Vincent Bonsignore@VinnyBonsignore
Of the many things I’ll be keeping an eye on today is first-down success. Last year #Rams averaged 6.8 yards per play on first downs. They are averaging 5.4 yards per first down plays this year.

TurfShowTimes@TurfShowTimes
Things to keep in mind today:

– Troy Hill and Jalen Ramsey are likely to start at boundary CB
– Rookie David Edwards to start first NFL game at LG, replaces Demby/Noteboom
– Todd Gurley will be active
– Darrell Hendo to receive more work (Malc inactive)

Sosa K@QBsMVP
All active:

– Jalen Ramsey
– Todd Gurley
– David Long Jr. (first time)
– Bobby Evans (yikes)

New additions in Kenny Young + Austin Corbett are inactive

Vincent Bonsignore@VinnyBonsignore
#Rams rookie CB David Long Jr. also active for the first time this year. #Rams going heavy with their DB’s while not dressing LB Hager and DL Gaines

It also means OL Bobby Evans is up for the first time in his career

TurfShowTimes@TurfShowTimes
Rams really shaking it up after a 3-game losing skid. Rookies beginning to see activity on gameday.

Rams’ Kevin Demoff: Jalen Ramsey one of best in game

Ian Rapoport

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000001066997/article/rams-kevin-demoff-jalen-ramsey-one-of-best-in-game

A storyline that dominated the NFL landscape for the past month exploded on Tuesday night, as Jalen Ramsey was traded to the Los Angeles Rams for the two first-round picks that the Jaguars wanted, plus an additional fourth-rounder. Ramsey’s back was healed, Jacksonville had wiped the slate clean and Los Angeles had a shutdown corner.

“It’s a long-term move for one of the best players in the game,” Rams COO Kevin Demoff said during a break from the league meetings.

One of the biggest trades in a league suddenly full of them transpired, leaving all sides with new beginnings. Less than 24 later, Jaguars owner Shad Khan — who had led the charge in telling teams Ramsey wasn’t available for the few weeks prior — reflected on value he couldn’t turn down.

“What I think is basically what I’ve been saying, that we have to respect individual players and do the right thing for the Jags,” Khan told NFL Media, while also mentioning that he’s still not sure how it went sideways with Ramsey. “I think this is definitely the right thing for the Jaguars. I’m really proud of, as a team, how they’ve done and I think this really puts us in a good place moving forward.”

For the Rams, it was textbook. They are seemingly involved in every trade, and are never shy. This was a perfect example. Their massive move led some to wonder if, at 3-3, they were trying to save their season.

“If we were trying to save our season, then wouldn’t we have kept Marcus Peters?” Demoff asked. “If this was panic or desperation, we would’ve kept both.”

Instead, Peters went to Baltimore in a whirlwind day, while the Rams got Ramsey. They will gameplan to his strengths — play more man-to-man defense — and watch as he goes toe-to-toe with Julio Jones today.

For the Jags, Khan notes that the onus is on those making the picks to chose wisely with their new bounty.

Khan called the deal “fair for all parties” and said of the All-Pro Ramsey, “I think we knew what we had in the value.” It took a certain amount of patience to deal with everything, including Ramsey sitting out games with an injury.

“Somebody has to step in and say, ‘We got to balance the right thing for the team and deal with some of the drama and long-term to do the right thing,’ ” Khan explained.

For the Rams, meanwhile, it was the opposite side of the spectrum. They’ve had the huge haul of picks before, dealing the selection that turned into Robert Griffin III to the Redskins in 2012. It turned into eight players, notably Janoris Jenkins, Michael Brockers, Alec Ogletree and Greg Robinson. Only Brockers is still with the team. Over the last few years, GM Les Snead and Demoff have been far more comfortable trading draft picks for proven pieces.

And as usual, the Rams went for it.

“We haven’t figured out something that other people haven’t, we’re just more aggressive and willing to do it than others,” Demoff said. “And then we’re willing to move around in the draft and replenish draft capital. … Time will tell whether we’re better off drafting more assets, but we are not where we were when we did the RGIII trade. It’s harder to develop guys with the new CBA. And first rounders are good players, but the hit rate is 50 percent.”

