Rams sign DT Dominique Easley

[BonifayRam]

Fisher is gonna have his hands full. I know he's good with troubled players. But Easley, Williams, Worton, Mason, etc. He's only one man. Hopefully these guys can mature real quick. I'd hate their influence to work its way into our locker room.

I will agree here JackDRams. There is only so much time in a day to lend to problematic individuals. DT Easley, DE Coples & Troy Hill are latest examples of Fishers gambling heavy late into the morning routine. It evidenced by the releasing of the top two outstanding (defensive side) locker room leaders like JL & Chris Long & roster spots being replaced with management problem material. I do think that other leaders like the in your face types like William Hayes & mean Eugene Sims along with others who lead quietly on the field like Quinn, Brockers & Ogletree will take care of the "Tudes" that will certainly arise with players like the Easley's who have indicated their brains have yet to grown in fully.

Fisher/Snead team have a good past resume of being able to take these mtg. problem players who have a past of issues i.e. JJ, Trumaine Johnson, Mo Alexander, Kenny Britt & Ethan Westbrooks & handled them very well. When the players do not respond or show their Tudes they are taken out of play in what is call call Cut Bait/Released/Trade i.e. Jared Cook, Ray Ray Armstrong, Zac Stacy, Isaiah Pead, Bradley Fletcher, Rok Watkins. I would expect that if Mason or Watts come in OTA's & cause any disruption of the team they will follow the others released or traded.

Fisher looks to have built one of the most experienced Defensive Coaching cadres in the NFL.... i.e Gregg Williams, Chuck Cecil, Mike Waufle, Dave McGinnis, Clyde Simmons & Frank Bush to easily handle players who get out of line with the Fisher/Snead Program. All true Jeff Fisher men!

 

[den-the-coach]

And that's not even getting to the injury he was playing through which likely was a contributing factor in Greg's accuracy percentage in 2015 from 40-49 yards and 50+ yards being around 25% to 30% lower than his career average coming into the year.

I feel this is overstated a tad, yes Fisher did ask Zuerlein to kick long field goals, but he missed plenty of kicks inside of 40 yards too. Add to that Zuerlein seems to struggle with grass and I disagree he would be better kicking in Pittsburgh for example because that is one stadium that is not easy to kick in or even Foxborough for that matter.

Zuerlein has had optimum conditions kicking with the Rams now he'll be outside on grass although most likely the weather will be fine. You're right about Fisher liking a kicker with a big leg, but IMO, with an improved offense they might be looking for a more consistent guy.

Who knows? If Zuerlein has an excellent camp and preseason this point is moot, however, everyone knows that Taylor Bertolet is not going to offer Zuerlein any competition and the Rams just might bring in another veteran before camp begins like Garrett Hartley for example, however, if Zuerlein struggles and Fisher wants a veteran who has seemed to improve with age the Rams could do much worse than Shaun Christopher Suisham, who would be available because of the emergence of Boswell, who I really truly wish the Rams could get.

 

[BigRamFan]

I will agree here JackDRams. There is only so much time in a day to lend to problematic individuals. DT Easley, DE Coples & Troy Hill are latest examples of Fishers gambling heavy late into the morning routine. It evidenced by the releasing of the top two outstanding (defensive side) locker room leaders like JL & Chris Long & roster spots being replaced with management problem material. I do think that other leaders like the in your face types like William Hayes & mean Eugene Sims along with others who lead quietly on the field like Quinn, Brockers & Ogletree will take care of the "Tudes" that will certainly arise with players like the Easley's who have indicated their brains have yet to grown in fully.

Not to be argumentative @BonifayRam but IMO the only "issue" Coples really had was being miscast in the Jets 3-4 defense. I know there were some that questioned his work ethic but I also believe that to be a function of his being misused. I guess time will tell, but he was a Tarheel so that earns him some latitude (in my eyes at least).

