Deadpool

Evans needs to work on 1 thing for next year

I loved his movement skills coming out of Oklahoma, I also loved his power. Those 2 usually don’t belong in the same sentence for OTs. So he already has a skill set that is rare. He does a very nice job of keeping his feet underneath of himself, which allows him to be more agile and maintain his power. He also does a very nice job of keeping his arms inside his body. At least thats how I describe it. He never over-extends his arms and reaches for a defender, which keeps him from lunging and making him vulnerable to puch/pull moves or spin moves, dip and rips as well since the arms are already extended. The defender just knocks those arms down and dips under the armpit.

What he needs to do better is drop his hips and sink more into that pass pro setup. He is getting by on power and footwork, but Clowney without the core muscle injury he is dealing with right now would have gave Evans a run for his money bigtime IMO. If he sinks his hips a bit more, it lowers his center of gravity and gives him more leverage and less of a chance of being over powered or bull rushed. Nick Bosa is making a living bullrushing because he is so fast off the ball, he converts that speed to power and just gets into a OTs chest and pushes. he did it to Whit a few times in their first meeting.

Evans can be a plus starter for years to come, he just has to fine tune some technique. He’s my favorite OL going forward. Under valued coming out of Okla., and I think he is your future RT at the least and may be your LT as soon as next year. I love the combo of Edwards and Evans on the right side.

As far as Edwards, my biggest knock was technique and it still is, because he hasn’t been a OL since HS. It was in college he made the switch so he is behind. He is smart and can catch up. I’m not worried. He’s your LG of the future, give him an offseason in the weight room and fine tune his technique and he’s a the real deal.

What about the rest of the line?

I’ll just go player to player.

Whitworth – i don’t think he comes back, simply because he has declined and the Rams have no money. I’m not sure I want him back. he has been good lately, but he was a mess early, and it had nothing to do with the rest of the line. Nick Bosa, a rookie, stole his lunch money and his backup sack lunch.

Noteboom – I think his natural position is LT. Now how he comes back and how quickly he comes back is going to be a major story going forward. They are going to have to make personnel and draft decisions without knowing when Noteboom will be healthy. Its a scary thought. I think at worst he is your starting LG.

Corbett – Right now he is the weakest link on the line. No question. Rams have him under cheap control for next year and he has proven he can start for a team with playoff aspirations so to me, he’s a perfect backup OG.

Blythe – Guy is a OC, has always been and is proving thats where he belongs. I like him at OC more then Allen. But he is a FA, and unless the Rams get a discount on him, I don’t see him coming back.

Allen – Don’t like him, didn’t like him when he was drafted and I he isn’t really a fit for any offense. Too small for a power man scheme, too stiff for a zone scheme. He’s a jag. And I don’t like tearing down Rams players, but I just don’t see him as a long term solution.

Haves – Didn’t like him or Brown as picks a few years ago. He’s more of a power man RT only. Too slow with heavy feet. And way too tall to be moved inside. And too expensive to be cut. And who really wants to trade for an overpriced, underachieving RT. So what do you do with him? I just do not know.

#LARams interior defense has been stout against the run so far this year

Among all DI/ED defenders with at least 300 snaps, Aaron Donald (3rd) and Michael Brockers (6th) both rank in the Top 10 in Rush Defense Grades pic.twitter.com/8RrWrNGPT1

— PFF LA Rams (@PFF_Rams) December 13, 2019

In the 2008 victory over Dallas, ball hawking safety OJ Atogwe led the Rams defense in shutting down the Cowboys attack. Between 2006-2010 no player had more takeaways then Atogwe (Interceptions AND forced fumbles). Here, OJ picked off Brad Johnson two times! pic.twitter.com/gmjW6RYFtC

— RAMS ON FILM (@RamsOnFilm) December 13, 2019

Rookie Bobby Evans steps up in reconfigured Rams’ O-line

https://www.yahoo.com/news/rookie-bobby-evans-steps-reconfigured-013518537.html

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (AP) — In one month, rookie Bobby Evans has gone from simulating the Los Angeles Rams’ opponents to running them over as the starting right tackle.

In the same time span, the makeshift offensive line Evans is part of helped the Rams stabilize their season and give them a chance to make the playoffs for the third straight year.

“Honestly, I just feel like life picked up a lot ’cause I went from, you know, being a scout-team backup guy to a starter,” Evans said.

Evans, a third-round draft pick from Oklahoma, has started the past four games after Rob Havenstein sustained a knee injury. Next to him is David Edwards, another rookie. Austin Blythe changed positions and is now the starting center. Left guard Austin Corbett was acquired from Cleveland in a trade on Oct. 15.

The only projected starter still in the lineup is left tackle Andrew Whitworth, but that front five combination has allowed the Rams to get the offense on track.

Since Evans came into the lineup against Chicago in Week 11, Todd Gurley has run off three of his four most productive rushing performances this season. That, in turn, has allowed Jared Goff to find success with play-action passing.

Coach Sean McVay said Evans has been integral to creating holes for Gurley and keeping Goff upright against several top edge defenders, including Khalil Mack for the Bears and Seattle’s Jadeveon Clowney.

“I’ve been really impressed with him, you look at some of the players that he’s gone against, the caliber of big-time guys and the way that he’s been able to perform,” McVay said. “He’s got great play energy. If you watch him, the excitement, the way that he helps his teammates up, finishes blocks, gets excited when guys score. He’s got a nice enthusiasm about himself that you get excited about. I’ve been very pleased with Bobby.”

