MMQB Ranks Rams #29

From MMQB:

[mmqb.si.com]

29. LOS ANGELES RAMS

Additions: Quite a few. The best two: LT Andrew Whitworth (Cincinnati) and edge defender Connor Barwin (Philadelphia) in free agency … Rams hope Whitworth (36 in December) and vet C John Sullivan can give a beleaguered line two quality seasons, at least … WR Robert Woods (Buffalo) is likely just roster filler … Rams are very high on second- and third-round picks, TE Gerald Everett and glue-fingered WR Cooper Kupp.

Subtractions: The Rams have lost 159 receptions and 10 touchdowns from Kenny Britt, Brian Quick and Lance Kendricks, all gone (kicked out the door?) in free agency … With Case Keenum gone, either Sean Mannion or Aaron Murray had better be good enough to back up Jared Goff … DE William Hayes was dealt to Miami. Hayes-for-Barwin is probably an even swap.

Key coaching/front-office moves: A new head coach, Sean McVay, is change enough, but how about importing a totally different approach on defense, with folksy Wade Phillips brought in to replace one of the hardest-edged coaches in the league, Gregg Williams, at defensive coordinator … New offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur’s unproven and mostly unknown, but look for McVay to handle most of the heavy lifting on offense … Mildly surprising: Owner Stan Kroenke and COO Kevin Demoff chose to keep GM Les Snead. Everett and Kupp need to be good in year one to help Snead’s long-term architecture chances here.

Decisive schedule span: Three-game September stretch. The Rams have to start 2-1 at worst against Indianapolis (home), Washington (home) and San Francisco (away), or this is going to be a long year.

Why I have the Rams 29th: A combination of two things: the youngest head coach in NFL history (McVay is 31) learning on the job, and the total unknown that is Jared Goff. I remember when I was talking to one veteran front-office man about what he’d do if the Rams offered him the job as long-term architect. “Trade Goff and start over at quarterback,” he said. The best thing for Goff, though, is a young and energetic coach like McVay who has bought into making him a good player. We’ll see if McVay can. I’m bullish on McVay’s overall chances because coaches like Mike Tomlin believe so strongly in his youthful intelligence. But transitioning so many green players—Goff, Everett, Kupp—to be really good early is problematic. The best thing that can happen to the Rams this year is riding a strong defense to a few wins while developing Goff for 2018 and beyond.

Most important factor to this team this year: Finding out if Goff can play, pure and simple. Imagine if he has a 2016 Blake Bortles kind of year, a truly disappointing one, and the Rams exit 2017 with major questions about Goff. And imagine if Washington doesn’t franchise-tag Kirk Cousins next winter. That just might put two California teams with coaches who love Cousins, the Rams and Niners (Kyle Shanahan), in the business of fighting over Cousins in free agency.
Rams prediction of 10 words or less: A Goff implosion more likely than Goff winning six games.

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2. I think the Rams have to be sincerely disappointed that they’ll end up playing four seasons in the Los Angeles Coliseum before moving into their new palace in 2020. But …

3. I think the Chargers have to be crushed about playing three seasons in a 30,000-seat minor-league venue. It’s like asking a big-league baseball team to play in a Triple-A ballpark for three years. Imagine if you’re a Charger … Two years already felt like a stretch. Now three? Not only are you going to have to adapt to playing in a smaller ballpark with fewer fans and quite possibly some games with the visiting team having more support, but now you’re going to feel like you’re living out of a suitcase for three years. I mean, it’s no one’s fault that winter deluges in southern California pushed the opening back a year. But it does neither team any favors. Three years is a career for many players. 2020 will be Keenan Allen’s eighth year in the NFL; will he even be a Charger then? Melvin Ingram, their franchise pass-rusher, will be in his ninth season. Somewhere. That’s a long time to be transient.

4. I think one last point to make, and one I didn’t see in any press release about this unfortunate turn, is whither Philip Rivers? Rivers turns 39 during the 2020 season. So it’s entirely possible Rivers will never take a snap in the next Rams/Chargers stadium. There is certainly no guarantee he’ll be playing football at 39.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/22/2017 04:44AM by RamBill.