Revisiting the Rams Last 17 months in a "Time Capsule"
| June 25, 2017 06:29AM |
"Rams last 17 months"
Since we have over a month to endure until all of the players are together on July 28, 2017 for training camp, I decided to post a "time capsule" presentation of the most important current events that have transpired with the Rams since January 12, 2016 to the present time.
I didn't list every single important event, but I've listed most of them as a reminder of how the last 17 months have impacted the Rams as they get ready for Sean McVay's first training camp as the new head coach.
I selected a "theme" picture and added a link to the bottom of each (online) dated event for a reference. The small three or four paragraphs listed in each dated event is plenty enough information to read and "draw the dots" for everything that has happened with the Rams since they arrived in Los Angeles last year.
This piece should be a good walk down memory lane and put the past 17 months into perspective for all of the main events leading up to the hiring of McVay and the miscellaneous transactions that have since followed.
Like several of you have already commented on, I expect improvement from last seasons 4-12 disaster and it's not unrealistic to believe that McVay, Phillips, Fassel and the new staff additions are capable of coaching this team to at least 6 or 7 wins in 2017.
As many of you have also mentioned, I'm not prepared to make any "bold" predictions of more than 7 wins without first getting a better grasp of how the core players, "free agents" and some of the "rookies" mesh together under the new coaching regime.
Until we get some "full padded contact" training camp reports and see the players perform live in preseason action, predictions for the 2017 season are based more on good faith from all of the positive offseason personnel changes and what we've read or seen in highlight clips from the recent OTA's and mini-camps etc.
Everyone would agree that the majority of the "key players" need to stay relatively "healthy" during training camp and the preseason, or the Rams new season will likely be over before it starts. The same can be said for virtually all of the NFL teams.
Anyway, I'm quite sure that everyone remembers each of the "chronological" time related events listed below so I hope it makes for an entertaining "all in one stop" reading reference.
"Timeline of the Rams last 17 Months"
JANUARY 12, 2016
NFL Owners "Approve" Rams Move back to Los Angeles
For more than two decades, billionaire developers, corporate titans, Hollywood power-brokers and four Los Angeles mayors tried and failed to bring the National Football League back to the nation's second-largest market.
The odyssey ended Tuesday.
NFL owners voted 30-2 to allow the St. Louis Rams to move to Los Angeles for the 2016 season and to give the San Diego Chargers a one-year option to join the Rams in Inglewood.
The Rams' home will ultimately be on the site of the old Hollywood Park racetrack in Inglewood in what will be the league's biggest stadium by square feet, a low-slung, glass-roofed football palace with a projected opening in 2019 and a price tag that could approach $3 billion.
[www.latimes.com]
MARCH 1, 2016
Rams "Franchise Tag" Trumaine Johnson
Rams place franchise tag on cornerback Trumaine Johnson: Los Angeles Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson has received the non-exclusive franchise tag, the team announced Tuesday.
Johnson will earn $13.952 million for the 2016 season.
The Rams opted to tag Johnson over fellow free-agent cornerback Janoris Jenkins, although the team will likely continue contract talks with Jenkins. Jenkins fired his agent over the weekend, complicating his contract situation.
Johnson, 26, is a year younger than Jenkins. He has 15 interceptions in his career, the most among players taken in 2012 draft.
The Rams and Johnson have until July 15 to reach a long-term agreement.
[www.sportingnews.com]
MARCH 9, 2016
Mark Barron gets "Big" Contract Extension
Mark Barron gets new deal worth $45 million: Now, the Rams are headed to Los Angeles, and they're taking Barron with them. NBC Sports, ESPN and NFL Network were among the media outlets reporting the Rams had re-signed Barron just before he would have become a free agent at 3 p.m. CST Wednesday.
Barron's new contract has been reported at a five-year deal for $45 million. Staying with the Rams means the former Alabama All-American will be staying at a new position.
When Rams weakside linebacker Alec Ogletree broke his leg in the fourth game of the 2015 season, Barron, normally a strong safety, stepped into his starting spot and finished 16th in the NFL with 116 tackles. The Rams began calling the position weak safety because of Barron's preference to be known as a safety.
[www.al.com]
MARCH 31, 2016 "Rams Free Agency"
The Los Angeles Rams have mostly been quiet in the opening weeks of free agency, electing to spend most of their resources re-signing key free agents such as cornerback Trumaine Johnson, linebacker Mark Barron, ends William Hayes and Eugene Sims and center Tim Barnes, among others.
The only outside additions they've made have come in the form of relatively low-cost options such as cornerback Coty Sensabaugh and end Quinton Coples.
Meanwhile, the Rams lost cornerback Janoris Jenkins and safety Rodney McLeod to the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles, respectively.
[www.espn.com]
Rams 2016 Free Agent Signings (only the listed players currently on the 2017 roster as of 06/25/2017)
DEFENSE
CB- Trumaine Johnson (Franchise Tag)
LB- Mark Barron Re-signed
CB- Troy Hill Re-signed
FS- Cody Davis Re-signed
DL- Dominique Easley F/A
SS- Marqui Christian F/A
SS- Isaiah Johnson F/A
CB- Blake Countless F/A
CB- Kevin Peterson F/A
OFFENSE
KK- Greg Zuerlein Re-signed
RB- Malcolm Brown Re-signed
TE- Cory Harkey Re-signed
WR- Brandon Shippen F/A
APRIL 4, 2016
"The Move" Rams Arrive in Los Angeles
Oxnard and Agoura Hills to be exact, where the football operations and administrative departments have hit the ground running on preparing for the Rams’ new life in Southern California.
The football side will spend the next two months in Oxnard, where a temporary practice field, weight room, locker room and offices have been set up to cover the team’s nine-week offseason training program.
After that, it’s off to Irvine for training camp from the end of July to late August. During the season, the Rams will set up temporary headquarters and practice facilities at Cal Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, where they will spend the next two years.
The goal is to eventually build permanent headquarters in Thousand Oaks.
They will begin play this season at the Coliseum before moving to their new home in Inglewood in 2019.
[www.dailynews.com]
APRIL 14, 2016
Rams & Titans Make a Deal "Blockbuster" Draft Trade
In a stunning move that shakes up the top of the draft and almost ensures that the Rams will be starting a rookie quarterback in 2016, the Tennessee Titans traded the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NFL Draft to the Los Angeles Rams, both teams announced Thursday morning.
The Rams, previously selecting at No. 15, are one of the lowest-picking team in NFL history to trade up to the No. 1 spot. The move, however, did not come cheap.
The Rams, on the other hand, are taking a gigantic risk. Prepping for the first season in Los Angeles, the team wanted to arrive on scene with a new face of the franchise. It is almost a guarantee that the Rams will end up with either Carson Wentz or Jared Goff.
NFL Media's Albert Breer reported the Rams already have conducted on-campus workouts with both quarterbacks. They likely made the move fearing that the quarterback-needy Browns would take their preferred choice at No. 2.
[www.nfl.com]
APRIL 28, 2016
Rams select "QB"Jared Goff (No.1 Overall)
Jared Goff was selected first overall in the 2016 NFL Draft on Thursday night, ending weeks of speculation that started when the Rams traded up for the pick on April 14. Then again, this pick hardly comes as a surprise.
While Rams general manager Les Snead and coach Jeff Fisher did not tip the team's hand publicly, it became clear over time that Goff was the selection.
Goff does not have some of the traditional hallmarks of a No. 1 overall pick. He didn't rack up wins in college, and he doesn't have an absolute cannon for an arm. But Goff earned this moment in the sun by breaking records in three years as a starter while displaying many of the traits NFL teams crave.
[www.nfl.com]
Rams 2016 Draft Picks & (UDFA's) (only listed the players currently on the 2017 roster)
QB- Jared Goff #1
TE- Tyler Higbee #110
WR- Pharoh Cooper #117
TE- T. Hemingway #177
LB- Josh Forrest #190
WR- Mike Thomas #206
WR- Nelson Spruce UDFA
CB- Mike Jordan UDFA
LB- Corry Littleton UDFA
OT- Pace Murphy UDFA
WR- Paul McRoberts UDFA
LB- Nicholas Grigsby UDFA
RB- Aaron Green UDFA
DE- Morgan Fox UDFA
JUNE 17, 2016
Steve Wyche Camp Report:
Goff "not close" to ready
NFL Media's Steve Wyche reported on NFL Total Access on Thursday that Goff has a long way to go before he's ready to face NFL defenses. "Jared Goff is nowhere near being ready to start Week 1," Wyche said on NFL Network.
"He's only had offseason workout practices, but he's swimming in it. ... Training camp is vital for him. I spoke to one team official that said they are looking forward to seeing him in pads and preseason games because his ability to improvise are some some of his strengths.
But do not be surprised -- I know the expectation is for him to start Week 1 -- but don't be shocked if Case Keenum is the starter, because, again, Jared Goff has a long way to go."
[www.nfl.com]
AUGUST 4, 2016
Fisher confirms Keenum "starting" QB
The Rams gave up a lot to trade up to the No. 1 pick and take their latest franchise quarterback, Jared Goff. But the team apparently has no plans to rush the former Cal star into the lineup.
Goff is currently working with the second-team, and coach Jeff Fisher said Wednesday that former undrafted free agent Case Keenum remains atop the depth chart.
"Keenum made some really good throws," Fisher told reporters. "I mean, some really good throws throughout practice. That's what you expect out of your starter."
Historically, it wasn't uncommon for coaches to sit rookie quarterbacks, even those drafted near the top of the first round. But that thinking has changed in recent years; in 2011, first-overall pick Cam Newton started 16 games and Blaine Gabbert, drafted 10th, started 14 times.
In 2012, the top two picks, Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III, started a combined 31 games and led their teams to the postseason.
Blake Bortles, the No. 3 selection in 2013, started 13 games as a rookie, and the top two picks in last year's draft, Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota, combined for 28 starts.
[www.cbssports.com]
AUGUST 6, 2016
Keenum to "start" vs Cowboys in Preseason
Jared Goff was, to the Rams, worth selling the farm to move up to select him. But that value is also enough to keep the organization from forcing him into the starting lineup, at least for Week 1 of the preseason.
Former University of Houston star and current middling quarterback Case Keenum will start for the Rams against the Dallas Cowboys in their return to Los Angeles at the Coliseum on Aug. 13, coach Jeff Fisher said Friday.
What a bummer for those Rams fans and their shiny, new No. 16 jerseys, right? Wrong, says NFL Media analyst Bucky Brooks, who went to Rams camp and witnessed Goff's current progress as a professional quarterback.
Brooks said it was clear that Goff, who ran a simpler system at California, "still has a long way to go before he reaches the standard needed to wrestle the starting job from Keenum."
This is no reason to panic. There's a learning curve at every position in professional football, with none greater than under center, where quarterbacks need to master, as Brooks says, three key areas: communication, coverage identification and judgment. Oh, and don't forget the increased speed of the game.
