InnovatedMind
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Rams Claim C Austin Blythe Off Waivers From Colts
- Thread starter den-the-coach
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Good find @Memphis Ram they question his strength, but he did 29 reps of 225lbs and is a former wrestler too...Not sure how much weight he put on, but I'm sure we will get a good look at him come preseason.
ReddingRam
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They did. And they signed 4 of those players. The RB and the WR/KR from Northwestern State Univ., a LB from a small school and the CB from Utah were all tryout players. they were signed to contracts. A Couple players were released to make room... one of those players was McMeans.
Ram65
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Blythe has game experience. I would think The Rams want someone that can play OG too. They keep bringing in smaller centers. Let's hope Sullivan stays healthy. I wanted to get some updated info on Sullivan. Here is a good one from his home town school writer. He says he is healthy after offseason workout. He had two back operation in 2015. Been on a diet and lost some weight. A healthy Sullivan would elevate the O Line and offense.
April 28, 2017
https://www.greenwichsentinel.com/2017/04/28/greenwich-native-john-sullivan-golden-with-l-a-rams/
Greenwich Native John Sullivan ‘Golden’ With L.A. Rams
by Paul Silverfarb | Events, Greenwich Elementary Schools, Greenwich High School, Greenwich Middle Schools, News, Sports
Greenwich native and GHS football standout John Sullivan has found a new home in the NFL next season, as he will be playing center for the Los Angeles Rams. (photo courtesy of the Los Angeles Rams / AP)
By Paul Silverfarb
Sentinel Editor
In his 10th season in the National Football League, it appears that former Greenwich High School standout and Notre Dame alum John Sullivan is going Hollywood.
After completing a long tenure with the Minnesota Vikings and a year with the Washington Redskins, the veteran NFL center will be leaving the cold winter months and will help the Los Angeles Rams solidify their offensive line.
“I’m excited,” said Sullivan. “Obviously, I was with Coach [Sean] McVay last year in Washington. He has a brilliant football mind and I truly believe he’s going to be a great head coach. This is a pretty young team, so I get to come in here and be one of the new veteran leaders. I’m excited about the potential that we have and actually going out on the field and executing it and living up that. I think we’re going to have a great season.”
For Sullivan, signing with the Rams was an easy choice. He’s an experienced center and will be a huge help for second-year quarterback Jared Goff. In addition, Sullivan quite familiar with the Rams’ new head coach, Sean McVay, who was an assistant coach for the Redskins when Sullivan played in Washington and liked what he saw.
“As soon as I knew Sean got the job here in L.A., I knew I wanted to come along with him,” Sullivan said. “They have a young quarterback and I was going in free agency and I thought it was a natural fit. There were some bumps along the way and some things that made it look like this wouldn’t happen, but this is where we find ourselves now. I’m just super excited to be back in this role and with this team.”
Although he started only one game last year for Washington, McVay was highly impressed with Sullivan’s work in front of the quarterback.
John Sullivan. (photo courtesy of the Los Angeles Rams / AP)
“When he played for us last year, it was 130-or-so snaps, I thought he did an excellent job,” McVay said. “You really can’t undervalue or under-appreciate that communication from that center spot—handling the cadence, handling the calls up front—because it all starts with that spot, most of our calls fit off of that. John was a guy that I was really impressed with. Being around him in Washington, you almost felt like you were talking to a coach. You talk about your quarterback wanting to be an extension of the coaching staff, the center position is very similar where he’s got to have a big-picture ownership of what we’re trying to get done, what we’re trying to accomplish up front. And John is certainly someone that’s shown he is capable of handling that.”
Sullivan will be looking to fill the hole in the Rams offensive line, as Tim Barnes, a starter at center for the previous two seasons with the Rams, was released this offseason. However, there are still concerns over Sullivan’s health. Two back surgeries forced the center to miss the entire 2015 season with the Vikings.
He’s hoping a bunch of rest, a change in his diet that helped him lose weight and a solid offseason this year will put the concerns to rest.
“I feel great,” Sullivan said. “We’re in the first phase of the offseason program and the workouts have gone really well. We’ve had some time in the meeting rooms and I am very familiar with the system that we are putting into place offensively. I think that gives me a leg up.”
And a healthy Sullivan will help boost Los Angeles offensively. Last season the Rams finished 4-12. Goff played in seven games for the Rams and didn’t get a lot of help from his offensive line: he was sacked 26 times.
While Sullivan hopes the hard-hitting defense performs just as strong this season as it did last, he said that the offense needs to execute and make sure they embrace thesystem and culture that McVay is trying to establish with the Rams.