As for Long and JL being allowed to walk, that was due to production, or lack thereof (and in Long's case an inflated contract) and unrelated to the leadership skills both displayed. It just got to the point that we needed more than leadership and due to injury and/or declining skills neither were viable options any longer.

 

[T-REX]

It's official; Rams locker room is down to one pillar.

 

[jrry32]

I feel this is overstated a tad, yes Fisher did ask Zuerlein to kick long field goals, but he missed plenty of kicks inside of 40 yards too. Add to that Zuerlein seems to struggle with grass and I disagree he would be better kicking in Pittsburgh for example because that is one stadium that is not easy to kick in or even Foxborough for that matter.

Zuerlein has had optimum conditions kicking with the Rams now he'll be outside on grass although most likely the weather will be fine. You're right about Fisher liking a kicker with a big leg, but IMO, with an improved offense they might be looking for a more consistent guy.

Who knows? If Zuerlein has an excellent camp and preseason this point is moot, however, everyone knows that Taylor Bertolet is not going to offer Zuerlein any competition and the Rams just might bring in another veteran before camp begins like Garrett Hartley for example, however, if Zuerlein struggles and Fisher wants a veteran who has seemed to improve with age the Rams could do much worse than Shaun Christopher Suisham, who would be available because of the emergence of Boswell, who I really truly wish the Rams could get.

Zuerlein struggles on grass because they're away games. People used the same sort of arguments against Peyton Manning and other "dome QBs" to claim that playing in those optimum conditions inflated their numbers. That is right up until Manning started posting even more ridiculous numbers as a Bronco.

And no, Zuerlein didn't actually miss plenty of kicks inside 40 yards this year. He was 12 of 13 inside 40 yards.(not counting PATs) He actually uncharacteristically missed a lot of kicks in the 40-49 yard range.(his career average prior to this year was almost 90% but he only hit 62.5% this year) I'd say the fact that 2 of the 3 misses in that range were blocked had something to do with it.

In fact, if you remove the blocked FGs, Zuerlein's misses were:
35 yarder against Cleveland
48 yarder against Minnesota
52 yarder against Baltimore
52 yarder against San Francisco
53 yarder against Green Bay
63 yarder against Green Bay
63 yarder against Cleveland

That puts him at 89.5% for the year under 50 yards. Shockingly, that's almost exactly the same as his career average coming into 2015.

He was more inaccurate than usual from 50+ yards but I think there's a strong argument that his confidence taking a beating or his injury (or both) accounts for that.

GZs rep exceeds his performance. He's never really been much more than an average kicker with a huge leg.

Rams do ask him to kick more 55+ yarders but the ability to kick deep and accurate is his claim to fame, and still just a small percentage of his overall attempts. League average last year was 88% from below 50 yards and GZ hasn't been that good since 2013.

Coming into 2015, Zuerlein's career average was 89.6% within 50 yards. Counting 2015, his career average is at 87.1%.

 

[Psycho_X]

In fact, if you remove the blocked FGs, Zuerlein's misses were:

48 yarder against Minnesota
52 yarder against Baltimore

I agree with you, I think Zuerlein hasn't been nearly as bad as people make him out to be. Fisher takes risks and one of those is letting his big leg kicker try for points over 50 yards. Under he is as good as most kickers. Hopefully with a better offense our need to take risks just for 3 points will diminish. BUT the problem I think with GZ is people remember the ones like above that were ball busters and helped contribute to losses. Obviously not his fault the offense couldn't score points but doesn't help that missed field goals that could win games are remembered more distinctly.

tldr: I'm good with GZ as our kicker.

 

[BonifayRam]

Not to be argumentative @BonifayRam but IMO the only "issue" Coples really had was being miscast in the Jets 3-4 defense. I know there were some that questioned his work ethic but I also believe that to be a function of his being misused. I guess time will tell, but he was a Tarheel so that earns him some latitude (in my eyes at least).

