Robert Klemko@RobertKlemko
In five years these AAF bosses who left players holding the bill for hotels/travel/injuries will be talking about how proud they are of AAF alumni accomplishments in the NFL and no one will bat an eye

JackPMiller wrote:

We can’t beat teams with much larger DLinemen, like Chicago, Philadelphia, or even New England when they had Danny Shelton. Our Offense will always have that problem,as long as we have a combine Center and Guard that are hovering around 300. Blythe needs to be replaced when we have to play teams like the Bears and Eagles. He can’t compete against them.

We’ll find out about Allen. I share your concern about Blythe’s limitations against top DLs.

RAM ROBBED!
LA Rams head coach Sean McVay's Encino home was broken into and robbed last night. Police looking for these 2 men plus a getaway driver. Neighbors say they are under siege by burglars. We're live at 11. @ABC7 pic.twitter.com/WAPiJi54Q7

— Jory Rand (@ABC7Jory) April 6, 2019

==

Thieves Target Encino Home Belonging to L.A. Rams Coach Sean McVay, TMZ Reports https://t.co/rxJAM7lWcT via @ktla

— RamsNewsNow (@RamsNewsNow) April 6, 2019

If Rams extend Jared Goff this year, what might his contract look like?

If Rams extend Jared Goff this year, what might his contract look like?

Jared Goff has improved in each of the three years he’s been in the NFL, helping lead the Los Angeles Rams to the Super Bowl this past season. He’s made the Pro Bowl twice, was an MVP candidate for 10 weeks in 2018 and has looked every bit like a franchise quarterback.

And for the first time in his career, he’s eligible for a contract extension. Having put in three years of work, Goff can now sign a new contract with the Rams. To be clear, he’s still under contract for one more year and has a fifth-year option in 2020, but Los Angeles can lock him up before his rookie deal expires.

The question now is whether they should. With two years of control, should the Rams get ahead of the ever-ballooning quarterback market by signing Goff now? They don’t seem to be in a rush to do that with both Les Snead and Sean McVay indicating as much, but it’ll definitely be a conversation throughout the summer. While it would be wise to wait, even at the risk of his value increasing, the Rams can be unpredictable sometimes.

So let’s say they do extend Goff this year. What might his contract look like? Will he top Jimmy Garoppolo’s five-year, $137.5 million extension from last year? Certainly. Will the Rams go the short-term, fully-guaranteed route of Kirk Cousins and the Vikings? Highly unlikely. Might Goff target Matt Ryan’s five-year, $150 million deal from 2018? Absolutely.

Bill Barnwell of ESPN projected potential contract extensions for a number of quarterbacks in 2019 and this is what he came up with for Goff: Five years, $155 million with $54 million guaranteed at signing. Barnwell writes that the Rams would use a similar structure with Goff as they did with Brandin Cooks, giving him a smaller signing bonus to limit his cap hit in the first year.

With Goff, the structure would be the same, but the dollar figures would be higher. The Rams could keep his 2019 cap figure low by offering a $6 million signing bonus and a $3 million base salary, which would keep his 2019 charge modest at $8.8 million. L.A. also would guarantee Goff’s option bonus for 2020 at $35 million and pay him an additional $6 million roster bonus on the day that option guarantees. Throw in a $4 million base salary for 2020 and we’re looking at $54 million over two seasons for him. The structure of the deal would make it difficult for the Rams to get rid of Goff before 2022 at the earliest, but it’s pretty clear they’re all-in with him as their star passer.

It’s hard to argue with Barnwell’s logic and projection. Aaron Rodgers is the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL at $33.5 million per year. Ryan is second with an annual salary of $30 million. Goff won’t top Rodgers at this point in his career, but he absolutely could next year if he puts together an All-Pro-type season in 2019.

Regardless of how high Goff’s salary goes, one thing’s certain: He’s going to get more than the likes of Garoppolo, Derek Carr and Drew, who all make between $25-$27.5 million. Depending on who signs when – Russell Wilson, Carson Wentz and Dak Prescott could all shake things up – Goff is most likely going to get at least $29 million per year.

