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ZooeyModeratorThe height bothers me more than the number of starts, actually.
Brock Purdy is also 6’1″.
Brock Purdy isn’t Matthew Stafford, but he’s good enough. And if the Rams got Brock Purdy for close to Free, then that’s a W.
The question is: can McVay develop a QB? I would think he will be more patient because he doesn’t want to make the same mistake he already made with Goff, so maybe.
ZooeyModeratorThis is Rodrigue for 30 minutes.
And as we know cause we know Rodrigue, this is about as good as it gets.
That’s about as good as it gets.
Okay. She buried my concern.
I do think McVay was upset about something, though. And that’s the first thing he offered as an explanation, that there was something unrelated to the pick that agitated him. The concern about Stafford came out later, and doesn’t add up to me. But there’s a plethora of possibilities. Maybe they were *THIS* close to trading back a couple of slots and getting some bonus as well as getting their guy, and it fell through. Or maybe his wife is mad because he left the milk out on the counter again, and it spoiled, and now the kids have no milk. In fact, that’s what I think I’m going with.
ZooeyModeratorYet I fall back on knowing that there has never been a Rams story, ever, where we did not hear fairly quickly what was going on behind the scenes.
I never saw anything explaining Ernest Jones. That may be one exception.
ZooeyModeratorWhy is this draft producing more than its share of conspiracy theories?
I think it’s because of McVay’s demeanor which seems “troubled.” And I think I read in The Athletic this morning that his concern that Stafford might misinterpret it if he showed enthusiasm is the official “next day” statement. To me, that DOESN’T add up because an honest phone call prior to the draft telling Stafford that’s what they would probably do, and reassuring him privately that Stafford owns the timeline is the sensible thing to do. You don’t NOT tell Stafford, and put on a little act, and then talk to him AFTER the draft, and throw Snead under the bus. No competent leader would play that angle. So I don’t buy the “acting” interpretation at all.
So… it hinges on whether you think McVay appeared comfortable or not. I haven’t watched the whole press conference, and maybe I would change my mind if I did, but the phone call and the first couple of questions did not resemble the film we saw of him calling Verse and Fiske, and that press conference.
ZooeyModeratorI think McVay was kind of a dick to Ty on the phone. He gave me”I’m gonna run you out of town” vibes. One of the few times I was really disappointed in him. Like him or not, he’s got him now…. Coach him the Fuq up now
that’s what i thought initially. but i am not so sure.
maybe aloof? i think he’s trying to tread a line between bringing in a new qb and making sure the old qb knows that he’s still the guy.
i don’t even know if that came from stafford or maybe mcvay just had it in his head. or he didn’t want the media to manufacture some kind of drama?
the media did end up creating drama anyway which they tried to clear up. i don’t think snead or the organization would want to upset mcvay by forcing a pick on him unless they know something we don’t. which is that mcvay and stafford do not plan on coming back. but i don’t see any reason to think that.
I simply don’t know, but I am somewhat concerned that McVay and Stafford are secretly “married,” and that McVay is going to leave when Stafford retires. He’s got little kids, and the amount of money some network offered him a while back was unbelievable. It could be that McVay has been open about all that with Snead, and this is Snead preparing for that post-Stafford/McVay world, and McVay had no choice but to accept it. I’m totally making that up, though. I just find the “McVay was acting for Stafford’s benefit” storyline more farfetched than the one I just presented. I don’t know, but something felt off.
ZooeyModeratorBut what if that good-future-QB-pick costs the Rams a Super Bowl this season? What if Davante or Puka go down. (Puka plays like a tasmanian devil, and Davante is old)
I agree with the Seahawk fans
I would have prioritized picks that are plug-and-play and make an impact THIS season. Lemon seemed like one of those guys.
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That’s just it, innit?
Time will tell.
ZooeyModeratorQuestions about the strategy itself. And questions about Ty Simpson as a player.
But again, i get why they went with this approach.
At any rate, we got High-Hopes for this season. When’s the last time there was a consensus around the country that the Rams were favorites to win it all?
Maybe…the year Martz took over? Its been a while.
