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znModeratorAndrew Whitworth: It's 'everybody's responsibility' to help younger players https://t.co/UUM4faoIQi
— Rams Wire (@TheRamsWire) June 6, 2019
znModeratorthis week’s mailbag.
Farr: OL sleeper? Keep an eye on Demby. S Joseph-Day getting nothing but better. They have a real competition at NT and might have 2 guys who can start. There’s more there but I especially noticed those 2 bits.
znModeratorWhich #LARams wide receiver will score the most TDs this season? 😈
The answer to that + more in this week's mailbag. 📬 pic.twitter.com/GnIj7JWyYW
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) June 5, 2019
znModeratorHow does Big Whit keep football fun + fresh after 13 pro seasons in the books?
Catch up with 7️⃣7️⃣ before the #LARams hit the field for the final day of OTAs. pic.twitter.com/s8bNeWUoVw
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) June 6, 2019
znModeratorfrom The NFL’s prototypical defensive linemen for each DL technique heading into 2019
3-TECHNIQUE – AARON DONALD
Who else did you think it would be? Donald is not only the prototypical 3-technique in today’s NFL, but he’s also the all-time prototype at this point. The 3-technique is defined by first-step quickness and pass-rushing prowess. Against the run, it doesn’t really matter if the defensive tackle can’t hold up to double teams as long as they can get into the backfield one-on-one. And no one gets into backfields more than the Rams defensive tackle. Donald earned the highest pass-rushing grade in the NFL from the 3-technique alignment (95.1). Maybe more surprisingly, though, Donald also earned the second-highest run-defense grade from the position (92.3). Donald has a combination of athleticism and hand usage that the league has never seen before — and we’re enjoying every minute of it.znModeratorDante Fowler's 1st offseason with Rams should make huge difference https://t.co/rbJBbGShGH
— Rams Wire (@TheRamsWire) June 6, 2019
znModeratorWell, i agree it was one of the best, but I dont think it was nearly as good in its third and final season. Somethin went wrong.
I’d watch prettymuch anything with Ian McShane. He’s a mix of Al Pacino and Sean Connery. Or somethin. I dunno.
My favorite character on that show might just be the Doc, btw.
w
vDid you see the movie?
Doc is a great character. You know the actor is also in Lord of the Rings. Do you remember the scene where Doc breaks down because he remembers hearing the cries of the wounded and dying from civil war battlefields?
.znModeratorznModeratorThe Last Black Man in San Francisco is so good, it’s hard to believe it’s a debut feature
Part biography, part love letter, the movie is an elegy for a city lost to time.https://www.vox.com/culture/2019/6/5/18638962/last-black-man-in-san-francisco-review
Critics like to call films “portraits” of things or people, but in the case of The Last Black Man in San Francisco, that’s nearly literal. You could take almost any shot — of faces, buildings, roadside weeds — and hang it on a gallery wall, then look at it for hours. I found myself wanting to pause the movie (impossible in a theater) and just see what the movie beckoned me to see.
That’s to cinematographer Adam Newport-Berra’s credit, of course, but it’s also what elevates the feature debut from merely interesting to something terrific. Director Joe Talbot and his close collaborator, Jimmie Fails, have crafted something special in Last Black Man: Yes, it’s a portrait of San Francisco, but also of dislocation and change and friendship.
And most of all, The Last Black Man in San Francisco is a love letter — not a romantic one, but the kind you write when you can no longer hold on to a relationship that nonetheless shaped you profoundly. Richly textured and vividly rendered, it’s clearly the fruit of a lifelong love.
The Last Black Man in San Francisco is a sort-of true story about two young men and the city they love
“You can’t hate it unless you love it,” one character says of San Francisco near the end of the film. No kidding. It takes time, dedication, and careful attention to be specific in your frustration with a city: the way the trash smells on the sidewalk; the funky public transit; the way your favorite places tend to disappear, replaced by something else.The Last Black Man in San Francisco loves San Francisco more than it hates it. But its specificity suffuses the story. Fails and Talbot, San Francisco natives who’ve been friends for more than a decade, wrote the film’s story partly based on Fails’s life. And though those experiences have clearly been smoothed out into a fictionalized film, it still feels like nonfiction. Fails, after all, plays a character named … Jimmie Fails.