Waiting a year might cost the Rams more money in the long run, but it’ll prevent them from any buyer’s remorse in the event that Goff struggles in 2019. We’ll just have to wait and see how risky Snead, Tony Pastoors and Kevin Demoff are feeling.

Report: Sean McVay’s home burglarized, $20K in valuables stolen

Cameron DaSilva

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/report-sean-mcvays-home-burglarized-dollar20k-in-valuables-stolen/ar-BBVF0xg?li=BBnbfcL

Rams coach Sean McVay’s home in L.A. was burglarized on Thursday night, according to a report from TMZ. The thieves, reportedly three men wearing hoodies, gloves and bandanas, broke into the house by smashing the backdoor.

According to law enforcement officials, $20,000 in jewelry and purses was stolen. At the time of the break-in, no one was home. Additionally, damage was done to the house, though it’s not yet known to what extent.

McVay’s security system alerted the police but the suspects were already gone when officers arrived on scene.

Last year, Robert Woods’ home was broken into during the Rams’ win over the Minnesota Vikings on Sept. 27. It was part of a string of burglaries in the L.A. area as several celebrities’ homes were broken into.

merlin

One thing I’ve been saying re: Goff is that he’s not the QB who excels the first time through in a situation. He’s a builder in terms of his ability to overcome. He struggled his first year in college, then turned it around year 2. He struggled his rookie season in the NFL, then turned it around in year 2. He struggled in his first playoff game, then turned it around in year 2. And he struggled in his first Super Bowl, which is not really a surprise to myself at least, because the trend is there.

Not there yet, but he’s getting close and we have a long stretch of years to enjoy ahead of us

Aaron Rodgers Likely to Force Packers’ Matt LaFleur into Role No Coach Wants

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2829594-aaron-rodgers-likely-to-force-packers-matt-lafleur-into-role-no-coach-wants

Dysfunction in the NFL is nothing new. Hell, Terrell Owens once did sit-ups in his driveway while doing a press conference, days after he was suspended following a shouting match with coach Andy Reid.

But after considering the dysfunction B/R colleague Tyler Dunne uncovered in Green Bay during the Aaron Rodgers-Mike McCarthy era, you’re left wondering how in the hell did that group win even one championship?

The issues in Green Bay were bad. They still are.

And all of it just dropped into the lap of new coach Matt LaFleur like a giant flaming bag of dog poop.

If you think the firing of McCarthy will fix the Packers, as bad as his relationship was with Rodgers, you’re not paying attention. If you think the firing of general manager Ted Thompson will fix the Packers, well, um, no.

Rodgers is still there, and he needs to be coached and won over. And how is someone just 39 years old with no previous head coaching experience going to do that?

Answer: He’s not.

Since Dunne’s story dropped like Thor’s hammer, I haven’t found a single person in the league who has a bad word to say about LaFleur. He is liked and respected. He’s seen as innovative, someone who can recharge the Packers offense.

However, all of those people who praised LaFleur also tell me they’re not sure how this ends well. No one indicted his character or brought up past mistakes he’s made, but everyone acknowledged that LaFleur is in a brutal situation.

Before we get too deep into that, I have to say that I’m a huge Rodgers fan. He has always been kind and gracious to me. Rodgers has sat at his locker multiple times and explained the complexities of NFL offenses and defenses to me like I was a fourth-grader. At his core, he is an incredibly decent man. He is also, to be blunt, one of the few white players in the sport who understands the complexities of race relations in the NFL and the country. Trust me, he does, and that’s impressive.

Beyond me, a legion of NFL journalists greatly respect Rodgers.

That doesn’t mean I’m blind. Dunne’s story accurately portrays Rodgers as an egomaniacal diva. Even if you like Rodgers, this cannot be denied or ignored.

Though they won a Super Bowl together in 2010, Aaron Rodgers and Mike McCarthy often did not see eye-to-eye on play calling.

If you blasted Owens or Antonio Brown for being a jerk to teammates or coaches, it would be remarkably hypocritical to give Rodgers a pass.

Much of Rodgers’ behavior with McCarthy, I believe, stems from the problem many people who are the best at their jobs have—a lack of tolerance for those who don’t bust their butts the way they do. Rodgers bleeds football and wants his coaches to do the same, not get massages, as McCarthy reportedly did. (For his part, McCarthy denied he missed any team meeting for a massage, according to ESPN’s Packers reporter Rob Demovsky.)