[www.nfl.com]
AUGUST 9, 2016
Jeff Fisher on (HBO) Hard Knocks
"I’m not Effing going 7-9 or 8-8 or even 10-6"
“Little things are important, you follow me? I’m not Effing going 7-9 or 8-8 or 9-7, OK? Or 10-6 for that matter. This team’s too talented. I’m not going to settle for that."
"I know what I’m doing. We had 7-9 bullsh!t this morning. Deon’s gone, that is 7-9 bullsh!t.
We don’t need it. You guys take ownership of this thing, OK? You take your ownership and you trust that I know what I’m doing, and we’ll be just fine.”
[coachingsearch.com]
AUGUST 27, 2016
Tavon Austin Signs "Huge" Contract Extension
Tavon Austin signs 4-year, $42M extension with Rams: After a career year in 2015, Rams wideout and former first-round pick Tavon Austin has earned himself an extension.
Austin has signed a four-year extension to stay in Los Angeles, the team announced Saturday. The new deal is worth $42 million with $30 million in guarantees, a source with knowledge of the deal told NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport. The extension keeps the wide receiver under contract through the 2021 season.
The 25-year-old speedster will be invaluable over the coming seasons, adding another layer to a Rams offense that is desperate for playmakers.
In 2015, Austin caught 52 passes for 473 yards and five touchdowns and rushed for 434 yards with four more scores. His 907 yards from scrimmage nearly doubled his previous best -- 569 during his rookie season.
Rams fans have been waiting for an offensive coordinator to come along and unlock Austin's potential for years now. Last year's increase in rushing attempts, from 36 to 52, was the biggest indication yet that the team was working overtime to carve out a larger role for him.
[www.nfl.com]
SEPTEMBER 4, 2016
Rams Finish up their 2016 Preseason 2-2
The Rams won two games in the Coliseum and lost two games away from the Coliseum this preseason.
The Los Angeles Rams finished off the preseason on Thursday night with a close loss on the road at the hands of the Minnesota Vikings.
In his first NFL start, rookie Jared Goff got off to a strong start on the opening drive marching the Rams down the field on seven plays for 78 yards resulting in his second touchdown pass of the preseason with a one-yard connection with Kenny Britt.
It was an impressive throw on a timing route going toward the sideline to Britt’s outside shoulder. What also stood out on that drive was that he took five of the seven snap from the shotgun formation, including the touchdown pass.
However, things quickly went in the opposite direction for Goff over the rest of the first half as he went 3-of-12 with a fumble and an interception, which occurred on back-to-back snaps deep in his own territory.
[www.scout.com]
SEPTEMBER 8, 2016
Case Keenum ready for "Opener" at 49ers
It was only the other day that Case Keenum finally checked out the Hollywood sign. The Rams quarterback has yet to visit many Southern California landmarks and said he laments his delay in sampling eateries such as Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles.
He simply hasn’t had time. Keenum spent the last nine months preparing to be the Rams’ starter, a goal that will be realized Monday night when he steps onto the field against the San Francisco 49ers.
It’s been a long time coming for Keenum, who launched his NFL career as an undrafted free agent with the Houston Texans in 2012. Keenum has started 15 games, five last season for the Rams, but this will be his first opening-game start. “The first for it to be my show,” he said Thursday.
Keenum, 28, is excited about an opportunity that was earned by playing with consistency while No. 1 pick Jared Goff struggled and made mistakes. Goff will be inactive for the opener. Sean Mannion will be the No. 2 quarterback.
[www.latimes.com]
No.1 Pick in "street clothes" for season opener at San Francisco
The Face of the Franchise will be in street clothes when the Rams open their season Monday night. Jared Goff will be inactive against the San Francisco 49ers. The Rams claim otherwise, but this is a problem. Goff says this won’t compromise his long-term prospects, but this is a setback.
The Rams mortgaged their future to move into position to draft Goff, and he’s stuck behind Case Keenum and Sean Mannion? “He plays to play and I want him to play,” Coach Jeff Fisher said. “We’re not there yet.”
Forget about what this means now. It’s not as if anyone was counting on a 21-year-old rookie quarterback to lead the Rams to the Super Bowl. What should concern the Rams are the long-term implications.
More specifically, this: If Goff is the team’s No. 3 quarterback, can he get the necessary work to become the franchise quarterback the Rams envision? “I’ve never done that,” Goff said. “It is different. My whole life, I’ve been a starter.”
What Goff could use are first-team snaps. That much was evident in a shaky preseason in which he completed 22 of 49 passes. But the overwhelming majority of reps with the starters will go to Keenum.
“One of the challenges for a young player in this league is to prepare yourself to play without getting reps,” Fisher said. “They’ve all come in here from college programs where they got all the reps. Now, they find themselves in a position where you don’t get reps.”
[www.latimes.com]
SEPT 12, 2016
Rams "Blanked" in Opener at 49ers
Case Keenum is not the model of consistency he displayed during the exhibition season. The Rams quarterback struggled mightily in his first opening-game start. He completed 17 of 35 passes for 130 yards, with two interceptions, and failed to move the offense to the red zone, let alone the end zone.
The 49ers’ blitzes helped create constant pressure on Keenum, who was sacked twice but pressured or hit innumerable times. Keenum and his receivers also created their own problems. Many times, it appeared as if they were running different plays.
Coach Jeff Fisher treated his star running back with care and played him in only one series during four exhibitions. He finished Monday night’s game with only 47 yards in 17 carries and his longest run went for 10 yards. All of that added up to an embarrassing Week 1 effort. The last time the Rams were shut in the regular season was December 24, 2011 at Pittsburgh 27-0.
[www.latimes.com]
'Star' DT Aaron Donald "loses his cool" in week 1 at SF
SEPTEMBER 18, 2016
Rams won a game they had to win
with "90,000" people watching in LA
Los Angeles waited patiently for more than 20 years for the Rams to return. The stakes were too high for another uninspiring loss this week. Fans were often surging in the rich, deep bowl of a stadium. It was loud. Strangers embraced all over the place when the Rams won. "Ramily," they called it.
The Rams have toiled in mediocrity in recent seasons and even opened this one with a feeble 28-0 loss at the San Francisco 49ers. But against the Seattle Seahawks, they embraced what this first game back meant, how interlocking with this L.A. fan base it had to be and how a good first step was critical to building momentum in their L.A. return.
They mastered the script, beating Seattle 9-3. The Seattle defense was good but the Rams defense surpassed it. It was throwback football in the Rams’ throwback royal blue and yellow jerseys in a throwback place that all signaled a new day.
[www.sbnation.com]
OCTOBER 2, 2016
Fisher's Rams win their 3rd straight game at Arizona with
another last minute "nail biting" victory. Tied for first at 3-1
Rams move to 3-1 in 17-13 win over Cardinals. The Rams looked terrible in the first week of the regular season in a 28-0 loss to the 49ers. They haven’t lost since, though, and they join the Seahawks as NFC West teams with 3-1 records after a late score lifted them to a 17-13 victory over the Cardinals.
Brian Quick caught a four-yard touchdown pass from Case Keenum to put them up 17-13 late in the fourth quarter and linebacker Mark Barron picked off Drew Stanton a few plays later.
Things weren’t quite over and the Rams’ penchant for drawing personal fouls handed the Cardinals 30 yards that moved them near midfield before the clock struck 12 on their hopes of winning when T.J. McDonald picked off a Hail Mary in the end zone.
[profootballtalk.nbcsports.com]
OCTOBER 6, 2016
Case Keenum plays his best career game but
Rams lose "shootout" at the Detroit Lions
The Rams lost to the Lions, 31-28, on Sunday in a back-and-forth game in which Case Keenum completed 27 of his 32 passes for 321 yards and three touchdowns -- he also rushed for a score of his own -- before throwing an interception to end the game.
Case Keenum played his best game of the season on Sunday, but it was not enough.
The Rams defense failed to stop Detroit's offense late in the 4th quarter which led to the Lions' Matt Prater kicking a the game winning field goal. Keenum’s pass with just over a minute left was intercepted by Detroit Lions safety Rafael Bush, sealing a 31-28 victory over the Rams at Ford Field.
The Rams are 3-3 after their second consecutive loss.
[www.latimes.com]
NOVEMBER 6, 2016
Rams lose their "4th straight" game vs Panthers
The Los Angeles Rams lost their fourth game in a row and fell to 3-5 on the 2016 NFL season in morbid excuse for a sunny Sunday afternoon in Los Angeles.
Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers did not entirely convince with their play, but the visitors managed to score 13 points, which was more than Case Keenum and the Rams' offense could manage in 60 minutes, i.e. the Rams lost the game 13-10.
[www.nbclosangeles.com]
NOVEMBER 13, 2016
Zuerlein "stops" 4 game
losing streak at NY Jets
Rams Snap Losing Streak With 9-6 Win Over Jets: Greg Zuerlein made three field goals and the Los Angeles Rams snapped a four-game losing streak with a 9-6, victory over the New York Jets on Sunday afternoon at Metlife Stadium.
The Rams defense once again carried the team as they held the Jets to just six points, and Alec Ogletree intercepted a Bryce Petty pass with less than two minutes remaining to seal the victory for the Rams.
The Rams anemic offense was once again on full display, as they failed to score a touchdown on the day, and won their first game by a score of 9-6 in franchise history.
NOVEMBER 15, 2016
Jared Goff to get "First Start" vs Dolphins
The Rams are finally making the move to Jared Goff. Being 4-5 and coming off a 9-6 victory is as good a time as any to make a drastic change, so Jeff Fisher and the Rams are turning to the top pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. ESPN's Chris Mortensen first reported the news.
Goff, taken No. 1 overall in the 2016 NFL Draft, has yet to attempt a regular-season throw for the Rams. Case Keenum started the first nine games for Los Angeles.
The rookie will get to begin his career in front of the home crowd -- probably a pretty reasonable part of the equation to starting Keenum last week in New York -- against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. In terms of the timing for this start, things are a little weird.
Many people believed Goff should have started out of the gates, and the play of Keenum pretty much justified that for several parts of the season.
[www.cbssports.com]
NOVEMBER 20, 2016
Goff has "lackluster debut" and the Rams
Defense blows 2nd half lead to the Dolphins
The Rams’ coaches insisted they would not change the offense for Jared Goff. And they didn’t. The offense still stinks.
Save for the rain in Los Angeles—a bit of cosmic humor if ever there was one—Goff’s first career start looked awfully similar to the Rams’ first nine games of the season, with Case Keenum at the helm.
After scratching and clawing their way to a 10–0 lead, the Rams shut it down ... and then fell apart, in a 14–10 loss to the Dolphins.
DECEMBER 5, 2016
Gurley having a "disapointing" Season
Last year, Rams running back Todd Gurley was the NFL’s offensive rookie of the year. This year, Gurley is one of the NFL’s biggest disappointments. Far from building on his impressive first season, Gurley has just 679 yards on 211 carries.
Among the 24 NFL running backs with at least 120 carries this season, Gurley’s average of 3.2 yards per carry ranks dead last. There are 34 players in the NFL this year with at least two runs of 20 yards or longer, and Gurley is not one of them.
