I laughed, I cried.....I read it twice.....Seriously folks, if you can't laugh at this, you are taking the game too seriously.

http://deadspin.com/why-your-team-sucks-2017-los-angeles-rams-1797461976

Why Your Team Sucks 2017: Los Angeles Rams

Drew Magary
Today 2:04pm


Getty Images

Some people are fans of the Los Angeles Rams. But many, many more people are NOT fans of the Los Angeles Rams. This 2017 Deadspin NFL team preview is for those in the latter group. Read all the previews so far here.

Your team: Los Angeles Rams.


Your 2016 record: 4-12. From Will Brinson at CBS, here is the drive chart from L.A.’s first two games of last season:



PUNT
PUNT
PUNT
INT
PUNT
PUNT
PUNT
PUNT
PUNT
PUNT
INT
PUNT
TURNOVER ON DOWNS
KNEE
FIELD GOAL
PUNT
PUNT
PUNT
FIELD GOAL
PUNT
FIELD GOAL
PUNT
PUNT
END OF GAME

God, that is so hot. I’m tweaking my nips just reading through it. Anyway, that list of war crimes above was merely the opening salvo to a long, miserable first season in LA, a turgid slog that led to the (televised!) firing of longtime coach and “guy who’s been at the office for years and years even though no one is quite sure what he does” Jeff Fisher. Remember when he went jacket-diving for his challenge flag and came up empty?


Neat. Please note that the Rams were somehow stupid enough to EXTEND Fisher before canning him, so you’ll excuse me if I don’t get terribly choked up over the co-losingest coach in NFL history getting his ass thrown out onto the pavement. This is the guy who trolled the Skins for the RGIII trade only to end up with one dude from that trade still on the roster. This is the guy who barred Eric Dickerson from the team sideline because Dickerson had the audacity to point out that the team is god awful. This is the guy who couldn’t name a single Patriots running back before his team had to go play them. This is “I’m not going fucking 7-9” guy. Jeff Fisher can get his mustache stuck in a paper shredder. I hope Vince Young DOES expose his ass.


Your coach: Sean McVay, pictured here!


DAWWWW LOOGIT THOSE CHEEKS! HE THINKS THE BLANKET IS A HAT! Adorable. Who likes quick reads to the tight end? Is it you? Is it you? IT ISYOU!!!


McVay, who in actuality looks like an Ed Sheeran tribute act, is now the youngest head coach in NFL history. Who would have guessed that such an honor would be bestowed upon the grandchild of a successful former NFL GM? Football is the last pure meritocracy, folks! Doogie Howser here spent the past three years as the Skins’ offensive coordinator and a lot of people in D.C. thought he was the brains of the outfit. One look at Jay Gruden and I can’t say I blame those truthers, but I’m not exactly wowed by McVay’s bold innovationof springing a pop quiz or two on unsuspecting veterans. What a crazy, totally newfound approach to alienating your personnel! Join us in training camp when the Boy Wonder invents a little something he calls the “Oklahoma Drill.”

If you four brave souls in RAMS NATION are concerned about McVay’s callowness, just know that he brought in some old fogey muscle to help balance out things:

Yessir, ol’ Wade’ll shape that defense right up, and then get heartlessly dismissed a year later for his trouble. God, he’s such a lovable chump. I want a Wade Phillips plush toy. I would sit on it and play Xbox all day.


Your quarterback: It’s Jared Goff. Jared Goff is an empty box. Even his name sucks. He was one of the most obvious reaches at No. 1 in modern history, a college stat-hound that got shoved up the draft board mostly because he looks the part. Meanwhile, Dakota Boy looked like Joe Montana next to poor Goffling last season. It’s entirely possible that McVay doesn’t care for Goff at all, and will spend next season trying to lure Kirk Cousins to California with a contract offer that will set your underpants on fire. Imagine trading away a shipping container full of draft picks for stupid Jared Goff. Somehow the Rams are always in the center of a big draft day deal, and somehow they always come out of it the same tired and shitty team they’ve always been.

Thankfully, the Rams handed a fatass contract extension to Tavon Austin last summer, who responded with a career-best 506 receiving yards. WHAT A WEAPON. Tavon Austin is like Percy Harvin after six migraines.

What’s new that sucks: Well, Todd Gurley is dead now. Somewhere between his glorious rookie year and the 2016 season, he died and was replaced by a Razor scooter with square wheels. Let’s rip off the scab and take a look at the numbers.



Jesus. JESUS. Look at those yards per attempt. You’re supposed to get more than ONE year out of running backs before they break down entirely, man. I haven’t seen a dropoff like that since True Detective. ZINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG! Can we still make True Detective jokes? Fuck it, this is the Rams preview. No one is gonna read it.


Elsewhere, your new stadium got flooded by rain and the NFL had to take the Super Bowl away from you. Bereft of notable draft picks after the Goff trade, the Rams brought in a handful of free agents to keep up appearances as they monkeyfart their way through an extra season or five in the L.A. Coliseum. Here’s Connor Barwin, who can get 11 sacks a year and do literally nothing else. Here’s Lance Dunbar, who will grab carries from Gurley once everyone accepts that Gurley’s regression is permanent. Here’s back-injury-in-waiting John Sullivan and former Bengal Andrew Whitworth, here to help out a line that allowed 49 sacks a year ago. Remember Greg Robinson, the bigass tackle they drafted at No. 2? They just traded him for a sixth rounder. The Rams’ line is a terminally shabby edifice that has all the structural integrity of a toilet paper dam.

Aaron Donald is extremely wisely holding out. Dominique Easley already tore his ACL.

What has always sucked: Les Snead! The John Wick villain who fucked up both the RGIII trade and the Goff trade is still lingering around the place. You listen to me, Rams and Jaguars and Bills and the rest of the NFL’s sewer-dwelling trash: If you’re gonna clean house, clean the WHOLE house. Don’t fire your coach and keep the GM, then sweep all the used syringes into the nearest available closet and tell me you’ve spruced up the joint. Les Snead. Another awful name. Fuck him. I need less of Les Snead, tell you what! (Again, no one is reading.)


Meanwhile, the Rams lost a series of lawsuits from PSL holders they fucked over by leaving St. Louis. And I want to believe between that, and the a recent ruling declaring that the Rams owe Missouri $350k in back taxes, and the drowning of the Inglewood stadium site, Stan Kroenke will finally have to eat the barest trace amount of shit for moving this team. No one deserves it more. But I know better. I know the bad guys win. I know Kroenke will get his megaplex, and his billions of dollars, and his endless, gushing revenue streams. I know he’ll be lighting hand-rolled Cubans with flaming gold ingots while the rest of us are swept away by the rising seas.

I know that, like so many other rich assholes who never have to answer for anything, Kroenke is the harbinger of our end times. Also, he looks like a guy in witness protection who doesn’t know how to disguise himself properly. He sucks now and forever and deserves to have nothing but the worst happen to him. The Rams are a nothing team. Somehow the most popular team in this town is the one that did NOT move here, and there’s nothing to indicate that will change while the Rams suck and are owned by a rat-haired fuckface.

Did you know? Kroenke drove an evictee to suicide? I bet he lost exactly one second of sleep over the news.


What might not suck: The legit biggest thrill for Rams fans last season was when Bill Belichick complimented the punter. So there you go: you guys punt good.

HEAR IT FROM RAMS FANS!

