Here's my priority list:

1. Extend Cooper Kupp. He deserves a raise, and I'd like to have him locked in until 2025-26.

2. Re-sign OBJ. Structure will be tricky, but I want him to be a Ram for the next 2-3 seasons, if feasible.

3. Restructure/extend worthy 2023 FAs-to-be: the guys I'd be looking at first are Rob Havenstein and A'Shawn Robinson. Could potentially clear some short-term cap space while getting them locked in through 2025 (these moves could actually be necessary to clear space for OBJ).

4. Consider veteran market: we're likely talking about a 1 year deal with a veteran pass rusher.

5. Give some thought to Taylor Rapp. Most shocking stat of 2021: the Rams' snap count leader was Taylor Rapp. As he enters the final year of his contract, I wonder, though, if he is going to play a similar role in 2022. If he isn't, is there an argument for looking for a trade partner?

.

no current rams were included in his list. otherwise we would all know AD is the sure fire #1 on the list.


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Great listen. This dude is arguably the best thing to ever happen to our franchise.

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And a GUARANTEED Rams win!

Second best news of the day? We know they wait on this still, a holdover from the Fisher era. Glad to see this done.

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Will the NFL ever have a running back like Marshall Faulk again?​

It’s hard to believe it now, but Marshall Faulk’s Hall of Fame trajectory did not even really begin to take flight until after five seasons and a trade from the Indianapolis Colts to the St. Louis Rams in 1999. These days, it is all too common for fans to assume that running backs are not physically capable of playing more than four years in the league, but ironically many would amend that statement if the player is capable of also catching passes.

Somehow if you’re purely a runner, your career lifespan is assumed to be shorter and less valuable than if you’re also (and mostly) a receiver.

Well, Marshall Faulk could do both at an elite level. Did something happen to running back bodies from the Jim Brown era to the Walter Payton era to the Marshall Faulk era to the Adrian Peterson era that suddenly made it impossible to handle a full workload for more than one or two seasons?

Payton, for example, averaged 370 touches per season from age 22 to age 27, covering years 2-7 in his Bears career. But he also averaged 381 touches per season from age 29-32, covering years 9-12 in his career. Payton played a 13th season in 1987, which is when he did start to show signs of decline.

Faulk started 121 games over his first eight years in the NFL, averaging 338 touches per season and he played in all 16 games five times in that span. Faulk also played in another 12 career postseason games and was heavily utilized most of the time. He was a starter for the Rams in 2004 at the age of 31, then a backup in 2005 before retiring after that season.

Is it really impossible for a running back can be good into his 30s anymore?

Writers at Sharp Football Analysis recently had a discussion about one of the top running backs in the NFL today, Christian McCaffrey, and said that he was “This era’s Marshall Faulk.”

But is that even possible anymore? McCaffrey still has a long ways to go to prove something like that.

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McCaffrey didn’t miss any games over the first three years of his career, culminating in a 2019 season in which he had 403 touches (287 carries for 1,387 yards, 116 catches for 1,005 yards) and scoring 19 touchdowns.

But McCaffrey missed 13 games in 2020 and 10 games in 2021. Over the last two seasons, McCaffrey has 10 starts, 158 carries, 54 receptions, and has scored eight times. He turns 26 on Tuesday and is hoping to revive his career with a strong season in 2022. If the Carolina Panthers are as bad as they presently appear to be with Sam Darnold at quarterback, could McCaffrey also be headed for a mid-career trade like Faulk?

He has a lot of catching up to do.

From 1998 to 2001, Marshall Faulk made 60 starts and averaged 272 carries for 1,360 yards with 11 touchdowns, plus 84 receptions for 887 yards and 11 more touchdowns. That is 357 touches and 6.3 yards per touch per season.

McCaffrey isn’t even close.

The NFL’s top running back of the era right now is Derrick Henry but he has not been able to challenge the question of whether or not running backs can still handle 350-400 touches in a season. Henry was in a committee with DeMarco Murray for the first few years of his career, not handling more than 200 touches until year three, and not getting 300 touches until year four. He had a career-high 397 touches in 2020, winning AP Offensive Player of the Year after rushing for 2,027 yards and 17 touchdowns (his second season in a row leading the NFL in yards and touchdowns), but Henry missed nine games last season.