“We need to get the offense up to speed, go out there and score some points and do what our defense did a year ago by shutting people down,” Sullivan said.“These teams turn it around quick. You put the right pieces in place, in terms of coaching staff and players, and you get rolling. There’s no reason to think that we can’t go out and have amazing success in 2017. That’s the way I’m looking at it.”
And obviously that familiarity with the head coach’s offensive style is crucial for Sullivan.
“No matter what, even if you’re familiar with the system, you must learn the people you’re playing with and develop chemistry,” Sullivan said. “There’s a lot of aspects that goes into having success on the field. So, there’s still a ton of work to do, but it’s good to have a head start in terms of being familiar with the offense and terminology. I’m helping put that into practice and just making sure that all that translates to actual success on Sunday.”
While Sullivan is all about taking on the added stress that comes with playing for a new team, he has a little extra stress now that he has to move his family to the left coast.
“It was very exciting, but at the same time I am now married and have a kid,” Sullivan said. “We are under the gun to find housing and get out here. While it’s amazing to sign with an NFL team and have an opportunity like I have now, there’s still all those other aspects of life that are still factors in this whole thing. It’s exciting and our set up here in L.A. is beautiful. It’s a city that is passionate about its football team and it’s great that we are back here now. I couldn’t be more excited.”
And just as he did in Minnesota, Sullivan plans to be a huge part of the community in Los Angeles, saying that it doesn’t matter that the Rams recently moved from St. Louis to the City of Angels.
“It’s important to me because the NFL in general provides a platform and it’s important to try and give back and better the lives of people who aren’t as fortunate,” Sullivan said. “In terms of embracing the fans, the best way to make the fans happy is to go out and win on Sundays. Everybody wants to cheer for a winning team.”
Sullivan will notice one of the biggest differences right away. While in Minnesota and Washington, D.C., he got to experience the early winter months up close and personal. Below freezing temperatures, heavy snowstorms, freezing rain and high winds were quite common throughout Sullivan’s career.
While he will possibly experience that yet again on the road this season, it will be a different story at home in Los Angeles, where warmth and shorts in November, December and January are the norm.
“There’s no doubt that this is the best weather situation I’ve been in,” Sullivan said. “I’ll leave it at that.”
April 28, 2017
https://www.greenwichsentinel.com/2017/04/28/greenwich-native-john-sullivan-golden-with-l-a-rams/
Greenwich Native John Sullivan ‘Golden’ With L.A. Rams
by Paul Silverfarb | Events, Greenwich Elementary Schools, Greenwich High School, Greenwich Middle Schools, News, Sports
Greenwich native and GHS football standout John Sullivan has found a new home in the NFL next season, as he will be playing center for the Los Angeles Rams. (photo courtesy of the Los Angeles Rams / AP)
By Paul Silverfarb
Sentinel Editor
In his 10th season in the National Football League, it appears that former Greenwich High School standout and Notre Dame alum John Sullivan is going Hollywood.
After completing a long tenure with the Minnesota Vikings and a year with the Washington Redskins, the veteran NFL center will be leaving the cold winter months and will help the Los Angeles Rams solidify their offensive line.
“I’m excited,” said Sullivan. “Obviously, I was with Coach [Sean] McVay last year in Washington. He has a brilliant football mind and I truly believe he’s going to be a great head coach. This is a pretty young team, so I get to come in here and be one of the new veteran leaders. I’m excited about the potential that we have and actually going out on the field and executing it and living up that. I think we’re going to have a great season.”
For Sullivan, signing with the Rams was an easy choice. He’s an experienced center and will be a huge help for second-year quarterback Jared Goff. In addition, Sullivan quite familiar with the Rams’ new head coach, Sean McVay, who was an assistant coach for the Redskins when Sullivan played in Washington and liked what he saw.
“As soon as I knew Sean got the job here in L.A., I knew I wanted to come along with him,” Sullivan said. “They have a young quarterback and I was going in free agency and I thought it was a natural fit. There were some bumps along the way and some things that made it look like this wouldn’t happen, but this is where we find ourselves now. I’m just super excited to be back in this role and with this team.”
Although he started only one game last year for Washington, McVay was highly impressed with Sullivan’s work in front of the quarterback.
John Sullivan. (photo courtesy of the Los Angeles Rams / AP)
“When he played for us last year, it was 130-or-so snaps, I thought he did an excellent job,” McVay said. “You really can’t undervalue or under-appreciate that communication from that center spot—handling the cadence, handling the calls up front—because it all starts with that spot, most of our calls fit off of that. John was a guy that I was really impressed with. Being around him in Washington, you almost felt like you were talking to a coach. You talk about your quarterback wanting to be an extension of the coaching staff, the center position is very similar where he’s got to have a big-picture ownership of what we’re trying to get done, what we’re trying to accomplish up front. And John is certainly someone that’s shown he is capable of handling that.”