Current players are more certain, but also more expensive. It’s a give-and-take. Demoff acknowledged the team pays a premium for top, young talent such that they’ve acquired via trade. And yes, his team’s thinking is slightly different than some.

“We don’t value late first-rounders as much as we do proven players,” Demoff said. It’s true, the Rams traded their first-round picks in 2017-2021. But Demoff explains that each was for a different reason.

In 2017, it was simply the price of moving up for Jared Goff. In 2018, it was for Brandin Cooks, who has impressed and still was in his early 20s when they traded for him. Last year, they traded out of the first round and still got a player in Taylor Rapp at No. 61 that they would’ve taken in the first round. And then there are the Ramsey picks.

“It is a further crapshoot when you get to that point in the round,” Demoff said. His team also, by the way, dealt Peters to Baltimore that same day, a deal that Demoff said was somewhat linked to Ramsey but not done together. When they did Peters, they knew there was a chance at Ramsey. But they would have executed the Peters deal without finishing off the Ramsey deal.

Of the trade of Peters, who the team was not going to make one of the highest-paid CBs this offseason, Demoff said, “We liked Marcus and wanted to send him to a place where he’d thrive.”

Meanwhile, an added beneficiary, oddly, was Rams CB Troy Hill, who became a rare NFL player to sell his jersey number not once but twice. He got $32K for the No. 32 that Eric Weddle now wears, then $20K for the No. 20 that currently belongs to Ramsey. Plus, he’s playing well, which allowed the team to even consider the Peters deal in the first place.

As for Ramsey and a possible new contract, this deal was not contingent on making him the highest-paid corner. The team did broach the topic before trading for Ramsey, but the expectation is it’ll be handled in the offseason. Ramsey is due to make $13.7 million in 2020.

“There’s nothing that binds either side, but we assume he’ll like it here and we’ll start a conversation,” Demoff said.

The last time we faced the Falcons…@robertwoods made some 😱 plays. #LAvsATL pic.twitter.com/A2Ln4qGXpa

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) October 20, 2019

this should be every team's onside kick strategy pic.twitter.com/P3y23lx9rs

— Rodger Sherman (@rodger) October 19, 2019

NFL fined Rams’ LB Clay Matthews $12,500 for the below tweet: https://t.co/dZXKqrFGX9

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 19, 2019

Video Shows Former Oregon Receiver Keanon Lowe Disarming, Hugging Suicidal Student

https://deadspin.com/video-shows-former-oregon-receiver-keanon-lowe-disarmin-1839191304

Former Oregon Ducks wide receiver Keanon Lowe was heralded as a hero back in May when it was reported that he brought down a would-be school shooter before anyone at a Portland high school could get hurt. Video of the incident has since been released because of a public records request from KOIN 6 in Portland. While the footage does not show Lowe tackling the student, as was reported at the time, it does show the former

The footage also corroborates the story that Lowe—a football coach for Parkrose High School, where this all took place—told reporters in a press conference shortly after his heroics took place. His story fills in the blanks as to what happened in the classroom and behind the walls that the clip did not capture.

Hero football coach Keanon Lowe speaks about stopping a gunman at Parkrose High School: https://t.co/lmscw7Aod4 pic.twitter.com/wfT3bDwCpo

— KOIN News (@KOINNews) May 21, 2019

After I’m in the classroom for 20 seconds, the door opens and I’m within arm’s length of the door, about three feet away from the door, and there’s a kid with a gun, a shotgun, as soon as that door opens. Pretty crazy situation, you know. In a fraction of a second, I analyzed everything really fast. I saw the look in his face, looked at his eyes, looked at the gun, realized it was a real gun and then my instincts just took over. I lunged for the gun, put two hands on the gun, and he had his two hands on the gun, and the students are running out of the classroom and screaming. I’m just making sure the barrel of the gun [wasn’t aimed at anyone].

KOIN 6 had the rest of his remarks:

“I think the universe works in amazing ways,” he said. “I think I’ve gone through stuff in my life that prepared me for that moment and I’m lucky and I’m happy that I was in that classroom for those kids and I was able to prevent that tragedy. I don’t know if ‘hero’ is the right word but the universe works in mysterious ways and I was meant to be in that classroom and I was meant to stop a tragedy.”

After disarming 19-year-old Angel Granados Diaz, Lowe said they had a conversation.