He also doesn’t have the receiving prowess of players like Faulk and McCaffrey.

Can Henry, now 28, reasonably play another five years in the league?

What do you think? Is it possible for running backs to handle that kind of workload anymore? If not, why isn’t it? If it is presumably “easier” to run in the NFL as defenses load up on more pass-rushing defensive linemen and coverage-specialist linebackers, then why can’t more teams take advantage of high quality rushing abilities? And where are the players who can carry it 200 times and catch it 100 times?

Alvin Kamara seemed headed in that direction but he has not played in 16 games since his rookie campaign, missing a career-high four contests last season. Despite his best efforts, Kamara is nowhere near the abilities of Marshall Faulk.

Could anyone ever be again?

10/24/2021, The (5-1) Los Angeles Rams rally to beat the (0-6) Detroit Lions.

This was a gut-wrenching game last season for most of us Rams fans.

The Lions came out swinging and used a plethora of trick plays on special teams to give them every advantage possible.

This type of game usually ends with as a big upset over a huge favorite in the NFL.

The Rams scratched and clawed their way back to earn a victory.

It's games like these that tell a lot about a team's heart and ability to overcome adversity in the NFL.

(Any given Sunday) happens every week in the NFL.

This was one of those type of games, but the Rams kept punching and finally delivered a knockout late in the contest.

I was very proud of our Rams being able to keep their composure in a game that had all the breaks going to the other team.

I enjoyed watching this game again.

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I think it’s the trade of the decade and that might be a bit conservative.

And to think that some thought we overpaid.

Stafford’s talent turbocharged everything on O from McVay’s new options, to Kupp’s record setting year, to resurrecting OBJ’s career, to that incredible drama filled playoff run that drained all of us, and on and on…

All due respect to Kupp and AD, but Stafford was the real SB MVP.

Snead has made a lot of great moves as a GM, no doubt, but the Stafford trade was his second most impactful.

Here’s my top 4 Snead moves:

Hiring McVay is his biggest HR move, by far (yeah, he had help with this decision, but it was basically his to make)

Stafford trade
Drafting AD at pick 13
Ramsey trade (at lest gets an honorable mention on this elite list)

And in that order. Is it too early to call Snead a savant or prodigy?

The wedding was yesterday and seems like it was a good party.

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Snead with a new hairdo?

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How Bobby Wagner is aiding Ernest Jones' Year 2 development​

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – When it comes to mentoring Rams second-year linebacker Ernest Jones, veteran Bobby Wagner is drawing on his own experience at that exact point in his own NFL career.

"Just putting myself back to Year 2, what are some of the things that I would have wanted somebody to teach me?" Wagner said after Thursday's OTA session. "What are some of the things that I want to spread?"

That answer, according to Wagner, centers around processing the game.

When Wagner works with Jones, he wants to teach him to slow the game down. In their first or second season, a player can feel like they need to "get everywhere fast." As they get older, they realize there's a lot of wasted motor movement – something Wagner learned and applied to the way he played.

"So when you watch me play, I don't waste no steps," Wagner said. "Like, if I only got to take two steps, I'm taking two – I'm not gonna take six. And so just slowing the game down, processing the game, understanding ... you want your mind to be fast, but your body to be slow."

Jones is doing his part and welcoming that feedback.

"He's so receptive, he comes in early, he's a hard worker," Wagner said. "Like I said, he's a guy that can really be very, very talented just because of his mindset, the way he carries himself and his hunger to be great."

At this point, traits like that are not new to Wagner, who was familiar with Jones prior to coming to Los Angeles. However, he did learn just how wide that age gap really feels.

"That he was born close to the 2000s," Wagner said, when asked what he's learned about Jones in the time they've worked together. "That's probably the biggest thing. Come into the (linebacker) room, and you do the whole introduction thing. And I don't know why we thought to say our age and what year you were born. So I was hearing '98, '99, then I had to say '90, and everybody was like 'Ooohhh.' I'm like, 'I got a nine in front of it just like y'all."

Wagner is not so old, though that those players – especially Jones – won't listen to the wisdom he imparts. He will be bridging that age gap by leaning own his own experience from a decade ago.

