from Lance Zierlein, 2016 NFL Draft revisited: Grades for first-rounders three years in

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000001041302/article/2016-nfl-draft-revisited-grades-for-firstrounders-three-years-in?campaign=Twitter_atn

PICK 1
Jared Goff – QB
Grade: A | School: Cal

Goff lost all seven of his starts in his rookie season, but he’s thrown 60 touchdowns to just 19 interceptions over the last two seasons and shown a level of high-end growth that many talent evaluators doubted they would ever see from a former Air Raid quarterback. The Rams have done an excellent job of surrounding Goff with premium talent to help bring out the best in him.

@JB_Long You rightfully mention one of your keys as OL continuity. It is actually the biggest key…But not continuity.. it is TALENT…With the departures of 2 pro bowlers and the dubious replacements (Noteboom and Allen). This will prove to be the big mistake of the offseason.

J.B. Long@JB_Long
Their replacements, Noteboom and Allen are both mid-round selections & every bit as “talented.” Perhaps moreso, to be honest.

Doesn’t mean it will work in 2019. Just defending the Rams decision.

Albert Breer@AlbertBreer
it’s hard to overstate how happy the Rams are with the acquisition of Eric Weddle. He’ll make them more adaptable in a ton of ways on defense, like he did for the Ravens. I had one staffer predict S John Johnson will make the Pro Bowl bc of Weddle’s presence.

it’s worth noting — the Rams plan to have Weddle wear the green dot on his helmet during games (which gives him the coach-to-player communication). That’s significant. Often goes to a LB, and it signifies the trust the team has in Weddle.

https://www.therams.com/news/daily-dose-rams-secondary-recognized-as-one-of-nfl-best

NFL.com polled various analysts and experts on who has the league’s best secondary in 2019.

The panel’s answers varied, but former Packers and Raiders wide receiver James Jones made Los Angeles his pick.

Jones explains his case for the Rams below:

There are a lot of good secondaries heading into 2019, but I have to go with the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams’ defense has a pair of lockdown cornerbacks in Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib, with Nickell Robey-Coleman manning the slot. This trio’s ability to cover receivers without help gives safeties John Johnson and Eric Weddle more freedom to make big plays in Wade Phillips’ scheme. Weddle is a huge addition to this unit, as a six-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro. Behind a pass rush that features back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald, expect the Rams’ secondary to make waves early and often.

Around The NFL@AroundTheNFL
Colts GM Chris Ballard: Andrew Luck’s calf injury has developed into high-ankle issue; Week 1 status in doubt

Rich Hammond@Rich_Hammond
Gurley, on looking forward to watching the Rams get featured on Hard Knocks: “I don’t even know what channel Hard Knocks is on. I didn’t even watch it when we were on it.” Sorry @HBO

Gary Klein@LATimesklein
Gurley on whether he would like to go to Hawaii: “That’s coach’s decision. I would love to just go to Hawaii, sit back sip on some pineapple juice.”

Lindsey Thiry@LindseyThiry
Sean McVay says it’s “More likely than not” that Todd Gurley will not travel to Hawaii.

Pictured here: every NFL starter who — over the past two seasons — has posted a TD% above 5.5, an INT% below 2.0, and at least 8.0 yards per attempt. #LARams pic.twitter.com/SdYeEWFmwd

— J.B. Long (@JB_Long) August 13, 2019

Vikings QBs shine in 34-25 preseason win over Saints

The Vikings took down the Saints 34-25 on Friday night in New Orleans to come away with their first preseason win of the 2019 season…. Sean Mannion was 7-for-13, throwing for 102 yards and a touchdown.

Robert@tonic216
as fans who make $20 an hour and pay for these guys livings, we only wanna see our teams compete and win.. and seeing them handicap that over $ we can’t dream of is hard to understand.

trey wingo@wingoz
Quick tip: you DON’T pay for their livings. Not even close. TV revenues and all the other corporate deals pay for everything. Just being real.