Asked after Sunday’s loss to the Patriots what’s going wrong with the 4-8 Rams, Gurley said he’ll look at himself, as he thinks all of his teammates will do. “At the end of the day,” Gurley said, “you just have to look at yourself and say, `We’re not doing a good enough job.’”
Gurley still doesn’t have a 100-yard game this season, and he admits that bad week after bad week gets old. “It’s hard,” Gurley said. “It’s repetitive, over and over every week. It’s crazy.”
A player with Gurley’s talent just has to go off and have a big game at some point. But that point may not be until 2017.
[profootballtalk.nbcsports.com]
DECEMBER 11, 2016
The Atlanta Falcons "Humiliate" Rams 42-14
Matt Ryan passed for 237 yards and three touchdowns and Atlanta forced five turnovers in a 42-14 victory over the spiraling Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.
Deion Jones returned an interception 33 yards for a touchdown, and Vic Beasley forced a fumble by Jared Goff and returned it for another TD during Atlanta’s comprehensive pummeling of the Rams (4-9), who have lost four straight and eight of nine in their increasingly miserable homecoming season.
Goff went 24 of 41 for 235 yards with two interceptions and a fumble. The No. 1 overall draft pick fell to 0-4 as a starter with a trip to Seattle looming Thursday.
”If there was ever a game to put behind you quickly, it’s this one,” said Goff, who scored his first NFL rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter. ”We’re not having fun. We’re not enjoying this. It’s awful.”
[www.foxsports.com]
DECEMBER 12, 2016
Breaking News Rams "Fire" Jeff Fisher
Los Angeles Rams fire head coach Jeff Fisher: The Rams stunned the football world on Monday afternoon, firing long-time head coach Jeff Fisher just a few months after handing him a two-year contract extension. Just last week, Fisher confirmed he signed that deal before the start of the 2016 season.
Special teams coordinator John Fassel, the son of former Giants head coach Jim Fassel, has been named the team's interim head coach.
"This was solely based on performance," said Kevin Demoff, Rams executive vice president of football operations, during a news conference Monday. "Today was the best chance to move forward and finish the season with some direction and hope.
It's unfortunate for him today because this is an organizational failure ... this is just not about the head coach and coaching staff. We have to improve across the board."
Demoff went on to say that the Rams losing eight of its last nine games ultimately "tipped" the decision to get rid of Fisher. In addition, when asked if general manager Les Snead could be in jeopardy, Demoff said "it would be a mistake to say anybody in the building would be back next year."
The 58-year-old Fisher has been in charge of the club since 2012 and in that time compiled a 31-45-1 record with zero playoff appearances.
Fisher is now tied with Dan Reeves for most career losses by an NFL head coach, though Reeves reached that mark in 18 fewer games. Fisher's overall record is 173-165-1 over 22 seasons.
[www.nfl.com]
JANUARY 1, 2017
Cardinals "Destroy" Rams 44-6 in Season Finale
In their final game of the season at Los Angeles, the Rams offense generated only 81 yards in the first half vs Arizona.
Jared Goff, the Number 1. overall pick was sacked seven times. He finished his dismal rookie season 0-7 as a starter.
In his final game, Goff completed 13 of 20 passes for 120 yards 0 TD 0 INT. Because of Goff's inept performance and for the benefit of his safety, he was benched early in the 4th quarter.
Todd Gurley, needed 155 yards to reach 1,000 for the season. Gurley finished the game with 14 caries for 40 yards.
(Rams 2016 Season Summary)
The Rams honeymoon return to Los Angeles was short lived and ended leaving a bad taste in the mouths of their fans. They finished the season with an embarrassing 4-12 record. Of the seven home games they played in front of their Los Angeles fans, they won only one game at home.
The Rams ended their 2016 season with a 7 game losing streak and lost 11 of their final 12 games.
The 5th and final season of the Jeff Fisher "era" was an epic failure and Rams upper management was clearly guilty for their share of the blame.
The Rams 2016 season practically ended the way it started back on September 12, --- on that eerie Monday night in San Francisco. The search for finding the right head coach will be paramount to the future success of this continual failing franchise.
(Rams 2016 Team Stats)
OFFENSE- (Points Scored 224 Rank #32) (Pass YPG 184.4 Rank #31) (Rush YPG 78.2 Rank #31)
__________"Offense" Avg YPG 262.7 (Rank #32)
DEFENSE- (Points Allowed 394 Rank #23) (Pass YPG 233.2 Rank #10) (Rush YPG 103.8 Rank #16)
__________"Defense" Avg YPG 337.0 (Rank #9)
PENALTIES- (Flagged a Total of 125 times Rank 3rd most) (Total Penalty Yards 1,086 Rank 5th most)
JANUARY 2, 2017
Rams clean out their "Lockers"
THOUSAND OAKS – Chemistry. Accountability. Culture. Usually, those are buzz words that losing teams toss out in lieu of actual analysis of what went wrong. For the Rams, the words can be quite revealing.
Why did the Rams lose this year? And the year before? And each of the five years under former coach Jeff Fisher? Players expressed strong support for Fisher, before and after his December firing, but as they cleaned out their lockers Monday at Cal Lutheran, the Rams gave a glimpse into what has ailed them.
A day after they ended a 4-12 season with a dismal 44-6 loss to Arizona, Rams players were honest. They didn’t pretend like they were a handful of plays away from the playoffs. They didn’t minimize their issues. They spoke, directly at times, about some major problems.
“I think Fisher made it fun to come to work in a great environment,” defensive end Robert Quinn said. “I think, as players, we need to hold ourselves accountable.”
That sounds like a problem, though. A team carefully constructed, over five years, by Fisher and General Manager Les Snead openly is talking about the need for greater accountability and better attitude.
So while the Rams clearly have some personnel issues to address in the offseason – most notably at receiver, offensive line and defensive back – the next coach seemingly has some team-building to do.
The Rams, it seems, will start their offseason Tuesday. In a letter to season-ticket holders distributed Monday, Rams chief operating officer Kevin Demoff said coaching interviews would begin Tuesday.
Already, the Rams have been linked (in various published reports) with nine candidates who are current NFL assistants:
Offensive coordinators: Harold Goodwin (Arizona) Anthony Lynn (Buffalo), Josh McDaniels (New England),
Sean McVay (Washington) and Kyle Shanahan (Atlanta)
Defensive coordinators: Matt Patricia (New England) and Vance Joseph (Miami); Jacksonville interim coach Doug Marrone; and Carolina assistant head coach Steve Wilks.
[www.ocregister.com]
JANUARY 11, 2017
Sean McVay has "2nd Interview" with Rams
The Los Angeles Rams are a couple of weeks into their in-depth search for the team's next head coach which now appears to have an early front-runner for the position.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Rams conducted a second interview with Washington Redskins offensive coordinator Sean McVay on Wednesday. They had originally met with him last Thursday afternoon.
Despite being just 30 years old, McVay has become a hot name in the market over the last several days after reportedly blowing away both the Rams and San Francisco 49ers in the respective interviews.
Much of the appeal for him stems from the success quarterback Kirk Cousins has experienced over the last two seasons with him as the play caller in Washington. The former Michigan State product is also coming off an extremely productive campaign throwing for just shy of 5,000 passing yards along with holding a 97.2 quarterback rating and 67.0 completion percentage.
[www.scout.com]
JANUARY 12, 2017
Rams hire "Sean Mcvay" as head coach.
McVay, who turns 31 on Jan. 24, will become the youngest head coach since Art "Pappy" Lewis for the Cleveland Rams, who took the job in 1938 at 27 years old, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
The L.A. Rams clearly don't mind. They were so enthused with McVay that they agreed to hire him without first sitting down with Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, who was considered one of the favorites when the process began.
McVay's contract is for five years, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
[abcnews.go.com]
JANUARY 13, 2017
Rams hire "Wade Phillips" as Defensive coordinator
LOS ANGELES -- The Rams have agreed to hire longtime NFL coach Wade Phillips to be their defensive coordinator, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter. Phillips, 69, will work under Sean McVay, who was brought in earlier Thursday to be the team's head coach. At 30, McVay is the youngest NFL head coach in the Super Bowl era.
Phillips' most recent role came as the coordinator of a Broncos defense that was the backbone of a Super Bowl-winning team in 2015, a season that earned him The Associated Press' NFL Assistant Coach of the Year award.
[www.espn.com]
JANUARY 13, 2017
Rams retain John "bones" Fassel
The Rams are keeping special teams coach John Fassel on their staff under new coach Sean McVay, general manager Les Snead confirmed Friday. Fassel served as the team’s interim coach last month following the firing of Jeff Fisher.
He knew he would not be a candidate for the full-time head coaching position. Fassel, 43, has been with the Rams since 2012.
[profootballtalk.nbcsports.com]
JANUARY 18, 2017
Rams hire Greg Olsen as "QB" coach
Olson was hired Wednesday to be the Los Angeles Rams' quarterbacks coach, according to multiple reports. The move is another step in the direction of nurturing second-year quarterback Jared Goff. New head coach Sean McVay was hired last week, after leading the Washington Redskins offense to a stellar season behind Kirk Cousins.
Olson, 53, served as the Jacksonville Jaguars' offensive coordinator in 2015 and 2016. He was the Rams' offensive coordinator from 2006 to 2007, before being fired. He coached quarterbacks for the San Francisco 49ers in 2001 and the Chicago Bears in 2003.
He also coached the position in 2004 and 2005 for the Detroit Lions. Olson was a quarterbacks coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2008, before being promoted to offensive coordinator in 2009. He became and assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach for the Jaguars in 2012, before bolting for the Oakland Raiders in 2013.
[www.upi.com]
JANUARY 26, 2017
Rams hire Aaron Kromer "Offensive Line" coach
The Los Angeles Rams on Tuesday added another piece to their coaching staff under new head coach Sean McVay with the expected hiring of Aaron Kromer as the next offensive line coach. Kromer has spent 11 years in the NFL as an offensive line coach for four different teams.
His most recent stint was the last two years for the Buffalo Bills that came after stops with the New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Oakland Raiders. The 49-year-old now takes over the tough assignment of having to improve one of the league's worst offensive line over the last couple of seasons.
[www.scout.com]
FEBURARY 8, 2017
Rams hire Matt LaFleur as "Offensive coordinator"
LaFleur has experience working with new Rams head coach Sean McVay. The two were on the Washington Redskins' staff together from 2010-2013 -- McVay working with tight ends, LaFleur with quarterbacks.
McVay said at his introductory news conference that he would call plays for the Rams. That will leave LaFleur's main task to rebuild Jared Goff and help construct an offense that caters to the young quarterback.
LaFleur's resume boasts working with a quarterback group that owned a diverse array of skills. As Redskins QB coach, he helped Robert Griffin III during his historic rookie campaign. LaFleur also worked with Everett Golson at Notre Dame before signing on to aid Matt Ryan in Atlanta.