As for Long and JL being allowed to walk, that was due to production, or lack thereof (and in Long's case an inflated contract) and unrelated to the leadership skills both displayed. It just got to the point that we needed more than leadership and due to injury and/or declining skills neither were viable options any longer.

Yep we have different takes here on Coples. You are more positive ...I have more concerns & its nothing to do about his out of position stuff. I like the Coples signing very much but Coples is closer to a mgt. problem than not. I hope your right & I am totally wrong here on Coples.

Ref. Long & JL... I agree with all you said but the point was (no matter the reason they departed & I agree as to why they needed to go) .....those two being departed resulted in two Grand Canyon size holes in locker room leadership that had been there since 2008.

 

[den-the-coach]

That puts him at 89.5% for the year under 50 yards. Shockingly, that's almost exactly the same as his career average coming into 2015.

He was more inaccurate than usual from 50+ yards but I think there's a strong argument that his confidence taking a beating or his injury (or both) accounts for that.

Coming into 2015, Zuerlein's career average was 89.6% within 50 yards. Counting 2015, his career average is at 87.1%.

Well, I hope you're right that Zuerlein can regain his confidence because he does offer quite a bit from kicking off to the ability to hit a long kick. I wasn't happy with a few of the blocks as well, but again, if Zuerlein does well in camp and preseason nobody will care if he carries it into the regular season and the Rams commit to him longer term.

 

[Prime Time]

Rams announce the hiring of Dr. Phil to Coaching Staff

The Rams announce the hiring of Phil McGraw, to the position of; runningbacks-wide receiver-defensive line-offensive line-defensive backs assistant coach

When reached for comment Jeff Fisher said "he can help us all over the place and, no, his job title cannot be used in scrabble".

This is the first NFL coaching job for Phil McGraw.

http://www.drphil.com/advice/take-responsibility-for-your-life/

http://teamcoco.com/category/tags/punxsutawney-dr-phil

Punxsutawney Dr. Phil vs. Dr. Phil

 

[den-the-coach]

Rams addition of Dominique Easley makes sense to replace Nick Fairley
By Nick Wagoner

[espn.go.com]

The Los Angeles Rams and coach Jeff Fisher have a certain affinity for former first-round defensive linemen. That love led them to their latest addition Tuesday when they agreed to terms on a one-year deal with former New England Patriots defensive tackle Dominique Easley.

With Easley's addition, the Rams have five former first-round picks on their defensive line for the second consecutive year. After losing defensive end Chris Long and tackle Nick Fairley to the Patriots and New Orleans Saints, respectively, during this offseason, the Rams added end Quinton Coples and now Easley to get that number back to five.

Easley was a first-round pick by New England in 2014 after a knee injury wiped out his final season at Florida. In two seasons with the Patriots, Easley had 25 tackles, three sacks and an interception in limited action.

Many were surprised when the Patriots released Easley, though his health issues were an ongoing concern. Now, Easley will bring a familiar combination of off-field issues and talent to the interior of the Rams' defensive line.

It's an easy comparison to the Fairley signing last year. At the time, the Rams were looking for low-cost, high-upside depth behind starters Aaron Donald and Michael Brockers. They brought in Fairley, who had battled his share of injuries and red flags, but who also had plenty of talent.

Fairley played well in a limited role as the team's primary backup interior pass-rusher. Although he didn't have the normal statistics to prove it, Pro Football Focus graded him as a top-five defensive tackle in the league on a production-per-snap basis despite playing just 427 snaps.

If Easley can stay healthy and come prepared, he could offer similar production. In fact, PFF graded Easley as the second-most productive pass-rusher on a per-snap basis among all defensive linemen last year. Like Fairley, that also came on a small sample size, but also like Fairley, he figures to be a rotational piece for the Rams if he secures his spot on the roster.

So, how does Easley ensure that happens? I asked Patriots reporter Mike Reiss to offer some insight on what type of player Easley is, what went wrong in New England and how he might fit with the Rams.