Jimmie lives (or really, crashes) with his friend Montgomery (Jonathan Majors) and Montgomery’s grandfather (Danny Glover) in a cramped apartment on the outskirts of town. The two of them belong in this neighborhood; it’s their home. But they also seem like outsiders. A group of young men across the street (credited as the “Greek chorus”) makes fun of them whenever they venture outside. Montgomery spends days scribbling in a notebook, trying to write a play. Jimmie, who spent part of his childhood homeless and living in a car with his father, can’t locate a good job.
The pair often head over to a house in the gentrifying Fillmore District, a part of San Francisco that was previously dubbed the “Harlem of the West.” Jimmie’s family home is there, but it’s been out of his family for a long while. It’s out of place in the neighborhood, with 19th-century architecture, supposedly built by Jimmie’s grandfather in 1946, and Jimmie loves it more than anything. He keeps sneaking over to paint it and water the plants and tend to it, to the consternation of the white couple who’ve owned it for more than a decade.
Then they move out, and Jimmie hatches a plan with Montgomery to take it back, to recapture the only place where he’s felt at home.
The Last Black Man in San Francisco (the title gathers meaning as the story moves along) is heartbreaking and elegiac in all the best ways. Everything that once made up the city, we realize along with Jimmie, is inexorably passing away. You just can’t recapture the past. Time can’t be rewound.
Yet his and Montgomery’s attempts to do so dip into something very fundamental about San Francisco, a city that has changed vastly over the past half-century, becoming in some ways unrecognizable. What’s most interesting about Last Black Man is that it looks backward and forward with gentle sadness about the delusions of both a mythical golden age and the shape of a gentrified future.
Most of all, it loves the people of the city. Last Black Man is populated with minor characters who don’t really figure into the plot — a real estate agent who grew up in San Francisco, an older couple who’ve been there a long time, a preacher who stands on a literal soapbox and rails against the changes, Jimmie’s mostly estranged parents — and the film treats all of them with affection, even love.
That love is clear in the way the film frames their faces, their eyes, their surroundings. Watching Last Black Man, I found myself thinking of last year’s Oscar-nominated documentary Hale County This Morning, This Evening, which similarly sought to develop a distinct visual vocabulary for depicting the lives of black people on film. Hale County resisted the expectations of its audience, deliberately framing subjects in ways that didn’t let us fill in the gaps in the narrative (what happened before this frame, what will happen next).
I felt, watching Last Black Man, the same sort of resistance. We see a San Francisco in the throes of change, yet the film concerns itself with that change mainly through the eyes of Jimmie, who loves it and notices every small, odd detail. It feels as much like a document of a place as a narrative film.
And the result is a portrait of a city through its people. It’s moving and a little enchanted by its subject, though there’s a sense that the enchantment is leaking away even for Jimmie. The Last Black Man in San Francisco shows unusual promise for a debut film, to be sure, but it also testifies to the love that went into it, both in Talbot and Fails’s friendship and in their relationship with their city. San Francisco’s future is uncertain, but I hope their collaboration has a long life.
The Last Black Man in San Francisco opens in theaters on June 7
znModerator“I think the game is slowing down for him.” Gerald Everett sets sights on becoming a ‘complete’ tight end in 2019
https://www.therams.com/news/gerald-everett-potentially-complete-tight-end
Quarterback Jared Goff and the Los Angeles offense relied on tight end Gerald Everett more heavily as pass catcher in 2018, in comparison to his rookie season when the South Alabama product lined up as a starter in two games.
If you include the postseason, Everett appeared in all 19 games as a sophomore and started in just one — the NFC Championship game in New Orleans. However, his targets were by 18 from year one, and the young tight end pulled in three touchdown receptions — the most memorable of which put the Rams ahead late in the win over the Chiefs during Week 11’s Monday Night Football instant classic.
Now, determined to become a more complete tight end in the Rams offense in 2019, Everett has been performing well throughout OTAs — just ask the head coach.
“I think the game’s slowing down for him,” head coach Sean McVay said this week. “I think with some of the routes that entail some of the decision making things are slowing down for him. He’s playing with some patience, he’s got great aggressive hands where he can step to the football. I think you’re just seeing a guy gain confidence, gain experience.”
Everett credits what’s gone right in the offseason program to special attention to his craft.