Jason Cole@JasonCole62
1. Athletes have a very short earning period. Doctors work for 30 to 40 years. Athletes for 7 to 8, maybe.
2. Actors also make big money. Does anybody complain about that?
3. You get paid what the market can bear.

Rams Head Coach Sean McVay – August 11, 2019

(On his thoughts after reviewing Saturday’s game against the Oakland Raiders)
“It was really a lot of the same that we said yesterday. I think just overall, when you’re getting these units playing together, just the things that we can control, we expect to be sharper on — improve the communication, some of the pre-snap issues whether it be offense or defense. I think there’s some great learning opportunities for us on special teams as well. Like we said, (S) Taylor Rapp I thought was a really bright spot. I thought (DB) Darious Williams showed up in a lot of ways as well. Those have been some guys that have continued to ascend. Really, Darious, going back to even last year with some of the looks on the scout team, you could really feel what a talented player he is. Now that he’s able to have some continuity in the system, really learn some of the intricacies of what (Cornerbacks) Coach (Aubrey) Pleasant and (Safeties) Coach (Ejiro) Evero are coaching in that room and being able to learn from the vets, I think his play and his confidence have really shown up. And then offensively, there’s a lot of things that we can clean up, but there were some spots where you see some positives. But we expect a lot better overall.”

(On if there is serious competition for cornerback depth on the roster)
“I think so. I think it’s a positive problem for us with the depth that we do have. That’s something that we’re going to continue to evaluate. (CB) David Long (Jr.) has done a lot of really good stuff as well. To see those guys make some plays, maximize their opportunities has been something that’s been really encouraging and I think it’s a credit to the coaches in that room and also the veteran leadership that we do have. A guy that’s really had a great camp as well is (CB) Marcus Peters, he’s been locked in, he’s been engaged. (CB) Troy Hill has been a really versatile player for us and I think (CB) Aqib Talib has been outstanding thus far. Those guys have really done a great job setting the tone for that room, and then I think these younger players are continuing to ascend and they’re going to force some difficult decisions here in a couple weeks, which is a good thing.”

(On the plan for playing OL Joe Noteboom and C Brian Allen moving forward in the preseason)
“We were confident about them getting enough work in with what they did (in joint practices) against the Raiders and we’re going to continue to monitor that. I feel like, probably, that’s the approach we’ll take with those guys — as long as we continue to get a lot out of competing against one another now over the next couple of weeks, that’s probably the approach that we’ll take. But, if we feel like it’s necessary for them to get some of that preseason work before we really go into Carolina, that’s something that’s kind of an ongoing evaluation. But, given the week that those guys (Noteboom and Allen) had, we felt like that was going to be in the best interest of those two.”

(On what jumped out at him about Rapp’s play on Saturday)
“I just think the instincts and the awareness. You could just see how fast he’s playing, his ability to negotiate those traffic situations. I mean, there’s even a situation where a ball gets strung out on a wide-zone play towards our sideline and he gets a guy going low on him and he shows incredible balance to be able to stay up and kind of force the ball back. He’s really done a lot of nice things, but I just think you’re just seeing a guy play with urgency. His instincts are showing up, he’s playing faster, more decisive. When he does that – and then you feel he’s a bigger player than you realize. You put the pads on and when he arrives, he arrives with some power and guys go down immediately. That was one of the things that really stood out on his tape at UW (University of Washington) was what a great tackler he was. I think his ability to understand angles, be able to pick and choose his spots and be able to get guys to the ground is an elite trait that he has and you’re starting to see those things show up.”

(On P Brock Miller)
“He did a great job yesterday. Didn’t get him as many opportunities with the field goals or extra points as we would’ve liked, but I thought he hit the ball pretty well. Some of those punts sailed for a while and I was joking saying ‘(P) Johnny (Hekker) who?’ a couple times (laughs). It’s really cool just to see how encouraging Johnny is, what a great leader he is for our special teams unit. But, don’t want to have to use him that many times, don’t want to have to use Brock that many times on some of the punts, but I thought he hit the ball pretty well and did a great job for us.”