Colin:

The owner of the Los Angeles Rams, Stan Kroenke, is a huge piece of shit. If he cares at all about the game of football or the Rams winning games, he does a very good job at hiding it. Our management thinks that marketing and making “splashy” draft choices are going to put butts in seats and generate revenue – which is their only priority – even while the product on the field is (and has been for a number of years) a sad circus that few want to stare at for 3+ hours every week.

If trading up in the 2016 draft to select frightened stick-boy Jared Goff with the top pick wasn’t evidence of our management’s failed approach at running this franchise, I don’t know what is. I remember the debate about the merits of drafting Goff after we traded up, which seemed monumentally stupid because we were going to take him 2-3 rounds ahead of where he should’ve gone. “But Goff is the hometown kid who could be the face of the franchise! He put up such impressive numbers in the air raid offense in college! It’s a flashier pick than an offensive lineman! We don’t really need to replace the defensive cogs we let walk!”

We fucking drafted him anyway and sent away a treasure trove of future draft picks to get our hands on a bottom-5 quarterback who is already gun-shy because he got continuously crushed last year behind a paper-thin offensive line. The 2017 draft was a good opportunity to amend this situation and complement a young quarterback with offensive lineman and skill-position players... which management just decided not to do. Okay. Why waste all of that draft capital on the dude when you’re not going to surround him with, well, anything?

Things haven’t been entirely bad, however. At least we have a talented running back in Todd Gurley, who is the centerpiece of the offense! Then again, after a brief first-year breakout, even he stopped looking like he gave a shit because the entire team was an absolute, middle-school mess from top to bottom. One year later, not much has changed, and I’d wager the roster is even worse going into the 2017 season. Actually, scratch that... now that I think of it, we did make one really good off-season move that will greatly benefit the team. The organization deserves big ups for dumping the monumental bust of an offensive lineman, Greg Robinson, on the Lions, who apparently are unhappy with Matt Stafford and want him sacked into oblivion. Oh, and some people are excited that we have a new head coach too. He’s, like, 22 years old or something, and chances are high that nobody is going to like him next year.

Hopefully the new stadium in Inglewood looks pretty when it’s finished, because the product on the field will most likely still be straight doodoo again. And again. For-ev-er. I’ve always kept my expectations realistic (on the floor) to avoid being disappointed, but I’m starting to realize maybe I just don’t care that much about this team. It’s obvious the owner and management really don’t give a damn, so why should any of the fans? To be honest, I guess the only reason I still root for the Rams is that I get to give a ton of shit to the insufferable Seahawks bandwagoners here in the Pacific Northwest when we beat them twice a year.

Paul:

Below is a Rams billboard in LA this summer being used to drum up interest in Rams season tickets. Do the brain-dead eyes of Jared Goff inspire you to open your wallet to go sit in the Coliseum?



Eric:

The scene is January 2002. I’d just moved to rural Pennsylvania from Washington, DC (my parents are evil). Do you recall the NFL landscape at that time? Ohhh boy, let me refresh your memory. Playoffs, baby. Conference Championship games on the horizon. The Eagles facing the Rams, as well as the Steelers playing the Patriots.

I’m stuck in the middle of Pennsylvania. I don’t know anyone, but the place sure is excited. Everyone seems happy. The Eagles and Steelers are in the midst of great seasons. Everyone around me is thrilled about an impending “Pennsylvania Super Bowl.” Gonna be a “Pennsylvania Super Bowl.” Pittsburgh and Philadelphia in a “Pennsylvania Super Bowl.”

Well, fuck you. Fuck Pennsylvania.

Fuck me.

I’m a miserable-fuck-teenager and I hate every damn one of these people.

Anyway, Sunday rolls around and wouldn’t you know it, the Patriots beat the Steelers. These scrappy, underdog Patriots. I’m saved! These nobody, Cinderella Pats have saved me from these morons and their stupid Pennsylvania Super Bowl. Remember, I’m like 12 years old. I just found out this team existed like two weeks ago. So, I’m about to jump aboard the Pats’ fledgling bandwagon, right? Wrong!

I get greedy. I think, man, if the Rams can pull this next game out, I don’t have to listen to any of this Steelers garbage nor any Eagles garbage. C’mon Rams! Well guess what, the Rams beat the Eagles. I, an idiot, decide that the Rams have saved me from any Pennsylvania Super Bowl representation and I am forever in their debt. (Pick the Patriots! You moron! SHIT!).

I was one logical second away from being a Patriots fan and I picked the Rams. The Rams! Instead of the Patriots. There could not be a greater divergence between two teams’ imminent futures. Games of Russian Roulette don’t include such disparate outcomes!

The last memory I have of a decent Rams team involves Steve Smith shitting on Jason Sehorn in playoff overtime. Live on television. Just destroys him and can’t be bothered to apologize. Asshole. Rams lose. Panthers go to the Super Bowl. They lose to the newly-dynastic Patriots. Because, of course.

The next ten years are shit-miserable. The Rams do nothing of note except lose more than the Browns (!) and make fun of Washington during a coin flip. That’s the highlight of the last decade. The Patriots roll over everyone. I literally sat down one day and picked the Rams over the Patriots.

Fast forward to present day, I think I’m finally ditching the Rams. Until now, I was willing to tolerate just about anything. Perennial losers? (Can’t quit on my team!) Players destroying their brains in pursuit of such futility? (At least it pays well.) Years and years of Jeff Fisher? (Out of my control.) Team/owner totally screwing their loyal home city? (Ha! I don’t live in St. Louis, who cares, right?)

A decade with the worst record ever. A total bullshit move away from their fans. And I’m still in. But, then. Theeennnn. Earlier this year, we get word that five NFL owners donated a million dollars, each, to Donald Trump’s inauguration. “Don’t let it be Kroenke, at least have him do something right,” I think to myself. Johnson, Snyder, Khan, McNair, Kraft. Phew.

But wait! Update: more owners, including, wait for it, Jones and . . . Kroenke. (Surprise!).

Roughly fifteen years of putrid Rams play coinciding with unprecedented Patriots success. The Patriots that some parallel-universe-me loves. I put up with all of it. But, I’m finally selling low. The entirety of my NFL fandom forever contained within the worst fifteen-or-so years of football ever produced.

So, yeah. Fuck the Rams with whatever’s left of the Gateway Arch in 4 years. And fuck Kroenke. And fuck Osama Bin Laden for scaring my parents into moving to that place. I hate football.

Now, let me tell you about my fantasy team . . .

Grippy:

I wrote you last year, when everyone in LA was giddy about the return of “our” LA Rams but I knew they’d be the same shit team that left town back in the 90s and finally broke me of any foolish childhood notion that words like “loyalty” and “community” mean anything when it comes to professional sports. If you’re an adult and still buy into that you probably proposed to a hooker at some point.

“Oh the Rams didn’t suck when they were in LA” you hear the old fools whine, “they were LEADING at halftime during Super Bowl 14!” Really? Atlanta had a bit of a lead recently too, and nobody with half a brain and steady employment thinks that wasn’t anything less than a seminal moment of fuckupery.