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vYeah, I think it’s been that long. And before that, it was the 70s where they were a favorite, and we know how that went. And that’s the reason to go all out this year. 2 Lombardi trophies in nearly 60 years of following the team is not enough. Get another one, goddam it. Right now.
ZooeyModeratorI get why they did it, etc. And their approach was totally reasonable and understandable blah blah. I just dont agree with it. Winning a Super Bowl is really really hard, and i think when you have a clear shot at it in Stafford’s possible-last-year or last-healthy-year, i think you take that shot. I think M.Lemon was the pick. I like the tight-end-weapon. And I like the OLineman.
In my time as a ram fan, Simpson is the most intriguing pick i can ever remember the Rams making.
I agree with all that. You gotta snatch that ring when you can.
But I will say that the Rams arguably DID go for it when the acquired McDuffie with their first round pick, and snagged the other dude whatshisface in free agency.
So they’re sitting there with the 13th pick that they paid very little to acquire. And, as we know, it usually costs a lot to get a good QB. Brady and Purdy are exceptions, but that’s 2 QBs in the past 25 years. You either have to give up a lot of capital, or you have to go through a dark patch as a team. If Simpson actually develops into Bulger, we will come around to loving this pick.
ZooeyModeratorCBS:
ZooeyModeratorI am again puzzled. Another TE?
ZooeyModerator15 starts. Has any QB with that type of college history ever turned out to be a top NFL QB? I dunno. I cant think of one offhand.
Cam Newton. 14 college starts.
ZooeyModerator49ers get a WR at the top of the second round, i see. 6’2. 207 Lbs. Dude runs a 4.36.
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vFrisco heads exploding over the pick as much as Rams fans at Simpson.
I guess he’s #75 on Somebody Famous’ board, and they all feel like they have WRs and need OL.
ZooeyModeratorafter watching him speak i don’t see how mcvay doesn’t love this guy.
i think him acting the way he was on tv really was him not wanting to upset stafford. or at least trying to balance excitement with making sure stafford knew he was still wanted.
o. I’m hoping that McVay has not already told the Rams that when Stafford retires, McVay will leave. ….maybe Snead chose Ty Simpson because he knows HE is the one who has to take the long view, cause McVay wont be there to pick up the pieces.
I am with Invader on McVay wanting him, and not WV on the more dire possible futures.
I buy the Rams reasonining. They treated pick 13 as a luxury after using pick 29 to get what they really wanted for the season, a corner.
So I am out of the “did McVay want him” debate. I don’t think there’s a real “there” there.
Well, I’m not convinced of anything yet. I haven’t seen the entire press conference, just a bit where he was looking unenthusiastic.
But I think that lack of enthusiasm is not necessarily disagreement. I think it’s also possible to see his lack of enthusiasm as being like a guy who gets a $50,000 bonus at work, and decides to put it all in Treasury bonds instead of buying a sports car. It’s the wise thing to do for the long term, but it doesn’t release dopamine.
ZooeyModeratorthey have plenty of work to do to round out a roster that didn’t see a Year-1 impact boost in the first round.
They got Trent McDuffie. Their biggest need on the entire roster was filled with Pick 29 with a guy who is already a 2-time All-Pro.
ZooeyModerator… I don’t think he likes this pick, either, and if I was in Snead’s shoes, I wouldn’t have chose a QB that my head coach was not excited about. Especially when that head coach is the best coach in Rams history, and has already flirted with leaving.
I was wondering about that, too. I’m hoping that McVay has not already told the Rams that when Stafford retires, McVay will leave. ….maybe Snead chose Ty Simpson because he knows HE is the one who has to take the long view, cause McVay wont be there to pick up the pieces.
Just somethin i wondered about for a few seconds. Just wv-mind wandering. Or wondering. Or somethin.w
vWho knows.
But I don’t know if even McVay knows that.
On another note, so far from what I’ve seen, the people who are most excited by the pick are Ty Simpson fans, not Rams fans. They seem to believe he has landed in the perfect place for his future. FWIW.
