The President of the United States just told brown-skinned members of Congress who were born in this country to go back home to where they came from. This should be the only news story of the day and in a better country, it would be.

— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) July 14, 2019

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I know some of y’all are appalled but literally every Black or Brown person in public life has been told “go back to Africa” at one point or another.

Racism ain’t new, it just doesn’t wear a hood anymore

— Bakari Sellers (@Bakari_Sellers) July 14, 2019

Wait for it…🍦😂😂 pic.twitter.com/oNfpJDIfAv

— Rex Chapman🏇🏼 (@RexChapman) July 14, 2019

Melvin Gordon: You can't just replace a great back https://t.co/irku6xrftk

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) July 14, 2019

Roger Goodell confirms that the NFL wants a new CBA in place before the start of the regular season https://t.co/pSuKdOkk1k

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) July 14, 2019

That's some serious arm strength right there💪🏽. @Chiefs @PatrickMahomes #OurQuarterback #ChiefsKingdom #Chiefs pic.twitter.com/YN7CUNSFCS

— 41 Action News (@41actionnews) July 12, 2019

from Husbands Share Pics Showing Exactly What It’s Like Living With A Pregnant Wife

My take on this. We have lawyers on board and I would be happy to hear their take. Mine is obviously not a lawyer’s view.

The law in question turns heavily on issues of intention. What did the accused intend. On the other extreme, if we accidently brush up against someone in a crowd, the other party might be offended, but we broke no law–we did not intend physical contact based on any kind of sexual motive.

I think that’s what Rath was doing. It’s not just that he was not responsible for his actions, he’s saying it was not a conscious intention on his part, but the effect of being messed up. Since the law in question turns heavily on intention, he and his team are targetted that. I;m not defending him btw. Just sort of unpacking what his defense appeared to be.

I think what happened is what everyone said happened, and the jury then accepted the idea that Rath being messed up was enough to not really have a willful intent. That was his defense anyway and you have to assume what got him acquited was his defense.

So he did not deny doing it though he claims he has no recollection of it. At least he’s not playing the “blame the victim” card and claiming nothing happened, which in turn would paint the woman as a false accuser….something which, as we know, can often happen in cases like this. As we know often
accusations of sexual assault–even misdemeanor sexual assault–turn it into a trial of the victim. In that case the defendent denies doing anything and makes it about the victim’s motives for accusing him. This kind of “guilty until proven innocent and often not even then” approach to the accuser is so common, that it is estimated that only 1/4th of victims of sexual assault (felony or misdemeanor) ever even come forward and report it. Facing that kind of “blame the victim” accusation is very daunting and often people decide it’s better to just never report it. Rath did NOT take the path of denying the accusation and therefore in effect putting the victim on trial. So there’s that.

His defense is one that has worked before. In discussing this with different people I heard about a young man who was acquitted when charged with the same kind of thing because he claimed his actions happened while sleep walking, and apparently the jury bought that. That turns on the same issue–conscious and deliberate intention. It doesn’t excuse Rath’s actions, but it apparently did raise reasonable doubt about the intention of those actions–was he consciously doing this as a direct matter of choice?

Will the Rams bring him back? I mean he was acquited, right? I think it’s a little grayer than that. Again he did not deny doing what he was accused of doing. He didn’t say he didn’t do it–he basically said he wasn’t in a state of mind (for medical reasons) to consciously and deliberately intend what he did. So that leaves a gray area IMO. Is that defense believable outside that courtroom? Because the Rams and the NFL do not have to accept that defense. So since he didn’t deny doing what he is accused of but got off presumably because of his mental state at the time, is that enough for the Rams to say no he’s fine? Or the league for that matter

from Ranking defensive triplets; a growing trend in NFL team-building

Bucky Brooks

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000001035672/article/ranking-defensive-triplets-a-growing-trend-in-nfl-teambuilding

…

In football, the “Big Three” concept can be applied to both sides of the ball. Offensive triplets, which garner the vast majority of ink and interest, consist of a quarterback, running back and pass catcher. Meanwhile, defensive triplets feature a combination of three standouts from multiple levels of the unit, whether it be a pass rusher, linebacker and defensive back, or a couple of pass rushers and a designated playmaker in the back seven. The top teams have a set of triplets on each side of the ball with the capacity to dominate the game.