But I’m a dumbass and possibly nostalgic, so I bought two tickets to a game last season. Against Atlanta. You know, the game where the Falcons didn’t have their two starters at WR but didn’t need them because their most potent offensive weapon was Jared Goff. His stat lines for that game rival anything Buttfumble ever shat out on the turf. And there I am in the concrete toilet bowl called historic LA Colosseum, paying $14 for a Bud Light while the four Raider fans in front of us were doing spectacular business selling weed to the fans. The Raiders haven’t played there in a decade but their fans are like turtles who must return to their spawning grounds every year; either instinctively or to check in with their probation officers who are also dipshit goons who paid for PSLs.

Now we have the Boss Baby running the show and I’ll be shocked if he’s not sticking his jaw out like Gruden the first time he’s on camera to project his intensity and grit. Fuck the Rams and I’m going to preemptively say fuck the Chargers too...

Austin:

I’m a former Rams fan. I’m from St. Louis, (I know, spare me), and was 10 years old when they won the Super Bowl with the Greatest Show On Turf. The Rams were electrifying and I loved watching them tear up defenses every Sunday.

Then, they started to sputter. Nothing too terrible for a few years, but by the time I got to college, they’d won three games in two seasons. That’s 3 - 29. They still haven’t even made it back to .500.

But then 2015 comes along, and Stan Kroenke tries to up and move the team to Los Angeles so he can make some more money. Mind you, the city of St. Louis still has to pay for the Dome for another decade.

The city follows all of the NFL’s rules and guidelines to keep the team in St. Louis, spends millions of dollars doing so, and Kroenke still gets to move his team.

I’m rambling here, and don’t know the purpose of this email, but fuck the Rams, fuck Roger Goodell, and seriously, go fuck yourself Stan Kroenke.

Oh, Kevin Demoff, the Rams COO can go fuck himself, too. Go get bent, the lot of ya’s!!

Austen:

I grew up a Rams fan, but moved to St. Louis when I was nine, resulting in a profound deescalation of my passion for the NFL for a long time. As the years wore on I gained more interest, so once the team announced its move back to LA, I hit the shops to deck myself out in blue and gold and plant roots on the bandwagon. And then Hard Knocks premiered. My expectations plummeted, but my spirits remained high - WE HAD A TEAM!

I happened upon tickets for Dolphins at Rams, my first NFL game (at 31 no less)!

Here’s how my day went:

- Go to brunch (yes, LA brunches before football games, and yes we are assholes about it)

- Drink my weight in bottomless mimosas

- Drink a 40 oz. on the fancy new metro rail that goes from Santa Monica to the Coliseum and beyond. This isn’t allowed, but I went to New York once and I have learned how to be discrete.

- The forecast said 74 and sunny. I’m in a t-shirt. It’s raining. As we walk into the parking lot, someone at a tailgate asks my friend and I to shotgun a beer with them. At this point I can barely feel a buzz because of all the food and how much I’ve drank, but in about 20 minutes I’ll be approaching hammered at light speed. I’m also filled to the brim, so I say “No, it’s a guarantee I’ll barf right here and now.”

- Everyone calls me a pussy, so I give in, but not before I clear a landing pad for my inevitable sick.

- Shotgun beer.

- I am barfing. I am a fountain. I am a fire hose. I am Lardass from “Stand by Me,” except instead of blueberry pie, it’s Mickey’s, champagne, orange juice, and a smattering of breakfast pizza.

- Kind tailgate people give me a beer to “replace all the beer I lost” and we meander into the game.

- Barf in bush. Sip beer. Barf in trashcan. Sip beer. Barf in two bushes. At this point, I’ve given up. I’m walking and talking and barfing in between sentence fragments.

- Stop barfing and somehow keep my rain-soaked shirt free of my expulsions, so I bought an ugly Christmas sweater to get me through the game.

- Watch Jared Goff’s debut and subsequent bungling of a 10-point lead in the last 5 minutes of the game. He went 134 yards through the air that day. There is no way that man has a functioning brain up there. And who was he paired with? Jeff Fucking Fisher, who couldn’t keep track of his dick if it wasn’t attached to him.

I drank through the game and at home resulting in me getting so hammered that I went on a date that I didn’t know I went on until the girl reminded me TWO MONTHS LATER. I still had a better time barfing and the walls of LA’s sacred (lol) Coliseum and going on a phantom date than I did at the game.

Tyler:

After Stan Kroenke moved the team from St. Louis to LA and made sure to burn every bridge on the way out, most of St. Louis took great pleasure in watching the Rams lose week after week. Also, I should mention, a Dairy Queen in the St. Louis area offered $1 ice cream cones the day after each Rams lose. It was an Ice Cream lover’s paradise.

Fast Forward to December 11th, a home game against the Atlanta Falcons. With a loss Jeff Fisher would tie the all time record for most losses by an NFL head coach. As the St. Louis area knew a loss was imminent, most of the attention turned to the following Thursday Night. A tasty Rams vs. Seahawks match-up at CenturyLink Field in Prime Time. Bars began to plan watch parties and were going to bust out the champagne and toast Jeff Fisher for being the all time leader in losses.

BUT NO, the Rams had to F THIS UP like everything else they do! THEY FIRED HIM 3 DAYS BEFORE THE SEATTLE GAME, and ONCE AGAIN ROBBED ST LOUIS OF ANY ENJOYMENT OUT OF THIS EMBARRASSMENT OF A FRANCHISE! I HATE THIS ORGANIZATION AND HOPE THEY NEVER HAVE A WINNING SEASON AGAIN.

Luke:

Should I talk about how the Rams humiliated themselves on Hard Knocks last year by doing dumb shit like crashing golf carts and Goff not knowing where the sun rises and sets?

Should I talk about how the 49ers would have been the 2nd team to ever go 0-16 if it wasn’t for the Rams?

Should I talk about how in the first game of the Rams season they got shut out by said 49ers, led by Blaine “WOAH THERE MOTHERFUCKER” Gabbert on ESPN (did I also mention I’m a KU fan)?

Should I talk about how our owner decided to buy a six-county ranch in Texas, force people out that were already living in that area, and cause one person to commit suicide (whose suicide note read “You took my home Stan”)?

Should I talk about how only two players since the 2011 season are still on the team (Roger Saffold and Robert Quinn)?

Should I talk about how I can never find a solid answer anymore to the question “Why are you still a Rams fan”?

Should I talk about how I believe Kurt Warner and the ‘99 Rams made a deal with Mephistopheles and since then has been collecting on his end of the deal?

Should I talk about how this team has the longest active under .500 seasons streak at 10 years, currently tying the ‘01-’10 Lions for 3rd in all time, and are 5 seasons away from breaking the ‘83-’96 Buccaneers record?

Should I talk about how I hope they break said Buccaneers streak so that they will have accomplished SOMETHING in this timeframe and because Kroenke doesn’t deserve success?

Or should I talk about the RG3 trade where the players drafted either didn’t pan out (Isaiah Pead, Rokevious Watkins, Greg Robinson), were decent, but traded/let go to FA (Janoris Jenkins, Zac Stacy), are just mediocre (Michael Brockers), or were shot twice in the head, somehow still lived, but could never get medically cleared to play again and was let go in April (Stedman Bailey) with the only exception being Alec Ogletree?

