"He’s a guy that can basically play anywhere in the backend that you need him to."@TiTaniumT98 brings versatility to the Rams defense. pic.twitter.com/wcRnbW7z9u

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) May 16, 2020

2020 rookie profile: Clemson OL Tremayne Anchrum

link http://ramstalk.net/2020-rookie-profile-clemson-ol-tremayne-anchrum/

Although it was late in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Los Angeles Rams finally addressed their offensive line needs in the seventh round. The Rams picked Clemson offensive tackle Tremayne Anchrum for their 250th overall pick, and their final pick in the draft.

Anchrum started as a right tackle for the Tigers, but practiced and played along the entire line during his collegiate career. He played for four years with Clemson, helping win two National Titles in 2016 and 2018 and making it to the National Championship in 2019. He started in all 30 games in the last two seasons.

…Anchrum hopes to bring his own competitive spirit to the Rams. Here is how he matches up.

STATS AND HONORS:
2019: Played 842 snaps over 15 games.

Career: Played 2,516 snaps over 55 games (37 starts).

Honors: 2016 and 2018 National Champion, 2019 First-Team All-ACC selection, 2019 permanent team captain, four-time ACC Champion (2016-2019), 2018 Second-Team All-ACC selection, two-time ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week (2018, 2019).

STRENGTHS:

Anchrum is quick, strong and uses leverage well. He is agile in running plays and has a strong pushback against defenders. His pass blocking is solid, and he is great at mirroring opponents, using strong lateral movement. At right tackle, he had much success in protecting Clemson’s mobile quarterback Trevor Lawrence. He can roll with the play and uses good peripheral vision to eye defenders coming into the pocket from the edge. He has a quick strike and decent hand placement along with moving his feet constantly to gain the advantage. Most importantly he concentrates on his assignment.

WEAKNESSES:

At 6’2,” 314 pounds, Anchrum is smaller in height than the average NFL tackle. He has shorter arms, which will make his extension hard at the next level but moving him inside to guard is not a bad move. Anchrum does have trouble redirecting his blocking when defenders move inside. His technique is also inconsistent from play-to-play. Often, he is playing off balance, too far forward. He will need to work on core strength.

EXPECTATIONS IN 2020:

Anchrum may not have the ideal size for an NFL tackle, but he may make a decent guard. Moving him inside may shore up the inside holes the Rams have had trouble with in 2019 and would certainly put him in a strong backup position. The Rams offensive line coaches can work on his fundamentals in the offseason to strengthen his core along with his hand and footwork. He will continue to learn behind the other veterans and will also bring a good skillset at the line.

Anchrum’s one advantage is playing across both tackle positions and practicing at both guard position throughout his time at Clemson. This is a welcome trait of an offensive linemen coming into the organization. The Rams would benefit from a player of his experience and talent. There’s no reason the Rams couldn’t ask Anchrum to practice at center too. Sean McVay has emphasized versatility from his linemen. It did work for Edwards after all.

I like this guy usually but he’s not at his best talking about Marxist concepts. One of the things you need to form a class is historically to move beyond the previous social conception, which was ranks. So for example previously smiths did not necessarily see themselves as sharing interests and identity with ordinary sailors–they occupied different ranks in the social order and did not necessarily define themselves as sharing social and economic interests. So the class concept has to emerge by braking with the traditional concept of ranks. That was part of Thompson’s main point. To quote Thompson, “in the years between 1780 and 1832 most English working people came to feel an identity of interests as between themselves, and as against other men whose interests are different from (and usually opposed to) theirs.”

So one way of thinking (ranks) gets replaced by another (class).

Our historian here, the video guy, is often quite shaky on what Marxist historians are saying.