(On if any players will not make the upcoming trip to Hawaii)
“That’s something that we’re figuring out this week and I’ll have a little more clarity on that. There’s going to be some guys that we would leave back for sure just due to injury, but we’re continuing to evaluate that. Want to make sure we’re handling it in the right way with all parties that are involved. That’s something that I’ll have a little bit better of an answer for you on Tuesday.”

(On if he likes dealing with a disjointed training camp during preseason)
“Well, if there is one thing, I would say is. I think our guys do a great job of just seamlessly handling, some different circumstances and situations. If anything, last year is a great representation of that with all the different things that kind of just come up. Guys really just aren’t affected by, you know, whether its traveling or change of schedules, and that’s something that’s necessary to be able to handle in football, and I think our guys have done that. We’re always going to do what we think is in the best interest of our team, and try to make sure that we are putting them in situations to stay as fresh as possible, get the most out of it. But, we also know that sometimes it’s necessary. A lot of these things were designed because we wanted to go to Napa to get that work in. We wanted to be able to go to Costa Mesa and be able to have a camp away, and then you get an opportunity to do some different things with this Hawaii trip. So, we’re going to make the most of these opportunities, and I think our guys If anything, have handled it incredibly well. You Know, they don’t ever really complain about anything. They just kind of go about their business in a professional manner, and that’s what you love about these guys.”

(On If he’s happy with were both RB Todd Gurley II and DT Aaron Donald are at and how they are progressing)
“Really happy, yeah. It’s been good. I think (RB) Todd (Gurley II) is feeling really good. I think, again like anything else, whether it be (DT) Aaron (Donald) or Todd they can only speak for themselves. But just from watching them and watching the way that those guys feel right now physically, even just getting a good little practice out here today in a little less than a hour, but we got a lot of work in. You just see there’s some good juice. Guys have a nice bounce in their steps. I think Aaron’s had an outstanding camp. I think the plan that we set out for Todd, I think number one most importantly, he feels really good about it. He’s continuing to really show a lot of the things that make him such an elite player and I think he’s feeling really good. I think it’s been a smart plan that really with Todd, and with our training staff we’ve implemented, and we’re are going to continue to follow that.”

(On if Pass Game Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach Shane Waldron continue to call plays during the preseason or will he jump back from it)
“No, I think it’s good for those guys to be able to get that work in. In a lot of instances, we’re a little bit more vanilla on our approach, but it’s more about just the experience of calling some plays, changing some personnel grouping, operating within the shot clock when you’ve got .25 seconds to get it in before that thing cuts out. So, I thought he did a really nice job last night. I think, like anything else, I couldn’t be more fortunate to have had the experiences that I had in a similar setting, and I think it’s important to be able to do that for guys. It still is always a collaborative effort, but I thought (Pass Game Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach) Shane (Waldron) did a good job, and we are going to continue with that approach.”

(On RB Justin Davis and OLB Ogbonnia Okoronkwo)
“Yeah. So RB Justin Davis is dealing with a concussion. He got a concussion in one of the practices against the Raiders, so he’s in the protocol. And ‘Obo’ (OLB Ogbonnia Okoronkwo) has had some different things, it’s his hamstrings. So, he’s coming back from a soft tissue and we want to be smart about that. Hopefully we will get him back out here. He was out here doing some work with (Director of Rehabilitation/Assistant Athletic Trainer) Byron (Cunningham) and those guys. Hopefully we will see him sooner than later.”

(On if the approach with RB Darrell Henderson Jr. was to let him get his feet wet and what his role will look like moving forward)
“That was it. You want to give him some touches, you want to put him in some situations and see how he handles it. I thought there was some good and there were somethings that we have to improve on, and I think he’s a really conscientious player, doesn’t really get fazed by things. But there were some, just little subtle things about the game, Whether it’s when you’re picking up internal pressure, not lining up in a position where the ball ricochets off your leg, you know. Just being consistent when we are in the dot (formation), lining up right behind the center, so those are things. But when you do see the ball in his hands he’s physical. He gets downhill. It seemed like a plays blocked for about four or five (yards) and then it ends up being second-down and three. I thought he did some good things. We expect to continue to get him more touches as these preseason games go on and that’s going to be something that’s important to us to see his development. Hopefully you feel good about whatever his role that he carves out for himself is going into the season.

