Rams Current News & Events!

[Battlelyon]

I think that the one thing I was disappointed with was the Super Bowl wing. They had a bunch of stuff from the early Super Bowls but started glossing over a lot of stuff from the late 70's to the present.

You're not from Hartville by chance are you? That's where my friend is living.

I have other pictures I took (non Rams related stuff) if anyone else wants to see those as well.

I live almost in Hartville, my daughter goes to school in Hartville.

 

[Vitamike]

Unclaimed fantasy opportunities coming out of free agency
With most of the dust settled from the offseason signing period, Pat Thorman looks at places where opportunity might be open.

The road to fantasy football glory is paved by opportunity, with passing targets and rushing attempts the bricks upon which it’s built. As we do every year at this time, we’ll conduct a post-free-agency examination of the unaccounted-for targets and handoffs from the previous season and begin projecting who will assume them on current rosters.

Unsigned players remain available, albeit largely uninspiring options. The NFL draft is fast approaching, however, and represents the offseason’s final significant roster altering event. While we will again survey the landscape once the draft dust settles, many fantasy degenerates are already picking players. Let’s begin with six offenses with the most combined unclaimed handoffs and PFF-charted targets.

• Los Angeles Rams
  
  (41 handoffs, 278 targets)​

The Rams have the league’s most unclaimed targets by a sizable margin (66 more than second) and added only one receiver of note. Robert Woods never saw 100 targets while playing second fiddle in Buffalo’s run-based offense despite starting 48 games over four seasons. It would be surprising if he doesn’t break the century mark considering his five-year, $39-million contract and a gaggle of unseasoned and uninspiring teammates (hello, Tavon Austin). Even Austin, who was fantasy’s 21st-highest-scoring wideout in 2015, will have every opportunity to rebound from a crushingly inefficient 2016. At least his price is right – as it will be for second-year wideouts Pharoh Cooper, Mike Thomas, Nelson Spruce and Marquez North.

For more on the following teams, click on the link below...

• New England Patriots
  (Unclaimed: 302 handoffs and 82 PFF-charted targets)
• New York Giants
  (198 handoffs, 153 targets)
  
• San Francisco 49ers
  (152 handoffs, 177 targets)
  
• New Orleans Saints
  (140 handoffs, 140 targets)

Unclaimed opportunities coming out of free agency | PFF

 

[27mtrcougar]

ANDREW WHITWORTH SHOULD BE A MASSIVE UPGRADE FOR RAMS LINE
Los Angeles signed the ex-Bengal in free agency, and PFF Senior Analyst Sam Monson says he should be strong as long as he can hold off Father Time.

SAM MONSON | 1 WEEK AGO

(Jeff Haynes/AP Images for Panini)

Even at $33.8 million over three years, the Rams got a bargain in the free-agent acquisition of offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth.

Whitworth’s only negative is age – 35 years old – but he is still playing at an elite level and represents a colossal upgrade over Greg Robinson, a former first-round draft pick who has struggled badly thus far in his NFL career.

Robinson has surrendered 18 sacks over the past three years, starting since he was drafted No. 2 overall in the 2014 draft. He has also been flagged at least 10 times every season and struggled with run-blocking too.

Since Robinson came into the league, here is how he compares statistically with Whitworth:



In that time, Robinson has four games of perfect pass protection, and in none of the four did he escape without a penalty to his name. Whitworth had six perfect games of pass protection in 2016 alone, and in only one of those was he flagged.

Whitworth’s play overall has been a model of consistency — not just recently, but over his entire career, and particularly over the past eight seasons. He may rarely have been the best tackle in the game, but he has just as rarely been outside the top three at any given time.

The most interesting aspect of this move is when Whitworth’s inevitable decline will hit. At 35 years old, he is already defying convention by playing as well as he is. When players hit the wall erected by Father Time at the end of their careers, it can tend to happen fast, so the Rams are gambling a little that Whitworth’s arrest is still some way off in the future. Ultimately that is the part that none of us can reliably predict, but in the short term at least they have succeeded in a massive upgrade at their left tackle spot.

 

[LongtimeRamsFan42]

ANDREW WHITWORTH SHOULD BE A MASSIVE UPGRADE FOR RAMS LINE
Los Angeles signed the ex-Bengal in free agency, and PFF Senior Analyst Sam Monson says he should be strong as long as he can hold off Father Time.

SAM MONSON | 1 WEEK AGO

(Jeff Haynes/AP Images for Panini)

Even at $33.8 million over three years, the Rams got a bargain in the free-agent acquisition of offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth.

Whitworth’s only negative is age – 35 years old – but he is still playing at an elite level and represents a colossal upgrade over Greg Robinson, a former first-round draft pick who has struggled badly thus far in his NFL career.