“Just being a pro — listening to all the details, just trying to be my best self everyday, look at myself in the mirror everyday and try to eclipse each practice,” Everett said, after humbly acknowledging McVay’s endorsement.
Everett said he’s focused on taking care of his body post-Super Bowl LIII, and detailed the importance of following a routine in the offseason’s down time. Just over one month until training camp, Everett has his sights set on becoming a well-rounded tight end. With the help of tight end Tyler Higbee, passing-game coordinator Shane Waldron, tight end coach Wes Phillips, and run-game coordinator/OL coach Aaron Kromer, Everett has put an emphasis on improving as a blocker ahead of year three.
“I feel like a better version of myself in reference to last year,” Everett said. “Just older, a little bit wiser on the field, just more of a complete pro. And I feel like I’m a way better blocker than I was last year, so just feeling like an actual tight end now more so than just a receiving tight end.”
znModerator.@JaredGoff16 👉 @KhaDarel_4 🎯#LARams pic.twitter.com/JOiTfB4UVN
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) June 4, 2019
June 6, 2019 at 12:19 am in reply to: I think this is a big deal: new DL coach (Henderson) & the hands on approach #101929znModerator.@Coach_Henny brings the juice all day, every day. 😤
Go inside practice with our new defensive line coach, Eric Henderson! pic.twitter.com/wUukGPGKsY
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) June 6, 2019
znModeratorPro Football Writers@PFWAwriters
Los Angeles Times writer @LATimesfarmer was selected as the recipient of the 2019 Dick McCann Award. He will be presented with the award at the #PFHOF19 Enshrinement Ceremony this August.The Dick McCann Award is given to a reporter who has made a long and distinguished contribution to pro football through coverage. The award is named for McCann, who was the first director of the Pro Football Hall of Fame (1962-67).
znModeratorProFootballTalk@ProFootballTalk
The NFL Players Association may be against it, but Phil Simms thinks NFL players definitely want 18 gamesThomas Morstead@thomasmorstead
Disappointed to see and hear @PhilSimmsQB using his platform to misinform the public about what current players value.
Health and safety is a top priority for players past, present and future.Vincent Bonsignore@VinnyBonsignore
My only argument would be some of the rules that have been implemented in pursuit of a safer brand of football. There’s always been some resistance to the cleanup process. And by clean up I mean rules intended to take out gratuitous physicality@leronford@leronford
How much did they pay Simms to say that? I can’t imagine players would be in favor of it without fully guaranteed contracts & the elimination of TNF, and that would be the starting point.Geoff Schwartz@geoffschwartz
I’m more curious how often Simms is discussing CBA issues with current players because I’d have to think it’s not often.znModeratorKyle Shanahan's success is rooted in his ability to play to the strengths of his players
PFF Analyst Anthony Treash (@atreash23) takes an in-depth look at the San Francisco offense:https://t.co/wI62wzby0c pic.twitter.com/bVpbeOFMbV
— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) June 6, 2019
znModerator3) How will the reconfigured defense perform?
This is shaping up to be quite a story, actually.
We keep getting reports that the D is going to rely more than previously on mixing in different sub-packages, and also on player versatility, making it easier to disguise what they’re doing. Wade is cooking something up.
In fact that’s exactly what they did in the superbowl, playing a defense that did not allow Brady a TD (one of the few times that has ever happened to him in the post-season). They mixed things up, disguised coverages, and took advantage of subpackages that showcased the talents of a lot of different players.
And since then, they added players, and some youngsters are maturing.
Here’s yet another bit on this:
Myles Simmons
Even at the slow speed, it’s easy to tell the versatility of the defense. The Rams had different players blitzing and were consistently changing things up in coverage. It’s likely going to be tough on offenses to figure out which players are going to rush — especially in known-passing situations
That’s from an OTA report, posted here on June 5 in this thread: http://theramshuddle.com/topic/otas-izz-here/#post-101922
June 5, 2019 at 9:52 pm in reply to: OTAs (including a great final write-up by VB, posted 6/10) #101922znModerator10 Observations from OTA No. 9
Myles Simmons
https://www.therams.com/news/10-observations-from-ota-no-9
1) The Rams held a shorter, lighter practice on Wednesday, giving the session more of an above-the-neck approach. Instead of having a couple of stretching periods for different groups, Los Angeles held just one with the entire roster.
