T.J. McDonald on Thriving Under Gregg Williams

[RamBill]

Rams safety T.J. McDonald on working with DC Gregg Williams’ aggressive defense. Steve Savard interviews the Rams safety.

Watch McDonald Interview

 

[LazyWinker]

What's with TJ's jersey? It looks inside out... wither that or they filmed him through a mirror.

 

[LACHAMP46]

I'm liking the way TJ has played this season....he's always been a smart heady player....Hard hitter, but knows the game....
Expecting big things from him when he moves to FS & Barron goes to SS.....it's long overdue....I've forgotten all about Mo Alexander...

 

[A55VA6]

TJ has been a bright spot. Love the way he flies to the ball.

 

[SierraRam]

I've forgotten all about Mo Alexander...

Exactly! Fish has his Safety position covered the way he wants it now that Barron's on board. TJ has been awesome this year!

It's pretty cool that Alexander seems to be our only draft miss in the first 6 rounds - this could be the draft the makes us a contender for years! (after we address OL & QB next May)

 

[BonifayRam]

Exactly! Fish has his Safety position covered the way he wants it now that Barron's on board. TJ has been awesome this year!

It's pretty cool that Alexander seems to be our only draft miss in the first 6 rounds - this could be the draft the makes us a contender for years! (after we address OL & QB next May)

I will agree that Fisher & Williams got what they wanted with Barron. All depends on if you think Mark Barron is going to be Gregg's starting SS or FS? As to what Gregg does with Barron is a process now underway...stay tuned. Many may think Mark Barron will be the 3rd safety now in place of Cody Davis?? to play as a reserve or in the dime defense. I just not there on that. Reason being I find it highly unlikely Snead & Fisher would trade close to 30 % of your 2015 draft picks for a reserve safety who will be a UFA after next season, plus when you have other very young talented safeties like Cody Davis, Joyner & Mo Alexander on your roster now & signed way into the future. I have read where others think Barron will be inserted into his best position @ starting strong safety post, I just do see that either.

That post belongs to TJ McDonald .....I think that TJ has had only one really bad game thus far. I would agree that the 6-2 1/2 220 pound TJ is playing very well in the Strong Safety position. I do not see any position change for him as some has speculated to deep safety. It not that TJ could not play the deep middle zone safety post but why interfere with a very good positive ongoing element?

Barron has always been a play-maker & most all those big plays that made him the selected 7th player overall in the first round of the 2012 draft came from being close & around the LOS. The plays that has us excited we saw last week came from that same area...LOS. I think TJ McDonald continues to start & play @ SS. Barron place looks to be that where he will place our SSLB'er Dunbar on the bench IMO & the Rams defense will start 3 safeties on a regular basis for the rest of the 2014 season. Not so sure that Mo Alexander will be a total missed draft pick but up till now he sure has.

 

[SierraRam]

Not so sure that Mo Alexander will be a total missed draft pick but up till now he sure has.

I agree. Mo still has a chance to contribute but he better step up soon...

TJ is playing very well in the Strong Safety position. I do not see any position change for him as some has speculated to deep safety.

+1 I love the 3-safety set. TJ is our Defensive MVP so far - with the two rooks (AD and EJ) tied for 2nd

 

[LACHAMP46]

@BonifayRam (curious, what does that mean?)
Not sure how talented Cody Davis is.....Really don't see Joyner as a safety, this is his second injury just playing the nickle corner...Think he's hurt himself both times...
I still think TJ is the best option for FS, and has been for 2 seasons...Not sure why we even drafted Mo if he wasn't expected to contribute ANYTHING his first year? Mark is a former 1st round selection, there is no way he'll be playing LB in anything but a dime package...He needs to be starting, like tomorrow....Something about this coaching staff is starting to irk me...can't quite put my finger on it....
In our base 4-3 (which against Peyton we won't be in much) it should be Quinn, Donald, Brockers, Hayes (Sims has looked better to me though), Dunbar (yech)-JL (no comment)-Ogletree, and the secondary should be Jenkins, Johnson, McDonald, Barron....with EJ coming in for Dunbar in passing downs...All this packages this/ snap counts that...BS....get a unit, leave it on the field to gel & grade....rotate the DL's only....

 

[jjab360]

I agree. Mo still has a chance to contribute but he better step up soon...

TJ is playing very well in the Strong Safety position. I do not see any position change for him as some has speculated to deep safety.

+1 I love the 3-safety set. TJ is our Defensive MVP so far - with the two rooks (AD and EJ) tied for 2nd

Gotta disagree, Donald has definitely been the standout player on defense so far this season imo.

 

[den-the-coach]

Quite frankly I'm looking forward to the improvement of the defense and I'm hoping next year with Barron/McDonald the Rams will be ready to move into the upper echelon of defense in the NFL.

I am also looking forward to possible a different philosophy on offense with a new coordinator and possibly other staff changes on that side of the ball.

 

[ReddingRam]

I will agree that Fisher & Williams got what they wanted with Barron. All depends on if you think Mark Barron is going to be Gregg's starting SS or FS? As to what Gregg does with Barron is a process now underway...stay tuned. Many may think Mark Barron will be the 3rd safety now in place of Cody Davis?? to play as a reserve or in the dime defense. I just not there on that. Reason being I find it highly unlikely Snead & Fisher would trade close to 30 % of your 2015 draft picks for a reserve safety who will be a UFA after next season, plus when you have other very young talented safeties like Cody Davis, Joyner & Mo Alexander on your roster now & signed way into the future. I have read where others think Barron will be inserted into his best position @ starting strong safety post, I just do see that either.

