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RFL
I mean, I get why it's happening and I'm not blaming anyone. Human nature, I guess. There's something irresistibly fascinating about controversy and the suggestion of scandal.
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Faulk's holdout in 99. Warner's rumored possible holdout in 2000 (with Zygmunt publicly questioning whether Kurt's one season proved he was worth the big bucks). Carter, to an extent. Fletcher. They all, to different extents, led to the same kinds of discussion. Including the negative stuff about the player from some fans. .
This one involves one of the best players to ever wear the uniform, and that's linked to the promise of teaming up with Suh and the others and becoming one of the best Rams defenses in decades.
It also involves very strong feelings about the team's future. Many worry about having 2 large cap hits in Goff and Donald. (My own view on that is that's doable.)
Plus it involves feelings about what a player's loyalties really are and touches on feelings some have that NFL players should not be making millions. That is very primal stuff.
I don't know if it involves scandal. I think that's mostly invented. Various deep seated feelings emerge to paint the player and/or agent as doing something questionable, and that provokes anger for many. In his own, different way, AD becomes Tony Banks. A lightning rod. I personally think there's nothing to any of that. But then saying there's nothing to that just becomes another provocation, even though it's not intended as one. Then you flip that over, and many feel they must defend one of the Rams best players in years. including endless debate about what an elite DT does for a team. (In 2000, in the Warner contract debates, many felt compelled to dismiss what he meant to the team, and others were always there to argue with that sentiment. It's pretty much exactly the same thing.)
Could the Rams be good without AD? Sure. Could the defense be great WITH AD? Sure.
Personally I think focusing this year on the minutia of new camp perceptions has less interest. We know it's a good team with a good coach and that Goff will most likely be better than last year...how much nuance is there to that? It's not like previous years where once again we were sifting through details looking for signs of a resurgence.