2) During individual drills, the defensive line went through the five-man sled — having to hit it, then rip through before moving on to the next space. In all, each lineman had to hit the sled three times, skipping one spot to keep the line moving.
3) Wide receiver Cooper Kupp was involved with the quarterbacks during individual drills, catching passes in the corner of the end zone for the signal-callers. The rest of the wide receivers were going through a different, more intense set of drills.
4) After the individual drills, both the first-team offense and defense held a jog-thru against a scout team. This is one spot where the above-the-neck approach came through, coaches were giving a good amount of instruction throughout the drills.
5) While the club wasn’t going full speed, tight end Gerald Everett made a nice one-handed catch in the front-right corner of the end zone to cap a red-zone play.
6) After a while, the starters on offense and defense came together on one field to get more work in. On the other field, backup quarterback Blake Bortles was leading the charge against the reserve defense.
7) Given the above-the-neck approach to the day, it’s no real surprise that head coach Sean McVay took a lot of time to provide instruction — taking moment before different plays to ensure all players were on the same page to run things properly.
8) The offense mixed in some different personnel groupings over the course of the period besides the team’s standard 11 (one running back, one tight end, three wide receivers), rotating in different players and positions. McVay has previously said that he would like to use some more personnel groups throughout the course of the year.
9) Even at the slow speed, it’s easy to tell the versatility of the defense. The Rams had different players blitzing and were consistently changing things up in coverage. It’s likely going to be tough on offenses to figure out which players are going to rush — especially in known-passing situations.
10) At the end of the short session, rookie safety Taylor Rapp remained on the field for a while with safeties coach Ejiro Evero and cornerbacks coach Aubrey Pleasant to receive a little extra instruction. The Rams’ second-round pick does have a chance to contribute early on in his career.
June 5, 2019 at 9:52 pm in reply to: OTAs (including a great final write-up by VB, posted 6/10) #101921znModerator10 Observations from OTA No. 9
Myles Simmons
https://www.therams.com/news/10-observations-from-ota-no-9
1) The Rams held a shorter, lighter practice on Wednesday, giving the session more of an above-the-neck approach. Instead of having a couple of stretching periods for different groups, Los Angeles held just one with the entire roster.
2) During individual drills, the defensive line went through the five-man sled — having to hit it, then rip through before moving on to the next space. In all, each lineman had to hit the sled three times, skipping one spot to keep the line moving.
3) Wide receiver Cooper Kupp was involved with the quarterbacks during individual drills, catching passes in the corner of the end zone for the signal-callers. The rest of the wide receivers were going through a different, more intense set of drills.
4) After the individual drills, both the first-team offense and defense held a jog-thru against a scout team. This is one spot where the above-the-neck approach came through, coaches were giving a good amount of instruction throughout the drills.
5) While the club wasn’t going full speed, tight end Gerald Everett made a nice one-handed catch in the front-right corner of the end zone to cap a red-zone play.
6) After a while, the starters on offense and defense came together on one field to get more work in. On the other field, backup quarterback Blake Bortles was leading the charge against the reserve defense.
7) Given the above-the-neck approach to the day, it’s no real surprise that head coach Sean McVay took a lot of time to provide instruction — taking moment before different plays to ensure all players were on the same page to run things properly.
8) The offense mixed in some different personnel groupings over the course of the period besides the team’s standard 11 (one running back, one tight end, three wide receivers), rotating in different players and positions. McVay has previously said that he would like to use some more personnel groups throughout the course of the year.
9) Even at the slow speed, it’s easy to tell the versatility of the defense. The Rams had different players blitzing and were consistently changing things up in coverage. It’s likely going to be tough on offenses to figure out which players are going to rush — especially in known-passing situations.
10) At the end of the short session, rookie safety Taylor Rapp remained on the field for a while with safeties coach Ejiro Evero and cornerbacks coach Aubrey Pleasant to receive a little extra instruction. The Rams’ second-round pick does have a chance to contribute early on in his career.
znModeratorJason La Canfora@JasonLaCanfora
Trent Williams issues with Skins are not financial at all according to numerous sources with knowledge of the situation. He’s told teammates he has demanded a trade or his release from the club due to their handling of his recent medical situation. Has vowed not to play for themJohn Keim@john_keim
Redskins tackle Morgan Moses said of Trent Williams not showing up in part because of dissatisfaction with how the growth on his head was treated this offseason.