Actually, I know what to talk about. Fuck Stan Kroenke. Watch this video

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Robert Quinn nods his head in agreement as long as offensive holding is actually called. Btw the sack where Strahan broke the record should not count because Brett Favre laid down like a dog.
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http://www.denverbroncos.com/news-a...k-season/51c48738-4926-4af0-b6bf-1883cc43d368

Von Miller considers possibility of 30-sack season
Aric DiLalla/Associate Editor/DenverBroncos.com

Michael Strahan’s single-season sack record has stood for 15 years. His 22.5-sack output may not be the standard forever, though, if you ask outside linebacker Von Miller.

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And if it does fall, Strahan’s mark could be left far behind. Following Wednesday’s practice, Miller entertained the thought that a player could reach 30 sacks, and he broke down the path to that number for a player of his or Oakland’s Khalil Mack’s caliber.

“Thirty? I think it is [attainable],” Miller said. “First off, you’ve got to come out -- let me think about it. You’ve got to get 10 in that first month. You’ve got to get 10 your first month, which is doable. You get two-and-a-half, you get two-and-a-half the next game, two-and-a-half the next game after that. You might miss one game, but then you get two-and-a-half [the next game].

“So then you’ve got 10 in five games right there. If you get three, two, three [in a stretch], it’s definitely doable.”

Miller, who is either quick on his feet or has previously thought about the 30-sack mark, has tailored his plan down to individual snaps. And while “the gospel” says teams will chip elite pass rushers, Miller has decided there’s a path if someone can perform with high efficiency.

“You’ve got to take advantage of your pass rush opportunities,” Miller said. “If you get five open rushes, you’ve got to win all five of those rushes. Out of those five rushes, you might get two or three sacks off those. That’s the math that I have on it.

“Out of those five plays — you’ve got to get home on those plays to make it happen.”

My family is moving from the Tampa area of Florida.

I broached the subject at a family meeting to see who might want to come, fully expecting it to take months to determine who and how many were going.

The IMMEDIATE consensus was that everyone is going. The lack of hesitation was so shocking that we had to have another meeting the very next day. That’s me, wife, 3 adult kids living at home, my mom and my daughter and her serious bf. Eight people. One big house (the logistics of moving to a colder climate would only make it harder to get together than now which we all agree is unacceptable. We really enjoy one another’s company and like the big family atmosphere).

The impetus began with my examination of climate (not trying to start a debate. It’s just a big reason for us). In 2015, Florida had an insurance crisis because the insurance companies redrew the flood lines as a result of climate data. That meant for a small time, homeowners couldn’t get flood insurance and some folks lost their homes for no reason than their note was foreclosed due to a lack of flood insurance. My concerns were bolstered just this week when I talked with my agent as I paid my flood insurance premium that just one more hurricane hitting Florida and they’re going to want to redraw the lines again. We already have homes that should be worth in excess of $300k that can’t sell for $200k like many along the Manatee River just south of Tampa because no one can afford the homeowners insurance which can be in excess of $8k per year NOT including the flood insurance premiums which can be way in excess of $2k per year.

So, between no one really vibing with Florida (and my two youngest basically grew up into consciousness here and barely remember CA), we wanted to look at cities that will fare better as Climate Change continues.

I also have to have a very good VA hospital and they are regional, which restricts where we can look. Experience dictates that I need to be within an hour of a VA Hospital, not just a clinic. I know what crappy VA care looks like and very good VA care looks like and I’ll NEVER, EVER go back to crappy care.

Colorado was a top option, from Fort Collins to south of Denver. Problem is that while many areas had extraordinary homes for our needs, the VA there is routinely rated as just awful, especially in areas that are most important to me. Finding this out was probably the most disappointing part of my research thus far. With my asthma, I dunno how I’d react to the altitude, but the VA caused this area to be nixed.

Seattle area was vetoed because of depression issues, especially among women. It’s already an issue for our family and we’re not signing up to make the fight tougher.

Oregon was a possibility, but the dearth of larger, affordable multi family homes (6+ BRs with mother-in-law suite) made that essentially moot.

Tennessee was a possibility, especially not near the Mississippi river, but there were some red flags in their VA Hospital surrounding the care I need, so that became a pass. Plus, the only homes that fit our needs seemed to be in rural places. We are restricting our searches to suburbs and exurbs. We live in an exurb now and love it, but we can’t really adjust to anything more rural than we’re living in now.

Pittsburgh, PA, and Burlington, VT were possibilities, but as Climate is a huge factor in moving, they were eliminated due to increasing lake effects and the expected increase in hurricane activity and Noreasters dropping even more precipitation on the entire Northeast region. 300″ of snow in a bad year would wreck some members of the family. Have to go with reality and everyone’s reality is important. Plus, Legionella was found in the water supply both at the Pittsburgh VA and another VA facility near there in Jan of 2017. Not signing up for Legionella, even if the Pittsburgh VA was excellent, which it isn’t.

So where does that leave us? Well, the possibility we’re really focused on is Minneapolis, MN. HUGE change from what we’re used to in Tampa, but we’re not only ready to be done with the humidity and constant heat (the nights here when I pick up my son from work at 11 pm are about 86 degrees with about 90% humidity. That’s at 11 pm, dammit!

So, obviously, with such a drastic potential change (still so many details to address to see if this is even viable), there are so many questions, especially about living in a very northern climate. We lived in Easton and Allentown, PA for 3.5 years so the adults have a clue about living in winter and my mom had to make several business trips to Minneapolis over the course of winter a few years ago (October to February), so she’s familiar with the area, a little and what Feb feels like in MN.

That said, living is a complicated thing. I mean in the 9 years we’ve lived in Florida, I’ve learned SO MUCH about living in a tropical climate that I had no clue about coming from the arid climate of SoCal.

So… is anyone from Minnesota? Can anyone give advice moving to a cold climate?

Btw, I’ve already done tons of research on jackets and boots and nothing would please me more than getting a Big Red Canada Goose Snow Parka, but I think I’ll have to settle for a really nice The North Face McMurdo II or Gotham (if jacket works better than a coat) which should be more than sufficient.

Also, if there are alternatives that I haven’t mentioned (I may have done the research, but the place isn’t on my mind. Or maybe I hadn’t considered it), feel free to bring it up. I’m planning a road trip to Minneapolis either mid-September or early October to do the initial scouting and if there’s a “break” or for some reason it becomes a no-go, then I’d sure like to hear about other possibilities. I expect we’ll love Minny and surrounding areas, but never can tell.

I know there are folks from all over, so any advice is greatly appreciated.

Mr. Steal your girl is married gentlemen.

On July 27th I got hitched to the woman of my dreams. It was a great day.

Check out the Rams tie!

Just some preliminary photos until we get the ones from the photographer back. Maybe I'll post those when they come out.

http://www.kentucky.com/sports/college/kentucky-sports/ex-cats/article164636532.html

Jared Lorenzen, after topping 500 pounds, aims to get himself and others healthier
BY JARED PECK



When Jared Lorenzen was cut by the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts in 2008, he was listed at 6-4 and 285 pounds. He wouldn’t step on a scale again for eight years.

When he finally did, the digital readout climbed to 502.8 pounds.

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The former University of Kentucky and Highlands High School quarterback has struggled with his weight for much of his life. Affectionately, although sometimes derisively, dubbed the “Hefty Lefty” or the “Pillsbury Throwboy,” he tossed touchdowns, won games and set records for the Cats in the early 2000s.

Lorenzen got back on the scale last year for “The Jared Lorenzen Project,” a video journal that will document his attempt to take control of his health and inspire others to do the same.