“I felt compassion for the kid, to be honest,” Lowe said. “I had a real-life conversation. Obviously, he broke down and I just wanted to let him know that I was there for him. I told him I was there to save him — I was there for a reason and that this is a life worth living.”

According to a report from the shotgun-wielding student’s trial, the teenager did not intend on shooting anybody but himself on that day in May. In the end, no shots were fired because of Lowe’s actions. The student, meanwhile, was sentenced on Thursday to three years of probation and mental health treatment after pleading guilty to felony possession of a firearm in a public building and misdemeanor possession of a loaded firearm in public.

Falcons’ Trufant out for Rams game in Week 7 | Atlanta Journal-Constituation
https://www.ajc.com/sports/football/trufant-out-for-rams-game/1fQUp7LIHUehrZBWpcB7CP/

The Falcons’ pass defense will be without its No. 1 cornerback Desmond Trufant when they face the Rams at 1 p.m. Sunday at Mercedes Benz.

McVay says Falcons record is really misleading | Falcons’ official site
https://www.atlantafalcons.com/news/sean-mcvay-says-falcons-record-is-really-misleading

It was not long ago that the Falcons traveled to Los Angeles for a wildcard playoff matchup against the Rams, leaving with a well-earned 26-13. A lot has changed since then, however, and the Rams (3-3) now come to Atlanta for a game against the Falcons (1-5) that both teams need to win.

Bucky Brooks
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000001066840/article/nfls-mismatch-nightmares-in-2019-jalen-ramsey-trade-fallout?campaign=Twitter_atn

Rams made right call in Ramsey deal.

As a former college scout, I know I’m not supposed to endorse the Los Angeles Rams’ decision to trade two first-round selections (2020, 2021) and a fourth-rounder (2021) for Jalen Ramsey earlier this week, but I absolutely love the team’s decision to opt for “players over picks” in this scenario.

Sure, the prospect of sitting out the opening round in the 2020 and 2021 drafts is a little scary, but, considering the Rams aren’t likely to be drafting early in the round, I don’t know if they could have landed a better player than Ramsey in either class. We are talking about a former No. 5 overall pick with world-class athleticism (ACC long-jump champion), an All-Pro game and the alpha-dog mentality that raises the standard of play of the entire defense when he steps on the field as the designated CB1.

Ramsey, a two-time Pro Bowl selectee, is one of just seven players with nine or more INTs and 45 or more passes defensed since he entered the NFL in 2016. He’s allowed just 53.7 percent of targets to be completed in his career (fifth-lowest among 73 CBs with 150-plus targets since 2016, per Pro Football Focus). And he’s done all this while challenging some of the top receivers in the game.

That’s exactly what you want from a first-round pick when selecting at the top of the board. You want a transcendent talent who can make everyone around him better. That’s what Ramsey has done throughout his time with the Jaguars, and I can’t imagine him failing to perform on the Hollywood stage.

“Ramsey is better than anyone that [the Rams] could’ve drafted in the 2020 and 2021 drafts,” an NFC college scouting director told me. “He’s a proven commodity because we’ve seen him play at an elite level in the league. I don’t know if he fixes their immediate problems, but he gives them another blue-chip player on the roster. … You can never have enough of those on your team.”

Now, as many folks have pointed out, Ramsey’s contract is due to expire after next season, and allowing him to walk would make this trade a loser for the Rams. That’s why I expect the franchise to do whatever it takes to lock him up long-term. So, yes, I’m OK with the Rams borrowing a page from the Los Angeles Lakers and building a “Showtime” squad with highly paid star power all over the field. The 16-time basketball world champions have routinely built their title squads by stockpiling the roster with players who began their careers elsewhere. From Wilt Chamberlain to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Shaquille O’Neal to LeBron James, the Lakers have gone outside the organization to bring in A-list players. Although some of their key contributors have been homegrown products (see: Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant), the Lakers have been the premier team in the NBA due to their willingness to do whatever it takes to put the best five players on the floor.

