QuoteRockRam Rams are among the Superbowl favorites, and this with the youngest team in the league. That is not easy to do. But it is clearly by design. The trick, I think, is getting the ball rolling. Too often the younger teams are the really bad teams. And the idea is that someday they'll get better. But to get that core of really good players and a pipeline filled with young guys thatby merlin - RamsFootballFans.com
Quotedzrams Quotemerlin I'm way more skeptical on Hopkins. I think in fact if he doesn't win that TE2 spot he's a likely cut. But him showing big would be a great thing for this offense so I have my fingers crossed on him. What makes you think he's a likely cut? Did you not like him coming out? I think he's a likely cut IF he doesn't win that TE2 spot. Because he hasn't really done anythinby merlin - RamsFootballFans.com
Both are far better players on the field which is what matters most. I am wondering in fact if they're planning on putting weight on Warner and/or Ford and giving them a shot at ILB or as a nickelbacker.by merlin - RamsFootballFans.com
I'm way more skeptical on Hopkins. I think in fact if he doesn't win that TE2 spot he's a likely cut. But him showing big would be a great thing for this offense so I have my fingers crossed on him.by merlin - RamsFootballFans.com
You list a full page of concerns there that conflict with the thread title. But I suppose it's good to hedge your bets. I have no idea on this guy. I see the concerns (and many of those you list I don't agree with btw) but nothing would surprise me with him. If he's an impact year one stud I will not be surprised. If he struggles and is a gadget player as a rook I also won't be surprised.by merlin - RamsFootballFans.com
Talented and had coaching but can"t play. Bad mix IMO.by merlin - RamsFootballFans.com
He thrashed TEs on the strong side and stacked/shed the OTs almost at will in contain. Also got good pressures in the passing game and QBs were very aware of him even when he was blocked. The guy is an absolute stud. And he can get better. This isn't some dude who lucked into a great season. He's a high end draft pick with enormous talent. Rams rightfully locked him up and they're gonna bby merlin - RamsFootballFans.com
QuoteRockRam One of your best posts ever Merlin. I agree with it all. I think people are going to be surprised how early and how much Jacob Harris is going to contribute. Imagine a guy about as big as Mike Evans, only Harris is one of the fastest guys in the league. A high 4.3 guy against a high 4.5 guy. He shows it on the field. He's not just fast. He's agile and has huge athletic ability.by merlin - RamsFootballFans.com
You can tell by the Rams' approach that coverage teams were a big concern. Teams period but the coverage group was in need of fresh blood. So I think he's going to be on the bottom of the ILB chart and as such will need to win a job through teams. He'll be Howard's backup if he makes the roster but yeah it's going to be tough and competitive. I also think Kiser is on the bubble btw. Reedby merlin - RamsFootballFans.com
I always think of that quote by Chuck Noll I think it was, when he talked about Joe Green's first day at the facility. They had one of their best OL down there waiting for him to welcome him to the team with some drills and he whipped the dude over and over. This OT is either gonna be good enough or he's not, in terms of doing the job as a rook. In the big scheme of things sweating a non-sby merlin - RamsFootballFans.com
Quotemax Let’s see they’ve got a 40 year old LT, who is defying Father Time. I say the rosary every time he takes the field. There’s Corbett who couldn’t play Center in Cleveland, now being moved to, you guessed it, Center. There’s Evans who was awful last year when he filled in at OG Then there’s Havenstein and Edwards who were good at run blocking, less so at pass pro. None of these guby merlin - RamsFootballFans.com
I think that is what we may be looking at here. The offense took a huge step back when it lost Gurley and Cooks. Akers is ready to go. At receiver the depth should be far better with excellent competition that pushes production. Jefferson year two, DJax coming in to push him, Tutu waiting in the wings with all that speed. Just a huge difference over last season. Stafford has a big arm,by merlin - RamsFootballFans.com
I've never valued picks the same way since then. Even if you go back and play the "who else could we have picked" game in those drafts with those picks ED was special. Faulk was the same btw. We only gave up a round 2 pick but there was a lot of mocking going on with that move when the Rams made it. Some thought he was done, or on the tail end of his career. And to that point nobby merlin - RamsFootballFans.com
Quoteleafnose Perhaps, the new DC has seen enough of the 9ers gashing us on the ground to warrant some girth out of MIK. Yes I think that is exactly the case. And all our worst losses had that run defense in common too. Well most of them to include our playoff exit lol. I think they're trying to find a Navorro Bowman type who also went round 3 after a poor display of athleticism in workoutby merlin - RamsFootballFans.com
They say the hit rate in round one is around 54% or whatever. But how many of those "hits" are just dudes that start for a few years and/or never ascend to being a top player in the league. By far most of them. So since it would be too much work I'll just guess that the Pro Bowl player hit rate in round 1 is very low. Like maybe 10% who knows. Or perhaps lower. So if you get 3 fby merlin - RamsFootballFans.com
