: D+Cooks was under contract in 2018 for $8.5 million and could have been franchised in 2019 for $16.8 million, meaning the Rams could have theoretically gone year-to-year and paid him $25.3 million for his first two seasons in Los Angeles. Instead, his new contract paid him $42 million over its first two years. By waiting until after March 15 to trade Cooks, the Rams also triggered a $4 million roster bonus for him, which they’ll owe him on the way out. Los Angeles will have $21.8 million in dead money on their cap for Cooks in 2020 and more than $33 million in dead money between the failed deals for Cooks and Gurley.
znModeratorLindseyThiry@LindseyThiry
Dead money charge is $21.8 million because of a $4 million roster bonus that became due on third day of league year.==
Rams updated draft picks
Round 2, No. 52
Round 2, No. 57
Round 3, No. 84
Round 3, No. 104 (compensatory)
Round 4, No. 126
Round 6, No. 199
Round 7, No. 234znModeratorBucky Brooks@BuckyBrooks
Nickel CBs are now considered the 12th starter and teams are drafting smaller guys w/quicks, skills, IQ and toughness/tackling ability to play strictly inside. The position is becoming one with specialists—outside CBs and slot corners. That’s the biggest change at the NFL level6-0+ corners will always be coveted by NFL scouts due to the big body WRs that dominate the league on the outside (Jones, Thomas, Allen, Evans, etc.). But big CBs don’t move like small guys and it’s harder for them to move inside to play Slot CB
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Cameron DaSilva@camdasilva
gonna be hard not to restructure, to be honest. they have no money, no kicker, Floyd isn’t signed and they still have a draft class to sign. only so many ways to come up with more moneyznModeratorCameron DaSilva@camdasilva
The incoming class of WRs is historically deep – and so trading Cooks makes some sense.Now, the Rams can (and should) capitalize on it in Round 2
znModerator🚨Brandin Cooks is headed to Houston🚨
🎙️@Rich_Hammond is joined by @aaronjreiss of @TheAthleticHOU for instant reaction to the deal that sends the WR to TX for a 2nd-round pick.
Full Convo ⬇️
iTunes https://t.co/02EOvo9f6a
Spotify https://t.co/B2gVdR0LmF📸R.Hanashiro pic.twitter.com/0nNBnMRw77
— The Athletic L.A. (@TheAthleticLA) April 10, 2020
znModerator"This year, they get no cap relief by getting rid of Brandin Cooks… The Rams definitely will be needing to look into this receiver-deep draft for some depth."@LindseyThiry on the #LARams trade with @VeniceMase & @LAIreland on 710 AM ESPN pic.twitter.com/3TnIhKMCOz
— ESPN Los Angeles (@ESPNLosAngeles) April 10, 2020
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