Whether Evans’ play has been strong enough to usurp the starting job from Havenstein is a matter McVay and his coaching staff have tried to deflect.

“I feel good about the fact that we can execute our offense at a high level however that game day right tackle spot plays out,” passing game coordinator Shane Waldron said.

Havenstein is in the first season of a four-year, $32.5 million dollar contract extension he signed in August 2018, a deal he earned with steady play in McVay’s first two seasons.

But the response to the first real adversity during McVay’s time in Los Angeles, a downturn which also coincided with the spate of injuries that forced the offensive line to be reshuffled, might have rendered past performance and future earnings secondary to how the Rams are playing now as they try to chase down Minnesota for the second wild-card in the NFC.

The Rams seem inclined to stick with what is working. Havenstein was a full participant in practice Thursday, but it was Evans working alongside the other starters during positional drills.

Still, what could be a complicated decision right now might bode well for the future of the Rams up front, with Whitworth in the final season of a three-year contract. If Whitworth decides not to play a 15th season or the Rams decide to move on from the dependable Louisiana native who has played all but 10 offensive snaps this season, Evans and Havenstein would be the obvious choices to start in some combination at left and right tackle.

Evans played both positions in college for the Sooners and believes he can highlight different parts of his game depending on where he lines up.

“I would say I feel smoother pass setting at left, but I feel stronger on the right, you know what I’m saying?,” Evans said.

Left or right is something to be resolved later for Evans. Right now, he is focused on being ready to play against Dallas on Sunday if needed.

Blythe said Evans’ attitude reflects why he has been able to adapt so well to the NFL.

“He’s just been a professional,” Blythe said. “He’s done what the coaches asked.”

http://www.nfl.com/photoessays/0ap3000001086985/next-gen-stats-key-figures-shaping-the-dpoy-race?campaign=Twitter_atn

Aaron Donald’s continued dominance
Another year, another season of Aaron Donald dominating. Barring voter fatigue, Donald could be well on his way to becoming the first player in NFL history to win DPOY in three consecutive seasons. No other player stands so far ahead of his peers at his position. Donald leads the NFL in pressures (60) for the second-straight season — remarkable for his position — as he has 24 more pressures than any other interior DL. Donald has generated a pressure on 14.0% of his pass rushes, which is the sixth-highest rate in the NFL (min. 200 pass rushes) and stands head and shoulders above the next-closest interior DL (Gerald McCoy: 11.4%). To put this in perspective, consider the base rates: Defenders aligned as interior D-linemen generate pressure on 6.6% of their pass rushes compared to 9.7% when aligned on the edge. The key to Donald’s success? His patented burst off the ball. He has a pass rush get-off of 0.83 seconds (the average time it takes him to cross the LOS).

Double team rate as a defensive tackle (x) by pass rush win rate as a defensive tackle (y).

PRWR = rate pass rusher beats blocker in 2.5 seconds.

ESPN metrics, NFL Next Gen Stats data. pic.twitter.com/H6XmXgRJoh

— Seth Walder (@SethWalder) December 12, 2019

Safety Blitz

Gurley’s New Rushing Style Works

I see a more patient runner who reads the blocks before taking an angle ala L Bell. Muscling through the trenches waiting for a big play. Doesn’t seem as fast or as strong but whatever changes he has made are working.

.@RamsNFL @trapp07 is exactly who they thought he would be coming out of @UW_Football; a tackling machine. Huge stop here on 3-2. #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/kGqLiCDgcK

— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) December 12, 2019

.@seattle v @RamsNFL on 3-3 on opening drive. The Rams blow the coverage and Wilson misses an opportunity to make them pay. #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/5YHGwTySr6

— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) December 12, 2019

Aaron Donald should win defensive player of the year again based off these two pictures alone #Rams pic.twitter.com/yDKNG9EsrP

— Tony Clements (@TonyClementsTC) December 9, 2019

Sarina@sarina
Nsimba Webster is day-to-day (hip).
Rob Havenstein will be full participation this week.
Gerald Everett is day-to-day (knee).

PFF LA Rams@PFF_Rams
Staying true to his nickname, “Slot God” Nickell Robey-Coleman holds the 4th-Highest Coverage Snaps per Reception rate in the league this season for all corners from the slot with at least 150 coverage snaps

Gary Klein@LATimesklein
Michael Brockers: “I understand teams — sometimes they love a guy but they still have to let him go. That could be the situation. Hopefully it’s not. But I’ve been in this business long enough to understand that some tough choices have to be made.”

Cooper Kupp had a productive game, including a touchdown, while playing only 20 snaps in McVay’s evolving offense.

The Rams’ loss to the Ravens is apparently now in Voldemort territory: “the game we won’t talk about anymore,” quipped McVay.

Los Angeles Rams@RamsNFL
“My main focus is to try to find a way to keep winning, and find ourselves in a playoff game.” –
@AaronDonald99. Aaron Donald talks about potentially winning his 3rd Consecutive Defensive Player of The Year Award, and Sunday’s matchup against the Dallas Cowboys.

Stu Jackson@StuJRams
Rams HC Sean McVay on whether he’d be apprehensive to make changes to current OL if RT Rob Havenstein is ready to go:

“We’re going to monitor that as the week progresses. It’s something we feel good about.”

No decision yet on capacity Havenstein would be used if he’s full-go.

If Webster is unable to play against the Cowboys, Rams coach Sean McVay said each of the team’s three starting wide receivers – Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods and Brandin Cooks – are capable of filling in as the punt returner.