“It’s about time someone like that stands up,” Moses said. “It’s not just a situation here; it happens throughout…==
.@AaronRodgers12 threw shade at the QBs who are better 🍺 chuggers than him.
"There’s finally a talent they can say they’re better than me at." 😲
➡️ https://t.co/6DetxQ2fdv pic.twitter.com/3fxetFsw3t
— Yahoo Sports NFL (@YahooSportsNFL) June 5, 2019
znModeratorJust watched the movie again cause I “taped” it. It was really really good. But you can’t watch the movie without knowing the series. The character arcs are too complicated.
But then if you’ve never seen the series, you need to.
Deadwood genuinely was one of the best things ever. One of the best written, one of the best acted. Both. AND thematically it is not standard fare, not by anything remotely like a longshot.
….
znModeratorAustin Blythe aiming to become ‘more physical, dominant player’
Austin Blythe aiming to become 'more physical, dominant player'
The Los Angeles Rams made a change to their offensive line last season, but not necessarily by choice. Right guard Jamon Brown was facing a two-game suspension to start the year, and so they had to find a short-term replacement.
Well, their interim right guard became the permanent one with Austin Blythe starting every game for the Rams last season. The center-turned-guard had a strong first season as a starter in 2018, but it was by no means perfect.
Blythe knows there are areas in which he has to improve in order to take the next step in 2019.
“Just being a more consistent football player,” Blythe said, via Vincent Bonsignore of The Athletic. “I think I started the season out strong last year but you know, down the stretch, like I said that I took for granted how my body was feeling, didn’t get the treatment and recovery stuff I needed. But number two, just being a more physical, dominant player both in the run and the pass. And having fun with it, too. Towards the end of the season, I probably put a little too much pressure on myself and I’ve just to remember I’m a good football player and I’m in the position I am because I’m a good football player. So just remembering that and having fun with it.”
Blythe mentioned that he thought his body was feeling good during the season, but he may not have been as healthy as he could’ve been.
“I thought I was feeling healthy, but looking back I think there are some things I can do to get in the training room — just small things — just recovery stuff and making sure I’m feeling great come day time,” he said.
The Rams did draft two offensive linemen in Bobby Evans and David Edwards, but that doesn’t put Blythe in danger of losing his job. He’s almost certain to be the starting right guard again and Sean McVay is looking forward to him becoming an even better player in Year 2.
“I think just continue to take steps,” McVay said of what he wants to see from Blythe. “He played really good football. I think when you look at just production in the run game, production in pass pro, having an understanding and a mastery of some of the things we’re trying to do specific to our identity offensively. He’s got great athleticism – when you want to measure some of the lengths and things like that, he plays long, he plays fast, he plays physical, and he was productive. And I think that’s a real credit to him.”
Blythe is entering a pivotal season, not only because the Rams are welcoming two new starters on the offensive line with Joseph Noteboom and Brian Allen, but because it’s the final year of his contract.
The Rams rewarded Rob Havenstein last offseason before he played the last year of his rookie deal, and a similar approach could be taken with Blythe. However, it’s likely they’ll want to see a larger sample size from the one-year starter.
If he gets off to a good start, though, don’t be surprised to see the Rams extend a contract his way.
znModeratorRumors surrounding Todd Gurley’s offseason continue to pick up and the news doesn’t look great for the running back
Will Brinson
The concern over Todd Gurley’s knee and long-term football health cropped up last year and has continued on throughout the offseason. It’s largely been an unknown, the Super Bowl’s biggest mystery. But perhaps we’ve now been given more information than we wanted, with the news coming out that Gurley is not going to be a workhorse for the Rams moving forward.
For starters, there’s the comments from Sean McVay this week, acknowledging that Gurley wants to play at a lower weight than he did in previous years.
“I want him to feel most comfortable. That’s the most important thing, what he feels he can most function at, being the all-purpose back he’s been and that’s where we’re at,” McVay said to reporters, via NFL.com. “So he says, ‘I’d rather play five, 10 pounds lighter,’ and he’s going to feel better about that, then that’s exactly what we’ll do. He’s earned the right to be able to tell us how he’s feeling with the give and take. As long as he’s got a why, which I know he does, we’re always receptive to those things.”
