In free agency or post-trade, you gotta perform on the field if you're gonna stick. Do drafting and coaching (don't ignore position coaches) have something to do with it? Yes. Obviously, yes. But if you don't bring the coachable talent with you into the draft, you don't stick - regardless the coaching afterward. Drafting matters. Given differing decision-making draft input (interference, mby mtramfan - RamsFootballFans.com
Yes, ownership/upper management like to sell tickerts, generate revenue. And yes, they know the way to do that is put a good product on the field. They hire and delegate to a multilevel organizational network to do that. Ancillary to that primary set of goals is to manage the media, whose product in turn generates sales. See how that works? They hire teams of experts to do that. And no,by mtramfan - RamsFootballFans.com
Covid bit everything and everybody in the butt. One year out, I'm still recovering - I think - although my day-to-day seems to be flatlined. Nasty stuff. Life-changing in some cases - not the same as the flu or a common cold gone nuclear. I wonder also: We have a promising young LT sidelined for a season with blood clots - of what origin? Young athletes who have been jabbed seem to be turningby mtramfan - RamsFootballFans.com
I'd change the first two lines: He went up north, out west when he roamed Got a ring to bring back home There. I hope it never gets further than the song, however.by mtramfan - RamsFootballFans.com
Thanks for your insights, Classic. I haven't seen enough snaps from either to judge that closely. I still wonder: If Harris displays the lost in space tendencies you note, why in the name of the amythest handle of the great horned spoon is he being coached up as a tight end? Wouldn't some intense film study and prtactice reps as a WR help him overcome this shortcoming? I dunno, and must trustby mtramfan - RamsFootballFans.com
... the blind pig has a betyter chance to find one. This time Florio beat everybody else in stating the obvious. Notbad, for an ex-lawyer who makes his living as a football geek/ s#!t-disturber.by mtramfan - RamsFootballFans.com
^This^ In the few games I saw last year I noticed a lot of Rams so-called "bad picks" doing right well on other teams. We win a Super Bowl, ol' Trader Les is a genius. We draft the OL help we need in the middle rounds a couple of years prior, and Snead is a genius drafter who can find talent after the first day. So many oin this board were looking for an OL collapse then - we saby mtramfan - RamsFootballFans.com
-Van came in at close to his ceiling, with a good fotball pedigree and well-trained. Harris (as I remarked in another post) seems to have been misused by the Rams. Why make a TE out of a tall skinny wideout with 4:39 speed? Must ALL fast wideouts be little guys? What about Julio Jones (same 40 time, weight, but 2" shorter than Harris)? Not saying Harris could be another Jones, but we simby mtramfan - RamsFootballFans.com
What I never understood about Harris is why the Rams took a tall skinny (only 219 lbs at 6'5"?) WR and tried to make a tight end out of him. I just watched some college highlights. Not much to see, there, but evidence he can outrun most defensive backs, outreach them and isn't afraid to go get the contested ball when covered or being grabbed (things Van doesn't or can't do) and has a deceptiby mtramfan - RamsFootballFans.com
Rats! I watched some isolateds of the chemistry Gaines and AD had with each other - one in which Gaines pushed AD into position to make a play. You can't buy synergy. The Ganes "miked up" video is priceless - gives insight into what Gaines brought to his teammates. I liked Gaines. I wish him well, but wonder: now what for the Rams??by mtramfan - RamsFootballFans.com
Darkness retreat... Did he channel Darth Vader? Seriously, I've been worried about Aaron since he hooked up with this witchy creature self-named Blu, who fed him psychedelics that led to his hippy-era behavior. His play fell off. In intewrviews and quotes he now comes off more like a spaced-out wierdo than a man who is alert, mature, and self-assured. Then a darkness retreat to do what - obby mtramfan - RamsFootballFans.com
Need stability. Clowney isn't that. Clowney is a gifted athlete. What else is he?by mtramfan - RamsFootballFans.com
Speaking of the Fearsome foursome, I watched that group play the 49ers is San Francisco a couple of times. They'd stand, hands on hips and weight on one leg, shoulders and head hunched toward the opposite huddle, or pace the cage like lions at the zoo waiting to be fed. It wasn't just a size thing. That aside, the point of comparison is that of naming team units with appropriate nicknaby mtramfan - RamsFootballFans.com
Hey! Just what we need! A high productivity (when he's actually playing) left guard! Put him beside Lewan at LT and watch 'em tear it up! (For a few games... ) We could then, in the tradition of the Fearsome Foursome, give our O line a fitting nickname: The Infirmary.by mtramfan - RamsFootballFans.com
I recall a couple of years ago reading that Snead's chief scout left and (I seem to recall - not sure) a couple of others as well. I've pointed out in several posts that Snead ses his job as collborative; he tries to get the playuers the coaches want. McVay is enough of a control freak that the collaboration goes this way: Instead of saying "We need a player at position X who can do thesby mtramfan - RamsFootballFans.com