That post belongs to TJ McDonald .....I think that TJ has had only one really bad game thus far. I would agree that the 6-2 1/2 220 pound TJ is playing very well in the Strong Safety position. I do not see any position change for him as some has speculated to deep safety. It not that TJ could not play the deep middle zone safety post but why interfere with a very good positive ongoing element?

Barron has always been a play-maker & most all those big plays that made him the selected 7th player overall in the first round of the 2012 draft came from being close & around the LOS. The plays that has us excited we saw last week came from that same area...LOS. I think TJ McDonald continues to start & play @ SS. Barron place looks to be that where he will place our SSLB'er Dunbar on the bench IMO & the Rams defense will start 3 safeties on a regular basis for the rest of the 2014 season. Not so sure that Mo Alexander will be a total missed draft pick but up till now he sure has.

I was thinking that maybe they will convert Mo Alexander back to a OLB position. He has/was a LB for a longer period of time and only had one yr of S exp. in college....??

 

[Riverumbbq]

Reason being I find it highly unlikely Snead & Fisher would trade close to 30 % of your 2015 draft picks for a reserve safety who will be a UFA after next season

Not necessarily a UFA after 2015. The Rams just may elect to initiate his 5'th year option.

 

[BonifayRam]

@BonifayRam (curious, what does that mean?)

Evening LACHAMP46, lets see if I can go a bit deeper on this....

"Not sure how talented Cody Davis is....." Me either Davis was not being mentioned as a possible starting FS. It was directed toward the already reserve safety talent on the roster like Davis, Alexander, Joyner & McLeod before trading away two draft picks for another safety, my point being the Rams did not have any real need for more to have Barron just ride the bench with the rest of them.

"Really don't see Joyner as a safety, this is his second injury just playing the nickle corner...Think he's hurt himself both times..." I do. Living about an 90 minutes west of FSU & with so many of my family members being big big fans I have seen a lot of Joyner. I never known Joyner to be injured where he could not play, Joyner played in 55 FSU games & started 40 of them. Joyner started 27 games @ safety & 13 @ Corner. I believe Joyner was considered one of the toughness players in the All-Atlantic Conference during the 3 yrs he started & was a heavily awarded Seminole.

"I still think TJ is the best option for FS, and has been for 2 seasons..." I am just not there you this time, I sure like him @ SS. Do I think he can play deep zone safety sure, but he is an early budding NFL star @ SS now. I would keep him there.

"Not sure why we even drafted Mo if he wasn't expected to contribute ANYTHING his first year?" I agree completely.

"Mark is a former 1st round selection, there is no way he'll be playing LB in anything but a dime package...He needs to be starting, like tomorrow...." I have a very high opinion of Mark Barron as a play maker and would have no issues with Barron playing any OSLB'er positions in the Dime, Nickle or Base with Ogletree.

Something about this coaching staff is starting to irk me...can't quite put my finger on it....
In our base 4-3 (which against Peyton we won't be in much) it should be Quinn, Donald, Brockers, Hayes (Sims has looked better to me though), Dunbar (yech)-JL (no comment)-Ogletree, and the secondary should be Jenkins, Johnson, McDonald, Barron....with EJ coming in for Dunbar in passing downs...All this packages this/ snap counts that...BS....get a unit, leave it on the field to gel & grade....rotate the DL's only....

I just say this ...I do not have any issues with getting different players on the field in many types of defensive packages myself. If the Rams had some decent LB'ers reserves like they do in the DL, lets get them a little action some too. but they don't. This young secondary is a different story & has some good latent young talent now & I can see 6 or 7 of them that should be able to get a chance to play.

 

[jap]

TJ Mac and Barron are our Doomsday/Death Squad safeties.

 

[SierraRam]

Gotta disagree, Donald has definitely been the standout player on defense so far this season imo.

"For what it's worth, Pro Football Focus grades Gaines as the Rams' second-best defensive player, coincidentally only behind another rookie in defensive tackle Aaron Donald." Nick Wagoner

Your not the only one who disagrees with me jjab - sounds like Nick's with you too...

Oh well, its nice to have 3-4 guys to pick from for our D MVP! (Instead of Quinn all the time) Our D is gonna be tough for years

 

[ramsince62]

I'm liking the way TJ has played this season....he's always been a smart heady player....Hard hitter, but knows the game....
Expecting big things from him when he moves to FS & Barron goes to SS.....it's long overdue....I've forgotten all about Mo Alexander...

Of course, he's a Trojan.

 

[RamzFanz]

TJ Mac and Barron are our Doomsday/Death Squad safeties.

Then throw in JJ and Gaines and it's looking as good as we could have ever expected.

 

[den-the-coach]

Seems like it was just two games ago nobody was thriving under Gregg Williams' defense.

 

[jap]

Seems like it was just two games ago nobody was thriving under Gregg Williams' defense.

Well, you know, Den, intelligent read & react defenses and young 'us don't mix very well initially. However, 'Tree is starting to get the hang of GW's mad schemes, and the other Baby Horns will follow.

 

[den-the-coach]

Well, you know, Den, intelligent read & react defenses and young 'us don't mix very well initially. However, 'Tree is starting to get the hang of GW's mad schemes, and the other Baby Horns will follow.

I concur and have always been a fan of Gregg Williams I have little doubt that combined with Fisher they can build a great defense, however, until Fisher is able to broaden his horizons from an offensive perspective and hire a coordinator to be as creative as Williams offensively the Rams will always be playing every game very close to the vest.