I'm thinking of planning a trip back to the US to take in a couple of games.

I was bummed that the weather delayed the opening of SoFi because I always planned on getting to a game before we moved back to the UK.

Then again it meant I got to see the last ever playoff game at the Coliseum (and a win over Dallas), so it wasn't all bad.

Even though I saw a couple of road games against the Cards I missed their new stadium by a year and baked my pasty tits off in the horrible monstrosity that was their home,

Anyway, I have suggested my 60th birthday which is this summer, as a reason/excuse to blow part of our retirement and was looking at the Atlanta home game and Cards road game as options.

Tickets look cheap and available for both, but (and I have done this a couple of times) would I be better waiting and buying outside on game day?

And, does anybody have any tips on where to avoid sitting at either stadium?

Rams could regret lack of investment in backup QB​

If everything goes according to plan for the Los Angeles Rams, backup quarterbacks John Wolford and Bryce Perkins would never see the field during the regular season or playoffs.

Even though Matthew Stafford battled through injuries during the 2021 season he did not miss any time as a result. Wolford took offensive snaps in three games, but this playing time came in blowout victories over the New York Giants, Houston Texans, and Jacksonville Jaguars.

While the Rams were incredibly successful against these teams, Wolford was not - and his performance in this limited action should be cause for concern moving forward.



When backup quarterbacks come in during blowout victories the play calling is typically hyper-conservative and run-heavy; however, Wolford managed to throw an interception against the Giants on only two attempts - his only completion was to the other team.

It didn’t get better for the backup quarterback against the Texans - Wolford dropped back three times resulting in a 8-yard sack, a 5-yard completion, and turnover-worthy pass that fell incomplete.

In the only regular season start of his career, the Rams defense scored more touchdowns (1) than Wolford’s offense. He finished that game with a completion percentage of 58% and an interception.

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With Wolford sitting out of the 2021 preseason - he was recovering from appendicitis but also the Rams typically rest key players - it’s difficult to know where his develop currently sits. Has Wolford been better behind the scenes, earning the confidence of the coaching staff? Or is backup quarterback a ticking time bomb for a team that hopes to compete for a championship again in 2022?

The only realistic alternative this season is Bryce Perkins, who is far from a lock to make the team’s final roster.

While Perkins’ athleticism was impressive during the three exhibition games, he did not flash the ability to push the ball downfield on a consistent basis - and this is an extremely important element of LA’s passing attack.

It’s possible that the mobility of Perkins gives him a lower ceiling should the Rams need to replace Stafford in the short-term, though Wolford is a better fit from a traditional drop back perspective.

So what should have been the answer for the Rams behind Stafford - and what should the plan be moving forward?

Did the team need to acquire someone like Chase Daniel, Marcus Mariota, or Andy Dalton? Probably not.

But the Rams could have nabbed Trevor Siemian or Kyle Allen for around $2-2.5M per year. They could have selected a quarterback in the draft for the first time under head coach Sean McVay - and anyone drafted in theory would have offered more upside than the undrafted Wolford and Perkins.

Take Kansas State’s Skylar Thompson for example - drafted in the seventh round by the Miami Dolphins who had already signed Teddy Bridgewater in free agency. After drafting Thompson the Dolphins released Chris Streveler, who had previously served as the backup to Kyler Murray with the Arizona Cardinals. Thompson went later in the draft because he is already 24 years old. While he has all the traits you’d like to see in a big, strong-armed developmental quarterback, he was oft-injured at Kansas State.

This is just one way the Rams could have elevated their quarterback room, but instead they chose to stand pat.

After battling nagging injuries in 2021, Stafford isn’t throwing in OTA’s due to an injection in his throwing arm. He’s 34.

While no one wants to see him injured and miss time, 2-3 bad games from either Wolford or Perkins could be enough to prevent the team from making the playoffs. A backup quarterback isn’t going to take you to the Super Bowl if your starter misses the playoffs, but they can keep you on track long enough to earn you a spot in the tournament.

Hopefully we aren’t left reflecting on what could have been with the 2022 Rams team after an injury to their star signal caller. Los Angeles could regret their lack of investment in the backup quarterback position.