Here's what Reiss had to say:

"Easley's first two years in New England concluded with him on injured reserve by mid-December, so health is the first thing on the list of reasons why it didn't work out for him with the Patriots. The backstory is that he had entered the NFL in 2014 with significant medical questions, having torn both of his ACLs over a three-year span in college, so it was a continuation of those issues in the NFL.

"Then behind the scenes, Easley butted heads with some on the coaching staff at times, and there wasn't always agreement between management and Easley as to the best course of rehabilitation. It is extremely rare for any team to part ways with a first-round pick after just two seasons, but that provides some context as to why the Patriots moved on so quickly and absorbed more of a cap hit by releasing him than they would have if they kept him.

"The other part about Easley's time in New England that is a bit different is his body type relative to what the Patriots have traditionally looked for in their defensive linemen -- he's undersized for their scheme, but with such a focus on sub defenses these days, the Patriots figured he'd be on the field at almost starter-like playing-time levels when they picked him in the first round. It just never panned out that way. The Patriots have since gone back to focusing on bigger-bodied defensive tackles, but it's easy to see his fit in Los Angeles' scheme as a backup to Aaron Donald."

 

[12intheBox]

It's not all on the coaches to help the 'maturity challenged' players. It's a locker room issue. Players learn as much from their peers as they do from their coaches.

The locker room is going to be key. We need the right leaders in there now more than ever. It's very much on them to bring the best (and keep the worst) out of the talent in that room.

 

[ReddingRam]

http://nflmocks.com/2016/05/17/los-angeles-rams-are-betting-big-on-mike-waufle/

Los Angeles Rams Are Betting Big On Mike Waufle


by Erik Lambert 12 hours ago Follow @ErikLambert1

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A lot of people must be scratching their heads at why the Los Angeles Rams are collecting so many failed defensive linemen. Simple. They have a secret weapon.

His name is Mike Waufle. The teams’ defensive line coach since Jeff Fisher took over the team in 2012, he brings with him quite the reputation in NFL circles. Aside from being an ex-member of the United States Marine Corps, he has built a long and illustrious history as a developer and teacher of top pass rushers in pro football.

The Rams’ own website lists out some of his impressive accomplishments.

“Waufle was defensive line coach at the University of California at Berkeley for six years before moving to nearby Oakland. While an assistant at Cal, Waufle was also recruiting coordinator. Waufle helped develop a number of NFL defensive linemen, including two first rounders in 1996 — Duane Clemons and Regan Upshaw — during his coaching career at Cal. Waufle was defensive line coach at Oregon State from 1990-91 and at UCLA in 1989.

Waufle served in the same capacity with the Raiders from 1998-03. He helped Oakland earn three AFC West titles during his first stint with the Raiders, a run that included a 2002 AFC Championship and trip to Super Bowl XXXVII. DT Darrell Russell made two Pro Bowls (1998, ’99) during Waufle’s first tenure with the Raiders.

From 2004-09, Waufle served as defensive line coach with the New York Giants and helped guide some of the NFL’s top pass rushers. The Giants led the NFL in sacks in 2007, and their defensive line sacked Tom Brady five times in Super Bowl XLII to help lead New York to a world championship. Three different defensive ends – Osi Umenyiora (2005, ’07), Michael Strahan (2005) and Justin Tuck (2008) – went to the Pro Bowl under Waufle’s watch. On Sept. 30, 2007, Waufle’s Giants tied the NFL single-game record as they recorded 12 sacks in a win over the Philadelphia Eagles.”

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Not much has changed since. Waufle has worked his same magic with the Rams, turning Robert Quinn and now Aaron Donald into All-Pro stars. So it is into these capable hands that Fisher and GM Les Snead have dropped two former 1st round draft picks in hopes he might reverse the way both their careers have gone.