Jason La Canfora

from https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/nfl-insider-notes-the-year-of-the-young-qb-guru-head-coach-latest-on-cba-talks-and-an-underrated-kicker-trade/

The latest on new CBA talks

The NFL’s ongoing negotiations with the NFLPA will be a constant subplot to this season. I got a chance to take the temperature of some of the players’ reps from various teams about the state of the collective bargaining agreement talks, and came away generally optimistic about the possibility of a deal getting done in 2020 – well ahead of the expiration of the current CBA.

While some in the media have been pushing the idea of a deal getting done before this season, that frankly never seemed realistic to any of the parties involved in the process that I have talked to, and it’s always been the most artificial of faux deadlines. As I first reported back at the combine in February, the fact that the sides had already laid down so much initial groundwork was already a major step, and the process continues to roll along at a steady clip.

There will be other obstacles to overcome, but the sense that that there is a deal to get done continues to permeate.

“It’s just good to see us being open to it, on both sides,” Steelers offensive lineman and NFLPA player rep Ramon Foster told me. “There are a lot of things that need to be changes – they know that and we know that, just on a lot of different levels. Of course always the biggest one is money – the split on revenue, and player safety and the tags. Not only that but things for guys like a JuJu (Smith-Schuster) or Ezekiel Elliott, who have outplayed their contracts, and protection of those guys.

“And let’s try to work this as a partnership, not like we are at war all the time. But of course when you talk money and numbers that tends to create a war and a hate to use that term, but that’s what it can be like with players versus owners. So we just have to work through that, but we all know that we have a good product out there and just work through it. I know there was a supposed timeline of trying to get it done, but from the PA standpoint there is no way we’re going to rush it, because this has to be right not only for our current players but retired players and the pre-93 guys.”

Both sides seem in agreement that with gambling money about to flood in and new broadcast deals on the horizon, now is not the time to kill the golden goose.

“No doubt,” Foster said, “because right now we’re hot, and that’s not always the case. And people talk about the popularity of the NBA and NFL … and sure everybody loves the NBA offseason, but when the NFL comes around America loves what we’re doing. And with that, the TV contracts are just huge and the gambling aspect of sports is going to be huge for everybody. So everybody can benefit from that and as you said there are a lot of dollars behind that, and we recognize that of course. Our owners and CEOs and investors in these teams recognize it too.”

Thank you to Israelis of conscience like Maya who would rather serve multiple stints in military jail than be drafted into the Israeli army. She chooses to embrace Palestinians rather than de-humanize them. @IsraelSocialTV pic.twitter.com/Np48lmjnNM

— Jewish Voice for Peace (@jvplive) August 12, 2019

zn wrote:

Congrats to Simone Biles!

You already know we had to get the slo-mo for y'all…

Look at the HEIGHT on @Simone_Biles' historic pass 🤯 pic.twitter.com/cDS8pyir7S

— #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) August 12, 2019

.@RamsNFL with their second interception of the day!@Lil_Stevie21 on the play!#LARvsOAK pic.twitter.com/PWYOYBVE7v

— NFL (@NFL) August 11, 2019

Vincent Bonsignore

https://theathletic.com/1130109/2019/08/11/an-undrafted-rookie-seizes-his-moment-as-depth-players-get-experience-in-rams-preseason-opener/

…

Mixed night for young linemen

The Rams opted not to play new starting offensive linemen Brian Allen and Joe Noteboom, who have held down the center and left guard positions, respectively, in place of departed veterans John Sullivan and Rodger Saffold.

That was a clear vote of confidence from the Rams’ coaching staff, which wanted to evaluate Allen and Noteboom over the last two weeks in joint-practice settings against the Chargers and Raiders before making a determination whether the second-year players needed preseason reps. That they watched from the sidelines means they are making the necessary progress.