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“Right now, if I didn’t wake up tomorrow, it wouldn’t be a shock to many people,” Lorenzen says in a video that was posted on the project’s Facebook page on Friday. “‘Well, yeah, you know, look how big he is? Damn.’”

The project is being put together by filmmaker Anthony Holt, whose 2015 documentary “Gone In An Instant” told the story of former basketball Wildcat Antoine Walker’s journey from multi-million dollar NBA player to bankruptcy and how he has remade himself since.

Lorenzen first met Holt at the Walker film’s debut. “(He) said ‘hey, I want to do something with you. Here’s my phone,’” Lorenzen recalled in a phone interview with the Herald-Leader on Monday. But Lorenzen thought the former Western Kentucky and Georgetown College product was just giving him a typical “Hollywood” pitch and didn’t think Holt was serious.

They met again later that year at the UK Hall of Fame ceremony where Lorenzen and Walker were among those honored. Holt made his pitch again. Still skeptical, Lorenzen said “Here’s my number, call me.”

Holt not only called, he also hooked Lorenzen up with two high-profile fitness and nutrition experts in Gunnar Peterson, a celebrity personal trainer to Hollywood stars and pro athletes, and Philip Goglia, a nutritionist and former body builder whose credits include getting actors in shape for roles in a number of Marvel superhero movies.

“We started spitballin’ and that’s where we came up with the idea of doing it,” Lorenzen said of the project.

The teaser video released Friday shows Lorenzen talking with Peterson and Goglia and some of the training he began doing.

“We went about two months hardcore, but we had to put it on delay because with Gunnar, his schedule got too busy,” Lorenzen said about his regimen. “We’re going to get back going hardcore again in about a month.”

That’s about the time when the project will begin posting on the Now Lets Get Fit Foundation’s website, Nowletsgetfit.com, which has “Coming Soon” on its homepage for now, but will include testimonials, weekly workouts, nutrition plans and meal preparations that will allow people to follow along and join Lorenzen on his journey.

“It’s been fun so far, but the cameras haven’t been everywhere, yet,” Lorenzen said. “We’ll see (how it goes) when that happens.”

Ever since Sam Bradford I have hated this time of year . Honestly I'm happy Donald is holding out, veterans need reps but losing easly for the season really blows. We are a starter down for the year and have not even played a preseason game yet .

I wish I could just tune football out till week 1 but I can't stop checking in lol

"Wut?" I thought...my eyes blinked a couple of times..

I thought about what Zodi said, "It's only a game." It was a nice reasonable statement...Let's see...

1. I spend most of my moments of off time, refreshing ROD for new info while watching NFLN.
2. I might join a fantasy league (again).
3. I have a Kurt Warner jersey, Super Bowl 34 Football..Kurt Warner, Orlando Pace, Grant Wistrom, and Kevin Carter bobbleheads on the ledge. I have a Kurt Warner Blvd Street sign, waiting for me to hang up.I forgot the two jester bobbleheads for Super Bowl 36 (Pre Katrina and Post Katrina) and the Jeff Wilkins ones...
4. I save change to buy tickets for a future Rams game....
5. I do battle with NFC West trolls from other teams.
6. Did I mention I spend some time here at ROD?

Yeah, my life is balanced.:rockon:

Hopefully they spend some time doing it, but it seems that they will be...Interviews with Gurley and Goff...They are talking with Maurice Jones Drew about the team at times, leading up to it...

Alright, my birthday is actually tomorrow, with Todd Gurley. But the wife gave me my gift early. Thought you'd all appreciate it. Gonna add it to the man cave.

Call me selfish and you might be right, but the celebration of Kurt Warner's career would be defined by a Arizona Cardinal Super Bowl win more than Super Bowl 34 was.

Kurt and Marshall were the heart and soul of the Greatest Show and I don't want that stage shared with the freakin Cardinals. I wonder if the choice of Brenda Warner as his presenter was his way of not choosing between the two teams? I think Vermeil should be his presenter because of the chance he gave Kurt in the NFL. You might think he had no choice, and you'd be wrong. Vermeil could easily have gotten a retread QB instead of going with the Arena football guy. YES the Ram's got rid of Warner, which Martz regrets to this day, but didn't the Cowboys get rid of Emmitt Smith and that relationship was healed and he retired as a Cowboy?

Anyway, I rooted hard for Kurt and the Cards that Super Bowl their defense lost for them, but now I'm so glad they did lose. Aside from Kurt, just being able to slam Cardinal fans who get upitty is worth the loss!

Players are dropping like flies this year. Poor Chargers may have been walloped again:

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Before someone gets all butt hurt that I'm bagging on Tavon here, don't. I don't know what the staff really thinks of him right now. They might think he's a star in waiting. They might think he's never going to become the deep threat they need. Or anywhere in between. But what is important right now is that IF they're not impressed with him they should move him while he still has value. Otherwise they're going to face a situation where the league will devalue him in terms of trade.

As it stands right now he is overpaid, but there are undoubtedly teams around the league that would love to add him to their offense regardless. And if the Rams were to move him, when it comes down to the compensation they could eat part of his contract this year to sweeten the deal if necessary.

Obviously you're not going to get crazy value for Tavon. But if the staff feels like he's not a fit, which is very possible at this juncture based on his history of lazy routes in an offense that requires precision, now is the time to move him.

Just saw it announced per Ian Rappaport. It is an acl

Mentioned interviews with Jared and Todd

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Five Observations from the First Day in Pads

The Rams had their first practice of the summer in pads on Tuesday afternoon, bringing more energy to training camp. Here are five observations from the session.

1) Pads

After three practices without them, the Rams put on pads for the first time since New Year’s Day to begin the month of August. As head coach Sean McVay termed it on Wednesday, practice began to fee a bit more like “real football,” even though the plays weren’t “live” with defenders tackling to the ground.

“I thought it was a good tempo that we had on both sides,” McVay said following Tuesday’s session. “I thought there were some plays that the defense made and then I thought the offense made some plays as well. One of the things you appreciated is that it was a good, physical practice – guys were trying to be smart staying off the ground and I think we were able to accomplish that while getting a good, competitive practice.”

One position group that immediately benefits from having the pads on is the offensive line. Left tackle Andrew Whitworth said practice becomes “less frustrating” when this day comes.

“When you don’t have pads on, it’s very hard to get a hold of guys. It’s very hard to hit, punch, and shove, and do all the things we need to do to be successful moving people,” Whitworth said. “It’s really hard to do with loose shirts and jerseys on. So I think for us, it starts to kind of settle in to real football, and we get to do what offensive linemen do.”

2) Whitworth vs. Quinn

Speaking of the Rams’ new left tackle, today was the first time we’ve seen him go against outside linebacker Robert Quinn in pads. It’s a matchup of elite players that’s fun to watch, particularly in one-on-one situations.

“It’s fun. Obviously for me, it’s probably the quickest guy you’re going to play in the league — he’s as fast as fast gets. So I think it’s a lot of fun,” Whitworth said. “For me, it’s a chance at my age, really, to keep up with a guy with that kind of quickness. I think it only helps me, it only makes me better. And it gives me the opportunity for me and him to work together.”

In today’s one-on-one matchup between them, Quinn won the first rep with a spin move and Whitworth washed Quinn up and out of the pocket on the second. As Whitworth said, each player should make the other better throughout camp.