But there’s also something pathological and kind of disturbing about how Rodgers treated some people around him. A desire to win isn’t an excuse to freeze out teammates or make them verbal targets for ridicule. McCarthy wasn’t good at his job as he let the game pass him by. But Rodgers isn’t without plenty of blame for the atmosphere in the Packers locker room.

This brings us back to LaFleur, who will have to try to win the trust of a superstar only four years younger with 100 wins and two MVP awards. It may not be impossible for LaFleur to win Rodgers’ respect, but it sure isn’t going to be easy. It is easy to see Rodgers, the minute something goes wrong, saying: Why am I listening to this guy?

Rodgers operates as if he is a player-coach and the actual head coach is ornamental.

Is it possible Rodgers will learn from all that has gone on and adapt his style? Will he self-reflect? He’s a bright guy. Anything is possible. Still, Rodgers is 35 and has been in the league for 14 years. I’m not sure he can change.

I could be wrong. I hope I am.

At some point, though—as sure as anyone at Lambeau Field in January will be freezing—there will come a game plan or play call from LaFleur that Rodgers won’t like. He will ignore some part of it, or all of it, and go rogue.

Then, what does LaFleur do? Bench Aaron Rodgers?

Don’t forget, Rodgers signed a four-year, $134 million contract extension in August. He’s also the best QB in football. Quarterbacks don’t get fired. Coaches do.

Unless Rodgers’ play falls off a cliff and he morphs into Nathan Peterman, he’ll be the boss, and LaFleur will have to get used to being the lieutenant.

Welcome to Green Bay, Matt. One piece of advice…

…only get massages before or after meetings.

Not during them.

LMU93

Goff is 4th in “failed completions” (a good thing) per Football Outsiders: https://www.footballoutsiders.com/stat-analysis/2019/failed-completions-2018

Football Outsiders: “A failed completion is any completed pass that fails to gain 45 percent of needed yards on first down, 60 percent on second down, or 100 percent on third or fourth down…Racking up failed completions can give your statline some artificial inflation.”

Also note at the bottom of the article (see link) that the Rams defense actually led the league in generating ‘failed completions.’

Ryan Kartje@Ryan_Kartje
The issues within the AAF, it turns out, were far worse than they seemed before the league finally suspended operations on Tuesday. Team budgets were slashed to nothing. Bills were left unpaid.

Alliance Football Focus@AllianceFF
#AAF players were kicked out of their hotels, and will have to pay for their own medical expenses for injuries they suffered in the league.

This is sickening

Whitworth: Rams’ SB loss was ‘worst game’ of season

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000001025294/article/whitworth-rams-sb-loss-was-worst-game-of-season

Two months to the day that the Los Angeles Rams’ offense went to sleep in Super Bowl LIII, Andrew Whitworth is still not over the loss.

The veteran left tackle, who announced in late February that he will return for his 14th season, told NFL Network’s Andrew Siciliano on Wednesday that Los Angeles intends to learn from the 13-3 loss to the New England Patriots, a defeat that he rightfully considered the club’s worst loss of the year.

“There’s definitely ways we could have executed better and just calmed down and executed the way he had all season long,” Whitworth said of the defeat. “You look at the year before, I thought probably we played our worst game against Atlanta in the (wild-card) round of the playoffs, but for the whole season. I think offensively for us, it was pretty similar to the Super Bowl against New England. It was maybe our worst game of the season right up there. You could say that or (the 15-6 loss to) the Bears (in Week 14).

“But I would argue that the New England game, no real factors to that one. We just flat out didn’t play well. For us, it’s really one of those things, it’s a learning opportunity. How can we respond?”

L.A. responded in the offseason by losing its quarterbacks coach, Zac Taylor, to the Cincinnati Bengals and two starting offensive linemen, Rodger Saffold and John Sullivan, to free agency.

Whitworth is not bothered by the losses on the offensive line, which are likely to be filled by Joseph Noteboom and Brian Allen, respectively, but hated to see reliable vets like Saffold and Sullivan depart.