“We felt good about the work that they got this week and really talking to them,” McVay said. “Where’s their mindset? Those guys are always going to be players that want to compete but I think they felt like they’re in a good place.”

That created a long night for the Rams’ very young offensive line backup hopefuls, the majority of whom are rookies or second-year players. In fact, only center/guard Aaron Neary has played NFL snaps among the Rams’ reserve linemen, and that occurred two years ago. Neary, it should be noted, will not be available for the first four games of this season while serving a suspension for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy.

So, barring any moves between now and the start of the regular season, the Rams will have an extremely young and inexperienced offensive line reserve group.

That means the snaps that group got on Saturday — including rookie tackles Bobby Evans and David Edwards and second-year guard/center/tackle Jamil Demby and guard Jeremiah Kolone — were incredibly valuable.

That’s because those players are going through a transition to the NFL, and because the Rams’ coaches have to decide how comfortable they are going into a season with so much uncertainty behind their starting offensive line.

As expected, Rams offensive line coach Aaron Kromer was aggressive in mixing up the unit into the third quarter. Edwards, a fifth-round pick from Wisconsin, got the starting nod at left tackle while Evans, a third-round pick from Oklahoma, got the nod at right tackle, but then they flipped spots in the second quarter.

Aside from a holding call assessed to Edwards in the first quarter and Evans getting beat on a speed rush by Raiders defensive end Arden Key for a sack, both rookies acquitted themselves fairly well for their first go-around.

Edwards was projected as a second-round pick in the 2018 draft but opted to return to Wisconsin for his senior year. A lingering shoulder injury last season hampered his play, and his stock fell as a result. He dropped to the fifth round, where the Rams happily secured him. His size, athletic ability and technical aspects are all apparent, and he flashed them often in a productive debut. He needs to get bigger and stronger, but the tools are there to work with and he’ll benefit from the tutelage of Kromer.

For Edwards, the walk-up to Saturday’s game during joint practices with the Chargers and Raiders proved to be invaluable.

“I felt like I got my feet wet in terms of playing like game-like situations against the Chargers and Raiders,” he said. “So I felt comfortable coming into tonight.”

Likewise, Evans appears to have an NFL future and will go into the Kromer lab this year intent on being ready to assume a bigger role down the road. For now, though, he appears a step or two behind Edwards in the development process and it showed in the struggles he had on some pass- and run-block assignments. Evans is a bit short for a tackle at 6-4 and it’s still unclear whether he profiles better at tackle or guard. There is plenty of time to get that figured out, though, including three more preseason games.

The question the Rams will have to eventually ask is, how comfortable are they going into a season with the two rookies being one snap away from potentially becoming starters?

The Rams pre-season games will entertain no one. But that does not mean the Rams are not making use of them. They;re using the pre-season to build their depth at some key positions, including OL and LB.

Just putting things down in black and white, but….. Maintaining the OL with this team means coaching up lower picks, UDFAs, and the occassional slightly more veteran castoff. They need to keep churning up and developing new OL every year–next year they replace probably at least 2 more (I doubt they extend Blythe after this year). Plus they’ve been lucky with OL injuries so far but you can’t count on that (knock on wood).

Aside from the 5 starters, they could carry anywhere from 5 to 6 more OL, with 2-3 on the practice squad (depending on whether they have 8 or 9 on the regular roster.) So they have to assess and prep whoever that is, and of course there’s virtually no starting experience at all among the 9 candidates.

4th year: Neary. 2nd year: Demby, Kalone. Rookies: Brewer, Edwards, Evans, Hitner, Hrynkiewicz, Kaskey.

That’s real work. Put those guys in play, coach them up after tape review, do it again, then see what you have. Probably 4 pre-season games worth of that. It not only tells you what you have, it gives some experience to the ones you keep. More experience means better depth–and by keeping the starters out, the Rams are probably giving these guys more active snaps than most young OL get on most teams.

It’s still very early but yesterday made it look like they had some interesting rookies at LB.