Quinton Coples was the 16th overall pick of the New York Jets in 2012. Viewed as a physical freak of nature at 6’6″, 290 lbs he had the look of a player that could dominate. His three years with the Jets were hardly dominant. Granted, they weren’t terrible with 16.5 sacks in three years but they were well below expectations. With a new regime arriving under Todd Bowles he was traded to Miami midway through last season, didn’t play much and was released this off-season.

Then there is Dominique Easley. A former 1st round of New England in 2014, he arrived with history of knee problems that continued to dog him through his two seasons there. He had just three sacks in that span and the Patriots released him in April. His reputation as a great interior pass rusher at Florida, along with rumors he wasn’t happy in New England, compelled the Rams to put him under the direction of Waufle.

If the 61-year old can mold those two and get them to play to their potential, an already great defensive front becomes a frightening one.

 

[Prime Time]

http://www.turfshowtimes.com/2016/5/18/11696546/los-angeles-rams-dominique-easley-roster-depth-chart

New Los Angeles Rams DL Dominique Easley's Fit Along the Defensive Line
By QBKlass  @QBKlass on May 18, 2016

Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Dominique Easley has struggled staying healthy since his time at the University of Florida, but he is one of the best interior pass rushers around when he is on.

Last night, former New England Patriot Dominique Easley signed a one year deal with the Los Angeles Rams. He is a bit of a wild card at this point, but there is absolutely value in giving him another shot in the NFL.

Health issues and perceived character issues have plagued Easley's time in the NFL. Prior to being drafted in the first round by the New England Patriots in 2014, Easley tore each of his ACLs at separate times while in college, the second of which ended his senior season. While in the league, he battled injuries, too. They were largely minor injuries, but injuries no less and he missed some time in his two years with the Patriots.

The reward for signing Easley could be stunning, barring his health. Him being cut by the Patriots was not all about his health, either. Easley has a dark, eccentric personality that was simply a poor fit in New England. Between his health, poor personality fit and unclear linkage with the Chandler Jones incident (Jones was also shipped off in a trade with the Arizona Cardinals), it made sense for the Patriots to move on. Los Angeles can be a new beginning for him.

Easley is incredibly energetic on the field. He moves around a lot along the line of scrimmage prior to the snap, doing his best to confuse the offensive line as to what his true intentions are. His energy was contagious at Florida and lead to a lot of explosive plays from the front seven. Sometimes he would dance at the line of scrimmage before a play, while other times he would do this...

Energy aside, Easley is an outstanding penetrator along the defensive line. Coming out of Florida, he was up to par with Aaron Donald, in terms of talent. Health has obviously hindered that, but the point remains. Easley is wildly explosive off the snap and has a mean streak. That combo has lead to Easley putting a lot of linemen, running backs and quarterbacks in the dirt over the course of his career. When he is on, he has the ability to derail a play before it even starts.

Run Defense
As a run defender, Easley is best shooting gaps. He can do that from anywhere, though. 1-tech, 3-tech, 5-tech- it doesn't matter for Easley. Just put him in a gap and he will shoot it.

Here, Easley is lined up directly over the guard, but Miami's zone running game creates a gap for him. The entire line steps to the right. For most defensive lineman, the center squares them up and the battle starts there. Not for Easley. He fires out of his stance and the center has no option but to hold Easley, which is ultimately unsuccessful anyway as Easley destroys the play and racks up a tackle for loss.

Easley shifts from being shaded into the B-gap to being shaded into the C-gap here. He explodes as soon as the ball moves and forces Ronald Leary (65) to lose balanced footing.Travis Frederick (72) was not much helping in stopping Easley either. Easley set out on a mission to stop the rushing attempt and he did it single handedly, and did so against the best offensive line in the league, no less.