ZooeyModeratorzn wrote:
-McVay ‘absolutely’ backed pick. Sources make sense of press conference demeanori actually do believe this. after watching him speak i don’t see how mcvay doesn’t love this guy.
I heard somewhere – I think one of the Frisco talkers – somebody said that McVay was a HUGE admirer of Brock Purdy, and thinks Simpson is the same guy. Excellent at reading the defense, and talented enough physically, if not gifted. And, really, I guess the mental gift is what separates the greats. You would like the physical gifts, too, but how many talented guys who fit the physical profile ended up vaporizing? I dunno. I think we shall see.
ZooeyModeratorIf they are picking late next year, it will be tough to find Stafford’s heir apparent. Hopefully Simpson doesn’t have to see the field this year.
Yeah, that’s it. If not now, when?
Of course, they are other ways to get a QB. They got Stafford without drafting him. But then that was a combination of surrendering a large bounty combined with a star QB who wanted to be traded. That’s not a steady method for getting a QB.
ZooeyModeratorBoth Seattle and San Francisco fans are happy about the pick. Radio people in NoCal are very pleased.
Of course, they are only thinking about instant gratification. And it seems like most of us are, too. Lemon or Sadiq, or some other diamond, would have been more exciting. Or trading down and adding some Day 2 picks while still nailing their first pick would have been perfect. But we all know why they did it, and it makes some sense, even if it’s a gamble we don’t love.
Watching McVay in the presser, he did not seem happy, and that worries more than the pick itself. When Snead was answering the first question about the process, and he faced McVay and talked about conversations with the coaches, McVay immediately did one of those mouth wipes with his hand which body language experts view as a “tell” that someone is lying, or stopping themselves from saying something. And McVay’s whole demeanor sharply contrasted with past drafts where he was genuinely bubbling over with excitement. I don’t think he likes this pick, either, and if I was in Snead’s shoes, I wouldn’t have chose a QB that my head coach was not excited about. Especially when that head coach is the best coach in Rams history, and has already flirted with leaving.
ZooeyModeratorZooeyModeratorI’m assuming what happened is that they count having a #2 qb as a “need now if we are going to go for it” priority. (What if MS misses a game or 2?)
But then Garapollo is flirting with retirement. And they couldn’t get a decent trade down offer.
There will be 2nd round receivers worth taking.
Also they are planning on picking #32 next year, and next year Stafford will be 38 – and may wish to retire.
When the trade with ATL took place last year, talk went immediately to picking a QB. The issue is Ty Simpson and the fact that he has only 1 year of playing experience.
ZooeyModeratorMy one expectation going into the draft was that the Rams would surprise me.
And they did. Did not rate drafting Simpson as possible without a trade down.
ZooeyModeratorThis 2005 class doesn’t have an Aaron Donald type of player, but it features a lot of depth up and down the board. The top four picks all started at least 75 games, with guard Richie Incognito being the best of the bunch with four Pro Bowls and 164 starts.
I discount 2005. It was a series of wrong-headed picks. Bad culture. Barron was never the kind of dedicated OL that the current regime would draft. We called him out constantly for not living up to his billing and being basically a half-hearted pro. Incognito was a head case. Bartell was okay but never stayed healthy. The first real pick in that bunch was Atogwe, though he only worked as a player in particular schemes. Terrel actually attacked the head coach verbally to his face (he said “fuck you” to Linehan on the practice field). Fitzpatrick was an effective #2 but never could get a starting gig anywhere.
The 2005 regime didn’t know how to pick players with the right football psychology, the way the current regime does. Granted Nacua and Verse can be immature, but they care about football and contribute to team culture.
…
To me it isn’t even close. I don’t follow teams without the name “Rams” in them, but I would have to think the 2023 class is in the Top 10 of the century. That is a boatload of highly productive players.
ZooeyModeratorSaw this on Yahoo: “New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel will miss Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft and plans to seek counseling amid the Dianna Russini scandal, according to a statement acquired by ESPN…”
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vIt’s not hard to guess that’s because of Mrs. Vrabel.