[www.nfl.com]
MARCH 6, 2017
Trumaine Johnson Signs second "Franchise Tag" in 2 years
The Rams and Johnson will have an exclusive negotiating window from now through mid-July. If they don’t come to an agreement on a long-term deal before that point, Johnson will have to play out the season on the one-year franchise tender, which will pay him approximately $16 million and make him the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL this season.
He made approximately $13.9 million while playing on the tag during the 2016 season. Trumaine Johnson is the first defensive back to receive back-to-back franchise tags since Charles Woodson in 2004 & 2005 (Raiders)
[www.cbssports.com]
MARCH 9, 2017 Rams "Free Agency"
Rams 2017 Free Agent Signings (only listed the players currently on the Roster)
OFFENSE
LT- A. Whitworth UFA
WR- Robert Woods UFA
OC- John Sullivan UFA
RB- Lance Dunbar UFA
JK- Greg Zuerlein UFA
TE- Travis Wilson UFA
OC- Austin Blythe F/A
DEFENSE
LB- Connor Barwin UFA
CB- Kayvon Webster UFA
CB- Nickell Robey UFA
LB- Carlos Thompson UFA
DT- D. Easley Re-signed
DL- E. Westbrooks Re-signed
DT- Omarius Bryant F/A
DE- Mike Purcell F/A
APRIL 27-29, 2017 "NFL Draft"
Rams 2017 Draft Picks & (UDFA's)
TE- Gerald Everett #44
WR- Cooper Kupp #69
DB- John Johnson #91
WR- Josh Reynolds #117
LB- Samson Ebukam #125
DT- Tanzel Smart #189
FB- Sam Rogers #206
DE- Ejuan Price #234
OL- Jake Eldrenkamp UDFA
RB- Lenard Tillery UDFA
WR- Shakeir Ryan UDFA
RB- Justin Davis UDFA
TE- Johnny Mundt UDFA
DE- AJ Jefferson UDFA
DT- Casey Sayles UDFA
CB- Aarion Penton UDFA
LB- Kevin Davis UDFA
LB- Dominique Hatfield UDFA
MAY 22, 2017
Aaron DONALD is a "no show" at OTA's
The Los Angeles Rams have Donald under contract for two more years if they pick up his fifth-year option for 2018 on his rookie deal, but he is skipping OTAs as they reach the serious end of negotiations.
Donald has had two of the six highest-graded seasons since 2006 by an interior defender, grading at 96.6 in 2015 (fifth overall) and 95.6 in 2016 (sixth overall). He also owns the second- (95.1), and third- (96.9) highest pass-rush grades for a season by an interior defender — only J.J. Watt has ever had a higher grade.
The former Pittsburgh Panther is the only defensive tackle to rank in the top 10 in both run-stop percentage and pass-rush productivity in any of the past three seasons, with Donald doing it in all three years. Through his first three seasons in the league, no interior defender has registered more quarterback hurries than Donald.
[www.profootballfocus.com]
MAY 23, 2017
Rams will now "Host" Super Bowl LVI (56)
As a result of the stadium delay in Los Angeles, Super Bowl LV is moving across the country. According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Super Bowl LV (55) in 2021 will now be held in Tampa, Florida, at Raymond James Stadium, the home of the Buccaneers.
Los Angeles will still get its Super Bowl, but it will have to wait until 2022 for Super Bowl LVI (56).
[www.cbssports.com]
JUNE 5, 2017
McVay happy with "progress" of OTA's
After three weeks of organized team activities, head coach Sean McVay is beginning to see some things that get him excited for next week's mini-camp. Aside from cornerback Trumaine Johnson returning to OTAs after a week long absence, McVay loves the competition he is seeing from his team:
"It's been great," McVay said about the level of competition between the offense and defense, "I think the guys have done a nice job of responding. Practicing smart, but also, we're getting great competitive situations. Anytime that there's a winner and there's a loser in these situations the guys get amped up about it."
[www.foxnews.com]
JUNE 13, 2016
DONALD "shows up" at Mini-Camp
There was speculation surrounding Aaron Donald possibly skipping minicamp for the Los Angeles Rams due to his contract situation. After missing organization team activities with the Los Angeles Rams, there was some concern over the possibility of Aaron Donald skipping minicamp this week, which is mandatory for all players.
Tuesday afternoon marked the first day of minicamp for the Rams, as they look to improve from last year’s 4-12 finish, and believe it or not, Donald was in attendance. Whether Donald would show up for the first day on Tuesday was one of the most debated topics at the beginning of the week since the defensive superstar skipped OTAs due to wanting a new long-term deal from the organization.
[ramblinfan.com]
June 15, 2017
Rams "Trade" Greg Robinson to the Lions
The Rams have gotten rid of a former draft bust and the Lions have gotten a potential fill-in for their injured left tackle. Greg Robinson, the second overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft, has been traded to the Lions, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Detroit sends its 2018 sixth-round draft pick to Los Angeles in the deal. The Rams declined Robinson’s fifth-year option, which means the 2017 season is the final year on his rookie contract. He is due a base salary of $3.3 million.
[profootballtalk.nbcsports.com]
JUNE 21, 2017
McVay pleased with "off-season" program
Sean McVay’s first offseason program as the Rams’ head coach was over. Surprising the players with a reward for their hard work throughout the offseason, McVay heard roars of an overjoyed team by announcing the end of minicamp a day early. But meeting with reporters last Thursday, McVay admitted he was still amped from everything that had gone on over the past few months.
“I told my girlfriend last night, I said, “You know I canceled the last day of minicamp and I’m still waking up at freaking 4 in the morning. She says, ‘You are…What’s wrong with you, spaz?’ I said, ‘You’re right I am,’” McVay recalled with a laugh.
“The interesting thing about that is you always want to be mindful about having goals, having kind of an emphasis for both the coaches and the players,” McVay said. “When you break the offseason program up into three phases, Phase 1 was really, ‘Let’s establish our identity, and let’s learn our systems.’ And we felt like we were able to do that.
And then Phase 2, when you can actually get onto the field, start to do some drill work, we said, ‘It’s about improving our technique and mastering our systems.’ And then really,
Phase 3, when you get out on the football field, when you’re going through the OTAs, the minicamps — now we said it’s about coming together as a team. And that’s competing against each other, making each other better, but all understanding that it’s about coming together as a team. And the nice thing about it is we feel like we were able to accomplish that.
“By no means are we where we need to be for what we’re striving to accomplish,” McVay continued, “but I think in terms of what we were trying to get done in the offseason program, we felt like it was a successful offseason program — came out of it relatively healthy, where the guys that we’re really counting on, they’re all expected to be ready to roll by the time training camp hits.”
“Anytime that you got 90 players on your roster, you want to make sure that you have that interaction with all of them,” McVay said. “I think, as a whole, the guys have done a great job of being receptive, really, not just to me, but to our coaches. But it’s an on-going process. I look forward to staying in touch with them, but leaving them alone a little bit over this break and continuing to get to know them as we get back together.
“Just like anything else, that experience helps develop a foundation for those relationships that I think is really important to be able to sustain when you do go through some adversity, which is inevitable in an NFL season,” McVay added. “And that’s ultimately when you’re really tested because things are great right now. Everybody asks, ‘How’s it going?’ I say, ‘It’s great man. We’re still undefeated. We’ll see on Week 6.’”
“It sounds cliché — I think the expectation is that we’re just going to continue to try to get better every single day. I know this, in terms of the predictions, things like that, we don’t really talk about it. But when you talk about the time, the effort that you put into each week, your expectation is to try to win that game.
“But I think when you look at what’s been done in the past, we’re optimistic that we’re improving as a team. And as long as we’re mindful of that, I think if we get better, then we’ll give ourselves a chance to compete. And that’s what we expect to do.”
[www.therams.com]
June 22, 2017
Los Angeles Rams Announce their 2017 "Training Camp" Schedule
The Los Angeles Rams will host their 2017 Training Camp presented by AT&T at the University of California, Irvine, for the second-consecutive year beginning on Saturday, July 29 at 3 p.m. Rookies report to UCI on July 26 and the remainder of the team will report to camp on July 28.
“Training camp is always an exciting time of the year and we’re looking forward to welcoming our fans back to Irvine for Rams football,” Rams Head Coach Sean McVay said.
“From a coaching perspective, we are eager to see the players transition what they learned during the offseason program to training camp, and our practice with the Chargers will be another great opportunity for us to prepare for the regular season.”
The 2017 Rams Training Camp will feature 15 practices at UCI that are open to the public, including one joint practice with the Chargers on Wednesday, August 9. All open practices are free to the public. Gates open 90 minutes prior to the start of practice and select players will sign autographs after all open practices.
Camp Schedule: July 29th 3pm, July 30th 3pm, July 31st 3pm, Aug 1st 3pm, Aug 2nd 3pm, Aug 4th 3pm,
Aug 6th 3pm, Aug 7th 3pm (Aug 9th Joint Practice vs Chargers 4:30pm) Aug 10th 3pm, Aug 11th 3:30pm,
Aug 14th 3:30pm, Aug 15th 3pm, Aug 16th 3pm, Aug 17th 1:45pm
[www.therams.com]
AUGUST 12-31, 2017
Los Angeles Rams "Preseason Schedule" for the 2017 season
LA Rams Preseason Schedule: Dates, Times & TV Network
vs Cowboys Sat, August 12th (9pm ET/6pm PT NFLNetwork/CBS/Univision)
at Raiders Sat, August. 19th (10pm ET/7pm PT CBS/Univision)
vs Chargers Sat, August 26th (8pm ET/5pm PT CBS (national)
at Packers Thurs, Aug 31st (7pm ET/4pm PT CBS/Univision)
SEPTEMBER, 3 2017
NFL Owners change rule for Final Roster Cuts: Now from "90 to 53"
NFL owners voted to approve a rule change regarding roster cuts. Now, when teams trim their preseason rosters from 90 men to 53, they’ll do it in one fell swoop, according to The MMQB’s Albert Breer.
Previously, there were two sets of cuts. Teams had a deadline to eliminate 15 players and get rosters down to 75, and then a separate deadline to finish deciding which players needed to go to get the roster down to 53 men.
Now, there will be just one deadline. Previously, the first set of cuts was scheduled prior to the fourth preseason game.
The change allows teams to carry 90 players into the final preseason contest, giving them more time to evaluate those players.This season, the preseason wraps up on Sept. 1.
Teams will be required to get rosters down to 53 no later than 4 p.m. ET on Sept. 3
[www.sbnation.com]
SEPTEMBER 10, 2017
Los Angeles Rams Kickoff "Week 1" and begin their "Regular Season" Schedule
Hope all of you loyal Rams fans enjoyed this "time capsule" presentation
Since we have over a month to endure until all of the players are together on July 28, 2017 for training camp, I decided to post a "time capsule" presentation of the most important current events that have transpired with the Rams since January 12, 2016 to the present time.