Pass Rush
This is where Easley is most valuable. His work in the run game is good, too, but his ability to manhandle opposing linemen in the pass game and generate interior pressure does wonders for a defense

On both of these plays versus the Indianapolis Colts, Easley crushes the pocket in a hurry. In the first clip, he blows the center off the ball, works him back until he is off balanced a bit, and then goes for the kill by ripping him and throwing him to his side.

The second play does not end in a sack, but Easley does force Andrew Luck to make a major adjustment. Easley jumps first at the center, but quickly disengages and works to the far shoulder of the left guard. Easley immediately overpowers the center and drives him back into the quarterback's lap, stripping Luck of any comfort he thought he might have had in the pocket.

This example versus the Houston Texans shows Easley lined up over the B-gap at 3-tech. Easley lands his punch and begins pumping his legs through the guard. Easley's raw power overwhelms the lineman and gets him to stumble backwards right into then quarterback Brian Hoyer.

Fit With the Rams
Dom Easley brings the same dynamic that Donald does, though, due to health issues, not to the same extent. Easley makes for a perfect rotational player for Donald, seeing as he is the same type of player. On third downs and other obvious pass situations- or if Gregg Williams wants to deliberately disrupt the interior of a run play- Easley can work in unison with Donald to generate penetration along the interior.

A lot of Easley's success rests in where he is at health-wise, but if he can avoid another big injury, Easley will certainly have an impact for the Rams and may very well revive his career altogether.

 

[OldSchool]

Man some of these comment seem to imply that Compton will be safer than the Rams locker room.

 

[ReddingRam]

A lot of Easley's success rests in where he is at health-wise, but if he can avoid another big injury, Easley will certainly have an impact for the Rams and may very well revive his career altogether.

And if he does and moves on after this year....the Rams get another shot at a decent compensatory pick

 

[bubbaramfan]

Rams playing with fire. Hope they don't get burnt.

 

[den-the-coach]

Rams playing with fire. Hope they don't get burnt.

It's easy right now, if they don't clean up their act, they just release them. Now is the time to take the chance come September, it's different.

 

[DaveFan'51]

You went a Long way for that one. Some would say you went too Farr. My Chinese friend says all these guys take on two Brockers, and can still get to the quarterback. :heh:

Talk about taking the LONG way, and going too Farr! Your broken English just leaves me wanting to hear more!

 

[VegasRam]

Locker-room cancers work like the disease. They corrupt the locker-room a player at a time. How they do it depends on the players. Some guys try to start conflict and turn players against each other. Other guys have crappy attitudes and do their best to infect those around them. Other guys are headcases who manage to alienate the rest of the locker-room.

How does it affect a locker-room? Because they become a distraction. And when you're distracted, you're not focusing on what's important. How can one or two guys take down a whole team? They can't. But if those one or two guys manage to infect other players who were previously falling in line and start conflict, you risk that causing the team to underachieve. Look at what happened in Miami with the whole Jonathan Martin situation.

People really underestimate the mental side of the game. It's very real.

@Jerry32 - I understand the concept, and don't really disagree with anything you said, but only in a vague conceptual way.

It's the OMG:shocked: crowd implying that a guy who got popped for getting high, (NOT a character issue), is going to walk into a room of grown men who have pretty much dedicated their life to, and reached the pinnacle of, a game they love, and start demolishing their dedication and belief system that got them there in the first place, while oh btw, the other 70 players just stand around saying/thinking, "this dude's making a lot of sense - we need to start questioning everything coach tells us", instead of shutting/shouting him down, which is generally what really happens. And while no one, myself included, thinks JL and CL won't be missed leadership wise, their loss didn't create a vacuum. The Rams have plenty of leaders on the team in Hayes, Quinn, Donald, Brockers, Cunningham. Goff, Gurley and Barron will be, and I think Ogletree and Mac Donald will step up, (despite their character issues).:boxing:

 

[DaveFan'51]

OK! I now read all 118 comments on the Easley Hiring, But No One has asked our answered the BIG Question. In order to hire Him, WHO DID THE RAMS CUT!!