Sullivan will be looking to fill the hole in the Rams offensive line, as Tim Barnes, a starter at center for the previous two seasons with the Rams, was released this offseason. However, there are still concerns over Sullivan’s health. Two back surgeries forced the center to miss the entire 2015 season with the Vikings.
He’s hoping a bunch of rest, a change in his diet that helped him lose weight and a solid offseason this year will put the concerns to rest.
“I feel great,” Sullivan said. “We’re in the first phase of the offseason program and the workouts have gone really well. We’ve had some time in the meeting rooms and I am very familiar with the system that we are putting into place offensively. I think that gives me a leg up.”
And a healthy Sullivan will help boost Los Angeles offensively. Last season the Rams finished 4-12. Goff played in seven games for the Rams and didn’t get a lot of help from his offensive line: he was sacked 26 times.
While Sullivan hopes the hard-hitting defense performs just as strong this season as it did last, he said that the offense needs to execute and make sure they embrace thesystem and culture that McVay is trying to establish with the Rams.
“We need to get the offense up to speed, go out there and score some points and do what our defense did a year ago by shutting people down,” Sullivan said.“These teams turn it around quick. You put the right pieces in place, in terms of coaching staff and players, and you get rolling. There’s no reason to think that we can’t go out and have amazing success in 2017. That’s the way I’m looking at it.”
And obviously that familiarity with the head coach’s offensive style is crucial for Sullivan.
“No matter what, even if you’re familiar with the system, you must learn the people you’re playing with and develop chemistry,” Sullivan said. “There’s a lot of aspects that goes into having success on the field. So, there’s still a ton of work to do, but it’s good to have a head start in terms of being familiar with the offense and terminology. I’m helping put that into practice and just making sure that all that translates to actual success on Sunday.”
While Sullivan is all about taking on the added stress that comes with playing for a new team, he has a little extra stress now that he has to move his family to the left coast.
“It was very exciting, but at the same time I am now married and have a kid,” Sullivan said. “We are under the gun to find housing and get out here. While it’s amazing to sign with an NFL team and have an opportunity like I have now, there’s still all those other aspects of life that are still factors in this whole thing. It’s exciting and our set up here in L.A. is beautiful. It’s a city that is passionate about its football team and it’s great that we are back here now. I couldn’t be more excited.”
And just as he did in Minnesota, Sullivan plans to be a huge part of the community in Los Angeles, saying that it doesn’t matter that the Rams recently moved from St. Louis to the City of Angels.
“It’s important to me because the NFL in general provides a platform and it’s important to try and give back and better the lives of people who aren’t as fortunate,” Sullivan said. “In terms of embracing the fans, the best way to make the fans happy is to go out and win on Sundays. Everybody wants to cheer for a winning team.”
Sullivan will notice one of the biggest differences right away. While in Minnesota and Washington, D.C., he got to experience the early winter months up close and personal. Below freezing temperatures, heavy snowstorms, freezing rain and high winds were quite common throughout Sullivan’s career.
While he will possibly experience that yet again on the road this season, it will be a different story at home in Los Angeles, where warmth and shorts in November, December and January are the norm.
“There’s no doubt that this is the best weather situation I’ve been in,” Sullivan said. “I’ll leave it at that.”
ramfan46
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Churning the bottom of the roster. As bad as the Rams have been for so long, it should have been happening like this for years. Good on this new regime so far. Hopefully they can identify quality depth. They seem to have a plan though, that's a step in the right direction lol.
Memphis Ram
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Lets hope Blythe can add 10 pounds of muscle to be able to anchor vs. Bull Rushing DT's.. Also hope Sullivan can give us a full year of good OC play while whom ever backs him up can be ready waiting in the wings 
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Soul Surfer
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His health has to be the problem here.
It also has to be something serious that they're not going to try to stash the guy.
Maybe another Lis-franc?
Soul Surfer
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Are you sure!? I haven't been able to find any official Cut lists on the Rams!! Anyone have any!!?
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Haven't watched him play, but Blythe sounds an awful lot like Tim Barnes to me.
well, he is the 90th player added to the roster. it's not like they signed him to be the starter. leave no stone unturned.
.
whitedk57
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manmaderam
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For better or worse I like this pick up by McVay.
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No one is talking about Chris Watt, 6'3" 322lbs. who was drafted by the Chargers in 2014 and started several games for them before getting ACL to his knee. Its been 2 years since his surgery and claims to be fully healed. If so, he stands as good a chance of backing up Sully as anyone.