I didn't list every single important event, but I've listed most of them as a reminder of how the last 17 months have impacted the Rams as they get ready for Sean McVay's first training camp as the new head coach.
I selected a "theme" picture and added a link to the bottom of each (online) dated event for a reference. The small three or four paragraphs listed in each dated event is plenty enough information to read and "draw the dots" for everything that has happened with the Rams since they arrived in Los Angeles last year.
This piece should be a good walk down memory lane and put the past 17 months into perspective for all of the main events leading up to the hiring of McVay and the miscellaneous transactions that have since followed.
Like several of you have already commented on, I expect improvement from last seasons 4-12 disaster and it's not unrealistic to believe that McVay, Phillips, Fassel and the new staff additions are capable of coaching this team to at least 6 or 7 wins in 2017.
As many of you have also mentioned, I'm not prepared to make any "bold" predictions of more than 7 wins without first getting a better grasp of how the core players, "free agents" and some of the "rookies" mesh together under the new coaching regime.
Until we get some "full padded contact" training camp reports and see the players perform live in preseason action, predictions for the 2017 season are based more on good faith from all of the positive offseason personnel changes and what we've read or seen in highlight clips from the recent OTA's and mini-camps etc.
Everyone would agree that the majority of the "key players" need to stay relatively "healthy" during training camp and the preseason, or the Rams new season will likely be over before it starts. The same can be said for virtually all of the NFL teams.
Anyway, I'm quite sure that everyone remembers each of the "chronological" time related events listed below so I hope it makes for an entertaining "all in one stop" reading reference.
"Timeline of the Rams last 17 Months"
JANUARY 12, 2016
NFL Owners "Approve" Rams Move back to Los Angeles
For more than two decades, billionaire developers, corporate titans, Hollywood power-brokers and four Los Angeles mayors tried and failed to bring the National Football League back to the nation's second-largest market.
The odyssey ended Tuesday.
NFL owners voted 30-2 to allow the St. Louis Rams to move to Los Angeles for the 2016 season and to give the San Diego Chargers a one-year option to join the Rams in Inglewood.
The Rams' home will ultimately be on the site of the old Hollywood Park racetrack in Inglewood in what will be the league's biggest stadium by square feet, a low-slung, glass-roofed football palace with a projected opening in 2019 and a price tag that could approach $3 billion.
[www.latimes.com]
MARCH 1, 2016
Rams "Franchise Tag" Trumaine Johnson
Rams place franchise tag on cornerback Trumaine Johnson: Los Angeles Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson has received the non-exclusive franchise tag, the team announced Tuesday.
Johnson will earn $13.952 million for the 2016 season.
The Rams opted to tag Johnson over fellow free-agent cornerback Janoris Jenkins, although the team will likely continue contract talks with Jenkins. Jenkins fired his agent over the weekend, complicating his contract situation.
Johnson, 26, is a year younger than Jenkins. He has 15 interceptions in his career, the most among players taken in 2012 draft.
The Rams and Johnson have until July 15 to reach a long-term agreement.
[www.sportingnews.com]
MARCH 9, 2016
Mark Barron gets "Big" Contract Extension
Mark Barron gets new deal worth $45 million: Now, the Rams are headed to Los Angeles, and they're taking Barron with them. NBC Sports, ESPN and NFL Network were among the media outlets reporting the Rams had re-signed Barron just before he would have become a free agent at 3 p.m. CST Wednesday.
Barron's new contract has been reported at a five-year deal for $45 million. Staying with the Rams means the former Alabama All-American will be staying at a new position.
When Rams weakside linebacker Alec Ogletree broke his leg in the fourth game of the 2015 season, Barron, normally a strong safety, stepped into his starting spot and finished 16th in the NFL with 116 tackles. The Rams began calling the position weak safety because of Barron's preference to be known as a safety.
[www.al.com]
MARCH 31, 2016 "Rams Free Agency"
The Los Angeles Rams have mostly been quiet in the opening weeks of free agency, electing to spend most of their resources re-signing key free agents such as cornerback Trumaine Johnson, linebacker Mark Barron, ends William Hayes and Eugene Sims and center Tim Barnes, among others.
The only outside additions they've made have come in the form of relatively low-cost options such as cornerback Coty Sensabaugh and end Quinton Coples.
Meanwhile, the Rams lost cornerback Janoris Jenkins and safety Rodney McLeod to the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles, respectively.
[www.espn.com]
Rams 2016 Free Agent Signings (only the listed players currently on the 2017 roster as of 06/25/2017)
DEFENSE
CB- Trumaine Johnson (Franchise Tag)
LB- Mark Barron Re-signed
CB- Troy Hill Re-signed
FS- Cody Davis Re-signed
DL- Dominique Easley F/A
SS- Marqui Christian F/A
SS- Isaiah Johnson F/A
CB- Blake Countless F/A
CB- Kevin Peterson F/A
OFFENSE
KK- Greg Zuerlein Re-signed
RB- Malcolm Brown Re-signed
TE- Cory Harkey Re-signed
WR- Brandon Shippen F/A
APRIL 4, 2016
"The Move" Rams Arrive in Los Angeles
Oxnard and Agoura Hills to be exact, where the football operations and administrative departments have hit the ground running on preparing for the Rams’ new life in Southern California.
The football side will spend the next two months in Oxnard, where a temporary practice field, weight room, locker room and offices have been set up to cover the team’s nine-week offseason training program.
After that, it’s off to Irvine for training camp from the end of July to late August. During the season, the Rams will set up temporary headquarters and practice facilities at Cal Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, where they will spend the next two years.
The goal is to eventually build permanent headquarters in Thousand Oaks.
They will begin play this season at the Coliseum before moving to their new home in Inglewood in 2019.
[www.dailynews.com]
APRIL 14, 2016
Rams & Titans Make a Deal "Blockbuster" Draft Trade
In a stunning move that shakes up the top of the draft and almost ensures that the Rams will be starting a rookie quarterback in 2016, the Tennessee Titans traded the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NFL Draft to the Los Angeles Rams, both teams announced Thursday morning.
The Rams, previously selecting at No. 15, are one of the lowest-picking team in NFL history to trade up to the No. 1 spot. The move, however, did not come cheap.
The Rams, on the other hand, are taking a gigantic risk. Prepping for the first season in Los Angeles, the team wanted to arrive on scene with a new face of the franchise. It is almost a guarantee that the Rams will end up with either Carson Wentz or Jared Goff.
NFL Media's Albert Breer reported the Rams already have conducted on-campus workouts with both quarterbacks. They likely made the move fearing that the quarterback-needy Browns would take their preferred choice at No. 2.
[www.nfl.com]
APRIL 28, 2016
Rams select "QB"Jared Goff (No.1 Overall)
Jared Goff was selected first overall in the 2016 NFL Draft on Thursday night, ending weeks of speculation that started when the Rams traded up for the pick on April 14. Then again, this pick hardly comes as a surprise.
While Rams general manager Les Snead and coach Jeff Fisher did not tip the team's hand publicly, it became clear over time that Goff was the selection.
Goff does not have some of the traditional hallmarks of a No. 1 overall pick. He didn't rack up wins in college, and he doesn't have an absolute cannon for an arm. But Goff earned this moment in the sun by breaking records in three years as a starter while displaying many of the traits NFL teams crave.
[www.nfl.com]
Rams 2016 Draft Picks & (UDFA's) (only listed the players currently on the 2017 roster)
QB- Jared Goff #1
TE- Tyler Higbee #110
WR- Pharoh Cooper #117
TE- T. Hemingway #177
LB- Josh Forrest #190
WR- Mike Thomas #206
WR- Nelson Spruce UDFA
CB- Mike Jordan UDFA
LB- Corry Littleton UDFA
OT- Pace Murphy UDFA
WR- Paul McRoberts UDFA
LB- Nicholas Grigsby UDFA
RB- Aaron Green UDFA
DE- Morgan Fox UDFA
JUNE 17, 2016
Steve Wyche Camp Report:
Goff "not close" to ready
NFL Media's Steve Wyche reported on NFL Total Access on Thursday that Goff has a long way to go before he's ready to face NFL defenses. "Jared Goff is nowhere near being ready to start Week 1," Wyche said on NFL Network.
"He's only had offseason workout practices, but he's swimming in it. ... Training camp is vital for him. I spoke to one team official that said they are looking forward to seeing him in pads and preseason games because his ability to improvise are some some of his strengths.
But do not be surprised -- I know the expectation is for him to start Week 1 -- but don't be shocked if Case Keenum is the starter, because, again, Jared Goff has a long way to go."
[www.nfl.com]
AUGUST 4, 2016
Fisher confirms Keenum "starting" QB
The Rams gave up a lot to trade up to the No. 1 pick and take their latest franchise quarterback, Jared Goff. But the team apparently has no plans to rush the former Cal star into the lineup.
Goff is currently working with the second-team, and coach Jeff Fisher said Wednesday that former undrafted free agent Case Keenum remains atop the depth chart.
"Keenum made some really good throws," Fisher told reporters. "I mean, some really good throws throughout practice. That's what you expect out of your starter."
Historically, it wasn't uncommon for coaches to sit rookie quarterbacks, even those drafted near the top of the first round. But that thinking has changed in recent years; in 2011, first-overall pick Cam Newton started 16 games and Blaine Gabbert, drafted 10th, started 14 times.
In 2012, the top two picks, Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III, started a combined 31 games and led their teams to the postseason.
Blake Bortles, the No. 3 selection in 2013, started 13 games as a rookie, and the top two picks in last year's draft, Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota, combined for 28 starts.
[www.cbssports.com]
AUGUST 6, 2016
Keenum to "start" vs Cowboys in Preseason
Jared Goff was, to the Rams, worth selling the farm to move up to select him. But that value is also enough to keep the organization from forcing him into the starting lineup, at least for Week 1 of the preseason.
Former University of Houston star and current middling quarterback Case Keenum will start for the Rams against the Dallas Cowboys in their return to Los Angeles at the Coliseum on Aug. 13, coach Jeff Fisher said Friday.
What a bummer for those Rams fans and their shiny, new No. 16 jerseys, right? Wrong, says NFL Media analyst Bucky Brooks, who went to Rams camp and witnessed Goff's current progress as a professional quarterback.
Brooks said it was clear that Goff, who ran a simpler system at California, "still has a long way to go before he reaches the standard needed to wrestle the starting job from Keenum."
This is no reason to panic. There's a learning curve at every position in professional football, with none greater than under center, where quarterbacks need to master, as Brooks says, three key areas: communication, coverage identification and judgment. Oh, and don't forget the increased speed of the game.
[www.nfl.com]
AUGUST 9, 2016
Jeff Fisher on (HBO) Hard Knocks
"I’m not Effing going 7-9 or 8-8 or even 10-6"
“Little things are important, you follow me? I’m not Effing going 7-9 or 8-8 or 9-7, OK? Or 10-6 for that matter. This team’s too talented. I’m not going to settle for that."
"I know what I’m doing. We had 7-9 bullsh!t this morning. Deon’s gone, that is 7-9 bullsh!t.