Robinson has surrendered 18 sacks over the past three years, starting since he was drafted No. 2 overall in the 2014 draft. He has also been flagged at least 10 times every season and struggled with run-blocking too.

Since Robinson came into the league, here is how he compares statistically with Whitworth:



In that time, Robinson has four games of perfect pass protection, and in none of the four did he escape without a penalty to his name. Whitworth had six perfect games of pass protection in 2016 alone, and in only one of those was he flagged.

Whitworth’s play overall has been a model of consistency — not just recently, but over his entire career, and particularly over the past eight seasons. He may rarely have been the best tackle in the game, but he has just as rarely been outside the top three at any given time.

The most interesting aspect of this move is when Whitworth’s inevitable decline will hit. At 35 years old, he is already defying convention by playing as well as he is. When players hit the wall erected by Father Time at the end of their careers, it can tend to happen fast, so the Rams are gambling a little that Whitworth’s arrest is still some way off in the future. Ultimately that is the part that none of us can reliably predict, but in the short term at least they have succeeded in a massive upgrade at their left tackle spot.

That article is forgetting another BIG THING... He is a leader in the locker room. Something we've be SORELY lacking since we cut guys like JL55 and Chris Long...

 

[shopson67]

That article is forgetting another BIG THING... He is a leader in the locker room. Something we've be SORELY lacking since we cut guys like JL55 and Chris Long...

That was sorely lacking last year, as is evident in the team giving up on the season so early. At least it got Fisher out the door though...

 

[Red_Chaos]

Former Ram Brian Quick signs with the Redskins

Redskins sign Brian Quick to help replace DeSean Jackson, Pierre Garcon

 

[Rambunctious]

Fisher ball is being dismantled

 

[Retroram52]

Indeed RAmbunctious. Perhaps we may see a new version of the GSOT! Yikes!

 

[Battlelyon]

 

[Battlelyon]

Rams named the most improved team in the NFC West by Bleacher Report
By Tanya Ray Fox 24 hours ago


In Bleacher Report’s recent assessment of teams’ moves in free agency and where it leaves them in terms of improvement over last season, it named the Rams at the top of the NFC West.

The Seattle Seahawks are a perennial playoff team that didn’t have much work to maintain their status quo. The addition of Eddie Lacy at running back is a major move, otherwise they’re largely the same we’ve seen for the past few years.

There’s also a strong chance the Arizona Cardinals enter the 2017 season with a much weaker defense. Their stacked roster underperformed last season, and unless they can shore up the holes left by the departure of studs like Calais Campbell and Tony Jefferson, the Cards are likely to continue their backslide.

That leaves the Rams and the San Francisco 49ers. The Niners won just two games last season and have the task of overhauling their entire team, so Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon says it’s the Rams who have made the more significant changes.

Via BleacherReport.com:

“The Los Angeles Rams didn’t necessarily make huge waves in free agency, and they didn’t sign as many outside free agents as the divisional-rival San Francisco 49ers. But a young L.A. team should be improving with time anyway, and the Rams at least gave some extra support to their young franchise quarterback, Jared Goff.”

Gagnon also believes San Francisco’s ongoing failure to nab a franchise quarterback will continue to haunt them, while he sees serious potential for Jared Goff in his second season.

“. . . the Rams provided Goff with an experienced new left tackle in Andrew Whitworth (pictured), who’s coming off back-to-back Pro Bowl seasons in Cincinnati. They also replaced top receiver Kenny Britt with the younger Robert Woods, who at least gives them more ceiling space at that position.”

While both the Niners and Rams improved their ailing rosters, the Rams have the benefit of a very solid defensive line, a young former first overall pick with the potential to develop further at QB and a revamped coaching staff that could be quite formidable in a division in flux.

 

[Battlelyon]

PFF ranks Rams special teams units as one of the best in the NFL

By: Tanya Ray Fox | March 27, 2017 5:14 pm ET

If there’s one thing that Jeff Fisher did right during his disastrous five-seasons with the Rams, it was build an elite special teams unit. Obviously that only goes so far when the defense is depleted, the offense is historically unproductive, the salary cap is mismanaged and drafting is poor – but it’s a start.

If the Sean McVay era is going to be a successful one, his offensive and defensive units will need to improve. However his special teams crew can just keep doing what they’re doing.

According to the experts at Pro Football Focus, the Rams finished the 2016 season with the third best special teams unit in the NFL, behind the Baltimore Ravens and the Kansas City Chiefs.