3) Special teams standout

For the last few years, special teams coordinator John Fassel has put together a “compete” drill for the first practice with pads. This year was no different.

Two players — usually of similar size — line up against one another. One player has to get to a tackling dummy about 15 yards away. The other player has to stop his opponent from reaching that dummy. There are just about no other rules. Rush to the dummy, or block for the dummy.

“You’re looking for guys that can run,” Fassel said of this drill a year ago. “I love to see guys that use the techniques we’ve been working on all OTAs — which have been unpadded — and the last two days. And that’s all we’ve done, is we’ve worked on the techniques that hopefully will help them out today.

“So who’s doing the right thing, who’s fighting and scrapping, who shows that they can run, and who’s also being smart about not committing penalties and those types of things,” he continued. “They stand out.”

Who stood out on Tuesday? Rookie outside linebacker Samson Ebukam. He dominated the three reps he had in the drill — both in rushing the dummy and blocking for the dummy. Ebukam has flashed a bit over the first few days of practice defensively. But this was a solid sign that the Eastern Washington product has some strong special teams skills.

4) Injuries

Both wide receiver Tavon Austin and defensive tackle Dominique Easley exited practice due to injury and did not return. After the session, McVay said that both were being evaluated and that he did not have a firm update.

For more on both players, check out our full story here.

5) It rained in Southern California

The Rams ended practice a bit early on Tuesday for an unexpected reason — it was raining in Southern California.

You may have heard it never rains here, but alas, rain it does.

But the more concerning aspect were the lightning strikes. Once club officials noticed those, it was time to get off the field about 10-to-15 minutes early.

“We had some lighting close in the area,” McVay said. “I want to always first be thinking about the players’ safety and with the amount of time that it’s going to take for us to be able to clear that and kind of where we were at in practice, we decided to call it.

“We felt like we got a lot of our work in,” McVay added. “There were still a couple of things that we wanted to get done, but just being mindful of the situation, we felt like that was the best decision for us to make.”

Had a phenomenal vacation in Palm Desert Resort, golfing, and spending time with my family.

We talked about swinging through Irvine for Rams Camp on the way back home to Nor Cal, but I decided to play it coy. (Good tactic with the wife. "It would be great to go, but I want to do what YOU want, honey.") it worked!

"Hey babe. I think it would be fun to go to Rams camp." She said. Having no idea that l was in control the whole time. I was going to see the Rams training camp for the first time in my over 50 years!

But first, I must share my first Ram encounter: Enjoying a dinner with my family in the club house restaurant Saturday night, before our Sunday drive to camp, my daughter points across the room, "Hey dad. Isn't that a Rams jersey."

My head whips around. Her keen teenage eyes were more perceptive. I make out an image of an under sized framed jersey...appears to be a number...15...could it be?

Without excusing myself, I make my way through the tables, mouth agape, as it becomes increasingly clear. An autographed Farragamo jersey!


How cool is that? I ask the waiter nearby. Turns out Vince lives at the resort part of the year! (Though I won't disclose the information the waiter gave me exactly where on the course, in respect of Vince's privacy)

"Nice guy" the waiter said. "Comes in all the time. Tips well." Doesn't surprise me. Vince seems all class.

We left the resort in the desert Sunday morning, and it was off to Irvine.

I will share my camp stories, pics and videos next post....

Day 4 of training camp. It was hot today and humid and as you all have now heard; rain and lighting came rolling in.

Small crowd today. Good for us, easier access to choose camera spots. I was walking around and found Myles at the broadcast booth. Struck up a conversation, took some pics and asked if I could post one to the message board I belonged to? A young kid next to me asked what board, Rams on Demand I told him. “Hey, I belong to that board too!”. And that is how I met @rams24/7. Sharp kid! Loves his team and is very knowledgeable about football. He’s really good with that twitterverse stuff.

Anyways, had a very nice conversation with Myles. Super easy guy to talk to and he not only expresses his opinion well but is a good listener. He said he knows about ROD. When rams24/7 and I left to get to the bleachers I jokingly asked Myles if I could quote him. I hope he knows I was only joking.

So, first day in pads and boy, were these guys hungry for some hitting! We watched Coach Bones and his punt formations with gunners and the cover guys fighting it out. FYI, Nelson Spruce and Pharaoh Cooper were both involved with special teams as was Kupp on returns. I sort of think that Spruce and Cooper are fighting for the same spot and as many have said on here, the one with the special teams skills will win out.

It was at this time that @theduke contacted me and we were able to meet up. I have to say, it has really been nice meeting all these different members at camp. Theduke is one lucky dude if you ask me, he can literally walk to camp from his home. Nice guy, very polite and he also had a good quality camera. It’s OK to have a Cannon, you know.

We were anxiously awaiting the 11x11 to start. When they did we moved up to the bleachers for a better view. I was watching the O line and I think we have something in Jamon Brown. He wasn’t perfect but he did hold his own against Barwin. Whitworth did a good job on Quinn but Quinn also had his day beating our LT. A really good match up. Speaking of Quinn and Barwin, I saw Quinn on the right and left sides but only Barwin on the left. I’ll be posting some picks and you’ll see in one of them TE Higbee is blocking Quinn on the left and he has good leverage against him. If you remember from last year Higbees run blocking was suspect. This is a marked improvement from Higbee.

Sullivan was solid with the exception of one exchange explained later and I’m not sure it was his fault. Our guards were doing some pulling. Saffold was practicing and looked like a veteran guard. I guess he better.

You all know about Easley and his injury. I didn’t see it happen, only the aftermath. I thought it was an ankle.

Sam Rogers is a workhorse. A blue collar kind of guy. He is one tough SOB. Never backs down and is always giving 110%. I hope he makes the team just on his desire alone. I really think Harkey may be on the outs with the versatility that Rogers brings.

Only fumble of the day come on the center exchange with Mannion. There were no interceptions for any QB but I’ll tell you this. No need to worry about our DB’s. They were covering very well. During the red zone offense, I think there were only two completions out of ten or so tries. Goff would have been sacked on one of those completions by Quinn but Quinn let off the gas.

Since I was watching the lines a little more, I missed some of the passes but Spruce laid himself out for one on a crossing route. That got a lot of the fans yelling SPRUUUUCCCE. Yours truly included. Our TE can jump! I made a comment to the guys that those type of plays is what Quick was supposed to do for us. Theduke agreed and pointed out that he did a couple of times but would then disappear. (Editor’s note: The Quick reference was inserted to illicit responses from the likes of LACHAMP46).

Overall a good practice with a good pace. First and second teams and sometimes the third string would get into position quickly for each of their series. Efficiency is the key to these practices and if is demonstrated constantly. I’m liking what I’m seeing and I wish I could express it better. Let’s get @rams24/7 to share his thoughts as he understands and can explain some of the nuance’s of the formations and has the lingo down pretty good.

I don’t know if I can make practice tomorrow but I will try my best. Take care my brothers!

Ranking the top in-house & free agent replacements for injured DE Dominique Easley


https://www.downtownrams.com/single...-replacements-for-injured-DE-Dominique-Easley

While we wait to hear back officially on what the injury diagnoses is for Dominique Easley. Here is a ranking of players on the roster and players in the free agency pool the Rams can use to replace Easley this season.