We don’t need it. You guys take ownership of this thing, OK? You take your ownership and you trust that I know what I’m doing, and we’ll be just fine.”
[coachingsearch.com]
AUGUST 27, 2016
Tavon Austin Signs "Huge" Contract Extension
Tavon Austin signs 4-year, $42M extension with Rams: After a career year in 2015, Rams wideout and former first-round pick Tavon Austin has earned himself an extension.
Austin has signed a four-year extension to stay in Los Angeles, the team announced Saturday. The new deal is worth $42 million with $30 million in guarantees, a source with knowledge of the deal told NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport. The extension keeps the wide receiver under contract through the 2021 season.
The 25-year-old speedster will be invaluable over the coming seasons, adding another layer to a Rams offense that is desperate for playmakers.
In 2015, Austin caught 52 passes for 473 yards and five touchdowns and rushed for 434 yards with four more scores. His 907 yards from scrimmage nearly doubled his previous best -- 569 during his rookie season.
Rams fans have been waiting for an offensive coordinator to come along and unlock Austin's potential for years now. Last year's increase in rushing attempts, from 36 to 52, was the biggest indication yet that the team was working overtime to carve out a larger role for him.
[www.nfl.com]
SEPTEMBER 4, 2016
Rams Finish up their 2016 Preseason 2-2
The Rams won two games in the Coliseum and lost two games away from the Coliseum this preseason.
The Los Angeles Rams finished off the preseason on Thursday night with a close loss on the road at the hands of the Minnesota Vikings.
In his first NFL start, rookie Jared Goff got off to a strong start on the opening drive marching the Rams down the field on seven plays for 78 yards resulting in his second touchdown pass of the preseason with a one-yard connection with Kenny Britt.
It was an impressive throw on a timing route going toward the sideline to Britt’s outside shoulder. What also stood out on that drive was that he took five of the seven snap from the shotgun formation, including the touchdown pass.
However, things quickly went in the opposite direction for Goff over the rest of the first half as he went 3-of-12 with a fumble and an interception, which occurred on back-to-back snaps deep in his own territory.
[www.scout.com]
SEPTEMBER 8, 2016
Case Keenum ready for "Opener" at 49ers
It was only the other day that Case Keenum finally checked out the Hollywood sign. The Rams quarterback has yet to visit many Southern California landmarks and said he laments his delay in sampling eateries such as Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles.
He simply hasn’t had time. Keenum spent the last nine months preparing to be the Rams’ starter, a goal that will be realized Monday night when he steps onto the field against the San Francisco 49ers.
It’s been a long time coming for Keenum, who launched his NFL career as an undrafted free agent with the Houston Texans in 2012. Keenum has started 15 games, five last season for the Rams, but this will be his first opening-game start. “The first for it to be my show,” he said Thursday.
Keenum, 28, is excited about an opportunity that was earned by playing with consistency while No. 1 pick Jared Goff struggled and made mistakes. Goff will be inactive for the opener. Sean Mannion will be the No. 2 quarterback.
[www.latimes.com]
No.1 Pick in "street clothes" for season opener at San Francisco
The Face of the Franchise will be in street clothes when the Rams open their season Monday night. Jared Goff will be inactive against the San Francisco 49ers. The Rams claim otherwise, but this is a problem. Goff says this won’t compromise his long-term prospects, but this is a setback.
The Rams mortgaged their future to move into position to draft Goff, and he’s stuck behind Case Keenum and Sean Mannion? “He plays to play and I want him to play,” Coach Jeff Fisher said. “We’re not there yet.”
Forget about what this means now. It’s not as if anyone was counting on a 21-year-old rookie quarterback to lead the Rams to the Super Bowl. What should concern the Rams are the long-term implications.
More specifically, this: If Goff is the team’s No. 3 quarterback, can he get the necessary work to become the franchise quarterback the Rams envision? “I’ve never done that,” Goff said. “It is different. My whole life, I’ve been a starter.”
What Goff could use are first-team snaps. That much was evident in a shaky preseason in which he completed 22 of 49 passes. But the overwhelming majority of reps with the starters will go to Keenum.
“One of the challenges for a young player in this league is to prepare yourself to play without getting reps,” Fisher said. “They’ve all come in here from college programs where they got all the reps. Now, they find themselves in a position where you don’t get reps.”
[www.latimes.com]
SEPT 12, 2016
Rams "Blanked" in Opener at 49ers
Case Keenum is not the model of consistency he displayed during the exhibition season. The Rams quarterback struggled mightily in his first opening-game start. He completed 17 of 35 passes for 130 yards, with two interceptions, and failed to move the offense to the red zone, let alone the end zone.
The 49ers’ blitzes helped create constant pressure on Keenum, who was sacked twice but pressured or hit innumerable times. Keenum and his receivers also created their own problems. Many times, it appeared as if they were running different plays.
Coach Jeff Fisher treated his star running back with care and played him in only one series during four exhibitions. He finished Monday night’s game with only 47 yards in 17 carries and his longest run went for 10 yards. All of that added up to an embarrassing Week 1 effort. The last time the Rams were shut in the regular season was December 24, 2011 at Pittsburgh 27-0.
[www.latimes.com]
'Star' DT Aaron Donald "loses his cool" in week 1 at SF
SEPTEMBER 18, 2016
Rams won a game they had to win
with "90,000" people watching in LA
Los Angeles waited patiently for more than 20 years for the Rams to return. The stakes were too high for another uninspiring loss this week. Fans were often surging in the rich, deep bowl of a stadium. It was loud. Strangers embraced all over the place when the Rams won. "Ramily," they called it.
The Rams have toiled in mediocrity in recent seasons and even opened this one with a feeble 28-0 loss at the San Francisco 49ers. But against the Seattle Seahawks, they embraced what this first game back meant, how interlocking with this L.A. fan base it had to be and how a good first step was critical to building momentum in their L.A. return.
They mastered the script, beating Seattle 9-3. The Seattle defense was good but the Rams defense surpassed it. It was throwback football in the Rams’ throwback royal blue and yellow jerseys in a throwback place that all signaled a new day.
[www.sbnation.com]
OCTOBER 2, 2016
Fisher's Rams win their 3rd straight game at Arizona with
another last minute "nail biting" victory. Tied for first at 3-1
Rams move to 3-1 in 17-13 win over Cardinals. The Rams looked terrible in the first week of the regular season in a 28-0 loss to the 49ers. They haven’t lost since, though, and they join the Seahawks as NFC West teams with 3-1 records after a late score lifted them to a 17-13 victory over the Cardinals.
Brian Quick caught a four-yard touchdown pass from Case Keenum to put them up 17-13 late in the fourth quarter and linebacker Mark Barron picked off Drew Stanton a few plays later.
Things weren’t quite over and the Rams’ penchant for drawing personal fouls handed the Cardinals 30 yards that moved them near midfield before the clock struck 12 on their hopes of winning when T.J. McDonald picked off a Hail Mary in the end zone.
[profootballtalk.nbcsports.com]
OCTOBER 6, 2016
Case Keenum plays his best career game but
Rams lose "shootout" at the Detroit Lions
The Rams lost to the Lions, 31-28, on Sunday in a back-and-forth game in which Case Keenum completed 27 of his 32 passes for 321 yards and three touchdowns -- he also rushed for a score of his own -- before throwing an interception to end the game.
Case Keenum played his best game of the season on Sunday, but it was not enough.
The Rams defense failed to stop Detroit's offense late in the 4th quarter which led to the Lions' Matt Prater kicking a the game winning field goal. Keenum’s pass with just over a minute left was intercepted by Detroit Lions safety Rafael Bush, sealing a 31-28 victory over the Rams at Ford Field.
The Rams are 3-3 after their second consecutive loss.
[www.latimes.com]
NOVEMBER 6, 2016
Rams lose their "4th straight" game vs Panthers
The Los Angeles Rams lost their fourth game in a row and fell to 3-5 on the 2016 NFL season in morbid excuse for a sunny Sunday afternoon in Los Angeles.
Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers did not entirely convince with their play, but the visitors managed to score 13 points, which was more than Case Keenum and the Rams' offense could manage in 60 minutes, i.e. the Rams lost the game 13-10.
[www.nbclosangeles.com]
NOVEMBER 13, 2016
Zuerlein "stops" 4 game
losing streak at NY Jets
Rams Snap Losing Streak With 9-6 Win Over Jets: Greg Zuerlein made three field goals and the Los Angeles Rams snapped a four-game losing streak with a 9-6, victory over the New York Jets on Sunday afternoon at Metlife Stadium.
The Rams defense once again carried the team as they held the Jets to just six points, and Alec Ogletree intercepted a Bryce Petty pass with less than two minutes remaining to seal the victory for the Rams.
The Rams anemic offense was once again on full display, as they failed to score a touchdown on the day, and won their first game by a score of 9-6 in franchise history.
NOVEMBER 15, 2016
Jared Goff to get "First Start" vs Dolphins
The Rams are finally making the move to Jared Goff. Being 4-5 and coming off a 9-6 victory is as good a time as any to make a drastic change, so Jeff Fisher and the Rams are turning to the top pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. ESPN's Chris Mortensen first reported the news.
Goff, taken No. 1 overall in the 2016 NFL Draft, has yet to attempt a regular-season throw for the Rams. Case Keenum started the first nine games for Los Angeles.
The rookie will get to begin his career in front of the home crowd -- probably a pretty reasonable part of the equation to starting Keenum last week in New York -- against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. In terms of the timing for this start, things are a little weird.
Many people believed Goff should have started out of the gates, and the play of Keenum pretty much justified that for several parts of the season.
[www.cbssports.com]
NOVEMBER 20, 2016
Goff has "lackluster debut" and the Rams
Defense blows 2nd half lead to the Dolphins
The Rams’ coaches insisted they would not change the offense for Jared Goff. And they didn’t. The offense still stinks.
Save for the rain in Los Angeles—a bit of cosmic humor if ever there was one—Goff’s first career start looked awfully similar to the Rams’ first nine games of the season, with Case Keenum at the helm.
After scratching and clawing their way to a 10–0 lead, the Rams shut it down ... and then fell apart, in a 14–10 loss to the Dolphins.
DECEMBER 5, 2016
Gurley having a "disapointing" Season
Last year, Rams running back Todd Gurley was the NFL’s offensive rookie of the year. This year, Gurley is one of the NFL’s biggest disappointments. Far from building on his impressive first season, Gurley has just 679 yards on 211 carries.
Among the 24 NFL running backs with at least 120 carries this season, Gurley’s average of 3.2 yards per carry ranks dead last. There are 34 players in the NFL this year with at least two runs of 20 yards or longer, and Gurley is not one of them.
Asked after Sunday’s loss to the Patriots what’s going wrong with the 4-8 Rams, Gurley said he’ll look at himself, as he thinks all of his teammates will do. “At the end of the day,” Gurley said, “you just have to look at yourself and say, `We’re not doing a good enough job.’”