…

4) DT Aaron Donald, LB Dante Fowler Jr. and CB Marcus Peters or S Eric Weddle, Los Angeles Rams: The back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year is arguably the best football player in the league. Donald sets the standard for the Rams’ defense with his endless energy and freakish athleticism. He’s unstoppable at the point of attack and opponents must account for his whereabouts on every single play. Fowler finally showed flashes of being a top-five draftee when he teamed up with Donald after a midseason trade. Fowler took his game up a notch in the playoffs, as evidenced by his 1.5 sacks and persistent pressure off the edges. Peters didn’t bring his A-game in 2018, but still finished with three interceptions to push his career total to 22 picks in just four seasons. Considering the pressure the Rams should be able to generate with Donald and Fowler pushing the pocket, we could see No. 22 swiping passes left and right in 2019. And if Peters doesn’t tickle your fancy, how about the savvy six-time Pro Bowl safety L.A. just scooped up in free agency?

"I'm just gonna fit right in, do my job, and win a bunch of ball games."

New @RamsNFL safety @weddlesbeard joined @NFLTotalAccess to talk about his role on the defense and the upcoming 2019 season 👇 pic.twitter.com/HxPL2L72vk

— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) July 13, 2019

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Eric Weddle calls Rams CBs ‘best I’ve ever played with’

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000001035741/article/eric-weddle-calls-rams-cbs-best-ive-ever-played-with

Through a thus-far 12-year career that boasts a cavalcade of individual accolades and memorable moments, free safety Eric Weddle has lined up alongside a number of stellar teammates.

Entering his lucky 13th season, Weddle believes he’ll be playing next to the best of the best in not only the defensive backfield but all of the NFL.

“We have a chance to be special on defense with the pieces that we have,” Weddle said Friday on Total Access from the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship in Nevada. “Obviously, starting with A.D. Obviously one of the best players in the NFL at all positions and now being able to scheme up and do things that help him to give him an advantage even more so, to let him wreck havoc. He’s an amazing talent, an amazing person, the way he works everyday. There’s a reason he’s the best player in the league.”

While Donald disrupts on the D-line, Weddle will join forces with the cornerback duo of Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters. Weddle likewise rewarded them with the highest of compliments.

“Those guys are super, super smart,” Weddle said of the cornerbacks. “The instincts are off the charts. Play-making ability. … Those two are the best I’ve ever played with in my career of guys that play with vision, play the ball, understand routes, trust a safety that is going to alert them and put them in a position to make plays knowing that I have their backs. I’m extremely excited to get on the field with them, give ’em those live reps, live-game atmosphere and take this secondary to the next level.”

Over his seasons with the Chargers and Ravens, Weddle has earned six Pro Bowl trips, including three in a row. Ahead of their time together with the Rams, he’s even been a Pro Bowl teammate of Talib. All together, the trio of Peters, Talib and Weddle boasts 13 Pro Bowl bids and four All-Pro selections.

Calling Donald the best player in the NFL isn’t all that much of a stretch in the summer of 2019 and Weddle calling Peters and Talib the best he’s played with, well only he knows that in reality — even though he’s still yet to play an actual game with them.

Nonetheless, the reigning NFC champions certainly boast a defensive backfield — which also features the underrated John Johnson at strong safety and Nickell Robey-Coleman, who was perhaps the most well-known DB in the world for a couple weeks, also at corner — that has an impressive resume.

Past success and potential combined, there’s certainly reason for excitement in Los Angeles.

“There’s a lot to be excited about,” Weddle said. “I’m just going to fit right in, do my job and win a bunch of ballgames.”

==

The Rams’ versatile and talented safety corps could raise their defense’s game

Vincent Bonsignore

https://theathletic.com/1072582/2019/07/11/the-rams-versatile-and-talented-safety-corps-could-raise-their-defenses-game/

On a defense that returns eight of 11 starters, the easy assumption is that the Rams are merely hoping to be as good in 2019 as they were in 2018. The unit turned a corner during the last month of last season, trimming its points per game from 25.6 points allowed over the first 11 games to 20.2 over the final five. Factor in the outstanding defensive performance against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LIII, and keeping the status quo is an acceptable objective.

By no means were the Rams a dominant defense. After all, they surrendered 24 points per game, 20th best in the NFL. But thanks to their explosive offense, that was plenty good enough.

That said, there is cautious optimism some of the changes the Rams made could result in subtle improvements that yield significant rewards.

If, say, new nose tackle Greg Gaines or Sebastian Joseph-Day and new inside linebacker Micah Kiser are better fits in the run game than the players they’re replacing, the Rams defense, which ranked 23rd against the run (122.3 yards per game on 5.07 yards per carry) could make notable strides.