I watched all the film I could get my hands on with the ILBs who were slated in our range on the mocks. And I saw the same player in Cox as you describe him. Felt he was overrated all along because you cannot be a liability vs the run if you want to go early as an ILB. The guys who go early are at the very least good vs the run and have upside to play well vs the pass. Cox (and Surratt tooby merlin - RamsFootballFans.com
Should be a good time can't wait. Let's welcome Dalton to LA the right way... With two or three picks and five or six sacks and a double digit butt kicking.by merlin - RamsFootballFans.com
Quotezn I agree with that, including the bit about facing a power D front in the post-season. The only qualifier to that might be this--let's say Anchrum or Brewer come through at guard. Then maybe the Rams have a little more than we're expecting. Yeah that would be nice and I would not rule it out that's for sure. The buzz on Anchrum seems real. Brewer is a bit of a wildcard to me. Butby merlin - RamsFootballFans.com
Quotedzrams I'm with you, my guess in order on who calls the D is: Fuller Kiser Jones - by season end it may be him. I think a lot of people are overlooking Reeder. He is physically very close to Jones. Very similar speed and both are strong. He doesn't have Jones' instincts and leadership which is why Jones will end up starting, but I think he's the guy who gives Jones his best challenby merlin - RamsFootballFans.com
Yes I agree the OL issue is primarily 2022. Seems to me in fact that this draft was about filling in the traits they wanted in the roster to chase a ring this year vice easing that 2022 transition on the line. But I also think things may have been different if one of the potential LTs had fallen to them. We'll never know of course. Re: this season I do think we're going to have a good linby merlin - RamsFootballFans.com
Yeah I can't imagine anyone controlling Hernandez. He probably should have cut him loose though. I agree he runs a loose ship in that regard which is part of why I don't like him. Leadership sometimes requires you to be willing to make enemies and hold guys accountable. But who knows maybe he's learned that by now we'll see lol.by merlin - RamsFootballFans.com
Quotezn Quotemerlin ZN was a stalwart supporter of Goff. He doesn't want to be wrong. I get that. But I'm with you man. Goff made his bed. And as the seasons move forward that will come into more and more focus. It's bad posting to try and guess then slam someone's motives, Merlin. It's a way to not listen to people and in fact to dismiss them out of hand, without really hearing. It makeby merlin - RamsFootballFans.com
ZN was a stalwart supporter of Goff. He doesn't want to be wrong. I get that. But I'm with you man. Goff made his bed. And as the seasons move forward that will come into more and more focus.by merlin - RamsFootballFans.com
This past draft was the type of class that can carry a team a long way forward. And as much as I don't like Meyer he is a heck of a teacher and coach. So I think they're an organization moving in the right direction very quickly.by merlin - RamsFootballFans.com
Difference between 12 personnel and 11 personnel is who is lining up in the slot. Line up a passing game TE there (F) and it's 12. Line up a WR there (Y) and it's 11. So it's a question of the matchups, i.e. who gives you the best looks vs a specific defense. 2020 brought higher percentages of 12 sets due to lack of speed at wideout. 2021 brought big speed at wideout so it is likely we seeby merlin - RamsFootballFans.com
I also lost a ton of money in that year's Super Bowl.by merlin - RamsFootballFans.com
And our QB took a phantom sack he never recovered from. It was a beatdown. There is no regular season loss that compares to getting your rear end kicked like that in the playoffs by a division rival. At least in my book. What you saw vs the Ravens is what happens when you lose from being overpowered. Losing due to scheme things can flip and you might stay in the game a bit. Losing due toby merlin - RamsFootballFans.com
A thorough beating by the most hated rival in a playoffs where I thought we had a chance to make some noise (ended Everett's career pretty much it was so bad). That one is still the worst loss for me, just ahead of the '79 Super Bowl loss to the Steelers. Honorable mention is the '95 early season beatdown by the Whiners. The "S.O.S.A.R" game. No words for how much I hate those cloby merlin - RamsFootballFans.com
Quote21Dog He brings nothing to the table. One of my least favorite players on the roster. Agreed. We know who he is. I'm not a big fan of Howard either tbh. I feel like they're better served going big nickel with Rapp in that role who is far better than Howard in coverage with similar weaknesses vs the run but he's a smart guy who will be gunning for a primary safety role. But there's aby merlin - RamsFootballFans.com
Rams spent a pretty high pick on him which means they value his traits. He will be "up" every week as a core teams member and gunner upgrade we desperately needed. The returning roster competition at F in this offense includes a guy in Mundt who is coming off a disappointing season (his run blocking dipped to my eye) and a guy in Hopkins who couldn't crack a depleted roster late in hiby merlin - RamsFootballFans.com