Gurley still doesn’t have a 100-yard game this season, and he admits that bad week after bad week gets old. “It’s hard,” Gurley said. “It’s repetitive, over and over every week. It’s crazy.”
A player with Gurley’s talent just has to go off and have a big game at some point. But that point may not be until 2017.
[profootballtalk.nbcsports.com]
DECEMBER 11, 2016
The Atlanta Falcons "Humiliate" Rams 42-14
Matt Ryan passed for 237 yards and three touchdowns and Atlanta forced five turnovers in a 42-14 victory over the spiraling Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.
Deion Jones returned an interception 33 yards for a touchdown, and Vic Beasley forced a fumble by Jared Goff and returned it for another TD during Atlanta’s comprehensive pummeling of the Rams (4-9), who have lost four straight and eight of nine in their increasingly miserable homecoming season.
Goff went 24 of 41 for 235 yards with two interceptions and a fumble. The No. 1 overall draft pick fell to 0-4 as a starter with a trip to Seattle looming Thursday.
”If there was ever a game to put behind you quickly, it’s this one,” said Goff, who scored his first NFL rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter. ”We’re not having fun. We’re not enjoying this. It’s awful.”
[www.foxsports.com]
DECEMBER 12, 2016
Breaking News Rams "Fire" Jeff Fisher
Los Angeles Rams fire head coach Jeff Fisher: The Rams stunned the football world on Monday afternoon, firing long-time head coach Jeff Fisher just a few months after handing him a two-year contract extension. Just last week, Fisher confirmed he signed that deal before the start of the 2016 season.
Special teams coordinator John Fassel, the son of former Giants head coach Jim Fassel, has been named the team's interim head coach.
"This was solely based on performance," said Kevin Demoff, Rams executive vice president of football operations, during a news conference Monday. "Today was the best chance to move forward and finish the season with some direction and hope.
It's unfortunate for him today because this is an organizational failure ... this is just not about the head coach and coaching staff. We have to improve across the board."
Demoff went on to say that the Rams losing eight of its last nine games ultimately "tipped" the decision to get rid of Fisher. In addition, when asked if general manager Les Snead could be in jeopardy, Demoff said "it would be a mistake to say anybody in the building would be back next year."
The 58-year-old Fisher has been in charge of the club since 2012 and in that time compiled a 31-45-1 record with zero playoff appearances.
Fisher is now tied with Dan Reeves for most career losses by an NFL head coach, though Reeves reached that mark in 18 fewer games. Fisher's overall record is 173-165-1 over 22 seasons.
[www.nfl.com]
JANUARY 1, 2017
Cardinals "Destroy" Rams 44-6 in Season Finale
In their final game of the season at Los Angeles, the Rams offense generated only 81 yards in the first half vs Arizona.
Jared Goff, the Number 1. overall pick was sacked seven times. He finished his dismal rookie season 0-7 as a starter.
In his final game, Goff completed 13 of 20 passes for 120 yards 0 TD 0 INT. Because of Goff's inept performance and for the benefit of his safety, he was benched early in the 4th quarter.
Todd Gurley, needed 155 yards to reach 1,000 for the season. Gurley finished the game with 14 caries for 40 yards.
(Rams 2016 Season Summary)
The Rams honeymoon return to Los Angeles was short lived and ended leaving a bad taste in the mouths of their fans. They finished the season with an embarrassing 4-12 record. Of the seven home games they played in front of their Los Angeles fans, they won only one game at home.
The Rams ended their 2016 season with a 7 game losing streak and lost 11 of their final 12 games.
The 5th and final season of the Jeff Fisher "era" was an epic failure and Rams upper management was clearly guilty for their share of the blame.
The Rams 2016 season practically ended the way it started back on September 12, --- on that eerie Monday night in San Francisco. The search for finding the right head coach will be paramount to the future success of this continual failing franchise.
(Rams 2016 Team Stats)
OFFENSE- (Points Scored 224 Rank #32) (Pass YPG 184.4 Rank #31) (Rush YPG 78.2 Rank #31)
__________"Offense" Avg YPG 262.7 (Rank #32)
DEFENSE- (Points Allowed 394 Rank #23) (Pass YPG 233.2 Rank #10) (Rush YPG 103.8 Rank #16)
__________"Defense" Avg YPG 337.0 (Rank #9)
PENALTIES- (Flagged a Total of 125 times Rank 3rd most) (Total Penalty Yards 1,086 Rank 5th most)
JANUARY 2, 2017
Rams clean out their "Lockers"
THOUSAND OAKS – Chemistry. Accountability. Culture. Usually, those are buzz words that losing teams toss out in lieu of actual analysis of what went wrong. For the Rams, the words can be quite revealing.
Why did the Rams lose this year? And the year before? And each of the five years under former coach Jeff Fisher? Players expressed strong support for Fisher, before and after his December firing, but as they cleaned out their lockers Monday at Cal Lutheran, the Rams gave a glimpse into what has ailed them.
A day after they ended a 4-12 season with a dismal 44-6 loss to Arizona, Rams players were honest. They didn’t pretend like they were a handful of plays away from the playoffs. They didn’t minimize their issues. They spoke, directly at times, about some major problems.
“I think Fisher made it fun to come to work in a great environment,” defensive end Robert Quinn said. “I think, as players, we need to hold ourselves accountable.”
That sounds like a problem, though. A team carefully constructed, over five years, by Fisher and General Manager Les Snead openly is talking about the need for greater accountability and better attitude.
So while the Rams clearly have some personnel issues to address in the offseason – most notably at receiver, offensive line and defensive back – the next coach seemingly has some team-building to do.
The Rams, it seems, will start their offseason Tuesday. In a letter to season-ticket holders distributed Monday, Rams chief operating officer Kevin Demoff said coaching interviews would begin Tuesday.
Already, the Rams have been linked (in various published reports) with nine candidates who are current NFL assistants:
Offensive coordinators: Harold Goodwin (Arizona) Anthony Lynn (Buffalo), Josh McDaniels (New England),
Sean McVay (Washington) and Kyle Shanahan (Atlanta)
Defensive coordinators: Matt Patricia (New England) and Vance Joseph (Miami); Jacksonville interim coach Doug Marrone; and Carolina assistant head coach Steve Wilks.
[www.ocregister.com]
JANUARY 11, 2017
Sean McVay has "2nd Interview" with Rams
The Los Angeles Rams are a couple of weeks into their in-depth search for the team's next head coach which now appears to have an early front-runner for the position.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Rams conducted a second interview with Washington Redskins offensive coordinator Sean McVay on Wednesday. They had originally met with him last Thursday afternoon.
Despite being just 30 years old, McVay has become a hot name in the market over the last several days after reportedly blowing away both the Rams and San Francisco 49ers in the respective interviews.
Much of the appeal for him stems from the success quarterback Kirk Cousins has experienced over the last two seasons with him as the play caller in Washington. The former Michigan State product is also coming off an extremely productive campaign throwing for just shy of 5,000 passing yards along with holding a 97.2 quarterback rating and 67.0 completion percentage.
[www.scout.com]
JANUARY 12, 2017
Rams hire "Sean Mcvay" as head coach.
McVay, who turns 31 on Jan. 24, will become the youngest head coach since Art "Pappy" Lewis for the Cleveland Rams, who took the job in 1938 at 27 years old, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
The L.A. Rams clearly don't mind. They were so enthused with McVay that they agreed to hire him without first sitting down with Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, who was considered one of the favorites when the process began.
McVay's contract is for five years, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
[abcnews.go.com]
JANUARY 13, 2017
Rams hire "Wade Phillips" as Defensive coordinator
LOS ANGELES -- The Rams have agreed to hire longtime NFL coach Wade Phillips to be their defensive coordinator, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter. Phillips, 69, will work under Sean McVay, who was brought in earlier Thursday to be the team's head coach. At 30, McVay is the youngest NFL head coach in the Super Bowl era.
Phillips' most recent role came as the coordinator of a Broncos defense that was the backbone of a Super Bowl-winning team in 2015, a season that earned him The Associated Press' NFL Assistant Coach of the Year award.
[www.espn.com]
JANUARY 13, 2017
Rams retain John "bones" Fassel
The Rams are keeping special teams coach John Fassel on their staff under new coach Sean McVay, general manager Les Snead confirmed Friday. Fassel served as the team’s interim coach last month following the firing of Jeff Fisher.
He knew he would not be a candidate for the full-time head coaching position. Fassel, 43, has been with the Rams since 2012.
[profootballtalk.nbcsports.com]
JANUARY 18, 2017
Rams hire Greg Olsen as "QB" coach
Olson was hired Wednesday to be the Los Angeles Rams' quarterbacks coach, according to multiple reports. The move is another step in the direction of nurturing second-year quarterback Jared Goff. New head coach Sean McVay was hired last week, after leading the Washington Redskins offense to a stellar season behind Kirk Cousins.
Olson, 53, served as the Jacksonville Jaguars' offensive coordinator in 2015 and 2016. He was the Rams' offensive coordinator from 2006 to 2007, before being fired. He coached quarterbacks for the San Francisco 49ers in 2001 and the Chicago Bears in 2003.
He also coached the position in 2004 and 2005 for the Detroit Lions. Olson was a quarterbacks coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2008, before being promoted to offensive coordinator in 2009. He became and assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach for the Jaguars in 2012, before bolting for the Oakland Raiders in 2013.
[www.upi.com]
JANUARY 26, 2017
Rams hire Aaron Kromer "Offensive Line" coach
The Los Angeles Rams on Tuesday added another piece to their coaching staff under new head coach Sean McVay with the expected hiring of Aaron Kromer as the next offensive line coach. Kromer has spent 11 years in the NFL as an offensive line coach for four different teams.
His most recent stint was the last two years for the Buffalo Bills that came after stops with the New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Oakland Raiders. The 49-year-old now takes over the tough assignment of having to improve one of the league's worst offensive line over the last couple of seasons.
[www.scout.com]
FEBURARY 8, 2017
Rams hire Matt LaFleur as "Offensive coordinator"
LaFleur has experience working with new Rams head coach Sean McVay. The two were on the Washington Redskins' staff together from 2010-2013 -- McVay working with tight ends, LaFleur with quarterbacks.
McVay said at his introductory news conference that he would call plays for the Rams. That will leave LaFleur's main task to rebuild Jared Goff and help construct an offense that caters to the young quarterback.
LaFleur's resume boasts working with a quarterback group that owned a diverse array of skills. As Redskins QB coach, he helped Robert Griffin III during his historic rookie campaign. LaFleur also worked with Everett Golson at Notre Dame before signing on to aid Matt Ryan in Atlanta.
[www.nfl.com]
MARCH 6, 2017
Trumaine Johnson Signs second "Franchise Tag" in 2 years
The Rams and Johnson will have an exclusive negotiating window from now through mid-July. If they don’t come to an agreement on a long-term deal before that point, Johnson will have to play out the season on the one-year franchise tender, which will pay him approximately $16 million and make him the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL this season.
