Yeah, I don;t know. of the top of my head I'd say 7. I thought Smart showed up well early on but to me he hit the classic rookie wall by mid-November. Seems like a guy that needed to add 10-12 lbs. and get a year in the weight room. They can't be giving Westbrooks significant snaps at NT again this year.by LMU93 - RamsFootballFans.com
True. Not much name recognition though I think their DL depth was widely considered one of the Eagles major strengths. And it showed in the postseason for sure. Similar to 2007 Giants. I am hoping for steps up by Smart in year 2 and a bounce back by Easley. He was a very good role player in 2016.by LMU93 - RamsFootballFans.com
In my opinion... Most likely- Talib. Unless his performance falls off a cliff this year there's no reason he would not be back in 2019. Least likely- Suh. I think this was understood as a true one-year relationship by both sides. TBD- Whitworth. Personally I think it's a little less than 50/50 he returns for 2019. 38 year-old OL are not common and the deal was constructed to be a two-yby LMU93 - RamsFootballFans.com
Back in the GSOT days I would see Faulk, Warner jerseys around here and there. Faded quickly by 2004... There is one boy at my daughter's school who is a huge Rams fan. I find that Patriots fans view Rams fans sort of like unicorns- they're intrigued to come across one.by LMU93 - RamsFootballFans.com
To me it's those guys will dictate whether they have an 'elite' defensive line or not. As great as Donald, Suh and Brockers can be as a starting trio elite defensive lines have rotations that never let up. So guys like Westbrooks, Easley, Smart, Franklin-Myers, etc. have to bring it as well.by LMU93 - RamsFootballFans.com
Yeah, this defense is still, even with adding Suh, largely built for speed, not power. Which is fine. Wade wants pressure and turnovers. I do think interior pressure will push some QBs into the arms of the OLBs. If Ebukam and Longacre can play 700 snaps each they could combine for 13-14 sacks, which is what Quinn and Barwin produced last year. To me the question is can they get another situatiby LMU93 - RamsFootballFans.com
by LMU93 - RamsFootballFans.com
They definitely could. Like others I have partly been going on the idea that McVay will ratchet up the TEs usage a lot this year. But, maybe not... Because he did in DC with Jordan Reed doesn't mean that he does that in LA. With the TEs, maybe Everett goes from 16 to 35 catches but Higbee is more like 16-20 and Hemingway 10-12.by LMU93 - RamsFootballFans.com
Very possible. Though Woods would have had 1,000-1,100 last year had he not missed four games. Cooks has averaged 120 targets per year the past three seasons. I agree that I tend to doubt he sees that in LA. In 2016 in DC McVay had two WRs with 100+ targets each but that was with Cousins throwing the ball 600+ times. Kupp and Woods could have both had 100+ targets last year had they playeby LMU93 - RamsFootballFans.com
I would think quite a bit. Probably from 6th to 2nd or 3rd.by LMU93 - RamsFootballFans.com
Yes youth is a big thing. But to me the stark difference is top end talent. Including special teams I count 17 players I would say are in the upper 1/3 at least at their positions in the league. In some cases top 3-5. And in Donald and Gurley two of the top 8 players in the league overall.by LMU93 - RamsFootballFans.com
True. And between Cooks and assuming they want to use TEs more that is why I think Gurleys receiving numbers will go down this year. Only way they do not is if they decide to throw 600+ times (which McVay did do with Cousins in DC one year).by LMU93 - RamsFootballFans.com
They all say he is/was very good, not great. Knew the Patriots would never pay him big $$ in 2019 so they were thrilled to get a 1st round pick for him. They do largely think the Rams overpaid with the $80M. As far as performance, he was a go-to guy most of the year. Their one criticism is he didn't do much on 3rd downs (7 catches). And yes, they do feel had he not got hurt in the Super Bowl tby LMU93 - RamsFootballFans.com
With New England it was simply a matter of them philosophically not wanting to pay WRs big salaries and also being less of a scheme fit than he is in LA. He was well-respected with the Patriots, worked hard, etc. The past three years he's caught 227 passes for 3,393 yards (14.9 YPC) and 24 TDs. Repeat that over the next three years and no one will be "disappointed."by LMU93 - RamsFootballFans.com
Can't be underestimated how valuable it could be that Goff, Gurley (let's assume they franchise him in 2020), Woods, Kupp, Cooks and Everett can all be kept together through 2020. Continuity matters in the NFL- with coaches, scheme, and (when you can) personnel. And hopefully they have drafted the next wave of OL to accompany them (with 1-2 more coming in 2019).by LMU93 - RamsFootballFans.com
Along with their LBs, TEs are the biggest question mark on the team. McVay's offense wants to involve the TEs much more. Are Everett, Higbee and Hemingway ready? I think Everett will more than double his catches from a year ago (16). Not sure about Higbee. I also think part of how the TEs may see the ball a lot more this year is from Gurley catching it less.by LMU93 - RamsFootballFans.com
I agree. You have Donald who will be signed within weeks (or I would be shocked...). So then they have Joyner, Saffold, Brown and Havenstein all TBD. 1 or 2 may earn new deals. I personally do not think they ever intend to keep Suh more than one year. Of the 2nd tier FAs right now Longacre is the only intriguing one to me. But again TBD. What they have in signing Cooks and Donald is less presby LMU93 - RamsFootballFans.com
Yeah, I agree. 3 yrs/$54M for Watkins. Same thing. I'm sure the guaranteed money is freed up by 4th year.by LMU93 - RamsFootballFans.com
They are locked up through 2019. Their time will come. The Rams' attention is rightfully on ensuring Cooks and Donald are locked up and that, should they need to and want to, they could tag Joyner again in 2019. And come 2020 they can tag one of Gurley or Peters as needed.by LMU93 - RamsFootballFans.com
You have to look at Demarco Murray and think about that in context of Gurley. Very few RBs are anywhere near as productive in years 7 and beyond as they are in years 1-6. In Murray's case he was the league's most productive back in his 4th year and it was downhill from there. You can certainly argue that he'd have likely been better off staying in Dallas. But still, after 7 years he is now out ofby LMU93 - RamsFootballFans.com
I think Donald and Cooks are the musts. To me Peters is a bit of a we'll see based on several factors- fit, persona, some other players (like Gurley). They have him through 2019 and maybe could be tagged in 2020 depending on Gurley. It would be great if he's here for the next 5-7 years but we will see. I don't think they have any intention of keeping Suh more than one year. He is here forby LMU93 - RamsFootballFans.com
He was a very good slot CB for them in 2015 and 2016. He never "started" more than 8 games but yet played 700+ snaps both seasons. As the 3rd CB he was a starter. Very versatile, good player.by LMU93 - RamsFootballFans.com
Good point about Hager and ST. It's just that I don't think he offers anything beyond that. So I guess it depends on what Kiser, Scales, Wilson and Howard look like on ST themselves.by LMU93 - RamsFootballFans.com
7 candidates for 4 or 5 spots. They could probably stash Howard and/or Scales on the PS. But I would not dismiss one of them beating out Hager. Both he and Wilson (who I keep forgetting they signed) have next to no guaranteed money so their spots are not secure.by LMU93 - RamsFootballFans.com
Yeah 2007 was awful. They were down to starting guys on the OL named Brett Romberg and Milford Brown. 13 different players started at least one game. 9 started 3 games or more. I remember Mark Setterstrom. He was going to be a very good OG for them until injuries took him down in 2007 and again in 2008.by LMU93 - RamsFootballFans.com