I still haven’t read anything about this, but I heard {unfortunately only part of} an interview with a woman who was saying that the problem is that Russini just made the climate harder for other women reporters who have to constantly deal with inappropriate, unprofessional advances. And that has the ring of truth to it. It’s hard for me to see where Vrabel has violated anything outside of his marriage, though, like his fling doesn’t hurt the NFL particularly. It’s not a good look, but this isn’t Spygate or whatever. The integrity of the game isn’t touched. And the bothersome thing about that is that we have yet another case in which the woman pays a much higher penalty than the man. But I’d have to say that, thrown in the balances, what she did probably caused more collateral damage than what he did. I dunno. I think I’d like to be wrong about that, but that’s what it looks like to me.
ZooeyModeratorOf that 2005, none of those guys got paid, except maybe Fitzpatrick, but he was a QB. He wasn’t getting “big” money for the position, though.
4 or 5 of these guys are going to get paid.
ZooeyModeratorfrom Nate Atkins,
Q: What best explains Sean McVay letting defensive backs coach AubreyPleasant go the same offseason they upgraded the secondary? That suggests they want to change both the coaching/scheme and the players. Which in turn implies they don’t like how the secondary was put together and coached.
A: I believe this has less to do with Pleasant himself and more to do with Jimmy Lake and Kliff Kingsbury.
McVay wanted to add a coach with Kingsbury’s experience to the staff. He needed a role for him that was better than passing game coordinator, and that was the job left after promoting Nate Scheelhaase to offensive coordinator as a way of keeping him for at least one more season. The other option was assistant head coach, which was one of the two roles Pleasant held.
The other was defensive backs coach, and the Rams have been big believers in Jimmy Lake since they added him as a senior defensive assistant following his firing as defensive coordinator of the Atlanta Falcons a year ago. Jimmy Lake was once Chris Petersen’s hand-picked successor at the University of Washington after creating one of the best defensive back pipelines to the NFL in recent seasons.
At 49 years old, he’s viewed as a rising star in this sport, and the Rams couldn’t keep him in a role like senior defensive assistant for much longer.
And so Pleasant’s departure was mostly circumstantial. The Rams have to pull out all the stops to chase a Super Bowl this season, and they don’t feel like they can wait to see whether the coaches they had could adjust schematically and personally to the influx of talent they were bringing in with McDuffie and Jaylen Watson.
Pleasant has to wear some of the blame for last year’s second-half regression that culminated in Sam Darnold’s breakout playoff performance to end the season. The Rams tried to capitalize on the midseason playmaking breakouts of Cobie Durant and Emmanuel Forbes Jr. and paid for the increased complexity with Quentin Lake off the field because of elbow surgery.
By the later stages of the playoffs, they had to dial back into shells and zone coverages that were too predictable against great offensive schemes. But that also came after Young hurt his knee, and the pass rush couldn’t carry the defense the way general manager Les Snead built it to.
Pleasant was ultimately a fall guy for the Rams’ lack of investment in this group. The talent at cornerback was never good enough, as illustrated by what has happened with Darious Williams retiring and Durant, Ahkello Witherspoon and Roger McCreary all signing one-year deals to compete for jobs elsewhere.
I’m sure he’d love to coach talents like McDuffie and Watson, but his Rams tenure featured much more cost-effective options.
But in a year that’s all about trying to win the Super Bowl with a 38-year-old Matthew Stafford, the Rams couldn’t mess around with this group anymore. That meant leveling up the talent and also finding the best coaching fit for those players, and they believe they have it now since Jimmy Lake recruited and coached McDuffie at Washington. Time will tell if they’re right.
“The upshot of all which is, that, if I mistake not,” said Tom sturdily, “the Rams are fully loaded, and will win what is commonly called the Super Bowl.” ~ Washington Irving, sort of.
ZooeyModeratorJimmy G won’t retire if the Rams give him a few million dollars to carry a clipboard. Sure, he’s rich, but he can still make easy money, and maybe he’ll even play a few games.
ZooeyModeratorWould never have noticed, probably, except at some point I mighta noted that the shitty “bone” hadn’t been used all year.
I guess that alone makes this an improvement.
But we all know what they SHOULD do.
ZooeyModerator -
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