5. Free Agent - Vance Walker (6-foot-2, 302 pounds)



This is the type of move that the Rams could make just because they have Wade Phillips on the coaching staff. Walker was on the team that Phillips won the Super Bowl with in Denver so he would definitely be familiar with him. Walker missed the entire 2016 season after tearing his ACL in training camp. He was supposed to be the starter heading into that season.

Now, it's official that Walker has been medically cleared and should be heavily considered to re-sign with the Broncos. That's where the Rams could step in and change all of that. Walker is not by any means a superstar, but familiarity within the system, size and depth could make him a nice fit to take over for the injured Easley.

4. In-House -Morgan Fox (6-foot-3, 275 pounds)

Rams insider Myles Simmons listed former UDFA Morgan Fox as one of three players to keep an eye on after his showing in day two of practice. Fox is a player that stood out in preseason last year and ended up finding his way on the 53-man roster and playing in games towards the end of the season.

Simmons pointed out that Fox could be an effective rotational piece along the front seven and well that of course was before Easley's injury. Fox gets the higher ranking than Walker here. Walker may have the veteran experience, the experience with the system and the experience with Wade. However, Fox was on the Rams last year, he's on the roster now, he has a more athletic build, more speed off the line and of course he isn't coming off a torn ACL like Walker.

3. In-House -Matt Longacre (6-foot-3, 255 pounds)

Another undrafted free agent turned Ram is Matt Longacre. Longacre was neglected last season by the coaching staff as he failed to get on the field much at all last season. Andy Benoit of Sports Illustrated is known for his outstanding and vast football knowledge. He took note of Longacre having one of the worst bodies in the NFL, but being a hell of a player.

Now, looking at his frame many may think that Longacre won't work as a 3-4 defensive end. However, what has been previously mentioned is that Phillips really doesn't run a true 3-4. Longacre could fit the bill as a high intensity and high motor player at the end spot one the other side of Aaron Donald. It will be interesting because Longacre has shown flashes, but he barely got to play last year so with this new coaching staff Longacre could get a serious look.

I give Longacre the nod over Fox due to the fact Longacre has been on the roster longer.

2. Free Agent - Jared Odrick (6-foot-5, 298 pounds)

Perhaps the most accomplished and most tooled defensive end on this list is Jared Odrick. While Odrick might be most known for his Instagram photo that went viral of him flipping off his phone after the Jaguars cut him, he is still a solid NFL player. The 29-year old Odrick struggled in Gus Bradley's 4-3 defense in Jacksonville and would fit Wade Phillips hybrid 3-4 like a glove.

With Odrick, the reason he is not the number one guy on this list is because of the fact it's uncertain how much he will cost. Jacksonville, after all, let Odrick go in the third year of his five year $42,500,000 contract. After a huge contract like that it's hard to figure out Odrick's worth and that is likely the reason he has been a free agent since February. The Rams should definitely consider Odrick, but the guy below is the reason they may not have to.

1. In-House - Ethan Westbrooks

Number one is Ethan Westbrooks and we have seen his ability to flashed over and over again, but he's never been the starter per say. If Easley is in fact done for the season, which could very well be the case. This is the Westbrooks show. There is no way anyone expected Westbrooks to be the next man up three years later, but here he is. It wasn't easy and for the Rams new regime to see them hold onto Westbrooks and not punish him after his arrest was an eye-opener. They believed in his ability so they waited for all of the details and when Westbrooks was found innocent they looked like the geniuses.


Now, just imagine if the Rams pulled a Dallas Cowboys and impulse released Westbrooks right after the wrongful arrest? He would likely be on another team and the Rams would not have the type of high upside backup in relief of Easley. Westbrooks is athletic enough and big enough to play the position. We saw him last year return a Robert Quinn forced fumble more than fifty yards to the end zone.


This is Westbrooks chance to shine and earn a long-term deal with the Rams. If all pans out he might have a permanent role as the team's starter. It's not realistic to assume Easley comes back 100% again after what could be his third ACL tear in his career.


How would you rank them? Did we forget anyone? Let us know!

Get ready guys!

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Jared Goff's father: 'He's going to be great. He's never not been' - Los Angeles Rams Blog
Alden GonzalezESPN Staff Writer
7-9 minutes
7:52 AM PT

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  • Joined ESPN in 2016 to cover the Los Angeles Rams
  • Previously covered the Angels for MLB.com

IRVINE, Calif. -- Jared Goff has been here before. He's been young for the position, been counted on before he was ready, been under center for a team that hardly stood a chance. Goff was a teenager and a true freshman when he started every game for a Cal program that went 1-11 in 2013, losing 10 times by at least a couple of touchdowns.

"I don’t think people understand how difficult that was for an 18-year-old kid," Goff's father, Jerry, said in a recent phone conversation. "Unless you’ve been through it, you don't know how hard that is."

Jerry brings it up to prove a point -- that his son knows what it's like to get his ass kicked.

More importantly, that he knows how to get up, dust himself off and keep going.

Goff was the No. 1 pick for a Los Angeles Rams team that moved up 14 spots to select him, but he never challenged for the starting quarterback job during training camp and ultimately never won a game. He went 0-7 over the final seven weeks of a 2016 season that finished with a 4-12 record, absorbing 26 sacks while putting up some of the NFL's worst passing numbers.

A week later, Goff was back at the Rams' facility, poring through film even though he didn't even have a head coach.

He already had moved on to the biggest offseason of his life.

"He was chosen in a spot where there's a lot of expectations, and he embraces that," Jerry said. "He really, adamantly wants to let everybody know, through his production, that he is the guy and worthy of all the Rams did to get him. I think people are going to see that moving forward."

The Rams are counting on new head coach Sean McVay (right) to tap into the potential of Jared Goff. Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports
The Rams have since done everything they can to tap into Goff's potential. They took a chance on a 31-year-old Sean McVay, now the youngest head coach in modern NFL history, in large part because his offense can be so quarterback friendly. They guaranteed $15 million to a 35-year-old left tackle, Andrew Whitworth, because he remains one of the game's best pass blockers. They signed Robert Woods, a 25-year-old receiver, to a five-year, $34 million contract. And they used three of their first four picks on pass-catchers, even though they drafted four the year before.

But it's what Goff himself has done that has people around him encouraged.

He basically spent the entire offseason at the Rams' facility, immersing himself in the new playbook, adding 10 pounds to his willowy frame and displaying a leadership and an ownership of this offense that he never did last season. He has been exceedingly eager.

"It's my team to lead and my team to direct and control and command," Goff said. "I don't take that lightly."

Goff's real work began at 3DQB, the highly regarded, L.A.-based training facility that relies heavily on biomechanics to maximize a quarterback's throwing ability. For about four weeks from the start of February to the end of March, Goff worked with one of the program's instructors, Adam Dedeaux. The primary task, Dedeaux said, was to familiarize Goff "with the hows and whys of what makes him special, what makes him good, so that he can be repeatable and consistent."



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Dedeaux wanted to build a foundation that gave Goff an understanding for what his quintessential throwing motion looks like, so that he can easily correct himself whenever it was off. By the end of their program, Dedeaux said Goff's mechanics "became way more repeatable." He saw more consistent accuracy, velocity and spin on his throws. He said Goff, who turns 23 on Oct. 14, is now "way better" and that he's "definitely on the right path."

"He has a lot to work on, and he knows that," Dedeaux said. "But I think he's got a good process."