That’s fairly innocuous in the grand scheme of things, right? Running back wants to lose weight ahead of season is not a new storyline. But given that Gurley’s been a workhorse for the Rams the last several years and that he wasn’t able to carry the load down the stretch of 2018 — C.J. Anderson had to step in and help — it should be concerning that the coach is willing to let his running back drop some weight, presumably as a way to make life easier on his knee.
Also concerning? A report from NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport that Gurley’s days of “just being the straight-up, every-down bell cow are probably over, just based on his knee, his age, the position, the amount of carries he’s had.”
The Rams made sure to cover their bases in the draft with Gurley, using a third-round pick on Darrell Henderson out of Memphis. Nicknamed the “Human First Down,” Henderson is an explosive player capable of ripping off huge runs. And, apparently, made quite an impression on McVay.
On his podcast, Adam Schefter of ESPN said that Henderson is “a guy that I believe Sean McVay thought was THE most dangerous offensive player in the draft.” Meaning that yes, the Rams “LOVE Darrell Henderson.”
That’s not great for Gurley’s future as a bell-cow back and a feature guy in McVay’s offense. As our group of Fantasy Football Today experts noted on CBS Sports HQ Tuesday, it’s almost impossible to draft Gurley very high in fantasy as a result.
It’s even more concerning for Gurley’s long-term health. Can you really buy into the belief that he’s going to get better when we’ve heard things all offseason about a “drastic option” the Rams could consider if Gurley can’t get better and when you hear words like “arthritis” thrown around.
Contractually the Rams are stuck. They gave Gurley a $60 million contract back before the 2018 season. At one point last year, Gurley was a legitimate MVP candidate. Now he looks like he might be a salary cap albatross.
For the coming season, Gurley has a cap hit of $9.2 million. If cut, he would have a dead cap hit of $34.85 million. He is very much uncuttable — even a post June 1 release would result in $22.25 million in dead cap space this year and $12.6 million in dead cap space next year.
In 2020, Gurley has a $17.25 million cap hit and counts for $25.65 million in dead cap space if released. A post June 1 cut next year would equate to $17.25 million in dead cap space in 2020 and $8.4 million in dead cap space in 2021. His 2019 and his 2020 salaries were already guaranteed back in March of this year.
The Rams have a 24-year-old (he’ll turn 25 in August) running back with an apparently degenerative knee condition who they absolutely cannot cut for the next two seasons. It’s one of the most bizarre turns we’ve seen, at least in terms of value from one year to the next.
Los Angeles can save almost $5 million in cap space by cutting him before 2021 and almost certainly planned out his contract to move on after the 2021 season anyway, barring Gurley looking like a dominant player heading into 2022.
Maybe this all ends up being unnecessary handwringing, a part of the offseason that always features us discussing player injuries in a heightened way. But Gurley has a lengthy injury history and there are far too many red flags dating back multiple months for it simply to be glossed over. The Rams have a very serious situation on their hands.
znModeratorAustin Blythe aiming to become 'more physical, dominant player' https://t.co/8wH02mIMOF via @theramswire
— RamsNewsNow (@RamsNewsNow) June 5, 2019
znModeratorThis is cool. These pups led cattle out of flood waters. Happy Wednesday. Good dogs. 🐶 pic.twitter.com/2MGYjBplKc
— Jeff Fisher (@CoachJeffFisher) June 5, 2019
znModeratorThe highest-graded seasons from a defender for the Chargers in the PFF era, a list Eric Weddle dominated in his tenure with the team pic.twitter.com/xirrFrDKTv
— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) June 4, 2019
znModeratorWill Brinson@WillBrinson
Most receiving yards through nine seasons in NFL history:11,864 Torry Holt
11,776 Jerry Rice
11,619 Calvin Johnson
11,185 Marvin HarrisonLongevity shouldn’t overshadow greatness.