He made approximately $13.9 million while playing on the tag during the 2016 season. Trumaine Johnson is the first defensive back to receive back-to-back franchise tags since Charles Woodson in 2004 & 2005 (Raiders)
[www.cbssports.com]
MARCH 9, 2017 Rams "Free Agency"
Rams 2017 Free Agent Signings (only listed the players currently on the Roster)
OFFENSE
LT- A. Whitworth UFA
WR- Robert Woods UFA
OC- John Sullivan UFA
RB- Lance Dunbar UFA
JK- Greg Zuerlein UFA
TE- Travis Wilson UFA
OC- Austin Blythe F/A
DEFENSE
LB- Connor Barwin UFA
CB- Kayvon Webster UFA
CB- Nickell Robey UFA
LB- Carlos Thompson UFA
DT- D. Easley Re-signed
DL- E. Westbrooks Re-signed
DT- Omarius Bryant F/A
DE- Mike Purcell F/A
APRIL 27-29, 2017 "NFL Draft"
Rams 2017 Draft Picks & (UDFA's)
TE- Gerald Everett #44
WR- Cooper Kupp #69
DB- John Johnson #91
WR- Josh Reynolds #117
LB- Samson Ebukam #125
DT- Tanzel Smart #189
FB- Sam Rogers #206
DE- Ejuan Price #234
OL- Jake Eldrenkamp UDFA
RB- Lenard Tillery UDFA
WR- Shakeir Ryan UDFA
RB- Justin Davis UDFA
TE- Johnny Mundt UDFA
DE- AJ Jefferson UDFA
DT- Casey Sayles UDFA
CB- Aarion Penton UDFA
LB- Kevin Davis UDFA
LB- Dominique Hatfield UDFA
MAY 22, 2017
Aaron DONALD is a "no show" at OTA's
The Los Angeles Rams have Donald under contract for two more years if they pick up his fifth-year option for 2018 on his rookie deal, but he is skipping OTAs as they reach the serious end of negotiations.
Donald has had two of the six highest-graded seasons since 2006 by an interior defender, grading at 96.6 in 2015 (fifth overall) and 95.6 in 2016 (sixth overall). He also owns the second- (95.1), and third- (96.9) highest pass-rush grades for a season by an interior defender — only J.J. Watt has ever had a higher grade.
The former Pittsburgh Panther is the only defensive tackle to rank in the top 10 in both run-stop percentage and pass-rush productivity in any of the past three seasons, with Donald doing it in all three years. Through his first three seasons in the league, no interior defender has registered more quarterback hurries than Donald.
[www.profootballfocus.com]
MAY 23, 2017
Rams will now "Host" Super Bowl LVI (56)
As a result of the stadium delay in Los Angeles, Super Bowl LV is moving across the country. According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Super Bowl LV (55) in 2021 will now be held in Tampa, Florida, at Raymond James Stadium, the home of the Buccaneers.
Los Angeles will still get its Super Bowl, but it will have to wait until 2022 for Super Bowl LVI (56).
[www.cbssports.com]
JUNE 5, 2017
McVay happy with "progress" of OTA's
After three weeks of organized team activities, head coach Sean McVay is beginning to see some things that get him excited for next week's mini-camp. Aside from cornerback Trumaine Johnson returning to OTAs after a week long absence, McVay loves the competition he is seeing from his team:
"It's been great," McVay said about the level of competition between the offense and defense, "I think the guys have done a nice job of responding. Practicing smart, but also, we're getting great competitive situations. Anytime that there's a winner and there's a loser in these situations the guys get amped up about it."
[www.foxnews.com]
JUNE 13, 2016
DONALD "shows up" at Mini-Camp
There was speculation surrounding Aaron Donald possibly skipping minicamp for the Los Angeles Rams due to his contract situation. After missing organization team activities with the Los Angeles Rams, there was some concern over the possibility of Aaron Donald skipping minicamp this week, which is mandatory for all players.
Tuesday afternoon marked the first day of minicamp for the Rams, as they look to improve from last year’s 4-12 finish, and believe it or not, Donald was in attendance. Whether Donald would show up for the first day on Tuesday was one of the most debated topics at the beginning of the week since the defensive superstar skipped OTAs due to wanting a new long-term deal from the organization.
[ramblinfan.com]
June 15, 2017
Rams "Trade" Greg Robinson to the Lions
The Rams have gotten rid of a former draft bust and the Lions have gotten a potential fill-in for their injured left tackle. Greg Robinson, the second overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft, has been traded to the Lions, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Detroit sends its 2018 sixth-round draft pick to Los Angeles in the deal. The Rams declined Robinson’s fifth-year option, which means the 2017 season is the final year on his rookie contract. He is due a base salary of $3.3 million.
[profootballtalk.nbcsports.com]
JUNE 21, 2017
McVay pleased with "off-season" program
Sean McVay’s first offseason program as the Rams’ head coach was over. Surprising the players with a reward for their hard work throughout the offseason, McVay heard roars of an overjoyed team by announcing the end of minicamp a day early. But meeting with reporters last Thursday, McVay admitted he was still amped from everything that had gone on over the past few months.
“I told my girlfriend last night, I said, “You know I canceled the last day of minicamp and I’m still waking up at freaking 4 in the morning. She says, ‘You are…What’s wrong with you, spaz?’ I said, ‘You’re right I am,’” McVay recalled with a laugh.
“The interesting thing about that is you always want to be mindful about having goals, having kind of an emphasis for both the coaches and the players,” McVay said. “When you break the offseason program up into three phases, Phase 1 was really, ‘Let’s establish our identity, and let’s learn our systems.’ And we felt like we were able to do that.
And then Phase 2, when you can actually get onto the field, start to do some drill work, we said, ‘It’s about improving our technique and mastering our systems.’ And then really,
Phase 3, when you get out on the football field, when you’re going through the OTAs, the minicamps — now we said it’s about coming together as a team. And that’s competing against each other, making each other better, but all understanding that it’s about coming together as a team. And the nice thing about it is we feel like we were able to accomplish that.
“By no means are we where we need to be for what we’re striving to accomplish,” McVay continued, “but I think in terms of what we were trying to get done in the offseason program, we felt like it was a successful offseason program — came out of it relatively healthy, where the guys that we’re really counting on, they’re all expected to be ready to roll by the time training camp hits.”
“Anytime that you got 90 players on your roster, you want to make sure that you have that interaction with all of them,” McVay said. “I think, as a whole, the guys have done a great job of being receptive, really, not just to me, but to our coaches. But it’s an on-going process. I look forward to staying in touch with them, but leaving them alone a little bit over this break and continuing to get to know them as we get back together.
“Just like anything else, that experience helps develop a foundation for those relationships that I think is really important to be able to sustain when you do go through some adversity, which is inevitable in an NFL season,” McVay added. “And that’s ultimately when you’re really tested because things are great right now. Everybody asks, ‘How’s it going?’ I say, ‘It’s great man. We’re still undefeated. We’ll see on Week 6.’”
“It sounds cliché — I think the expectation is that we’re just going to continue to try to get better every single day. I know this, in terms of the predictions, things like that, we don’t really talk about it. But when you talk about the time, the effort that you put into each week, your expectation is to try to win that game.
“But I think when you look at what’s been done in the past, we’re optimistic that we’re improving as a team. And as long as we’re mindful of that, I think if we get better, then we’ll give ourselves a chance to compete. And that’s what we expect to do.”
[www.therams.com]
June 22, 2017
Los Angeles Rams Announce their 2017 "Training Camp" Schedule
The Los Angeles Rams will host their 2017 Training Camp presented by AT&T at the University of California, Irvine, for the second-consecutive year beginning on Saturday, July 29 at 3 p.m. Rookies report to UCI on July 26 and the remainder of the team will report to camp on July 28.
“Training camp is always an exciting time of the year and we’re looking forward to welcoming our fans back to Irvine for Rams football,” Rams Head Coach Sean McVay said.
“From a coaching perspective, we are eager to see the players transition what they learned during the offseason program to training camp, and our practice with the Chargers will be another great opportunity for us to prepare for the regular season.”
The 2017 Rams Training Camp will feature 15 practices at UCI that are open to the public, including one joint practice with the Chargers on Wednesday, August 9. All open practices are free to the public. Gates open 90 minutes prior to the start of practice and select players will sign autographs after all open practices.
Camp Schedule: July 29th 3pm, July 30th 3pm, July 31st 3pm, Aug 1st 3pm, Aug 2nd 3pm, Aug 4th 3pm,
Aug 6th 3pm, Aug 7th 3pm (Aug 9th Joint Practice vs Chargers 4:30pm) Aug 10th 3pm, Aug 11th 3:30pm,
Aug 14th 3:30pm, Aug 15th 3pm, Aug 16th 3pm, Aug 17th 1:45pm
[www.therams.com]
AUGUST 12-31, 2017
Los Angeles Rams "Preseason Schedule" for the 2017 season
LA Rams Preseason Schedule: Dates, Times & TV Network
vs Cowboys Sat, August 12th (9pm ET/6pm PT NFLNetwork/CBS/Univision)
at Raiders Sat, August. 19th (10pm ET/7pm PT CBS/Univision)
vs Chargers Sat, August 26th (8pm ET/5pm PT CBS (national)
at Packers Thurs, Aug 31st (7pm ET/4pm PT CBS/Univision)
SEPTEMBER, 3 2017
NFL Owners change rule for Final Roster Cuts: Now from "90 to 53"
NFL owners voted to approve a rule change regarding roster cuts. Now, when teams trim their preseason rosters from 90 men to 53, they’ll do it in one fell swoop, according to The MMQB’s Albert Breer.
Previously, there were two sets of cuts. Teams had a deadline to eliminate 15 players and get rosters down to 75, and then a separate deadline to finish deciding which players needed to go to get the roster down to 53 men.
Now, there will be just one deadline. Previously, the first set of cuts was scheduled prior to the fourth preseason game.
The change allows teams to carry 90 players into the final preseason contest, giving them more time to evaluate those players.This season, the preseason wraps up on Sept. 1.
Teams will be required to get rosters down to 53 no later than 4 p.m. ET on Sept. 3
[www.sbnation.com]
SEPTEMBER 10, 2017
Los Angeles Rams Kickoff "Week 1" and begin their "Regular Season" Schedule
Hope all of you loyal Rams fans enjoyed this "time capsule" presentation
| Subject | Author | Views | Posted |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Anonymous User | 2269 | June 25, 2017 06:29AM |
| Rams43 | 443 | June 25, 2017 07:25AM |
| laram | 427 | June 25, 2017 08:27AM |
| bigjimram21 | 284 | June 25, 2017 09:29AM |
| Rampage2K- | 280 | June 25, 2017 11:13AM |
| leafnose | 227 | June 25, 2017 11:23AM |
| LMU93 | 249 | June 26, 2017 06:48AM |
| Coy Bacon | 256 | June 26, 2017 07:59AM |
| stlramz | 217 | June 27, 2017 08:06AM |
