GO RAMS!https://ramsrule.com/herd/read.php?19,1097512,1097512#msg-1097512Mon, 20 Apr 2026 05:50:52 -0400 Phorum 5.2.18 https://ramsrule.com/herd/read.php?19,1097512,1097680#msg-1097680 https://ramsrule.com/herd/read.php?19,1097512,1097680#msg-1097680www.turfshowtimes.com]]]> BerendsenRam RamsFootballFans.comWed, 15 May 2024 22:08:26 -0400 https://ramsrule.com/herd/read.php?19,1097512,1097679#msg-1097679 https://ramsrule.com/herd/read.php?19,1097512,1097679#msg-1097679 BerendsenRam RamsFootballFans.comWed, 15 May 2024 21:59:41 -0400 https://ramsrule.com/herd/read.php?19,1097512,1097678#msg-1097678 https://ramsrule.com/herd/read.php?19,1097512,1097678#msg-1097678 BerendsenRam RamsFootballFans.comWed, 15 May 2024 21:55:45 -0400 https://ramsrule.com/herd/read.php?19,1097512,1097677#msg-1097677 https://ramsrule.com/herd/read.php?19,1097512,1097677#msg-1097677 BerendsenRam RamsFootballFans.comWed, 15 May 2024 21:53:16 -0400 https://ramsrule.com/herd/read.php?19,1097512,1097647#msg-1097647 https://ramsrule.com/herd/read.php?19,1097512,1097647#msg-1097647www.turfshowtimes.com]]]> BerendsenRam RamsFootballFans.comWed, 15 May 2024 20:32:39 -0400 https://ramsrule.com/herd/read.php?19,1097512,1097618#msg-1097618 https://ramsrule.com/herd/read.php?19,1097512,1097618#msg-1097618www.turfshowtimes.com]]]> BerendsenRam RamsFootballFans.comWed, 15 May 2024 17:34:09 -0400 https://ramsrule.com/herd/read.php?19,1097512,1097616#msg-1097616 https://ramsrule.com/herd/read.php?19,1097512,1097616#msg-1097616www.turfshowtimes.com]]]> BerendsenRam RamsFootballFans.comWed, 15 May 2024 17:29:15 -0400 https://ramsrule.com/herd/read.php?19,1097512,1097594#msg-1097594 https://ramsrule.com/herd/read.php?19,1097512,1097594#msg-1097594 joram RamsFootballFans.comWed, 15 May 2024 15:14:08 -0400 https://ramsrule.com/herd/read.php?19,1097512,1097586#msg-1097586 https://ramsrule.com/herd/read.php?19,1097512,1097586#msg-1097586www.turfshowtimes.com]]]> BerendsenRam RamsFootballFans.comWed, 15 May 2024 14:54:53 -0400 https://ramsrule.com/herd/read.php?19,1097512,1097579#msg-1097579 https://ramsrule.com/herd/read.php?19,1097512,1097579#msg-1097579You won’t find an elite interior defensive lineman in the bargain heap, and Rams understand that

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JB Scott

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There’s no denying that the Los Angeles Rams gave up a lot in a trade with the Carolina Panthers to move up in the second round of last month’s NFL Draft in order to select Florida State’s Braden Fiske at 39 overall. The Rams sent Carolina their 2025 second round draft choice in a total package that amounts to the 35th overall pick according to public draft value charts.

Some may say that the Panthers fleeced general manager Les Snead in this deal. Others would suggest there was a run on interior defensive linemen and if LA didn’t make a move up they could have been left on the outside looking in on a game of musical chairs—that this was possibly a move born out of desperation. There are also those that claim it’s worth going to get a guy that you feel immediately slots in as a starter and has existing chemistry with his former teammate and now-Ram Jared Verse.

One reason for why I would excuse the Rams’ gross overpay in the trade up for Fiske is the same reason how Kobie Turner is such a bargain for Los Angeles. Elite interior defensive tackles don’t grow on trees, and in recent history it takes a premium draft pick or big ticket free agent deal to acquire such a player.

Of the top 10 interior pass rushers from the 2023 season (you can find the full list in the link to the post on Turner), six were former first round draft picks. Three of those were selected in the top 10 of their respective classes. The other three were off the board in the first round by pick 17. Of the four remaining non-first round players, three were chosen by their original teams in the second and only Javon Hargrave started his career as a former third rounder. Hargrave joined the San Francisco 49ers last offseason via a four-year free agent contract worth up to $84M, which further proves this caliber of player doesn’t come cheap.

You’ll only find a top interior defensive lineman at premium prices. There are virtually none to be found in the bargain bin in recent NFL history, and that’s why I can excuse the Rams, albeit somewhat, for paying such a steep price in their move up to draft Fiske.

Perhaps Fiske was the top rated defensive end on the board for Los Angeles, and the drop off to the next prospect was steep. Maybe if Fiske was selected by another team before the Rams were on the clock they would have elected to draft another position and then revisit defensive tackle later. Based on the information above, we know that a second round player has a much higher likelihood of becoming an impact player versus someone taken in the third round.