“Obviously I think any time you go into a season, playing 13 years, I’ve seen a lot of things happen, a lot of change on a football team every year in the offseason. You know it’s going to be a part of this industry,” Whitworth said. “It’s tough to lose those two guys for sure just for the rocks they were and how good of football players they’ve been.”

The tackle said that the losses along the offensive line would not have influenced his decision to return for another season if they had occurred before Whitworth had announced his intentions.

The rules will be different this season for Whitworth, his teammates and every player around the league, in regards to replay review of pass interference. During their postseason run, the Rams benefitted from and then arguably suffered at the hands of a non-call on defensive pass interference. Nickell Robey-Coleman wasn’t flagged for an early hit in the NFC Championship Game, paving the way for a Rams victory, but Brandin Cooks was arguably manhandled by Patriots defenders on a fourth-quarter heave at the goal line in Super Bowl LIII.

Having been on both sides of the non-call, Whitworth thinks that the expansion of replay review to include pass interference calls and non-calls in 2019 will cause more drama than the league is bargaining for.

“We’re playing an imperfect game. There are things that happen every play that you can judge,” Whitworth explained. “Like I said when we went through the Saints thing, it’s the same idea that, you know, it’s tough. Those refs have to do a lot of things and they don’t get to slow it down in the moment. That’s what we’re trying to do is find a solution for some of those moments.

“Some of them are so ticky-tacky and tough, I think you’re going to have teams, really, you’re going to build almost this kind of animosity that you had after the Saints-Rams game really with every game that could come down to a possible hand here or there. Now when you slow it down on a replay, you’re really creating more buzz in that way or more arguments for teams. It’ll be interesting to see how it works out. I think it’s one of things where it could be tough.”

QB YPA leaders during the past 2 regular seasons (min. 250 att):
1. Mahomes 8.7
2. Garoppolo 8.5
3. Fitzpatrick 8.5
4. Mullens 8.3
5. Watson 8.3
6. Goff 8.2
7. Rivers 8.1
8. Brees 8.1
9. Ryan 7.9
10. Winston 7.9
11. Brady 7.8
12. Mayfield 7.7
13. Big Ben 7.6
14. Wilson 7.6

— Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) April 4, 2019

A bit ago…

“Hey Kyle”
“Chris”
“Oh sorry, I always get you two confused”
“Yeah”
“Anyways can I take a picture of you? My dad is a huge Chicago bears fan.”
“Sure.”

— Chris Long (@JOEL9ONE) April 4, 2019

Whitworth on McVay’s plan to bounce back from Super Bowl loss: “He’s one of a kind.”

Clarence Dennis

https://www.therams.com/news/whitworth-on-mcvay-s-plan-to-bounce-back-from-super-bowl-loss-he-s-one-of-a-kind

Andrew Siciliano welcomed veteran Rams left tackle Andrew Whitworth NFL Network’s ‘Up to the Minute’ to talk about his decision to return to the NFL for another go around in 2019 and more on Wednesday.

Siciliano sat down with Whitworth via Skype exactly two months after the 37-year-old’s Rams fell to the Patriots in Super Bowl LIII and he put things in perspective with a postgame lesson in life and death.

But on Wednesday, Whitworth let the world and Rams fans alike know that the sky isn’t falling in L.A. as the team is schedule to report in less than two weeks for the start of the offseason program, saying his head coach and junior of four years will have a plan in place to move on from the Super Bowl ‘L’.

“Knowing the guy and the fire and intensity that he has, it’ll be good, you know that,” Whitworth said of head coach Sean McVay’s upcoming approach to trucking on. “I can’t wait to get back to work with him and really the whole group — I’m looking forward to it. I know he’s going to do a heck of a job, as he always does, as far as giving us a direct-set mentality of how we move forward from here and that’s one of the best things that he’s able to do.”

“And really leadership and providing that leadership in a room — that’s what’s so exceptional about him and why he’s one of a kind.”

"It's complete and utter chaos." A behind-the-scenes look at the final days of the AAF, and the dreams crushed — not just for players — by Tom Dundon's swift decision. https://t.co/T6Yc2ddN1c

— Daniel Popper (@danielrpopper) April 3, 2019