That said, team-building is a different endeavor in the NFL, and the Rams’ decision to go all in on acquiring blue-chip talents could leave them in a scenario where they don’t make a single first-round pick for five years. They haven’t used a first-round pick since 2016 (Jared Goff), and at the moment, they won’t have another one in their possession until 2022, which puts more pressure on the scouting department to find hidden gems in later rounds. However, given their success rate in recent years with finding talent in the second round or later (Gerald Everett, Cooper Kupp, John Johnson, Tyler Higbee, Samson Ebukam, Taylor Rapp and David Long), I believe the Rams should be able to win games by filling out their roster with low-cost pieces to complement a high-priced set of core players (Goff, Aaron Donald, Brandin Cooks, Todd Gurley and eventually Ramsey).

Remember, the title contenders in the NFL typically have 10 to 12 blue-chip players on their roster. The Rams certainly have the firepower to contend, with the aforementioned quintet ranking among the best at their respective positions and players like Dante Fowler, Michael Brockers, Eric Weddle, Clay Matthews, Robert Woods and Kupp capable of playing like elite players in the team’s system. Although Goff and the offensive line need to play better for the team to make a run at the Lombardi Trophy this season, the pieces are in place for the Rams to enjoy a long stay at the top of the NFC due to an approach that prioritizes proven players over picks in the player-acquisition game.

https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-week-7-s-top-games-desperation-time-for-cowboys-eagles-ramsey-debuts-with-rams-155648194.html

Los Angeles Rams at Atlanta Falcons

The Rams and Falcons haven’t looked the same since losing in their respective Super Bowl appearances, and both teams are desperate for a win. The difference is there’s reason for some optimism with the Rams.

Having finally escaped purgatory — otherwise known as Jacksonville — cornerback Jalen Ramsey is free to wreak havoc again on the football field. It’s amazing how a trade to the West Coast has suddenly improved his back “injury,” right?

You may not even realize it, but the Rams have only one more win than Ramsey’s former team. But the expectations for Sean McVay’s squad are considerably higher now that the chatty corner has been added to their collection of stars. Ramsey’s presence won’t sort out the Rams’ offensive line issues, nor will it improve Jared Goff’s passer rating (80.8) and touchdown-to-interception ratio (7:7). But he’s expected to inject some much-needed life into a team that has lost three straight for the first time under McVay.

Meanwhile, it seems the Falcons have found every conceivable way to lose. Their latest defeat came at the hands — or, uh, feet — of kicker Matt Bryant, who missed the game-tying extra point last week against Arizona. The Falcons have lost four in a row and are near the bottom of the league in pass defense (27th) and points allowed (31st) per game. Head coach Dan Quinn has received the public support of the team owner thus far. But if Atlanta loses a fifth straight, should he?

Rams offense ranked among 10 worst in NFL by Pro Football Focus https://t.co/Ua0Lc7NZpH via @theramswire

— RamsNewsNow (@RamsNewsNow) October 19, 2019

"Is this in fast speed? He is that fast and he is that strong."

These former stars on the O-Line share their "welcome to the NFL" moment with each other 👇

📺: #NFL100 Roundtables: Offensive Line pic.twitter.com/GNvJOLMZ3B

— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) October 19, 2019

from Matthew Tabeek, atlantafalcons.com: Questions about Falcons defense, pass rush
https://www.atlantafalcons.com/news/questions-about-jalen-ramsey-falcons-defense-pass-rush-matt-ryan-more

A pass rush – pressure, hits, sacks, strip sacks, forced fumbles – would absolutely do wonders for this defense and, really, this team. If the defense could force some bad throws resulting in more incompletions and interceptions, that would be fantastic as well. It puts the ball back into the hands of Matt Ryan and the offense with more opportunities to put points on the board. But that’s been one of the biggest problems so far through six games. The Falcons have tallied just five sacks and they are tied with the Dolphins at the bottom of the league in that category. They also have only two interceptions (tied for 26th). Atlanta has managed to force eight fumbles but they’ve only recovered two of those. But the most important and telling stat is points allowed and the Falcons have given up a league-high 186 points (31.0 points per game).

I don’t think Dan Quinn is in over his head though. I think it just comes down to players winning their one-on-one battles – and they’re not right now. They’ve been caught out of position, too, and paid dearly at times. The easy response (and fix) is they need to get to the quarterback more. I thought this defense would be more aggressive and take more chances before the season. Now, because of all the issues they’ve had on the back end, I think I’d roll the dice and bring even more rushers at times. You live and die with the blitz but it might be worth the risk at this point. That’s just my two cents.