BonifayRam
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So McVay & Kromer have a pure center type in our own Demetrius Rhaney here since he was drafted back in 2014 with Greg Robinson. Rhaney has remained healthy & played in 32 Ram games with one start. DR is only 24 yrs old & is very fast & quick but on the small size 6-2 302 pounds & has looked vastly under-powered.
It seems its a given by most members here that Saffold & Havenstein & Robinson are the highly probable starters @ LG/RG & RT, thus leaving Kromer past Ram starters Jamon Brown, Andrew Donnal & Cody Wichmann looking for a open starting post @ center too. There some talent in that trio that maybe should not be so easily overlooked in the hunt for a center. Recently Rams brought in & signed UDFA rookie Jake Eldrenkamp & then yesterdays signed 2nd yr center Austin Blythe form the Colts waiver wire.
The now 32 yr old John Sullivan has been crowned the Rams new new starting center by fans from the moment he was signed off the street. JS is about the same size as Blythe 6-3 when he was 24 he was about 300 pounds too. JS had a very solid healthy early career. JS underwent surgery on microfractures in his left knee did have some concussion issues before the very big issue with his back came into play. JS was playing up around 325 pounds when he was considered one of the better starting centers in the NFL. Then JS became sidelined for long periods of time with back spasms then went under the knife for the dreaded lumbar microdiscectomy procedure. Trying to make a comeback JS suffered a setback had to undergo another back surgery operation thus causing him to miss the entire 2015 season. This time last season JS dropped below 300 pounds.
To summarize @ the moment that 7 possible prospects for center considerations. Yes the best scenario, is for JS making a miracle return to power & health as the starting Ram center, after all that he has undergone:yess: but I consider that highly unlikely with JS lasting any time as full-time starter. I am hoping that one of the younger stronger past 3rd season Ram starters can come away here in TC & pre season to earn the starting post. JS might be perfect for this moment in time going into OTA's Training Camp as the only veteran center leader & a decent short term reserve but a long term solution with two good younger centers would be much preferred.
The common posted theme line thus far in this forum reference the center saga hunt is the Rams Org. must not be content with Rhaney or McMeans or Eldrenkamp or the try out prospects of Watts & Toth or the other 3 young past Ram starters reserves ........but I look at it from another highly possible position & view...that the Ram Org. is far from being comfortable :sadwalk:behind the curtains & scenes with veteran John Sullivan as the 2017 starting center situation instead. Who knows what the southern California warm sunny weather & soft green grass can do for a bad back!opcorn:
It seems its a given by most members here that Saffold & Havenstein & Robinson are the highly probable starters @ LG/RG & RT, thus leaving Kromer past Ram starters Jamon Brown, Andrew Donnal & Cody Wichmann looking for a open starting post @ center too. There some talent in that trio that maybe should not be so easily overlooked in the hunt for a center. Recently Rams brought in & signed UDFA rookie Jake Eldrenkamp & then yesterdays signed 2nd yr center Austin Blythe form the Colts waiver wire.
The now 32 yr old John Sullivan has been crowned the Rams new new starting center by fans from the moment he was signed off the street. JS is about the same size as Blythe 6-3 when he was 24 he was about 300 pounds too. JS had a very solid healthy early career. JS underwent surgery on microfractures in his left knee did have some concussion issues before the very big issue with his back came into play. JS was playing up around 325 pounds when he was considered one of the better starting centers in the NFL. Then JS became sidelined for long periods of time with back spasms then went under the knife for the dreaded lumbar microdiscectomy procedure. Trying to make a comeback JS suffered a setback had to undergo another back surgery operation thus causing him to miss the entire 2015 season. This time last season JS dropped below 300 pounds.
To summarize @ the moment that 7 possible prospects for center considerations. Yes the best scenario, is for JS making a miracle return to power & health as the starting Ram center, after all that he has undergone:yess: but I consider that highly unlikely with JS lasting any time as full-time starter. I am hoping that one of the younger stronger past 3rd season Ram starters can come away here in TC & pre season to earn the starting post. JS might be perfect for this moment in time going into OTA's Training Camp as the only veteran center leader & a decent short term reserve but a long term solution with two good younger centers would be much preferred.
The common posted theme line thus far in this forum reference the center saga hunt is the Rams Org. must not be content with Rhaney or McMeans or Eldrenkamp or the try out prospects of Watts & Toth or the other 3 young past Ram starters reserves ........but I look at it from another highly possible position & view...that the Ram Org. is far from being comfortable :sadwalk:
behind the curtains & scenes with veteran John Sullivan as the 2017 starting center situation instead. Who knows what the southern California warm sunny weather & soft green grass can do for a bad back!opcorn:
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