The “fit” theme can also be applied to safety, where the Rams signed veteran free agent Eric Weddle to replace Lamarcus Joyner and drafted Taylor Rapp to add depth and versatility. Their presence, combined with emerging star John Johnson at free safety and valuable reserve Marqui Christian, has the potential to elevate the Rams in both pass coverage and run defense.

On paper, the safety corps offers defensive coordinator Wade Phillips an abundance of options as intelligent pieces he can deploy all over the field. For a defense that plays in base formation 30 percent of the time, that versatility is invaluable. And given how the Rams’ third and fourth safeties combined for 406 snaps last year — or roughly 40 percent of the team’s overall defensive snaps — Phillips figures to keep relying on his reserves to carry out assignments.

Here is a closer look at the Rams’ safeties.

John Johnson

In so many ways, the drafting of Johnson in 2017 was a perfect marriage between player, skill set and defensive scheme. Not only did the former Boston College star play in a 3-4 defense with the Eagles, but he also excelled at both safety positions, cornerback, linebacker and even as a down lineman.

That flexibility certainly caught the eye of the Rams, and by Johnson’s second season last year, Phillips was lining him up all over the field depending on the package. He tapped into Johnson’s intellect and versatility as a pass defender and run stopper, allowing Phillips to be more creative at other positions. Knowing Johnson could handle cornerback duties, Phillips was able to get another safety on the field.

Johnson finished last year with 118 tackles, four interceptions and 11 pass breakups, leaving him at the doorstep of Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors. He rose from a good NFL strong safety to a nearly great one with room to grow as he enters his third year. Now paired with Weddle — a free safety who’s also smart and versatile and adept in pass coverage and run defense — count on Johnson’s flexibility expanding even more and Phillips devising ways to accentuate his multi-faceted skill set.

Eric Weddle

Now in his 13th season, Weddle showed very little signs of decline last year with the Ravens while being an impact player both in the pass and run games. According to Pro Football Focus, Weddle surrendered just 111 yards in pass coverage and was particularly effective when lined up against wide receivers, allowing just a 57.0 passer rating in those matchups. Of his 68 total tackles, 54 were solo, and according to PFF, he missed on only five of 78 tackle attempts.

Weddle’s intellect fits perfectly on a Rams defense loaded with savvy defenders, and his communication at the back end of the defense will benefit the entire unit and guard against breakdowns. His ability to line up as a potential pass rusher, only to drop back in pass coverage while waving teammates into position, creates nightmare situations for quarterbacks trying to read potential holes in pass coverage. Weddle’s presence will also allow Phillips the confidence and freedom to use Johnson in even more ways than he did last season.

Weddle is also durable, having played all 16 regular-season games in nine of his 12 years and never playing less than 13 in any of them.

Taylor Rapp

The Rams drafted Rapp in the second round out of Washington, and while they envision him as the long-range heir apparent to Weddle, he is expected to see the field as a significant rotation piece as a rookie.

Rapp fits right in with the Rams’ versatile and physically tough safeties. Much like Johnson did at Boston College, Rapp played all over the field as a three-year starter at Washington. And while his best skill attribute is diagnosing run plays as a box safety and then packing a punch as he strikes a ball carrier, he proved dependable as a pass defender and was particularly good when lined up against tight ends.

Expect Rapp to carve out an immediate role in the Rams’ three-safety sets as a physical presence and enforcer who is able to defend tight ends and provide toughness and intelligence as a run defender.

Marqui Christian

Christian broke through in 2018 as a solid rotational player for the Rams while registering a career-high 33 tackles in 348 total defensive snaps. The question now is how much will Christian’s playing time be affected by the addition of Rapp (provided the rookie picks things up in the classroom and sees the field, as the Rams expect).

Christian is a fierce competitor, having overcome injuries and his 2016 fifth-round draft status to carve out a role on a Super Bowl defense. So don’t expect him to simply step aside now that Rapp is on board.

However, the Rams didn’t invest a second-round pick on Rapp with the expectation of having him just sit around biding his time. He’s too good to keep on the sideline, and that could mean Christian has to surrender some playing time.

Still, as a fourth safety and an excellent special teams player, Christian provides good value on a deep roster. And if someone is lost to an injury, there is a comfort level he can deliver when called upon.

***

Other safeties in the mix: Nick Scott, Steven Parker, Ramon Richards and Jake Gervase.

The most accurate New Orleans meme ever made pic.twitter.com/iERb8P6ENq

— Tony Soprano (@tj_cookee) July 12, 2019