I think this undoubtedly applies to many other RBs around the league. RB is a tough position as we know well from our own RB room injuries every season. But it's nice to see a former RB center the discussion on the truth of needing to play through some types of injury:

Lions assistant Duce Staley underscores RB D'Andre Swift knowing difference 'between being injured and hurt'​

Published: Jun 03, 2022 at 08:47 AM

Kevin Patra
Around the NFL Writer

Detroit Lions running back D'Andre Swift owns the skillset to be a featured back, but first, his team needs him to stay healthy.
The former second-round pick has missed seven games in his first two seasons, including four in 2021 with an injured shoulder.
Running backs coach and assistant head coach Duce Staley challenged Swift heading into the season.

"Injuries happen, but one of the things Swift and I had a conversation about is you've got to be able to play through some of these injuries as a running back," Staley said via the Detroit Free Press. "We all know there's a difference between being injured and hurt. As soon as you step in this building as a running back, Day One training camp, you're not going to feel the same. There will be some things you have to fight through."

Staley, who played 10 NFL seasons with the Eagles and Steelers, noted that luck plays a factor in some injuries -- Swift missed two games in his rookie season due to a concussion -- saying playing running back involved "violent car wrecks."

"Playing running back, you're going to take your fair share of hits," Staley said. "You just have to make sure you protect yourself when it's the time to protect yourself and then there's going to be time to put it all out there."

In his first two seasons, Swift has shown flashes of playmaking ability but has yet to find consistency to hoist himself into the top tier of backs. He earned just one game with more than 15 carries in 2021 (33 totes for 130 yards in a tie in Pittsburgh). The 23-year-old reportedly bulked up this offseason in an effort to help avoid the dings and injuries that hurt him in the past.

The Lions have a solid top running back duo in Swift and Jamaal Williams, who possess complementary skill sets in a run-first offense. But if Swift can handle a bigger workload, it would make a growing offense that much more explosive.

"There's no doubt he makes us better, he's a dynamic playmaker with the ball in his hands and we're going to use him as such," Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson said of Swift.

One day, perhaps soon, Aaron Donald will be gone. Some are pissed that he dared to ask for more money with years left on his current deal. Others recognize that he has outperformed his contract and he wants to be fairly compensated. This thread isn't about the AD debate so much, as it is about your philosophy about what you desire for the team.
I would rather have two Super Bowl wins for the current team by 2024, than seven years of good seasons and only one Super Bowl win. I think AD is that critical, but for the sake of this conversation, you could insert "All Time Great" for AD or ATG.

Trade ATG:
You get rid of a big salary, but now have a massive hole to fill. You also have to reevaluate the players around ATG who have been beneficiaries of his presence, because he has a history of getting less talented guys paid with his double and triple teams and they get single teams. OC's no longer have to be terribly aware of where ATG is in the defense. Sure, you probably get a bevy of draft picks, but the odds are there will be no player in the draft like ATG, because players like ATG only come around once in a generation or two. You draft some players who pan out and others who do not. You have more CAP space, but the overall play of the defense is no longer elite. The offense overcompensates because they have to score more points, but the team gets stymied in the playoffs by a team that plays physical defense. Sean McVay keeps getting offered a tv job, year after year......

Keep ATG:
Big contract upon which Les works his magic. The team is able to stay together for another couple of years and the NFL wonders if the Rams really work under a salary cap. ATG is a terror up the middle. The Rams offense does it's thing, but in the end it comes down to a final stop by ATG and his mates. There is a great chance for another Lombardi in the next two years, after which ATG probably retires. We have no draft picks for his loss, but we have a second Lombardi, followed by a possible rebuild and no playoffs for a while.

In this scenario, which would you rather have?

Maybe this was already discussed on the ROD Forum, and I simply don't recall the details?

If this was already posted, I don't remember seeing it or responding to the post.

I'm flabbergasted that an NFL referee in the Super Bowl (so late in a close game) would reach down to assist a player (Aaron Donald) after he makes a critical tackle with 48 seconds left in the game.

The Bengals are trailing 23-20 with the ball at the Rams 49-yard line on 3rd down with 1 yard to go for the first down.

Donald makes the tackle stopping the Bengals from getting the first down and while he's on his back.........