Via ProFootballFocus.com:

“Former head coach Jeff Fisher certainly valued special teams during his tenure, cultivating units that finished third, second, eighth and third in PFF’s rankings over the last four years. A lot of the team’s success can be mapped to that of Johnny Hekker, the league’s second-highest graded punter in 2016. He led his position in net yards per punt by almost two yards, and his 40 fair catches forced were the league’s second-most (while he only committed one touchback). Cody Davis, Marqui Christian, Cory Littleton, and Bryce Hager all graded impressively on both punt and punt-return units, while the team’s one-year gamble on kicker Greg Zuerlein seems to have paid off, as he enjoyed the second-highest field-goal percentage of his career (86.4) in 2016, and earned a three-year contract extension this offseason.”

While Johnny Hekker gets a lot of love for his consistently impressive punting, PFF’s assessment is a good reminder that the return units are actually doing their part as well.

Overall, special teams is an area that many franchises struggle with, and since it can be incredibly hard to overcome constantly bad field position, it’s a huge advantage for the Rams in terms of turning things around this season.

Rounding out PFF’s list of the six best units last season – after the Ravens, Chiefs and Rams – were the Oakland Raiders, the Indianapolis Colts and the Detroit Lions.

 

[Battlelyon]

Rob Havenstein to switch to guard, will Rams draft offensive lineman?
By Bryan Kalbrosky March 28, 2017 1:41 pm ET

While the Los Angeles Rams were entirely unproductive at offensive line last season, it seems they will may look to the draft for help.

Last season, Rodger Saffold was the most impressive and productive offensive lineman for the Rams. He played right guard and was a leadership presence for Los Angeles during the first season after relocation.

The Rams beefed up their offensive line when they added veteran a left tackle, Andrew Whitworth. Saffold will join Whitworth on the left side, which offers more reliable protection for Jared Goff.

According to a report from ESPN, the Rams will switch former No. 2 overall pick Greg Robinson to right tackle. Rob Havenstein, meanwhile, will jump to right guard.

Rams general manager Les Snead spoke about why Havenstein will make the jump:

“He’s a very, very, very smart guy. Being inside, you have to be mentally agile in there, a lot more than you have to be at tackle. Things happen quicker, and ther are more options of who you block. Most of the time at tackle, it’s a very limited number of people based on what changes in a defense.”

Whitworth, Saffold, Robinson and Havenstein make up four of the five positions for the Los Angeles offensive line.

Snead also hinted about what the team plans to do at center, which is a missing link for the 2017 season:

“The biggest key for us right now, because you do have a second-year QB, is whoever that player is has got to be mentally astute. You’d probably rather have a veteran who’s done it, at least a veteran mentor.”

The Rams made an offer sheet for Bills center Ryan Groy, who will instead remain with Buffalo. Groy had already played for new Rams offensive line coordinator Aaron Kromer for two different teams.

Los Angeles also met with John Sullivan, who played under new Rams head coach Sean McVay in Washington in 2016.

While the Rams have not yet signed Sullivan, Gonzalaz reports that the team is still exploring “free agency and trades” for a center.

He estimates that Los Angeles has somewhere between $10 million and $12 million in available cap space, though $5 million will be used to pay the new rookie class.

It seems unlikely that they reach early for an offensive lineman during the draft. Instead, they may find one later as a sleeper project.

Los Angeles has met with Chase Roullier from Wyoming, who brags experience at center and offensive guard. They have also interviewed offensive tackle Julie’n Davenport from Bucknell and.

According to Tony Pauline, they spoke with offensive lineman Darrell Williams, Jr. from Western Kentucky and Northern Illinois guard Levon Myers.

The highest pick of any of those players, as projected by Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller, was Davenport in the fourth round. Experiments at offensive line may not be the best call for a troubling unit.

Instead, Rams fans should expect rounds two and/or three to target a wide receiver or tight end and then find a starting center somewhere outside of the draft.

 

[Battlelyon]

McVays’ Top Priority For Goff in 2017

 

[Battlelyon]

Jeff Fisher took a break from playing against the Rams in Madden to have his latest picture taken.

Jeff Fisher has grown out the beard since being fired

 

[LongtimeRamsFan42]

TJ McDonald has been suspended for 8 games....let him sign elsewhere...

 

[Battlelyon]

Well he won't be back

 

[Battlelyon]

 

[Red_Chaos]

TJ McDonald has been suspended for 8 games....let him sign elsewhere...

Free agent safety T.J. McDonald reportedly hit with eight-game suspension

Last May, McDonald was charged with a misdemeanor for driving under the influence of drugs and pleaded guilty in January, as NFL.com reported. He wasn’t sentenced to any jail time.

 

[shopson67]

Jeff Fisher took a break from playing against the Rams in Madden to have his latest picture taken.

Jeff Fisher has grown out the beard since being fired

Grown out his beard? Looks like he was sleeping under a bridge somewhere...

 

[zeke2829]

Grown out his beard? Looks like he was sleeping under a bridge somewhere...

Well I guess TJ McDonald can join Jeff Fisher under the bridge drinking out of the same bottle!