…

Get to know the Rams’ 22 undrafted free agent signees

Stu Jackson

https://www.therams.com/news/get-to-know-22-undrafted-free-agent-signees

The Rams supplemented their nine-member 2020 draft class by signing 22 undrafted free agents. Here’s a little bit more information about each of those 22 newcomers:

DE Eric Banks, Texas-San Antonio

Totaled 81 total tackles, including 20.5 for loss, plus three pass breakups, five forced fumbles and one fumble recovery in four seasons, earning honorable mention All-Conference USA recognition as a senior in 2019.

LB Daniel Bituli, Tennessee

The second-team All-SEC selection helped the Volunteers to their highest finish in total defense (23rd nationally) in a decade and became just the second player to lead Tennessee in tackles for three straight seasons. He produced 266 total tackles, including 14.5 tackles for loss, plus four sacks, one interception and six pass breakups in four seasons. He returned that interception as well as a blocked punt for touchdowns.

C Cohl Cabral, Arizona State

After appearing in 11 games as a freshman, Cabral started 38 straight upon earning that role as a sophomore. The two-time team captain earned consecutive second-team All-Pac-12 honors across his junior and senior seasons.

WR Earnest Edwards, Maine

Edwards led the FCS in kickoff return yards (28.5 per return) and ranked third in all-purpose yards (169.9 per game) last fall. Overall, he earned six All-American honors and multiple All-Conference recognitions at both wide receiver and as a kick return specialist during his career with the Black Bears. The Rochester, New York, native completed his Maine career as the school’s all-time record holder for kick return yards (2,311), kick return touchdowns (6) and total kick returns (90).

RB James Gilbert, Kansas State

The Indianapolis native led the Wildcats with 737 yards and finished second on the team with six rushing touchdowns in 2019. Gilbert arrived as a graduate transfer from Ball State, where he surpassed 2,000 career rushing yards. Between his time at Ball State (2015-18) and Kansas State (2019), he tallied 744 carries for 3,543 rushing yards and 36 rushing touchdowns.

DT Michael Hoecht, Brown

In four seasons at Brown, Hoecht accumulated 174 total tackles, including 29.5 tackles for loss, 16.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and one blocked kick.

DB Juju Hughes, Fresno State

Hughes’ 80 tackles as a senior was a single-season career best and good for third on the team. He was a two-time All-Mountain West honorable mention selection (2017, 2019) and second-team All-Mountain West selection (2018) during his four-year career at Fresno State.

WR Trishton Jackson, Syracuse

A second-team All-ACC selection in 2019, Jackson led the Orange with 66 catches and ranked sixth in the conference with 1,023 receiving yards. He also became the sixth Syracuse receiver and the first junior in program history to post a 1,000-yard receiving campaign. Jackson enrolled at Syracuse in January 2018 after playing his freshman and sophomore seasons at Michigan State, then chose to declare for the draft and forgo his final year of eligibility following his lone season with the Orange.

RB Xavier Jones, Southern Methodist

As a senior, Jones set single-season program records for total touchdowns (25), rushing touchdowns (23), and points (150). He also finished his SMU career tied for the most TD (48) and most points (288) in school history. Jones was one of 10 semifinalists for the Doak Walker Award, given annually to the nation’s top running back, and finished his SMU career with 662 carries for 3,436 rushing yards and 45 rushing touchdowns.

WR J.J. Koski, Cal Poly

Koski finished with 121 receptions for 2,311 receiving yards and 18 touchdowns across 44 games at Cal-Poly, leading his team in receiving for three straight years (2017-19).

DB Dayan Lake, Brigham Young

Lake tallied 207 tackles, including 10.5 tackles for loss, along with 15 pass breakups, seven interceptions, seven fumble recoveries, three forced fumbles, two sacks and one touchdown in four seasons at Brigham Young.

LB Bryan London, Texas State

A back-to-back first-team All-Sun Belt selection as a junior and senior, London made 459 total tackles in four seasons at Texas State to finish 20th on the FBS career list for that category. He was also a four-year starter for the Bobcats.