This also proves why Turner is the exception to the rule. He was an absolute steal for Los Angeles in the late third round last year and should be a bargain for the next three years, assuming he continues to produce at the level we saw from him in his rookie campaign.

My excusal of LA’s trade up for Fiske has nearly nothing to do with the player himself. We can dive into those details another day and revisit once we see how he fares on the field this upcoming season. For today, this is an argument of positional value and how you’ll likely only find a top interior player early in the draft or on a high-cost free agent contract.

Were the Rams fleeced by the Panthers in their trade up for Braden Fiske? Yes, possibly. Was it worth it if Fiske becomes a top interior pass rusher given what it costs to obtain such a player? Absolutely. Time will tell whether the return pays off for LA’s steep investment in Fiske.
]]> Rams43 RamsFootballFans.comWed, 15 May 2024 13:20:31 -0400 https://ramsrule.com/herd/read.php?19,1097512,1097578#msg-1097578 https://ramsrule.com/herd/read.php?19,1097512,1097578#msg-1097578
All flanked by Byron Young and Jared Verse,

That looks like a pretty good ‘front 5’ to me.]]> Rams43 RamsFootballFans.comWed, 15 May 2024 13:04:00 -0400 https://ramsrule.com/herd/read.php?19,1097512,1097571#msg-1097571 https://ramsrule.com/herd/read.php?19,1097512,1097571#msg-1097571www.turfshowtimes.com]]]> BerendsenRam RamsFootballFans.comWed, 15 May 2024 12:34:24 -0400 https://ramsrule.com/herd/read.php?19,1097512,1097541#msg-1097541 https://ramsrule.com/herd/read.php?19,1097512,1097541#msg-1097541Should the Rams alter Matthew Stafford’s contract and does he have any leverage?

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Daniel Stone

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After Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions recently reached an agreement on a new contract extension, the Los Angeles Rams and Matthew Stafford may be trying to do something similar. Reports are that Stafford would like to alter his current deal in some way and there were stories that LA wanted to restructure Stafford’s deal last offseason but he rebuffed their request to take less.

So what exactly is Matthew Stafford looking for in a new contract, and does Stafford have any leverage to get a new deal done?

As far as what Stafford is looking for, the assumption is that Stafford wants to ensure he is getting top guaranteed money in one of the most important and highest paying positions in sports. Stafford and the Rams have kept the discussions internal for the most part, so much of this is speculation, but as they say: Where there’s smoke there is usually fire. For now, all that is really out there is that Stafford wants to alter his current deal. Can Stafford make the Rams alter the deal?

The easy answer seems “No.” Plain and simple.

Stafford signed his name on the dotted line. Could he holdout? Of course he could, but he may be taking more of a financial hit in doing so. If he is looking for more cash, then wouldn’t he try to make the most he can off of his current deal whether it is changed or not? That is a question for the starting QB himself, but he did talk about playing for more than just money during the Matthew Stafford: Locked In documentary when he discussed his legacy.

“I want a gold jacket, you know? And...I know what I gotta do to get there and that’s win Super Bowls.”

Is Stafford a Hall of Famer? Debatable, but regardless he was talking about wanting to win more than one Super Bowl, and to do that he would need to keep playing.

If LA and Stafford are looking at reworking their deal in any way, then big two questions come to mind. How much money is Stafford looking for, and how much longer does Stafford want to be playing in the NFL? Stafford also talked about his longevity in that same documentary mentioned above when he said:

“How long can I continue to play at a high level? How long can I be healthy?”

By all accounts it seems like Stafford wants to keep playing, and the Rams very well can give Stafford more cash, but they already did that after he won the Super Bowl a few years ago. Has Stafford shown enough that he deserves more money or that he should have the rest of his contract guarenteed? Do the Rams need to make that type of commitment?

Those are the questions that Les Snead, Sean McVay, Kevin Demoff and more are working through. They are the type of questions that Stafford’s own family and team are trying to figure out. There is not a right or wrong answer about reworking Stafford’s deal. The questions are: Does that alteration to the deal happen? And what does that alteration look like?

It seems like to some extent all of us, including Stafford, are along for the ride. And until something changes, the football world will be watching this story with great interest.
]]> Rams43 RamsFootballFans.comWed, 15 May 2024 10:06:04 -0400 https://ramsrule.com/herd/read.php?19,1097512,1097513#msg-1097513 https://ramsrule.com/herd/read.php?19,1097512,1097513#msg-1097513
[www.turfshowtimes.com]]]> BerendsenRam RamsFootballFans.comWed, 15 May 2024 04:06:08 -0400 https://ramsrule.com/herd/read.php?19,1097512,1097512#msg-1097512 https://ramsrule.com/herd/read.php?19,1097512,1097512#msg-1097512 BerendsenRam RamsFootballFans.comWed, 15 May 2024 04:02:46 -0400