Chris Long poised to have a career year

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http://www.turfshowtimes.com/2015/6...d-chris-long-could-have-a-career-year-in-2015

NFL Weekend: Chris Long Could Have A Career Year In 2015...
By Douglas M@thenovelroad on Jun 27, 2015

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I've been a fan of St. Louis Rams defensive end Chris Long since his 2008 NFL Draft day. Taken #2 overall, Long became the first of many building blocks for the Rams defense...

Long's had to bare the tinge team disappointment since he arrived in St. Louis. Let's face it: The last six seasons have been tough on the win/loss side. Now one of the elder statesmen for a still very young Rams team, Long could find himself in an amazing position in 2015. Signed through 2016, Long is coming off an injury year in 2014. He played in only 6 games, with a single quarterback sack to show for it.

Game stats don't tell the whole story for the the veteran Rams defensive end. Former San Francisco defensive coordinator Greg Roman labeled Long as "a rolling ball of butcher knives", and rightly so. You see, what Long has going for him is his motor; that unrelenting, half-crazed, physical will to go all out on every play. A hefty salary cap hit over the next two years for the Rams, Long is scheduled to make a whole bunch of money, and he's worth every penny.

He's "The Guy" on the Rams' blossoming defense; the one who changes everything when he's on the field. Without him, St. Louis' talent laden defense sputtered in 2014. I liken him to recently retire 49ers defensive tackle Justin Smith, and Long could very well play in the NFL at a high level for quite a few more years.

Long's love of the game is what makes me a fan of the former Virginia star. Now 30 years old, he's poised to hit a stride that very well may be extraordinary. Well rested after sitting out most of the 2014, the right defensive end has to be bursting at the seams to get this coming season started.

Classy, and Twitter-loquacious at times, Long is the linch-pin for the Rams defense. He's passionate, and know the game inside and out. Rams fans may recall the rough and tumble game in 2013 with the Carolina Panthers? In a game that saw Sam Bradford go down with the first of his two ACL injuries that unknowingly marked the beginning of the end of his tenure with St. Louis, Long's frustration boiled over:

The Carolina Panthers' 30-15 victory over the St. Louis Rams in Week 7 was memorably chippy. The game was marred by a number of skirmishes, personal fouls and most notably, the ejection of Rams defensive end Chris Long. But cheap shots are not without consequences in today's player-safety conscious NFL. The league fined five players – including two Panthers – a total of $47,250 for their actions in last Sunday's game.

Long received the biggest fine – a $15,750 penalty for throwing a punch at offensive lineman Chris Scott early in the third quarter... - Jesse Collins, SportsMedia101.com

Moving forward to the 2015 season, Long has to like the right offensive tackles he'll be facing. Plus, he now has a young guy named Aaron Donald to his right, and a seasoned Alec Ogletree on his outside. Robert Quinn knows all too well how important Long's presence is on the field. When Long went down with an ankle injury is September of last year, Quinn struggled to get to the quarterback.

The bottom line, is Chris Long has a stage set for him in 2015 that could be a sight to see...
 

Legatron4

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Do my eyes deceive me? An article about the Rams that's optimistic? What alternate dimension have we slipped into?

Seriously though, I agree. Chris has always been one of my favorite players. I can see him playing for another 5-6 years.
 

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I can see him playing for another 5-6 years.

Agree. Long strikes me as the type of player that can be productive well into his 30's.

He's been a healthy player his entire career, despite last year's injury.

His game isn't based on speed. Similar to Reggie White, Long gets by on technique and motor. Those attributes don't fade as easily.
 

DaveFan'51

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I Love Chris Long, and everything he brings to the Rams! He's the Ultimate in a Team Player!
I'm looking for him tom get 14-2o sacks this year, Playing with Donald at DT, Sort of Like ' Deacon Jones and Merlin Olsen'! Their going to tear the League up working together!!
 

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He looks lonely in that picture. :(

I don't know that he's going to "break out" or anything, but I definitely know he's not going to regress. He's already a very consistent player who has great discipline and a never-quit motor. Lotta people think he's easily replaced, but I'm not so sure about that. Sure it would be nice to have two Robert Quinns on the D-line, but what Chris does is EXTREMELY underrated. The pressure he provides on a consistent basis is what allows the other guys to grab the spotlight. I'd take 10 more of him on defense all day erry day.
 

DaveFan'51

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He looks lonely in that picture. :(

I don't know that he's going to "break out" or anything, but I definitely know he's not going to regress. He's already a very consistent player who has great discipline and a never-quit motor. Lotta people think he's easily replaced, but I'm not so sure about that. Sure it would be nice to have two Robert Quinns on the D-line, but what Chris does is EXTREMELY underrated. The pressure he provides on a consistent basis is what allows the other guys to grab the spotlight. I'd take 10 more of him on defense all day erry day.
DITTO!!
 

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He's certainly building up the karma to have a long sustained career! I'm hoping my favorite Ram has a great year because if he and the rest of the line have that type of year this defense will be a top 5 unit. His next contract, or perhaps even restructure after this season, will likely see him take a pay cut but if he's been smart with his money he should be able to do that and still be ok.
 

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He's certainly building up the karma to have a long sustained career! I'm hoping my favorite Ram has a great year because if he and the rest of the line have that type of year this defense will be a top 5 unit. His next contract, or perhaps even restructure after this season, will likely see him take a pay cut but if he's been smart with his money he should be able to do that and still be ok.
Yeah, he should be fine. He's got such a big personality (and funny too) that he could have a nice career after football as a sideline reporter. I don't know if he would be a great analyst or anything, because he's so sarcastic, but some network should go out of their way to find a role for him.
 

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haven't done the research to learn which offensive tackles Long might be facing, the article seems to infer that he's getting beneficial match-ups. Either way.... if its good news then just add it to the list cause we got a whole lot-ta good news on defense and that's bad news for the NFC West.
 

OldSchool

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Yeah, he should be fine. He's got such a big personality (and funny too) that he could have a nice career after football as a sideline reporter. I don't know if he would be a great analyst or anything, because he's so sarcastic, but some network should go out of their way to find a role for him.

How cool would that be to have him next to his dad in the studio in a couple years.
 

Tron

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long is our LDE, not our right. Just a small error I know.

I think he will get around 10 sacks this year, with at least Quinn and Donald getting more. Fairley will be around 8, since will be more situational.
 

Fatbot

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"Long's had to bare the tinge team disappointment"... I think I know what he's trying to say there but pretty bad writing. And using 49er examples in a Rams piece always pisses me off... So my opinion of the writer is meh -- but as to the subject matter, yes love it and agree. In fact I take it further, not just Long "could" but should have a career year.
 

LesBaker

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Donald is going to be the big reason Long and Quinn see more QB's up close and personal. Now that he's played several games there is tape on him, which means OC's will be sliding help to the interior on passing downs in an effort to give the QB a place to step up into if need be. That's when the edge guys clamp down.

This DL should be the biggest pain in the ass for opposing QB's. I like that. Donald really rounded it out IMO and when he got selected in the draft I beat Long and Quinn were jumping up and down laughing.
 

lockdnram21

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Im sorry but I think Long gets no more than 4-5 sacks this year . Also no way he's still on our team next year without a pay cut