A softer ball is easier to catch. That's the deal. Look at the completion percentages, especially in cold weather - as in Foxboro. Other team hsa a couple of drops, Pats don't, worth a win or two a season.by mtramfan - RamsFootballFans.com
... after the game the DB said it was holding and the right call - he hoped he could get away with it. Made me feel better - and admire that Philly team all the more. The fans don't deserve them, and they don't deserve the fans.by mtramfan - RamsFootballFans.com
I'll take continuity, rapport with players, and most important, plug the holes a edge rusher and defensive backfield. Morris stays - for me that's good news. I recall when the board sentiment was that he all-of-a-sudden "improved" when he had Von Miller. Like most of you, I thought the CB's playing so far off scrimmage were frustrating - until I learned from JY53 what was goingby mtramfan - RamsFootballFans.com
WHAT pregame? What did you expect? Good interviews and football commentary? The Super Bowl has become a garish day-long spectacle of noise and commercial glitz, built around an athletic contest that it all but eclipses. It's a socio/cultural event, bigger than, but like the Grammys. The marketing is to the half-sotted suburban housewife and her brother-in-law and a batch of friends whby mtramfan - RamsFootballFans.com
Mahomes is already, when it comes to playing the quarterback position, a better football player than Brady. There, I said it. I give Brady his due - but under pressure, Brady wilted.We all saw the hissy fits, the inability to regain his composure for the next play - or several. He's not man enough. Mahomes, in addition to unreal arm talent, is maturing in his abiility to read defenses,by mtramfan - RamsFootballFans.com
Nobody else had a Marino. He was beyond special. I'd rate him and Montana 1 -2, take your pick as to who goes where, ahead of Brady for their sheer ability to play the quarterback position. Arm, accuracy, reading a D, putting the ball where it had to go when under pressure when taking hit after hit, (Brady wilted) and clutch play (without refs turning a blind eye to 4th quarter holding on theby mtramfan - RamsFootballFans.com
Several years ago, another NFL quarterback wanted a brand-new, black Lamborghini. He was involved with a charity that rewarded celebrities for their presence and draw, not an uncommon thing - it sweetens the pot - and so he aranged to donate the purchase price of the exact car he wanted to the charity. He was featured at their banquet - introduced all around, shook a lot of hands, was toldby mtramfan - RamsFootballFans.com
I haven't run a charity, but have worked on the fringes of some non-profit conservation groups. The analogy holds. The amount of money it takes, say, to put on a banquet - rent the room, cater the food, pay full-time staff for marketing (another expense) and donation solitication and procurement, etc. usually exceeds the net at the end of the day. The gross is the high figure, then expenses,by mtramfan - RamsFootballFans.com
Deacon Jones was absolutely the best of his time. If he played in the current era, with changed rules that bring about more passes per game and therefore more rush opportunities per game, he'd be the defensive GOAT. In my book, irregardless, he is. He could have played in any era. Against the run you couldn't seal off his side and get around him. You simply couldn't. You didn't see anybodyby mtramfan - RamsFootballFans.com
Deadpool, your question re: size vs. power gives me the opportunity to post something I've wanted to say every time Akers being "too small" or we need a back that is bigger came up. We'd all want another Marshawn Lynch, obviously. Right? Given the way he trucked people, came out of a pile for extra yards, stepped out of tackles, broke tackles, took multiple hits before going dowby mtramfan - RamsFootballFans.com
Tom immediately went from spoiled selfish teenager to midlife crisis, skipping all of the growrh and development stages in between. Besides, his idea of mariage seems to be more about bedding up long-term with a hottie - and less with honoring the responsibilities, deeper levels of committments and attendant personal levels of wonder, joy, and humility that accompany marriage. It ain't easy,by mtramfan - RamsFootballFans.com
Yo, mister writer, you can't maintain man coverage forever with no rush. O's facing the Rams have to account for pressure up the middle - the edge isn't a big deal and hsn't been since that one guy left for some other team. It all works together.by mtramfan - RamsFootballFans.com
Jim, I see getting better help at safety as an immediate concern. Ramsey had no help on a few plays that I saw where he was blamed for longcompletions - I can't tell for sure by looking, but was that mainly due to missed safety assignment - or was it on Jalen? I'd have to go back and look at specific plays through your eyes to be sure; I'm not asking for that, just noting tendencies as I saw themby mtramfan - RamsFootballFans.com
Tom address your first question: The safety position last year didn't suffer injuries four-deep. If a game-changer safety were available I'd take him, as good OL help might be available later. We need depth and developmental players in the middle (and a good, sturdy, proven journeyman C if one should fall into our hands) and have a question mark at LT. WE don't know what a new OL coach will bby mtramfan - RamsFootballFans.com