Sam Monson@PFF_Sam
Holt’s production for the early part of his career was utterly absurd.Jason Cole@JasonCole62
Do NFL owners want 18 games? To a degree, yes. Do they want it bad enough to put a real proposal on the table, such as a shorter vesting time to retirement? No. It’s really more of a ploy at this point. When the players refuse, the owners say, “Then what else will you give us?”Geoff Schwartz@geoffschwartz
the NFL sells hype better than any league. There’s a legit 20 fan bases that think if things break right, they can make a Super Bowl. Browns went 0-16 two years ago and some of their fans have bought plane tickets for Miami already. 😂. NBA/MLB doesn’t have thisJune 4, 2019 at 8:46 pm in reply to: OTAs (including a great final write-up by VB, posted 6/10) #101906znModerator10 Observations from OTA No. 8
https://www.therams.com/news/10-observations-from-ota-no-8
1) Los Angeles’ special teams unit got things going on Tuesday afternoon with kickoff return drills. Coordinator John “Bones” Fassel had cones set up to designate where players should be as they ran down the field. JoJo Natson was back to field the kicks — which weren’t exactly kicks as the club was using the JUGS machine to put the ball in the air.
2) As that was happening on one field, quarterbacks were on the other practicing quick screens to the outside. Wideout Cooper Kupp was there to help field them. The signal-callers had to get rid of the ball quickly and in rapid-fire succession, emphasizing how fast the timing has to be in that context.
3) Following the special teams drills, the defense began with an 11-on-11 session against a scout-team offense. Head coach Sean McVay was over with the defense to help run things. The scout team ran both runs and passes against the first-team defense.
4) After that scout-team period, the reserve wide receivers and tight ends came to the other field to work on red zone routes with the quarterbacks. They went through different route combinations, with multiple QBs throwing passes so each eligible receiver could get a ball.
5) Then the offense went through the same kind of 11-on-11 period against a scout defense. As it had been with the offense, the defensive starters remained on the other field going through individual drills. Reserves on the Rams’ offense also were able to get some work in against air, drilling on a separate part of the field. At the same time, reserves are working against air with some of the assistant coaches.
6) With the first-team offense competing against the first-team defense in 7-on-7, quarterback Jared Goff connected with wideout Josh Reynolds on a nice strike over the middle. Goff effectively threw Reynolds open, moving him out of the way of a defender by placing the ball a bit to the left on the intermediate level.
7) Also in 7-on-7 drills, backup quarterback Blake Bortles threw a nice back-shoulder strike to tight end Tyler Higbee for one of the more impressive plays of the session. With all receivers initially covered, Bortles rolled to his right and fired the ball to Higbee along the right sideline. Higbee made an athletic move to shield the defender from the football, then caught it and got his feet in bounds for a completion. Goff looked particularly impressed with the throw, giving Bortles a low five in celebration.
8) Cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman has stood out throughout OTAs, and that continued on Tuesday as he broke up a pass in the back-left corner of the end zone to wide receiver Robert Woods during 7-on-7 drills.
9) For some 11-on-11 work, Los Angeles set up a two-minute drill. In this scenario, the Rams were down by five with just over a minute to go. While the offense got into opponent territory, the defense mainly kept the O in bounds, and didn’t allow the unit to get into the end zone.
10) Finally, L.A. finished with a jog-thru 11-on-11 period. The slower speed gives the Rams a chance to work on the details for anything that may not have been clean on the initial play. Wide receiver Cooper Kupp was on the field for a good amount of these plays, after spending most of the session running routes on the side with trainers.
znModeratorNavorro Bowman, a four-time All-Pro linebacker for the 49ers who may unfortunately be best remembered for suffering a horrible injury while making a great play, has officially retired https://t.co/A5pIKZw0Nm
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) June 4, 2019
znModeratorIncludes Steve Wyche on Gurley:
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znModeratorBeyond the midterms: Helping students overcome the impact of No Child Left Behind
November 21, 2018
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International comparisons reveal that American students are not as strong as others at defending arguments or critically evaluating a text. Their Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) scores in critical reading hover around the international average, placing the U.S. 24th among participating countries….
WHAT IS GOING ON? WHY ARE TODAY’S COLLEGE JUNIORS SO ILL-PREPARED FOR ESSAY EXAMS?
Here’s a thought: Today’s juniors in college are the first cohort of students who spent their entire public education under the educational reform law known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB).… Scientific research strongly suggests that testing helps students learn. Yet, for this to be the case, it is important to give the right kind of tests. Those adopted by the states in response to NCLB were largely fill-in-the-blank, one-right-answer tests that never asked students to defend a position or to find different pathways to come to a defensible conclusion. In fact, many contend that NCLB, and to some extent the testing craze that has continued under the implementation of the Common Core, is the antithesis of the active learning approach that has been endorsed repeatedly by those who study the science of learning.
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