QB Josh Love, San Jose State

The Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year and first-team All-Mountain West quarterback in 2019, Love’s 3,923 passing yards as a senior were third-most in a single season in program history. With Love under center, San Jose State had the no. 4 passing offense in the country behind Washington State, LSU and Alabama. Love finished his San Jose State career in the top ten for passing yardage (7,206, 3rd), pass completions (578, 4th), total offense (6,924 yards, 7th), and passing efficiency (126.72 rating, 9th).

DB Tyrique McGhee, Georgia

The Byron, Georgia, native posted 59 total tackles, two interceptions, 11 pass breakups and two forced fumbles across 50 career games in four seasons.

QB Bryce Perkins, Virginia

Perkins needed only two seasons to set the UVA career record for total offense with 7,910 yards. Additionally, he set the school single-season passing record with 3,538 yards in 2019. The Queen Creek, Arizona, native was an All-ACC second-team selection as a senior.

WR Brandon Polk, James Madison

A second-team All-Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) selection, Polk led the team with 74 receptions for 1,179 yards and 11 touchdowns, averaging 15.9 yards per catch in his lone season at James Madison. His 11 receiving touchdowns ranked fourth in the CAA and 16th nationally. Prior to James Madison, Polk spent four years at Penn State, where he posted 27 receptions for 367 yards and four touchdowns while starting in 10 of the 40 games he appeared in.

DE Greg Reaves, South Florida

The former walk-on earned a scholarship prior to the start of the 2017 season and went on to start 37 straight games at defensive end (30) and linebacker (7). In four seasons, Reaves tallied 212 tackles, including 30.5 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, six pass break-ups, three fumble recoveries, one forced fumble and an interception.

DT Sam Renner, Minnesota

Renner produced 56 total tackles, including nine for loss, plus five sacks while playing in 37 games with the Gophers. Another former walk-on, he also started all 13 games during his senior season.

LB Christian Rozeboom, South Dakota State

Rozeboom led his team in tackles and earned first-team Missouri Valley Football Conference recognition in each of his four years, departing as South Dakota State’s record-holder for career tackles with 475. A consensus All-American as a senior in 2019, the Sioux Center, Iowa, native was also one of 26 finalists for the Buck Buchanan Award, which is given annually to the FCS’ top defensive player.

DB Levonta Taylor, Florida State

Starting in five of the 11 games he appeared in, Taylor logged 37 tackles, including 2.5 for loss with 1.0 sack, one interception, three pass breakups and two quarterback hurries in 2019. He departed Florida State tied for fourth on the school’s all-time career list with two interception return touchdowns.

DE Jonah Williams, Weber State

Williams collected 15 sacks, which ranks ninth in school history, with 28 career tackles for loss across 54 career games, adding 194 total tackles, three fumble recoveries, three forced fumbles and three career blocked kicks. He earned All-America honors and was named the Big Sky Defensive MVP in his final season at Weber State.

WR Easop Winston, Washington State

An All-Pac-12 honorable mention choice in 2019, Winston wrapped up his Washington State career with 137 receptions for 1,624 yards and 19 touchdowns in two seasons. The former junior college transfer’s 19 career touchdown catches tied for 7th-most in Washington State history.

nittany ram wrote:

A good friend of our family recently died of COVID-19 in a nursing home in Philadelphia. He and his wife had been my parent’s best friends since I was in my teens. Our families vacationed together in the Outer Banks every summer. He was a kind and fun-loving man. He was suffering from Alzheimer’s and had been living with his son’s family, but he started experiencing “Korean War” flashbacks accompanied by a lot of screaming. He was frightening his son’s small children, and not knowing what else to do, they put him in a nursing home. I had not seen him in years, but from what I have heard, Alzheimer’s had taken the man I used to know. He no longer existed. What was left was a frightened, tormented, shell of his former self who didn’t know where he was and didn’t recognize anyone around him. Perhaps this is one case where COVID-19 was a blessing.

I;m sorry to hear all that N. My condolences. It’s a tough time.