The referee reaches his down and pulls Donald up as if he was a player on the Rams defense.

Watching this clip (0:40/13:28) is like nothing I've ever seen in the Super Bowl.


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Just makes more sense than blowing up to many posters post.

2023 should be fun & personally I’m not that SuperBowl & done guy.I love The Rams & enjoy most the development of these young players & nobody pick ups out of no where.

Just having Troy Hill back & seeing what DT J.Williams does are just pure players to cheer for.

He was somewhat vague about when he was calling from. Something about temporal paradoxes or some other SciFi mumbo jumbo. He also said, for the same reason, that he could not give me too many specifics about the future.

What he was able to tell me was that I should not worry about the Rams’ contracts or cap. He said that, while kicking the can down the road would ultimately catch up with us, it would be worth it. The positive short term benefits will sustain me through the inevitable Piper paying years.

So I’ve got that going for me… which is nice.

I will be straight forward and honest. I followed the Lions all of last year. I wanted to keep watching Goff - who I liked in the draft. I wanted to keep following Aubrey Pleasant who I felt was instrumental in helping Staley grow his philosophy.

I also wanted to follow Brad Holmes and some of the ideas he had helped implement as far as building a team and a culture.

I think they had a fantastic draft.

I know Rams on Demand is not the place to discuss Detroit Lions.

I am reaching out to see if anyone knows of a good Lions forum I can kind of jump on and follow the team a bit better.

I originally found this forum through footballsfuture and I think I followed @jrry32 here. But Rams on Demand has been the best forum I have found for sharing Rams fandom with Rams fans.

Rams are my number 1 and only team but I am dug in about the Lions and the more people tell me they are just a trash franchise the more I want to dig in . . . reminiscing about all the years of Rams fandom.

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Damn.

This will be season three for the 2020 draft class and the old saying goes that you need 3 years to grade a draft. So what do we think about this class folks (yes this is a projection question!):

Rams 2020 draft picks:
RB Cam Akers, FSU
WR Van Jefferson, Florida
LB Terrell Lewis, Alabama
S Terrell Burgess, Utah
TE Brycen Hopkins, Purdue
S Jordan Fuller, Ohio State
LB Clay Johnston, Baylor
K Sam Sloman, Miami (OH)
G Tremayne Anchrum, Clemson

Talk about a group of guys who are all up to bat with runners in scoring position eh? The class is long on upside still I think, with Fuller being the early headliner and Jefferson serving as a valuable depth option thus far. But Fuller had a bit of a down year last season and Burgess is still pending. Kind of weird to say that I'm still sitting here hoping to see arrival for just about every one of them, and this class sort of revolves around whether Akers can stay on the field. If I had to give a grade right now I think we're looking at a C+, though it will look much better if Akers beasts and someone else steps up like maybe Hopkins or Jefferson and win more snaps.

Rams 2020 UDFAs:
QB Bryce Perkins, Virginia
DT Michael Hoecht, Brown
RB Xavier Jones, Southern Methodist
WR JJ Koski, Cal Poly
LB Christian Rozeboom, South Dakota St
DT Jonah Williams, Weber St

I will say right away that the UDFA group looks solid. The quality is primarily in the QB Perkins and DTs Hoecht and Williams, but they also got some core teamers like Rozeboom who found his way onto the field a bit last season. And if Perkins can challenge for or even win that QB2 role I have to say that would greatly affect how I see this class overall, just due to the difficulty of finding quality signal callers. Guessing that Jones, Koski, and Rozeboom time out this year and end up on the practice squad at best. Really looking forward to seeing Perkins/Hoecht/Williams in preseason.

It's difficult. We get that. There has been a new champion 17 straight years. That is the longest drought in the history of the Superbowl. It's only been done 8 times with the last time being 2004. But the chance has been there for the taking 3 times in the last 8 years. Seattle won and went back in 2014. New England won and returned in 2017. Kansas City won and got back in 2020. The opportunity to repeat is there once you win a Superbowl but previous to those three teams, over a 48 year span, getting back to the Superbowl has occurred after a win just 11 times and was accomplished in all but 3 of them. So yes, it's difficult to repeat but it would seem...lately....getting back there doesn't seem as difficult as it used to be.