Goff wasn't just bad as a rookie; he was deplorable. In the stretch of games he started, from Weeks 11 to 17, Goff posted the NFL's fourth-lowest completion percentage (54.6), fourth-worst touchdown-to-interception ratio (0.71), second-worst Total QBR (22.2) and fewest passing yards per attempt (5.31). He played behind a bad offensive line, threw to an underwhelming group of receivers and learned from a staff devoid of experience coaching NFL quarterbacks, but Goff himself didn't perform well enough.

Cian Fahey closely studies quarterbacks for Pre Snap Reads and has dedicated a 187-page catalogue to the position heading into the 2017 season. In it, Fahey utilizes a stat called accuracy percentage that strips away external factors -- throwaways, spikes, batted balls, Hail Mary passes and miscommunications -- to get a true measure of a quarterback's precision. Goff's accuracy percentage last year was 65.24 percent, last among the 33 quarterbacks analyzed. Fahey also broke down accuracy in six ranges, and Goff fell within the bottom three in five of them.

In Goff, Fahey saw someone with a relatively weak arm, shaky mechanics and poor footwork. He saw someone who couldn't spot underneath defenders and couldn't take his eyes off his first read in a timely manner. Fahey wrote that Goff "showed nothing during his rookie season that suggests he can even be a competent NFL quarterback, let alone a low-end starter."

The Rams are hoping McVay's intellect and Goff's resolve flip that narrative.

Those who don't know Goff tend to stereotype. They see a young, handsome California product and envision someone who is easygoing and laid back. Jerry, a Major League catcher from 1990 to '96, will tell you that "couldn't be further from the truth." He sees a kid whose work ethic "doesn't have an off switch" and whose confidence "never wavers."

"He never doubts himself, regardless of the situation," Jerry said. "He knows he can be successful at this level."

Jared said this year's training camp feels "night and day" from last year's. He has a year of NFL experience to lean on and he knows he will be the starting quarterback, so he's a lot more decisive and direct. His first three practices have been hit and miss, but it's early. And McVay sees steady progress. Tavon Austin was asked about the biggest difference in this year's Goff and he didn't hesitate.

"His confidence," Austin said. "... I like how he's taking control of the huddle."

Jerry remembers how much pressure Goff put on himself as a college freshman. The team was so bad, but he was already so good and he took it all on himself. It taught Goff a lesson about staying within himself. Goff improved a little each year, and in the process, so did the team. By the end of his junior year, the Golden Bears had their first winning season in four years and Goff had thrown for 4,714 yards and 43 touchdowns, shattering Pac-12 records.

His dad awaits a similar turnaround in the NFL.

"Judge him all you want, but give him some time," Jerry said. "He's going to be great. He's never not been. He's never not gotten better. I don't care what level it is, whether it's little league baseball or Pop Warner or high-school sports or college or whatever. His track record is he continues to get better year in and year out."
http://www.espn.com/blog/los-angele...ther-hes-going-to-be-great-hes-never-not-been

I absolutely love Aaron Donald, I do, but I think the league has forgotten a monster thats been chained up and not able to feed on opposing QB's !! I'm telling you he's a hungry beast that Wade's going to unleash this season! Nobody's talking what a healthy Quinn's going to be able to do under Wade's tutelage.

I think some NFC west QB's still have nightmare's to this day!

Check out the Best of Robert Quinn...

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L.A. Rams Preview: 10 Things You Need to Know
ANDY BENOIT

1. Jared Goff’s rookie season should be analyzed with a few grains of salt. He wasn’t ready to play, but with practice time so limited in today’s NFL, he had to play in order to get the first team reps. He was operating in a bad offense for a coaching staff that knew it probably wasn’t long for L.A. (and it wasn’t). The circumstances were horrible.

That said, Goff must throw better than he did. Plain and simple. He was inaccurate on too many routine plays. On passes 11 to 20 yards downfield, his rating was 27.9. But here’s the positive: despite his circumstances and paucity of help from his O-line and receivers, Goff still willingly played from the pocket.

Early on he tended to take his eyes off the field and look at the pass rush, an ultimate no-no for a pro QB, but he got past that as the year progressed. He knew the hits were coming and still stood in there firmly. That is a critical, encouraging sign.

2. The offensive line has been reshuffled drastically. First time head coach Sean McVay and his offensive line coach, 17th-year assistant Aaron Kromer, got rid of left tackle Greg Robinson, who took the art of mental mistakes to new heights.

In Robinson’s stead is 35-year-old Andrew Whitworth, who can still play. Blind side solidified. The Rams also signed brainy 10th-year pro John Sullivan to direct traffic at center. Over on the right side, they slid 2015 second-round tackle Rob Havenstein to guard, where he should play with better balance.

And they moved backup guard Jamon Brown to tackle, where they love his strong hands and feet. It’ll be a better front five . . . as long as everyone stays healthy. The one concern is depth. There isn’t any.

3. With a revamped O-line, Todd Gurley should be better. But understand: Gurley held some culpability for his poor showing in 2016, it wasn’t all his blocking. He didn’t see the field with the same clarity that he did as a rookie.

4. When McVay was designing plays as the offensive coordinator in Washington, he had the game’s best pure receiving tight end, Jordan Reed. In Los Angeles, McVay has second-year man Tyler Higbee, who did very little as a rookie, and athletic second-round pick Gerald Everett, who will likely have a rookie’s learning curve.

5. There isn’t a single mismatch-making piece in the passing game. Some might see Tavon Austin that way, but there’s a reason the 2013 first-round pick has averaged 410 receiving yards a year. Austin can get lazy on deep routes, and as a slot man he hasn’t shown the necessary nuance and patience to win underneath. At this point, he’s a gadget player.

6. Know this about Los Angeles’s defense: it has a lot of speed at all three levels.

7. Wade Phillips is as respected as any defensive coordinator in football, but one whisper about him across the league is that he can be predictable in coverage against untraditional two-receiver formations. In Denver, offenses would get Phillips’s linebackers in unfavorable man coverage scenarios against running backs and tight ends.

But maybe it won’t be a problem in L.A. Linebackers Alec Ogletree and Mark Barron are both ex-college safeties who can run. They’re more equipped to cover than Phillips’s Bronco ’backers were.

8. Don’t worry about Aaron Donald transitioning to a new position in Wade Phillips’s “3-4.” It’s not really a 3-4; Phillips plays what amounts to an aggressive “4-3-under” scheme out of a 5-2 structure. That means one-gap assignments for most players.

It’ll be interesting to see how often Donald aligns as a three-technique and how often he aligns as a five-technique (the position J.J. Watt played for Phillips in Houston). On passing downs, Donald can play all over.

(Last season, defensive coordinator Gregg Williams even used him regularly as a nose tackle in 3-3-5 nickel fronts.) Donald’s initial movement is too explosive, no matter where he aligns.

9. It’s a big year for Robert Quinn. He was the most dynamic edge rusher in the league in 2013 and ’14. But injuries have since tolled, and Quinn hasn’t consistently shown the same bendability and speed. Quinn will play on the weakside edge—the same spot DeMarcus Ware played for Phillips.

10. The secondary will make or break this defense. Trumaine Johnson is just past the line of demarcation for a true No. 1 corner. But what will the Rams get from their No. 2 spot? They’d like to see Kayvon Webster, Phillips’s former No. 4 corner in Denver, fill this role. Webster is equipped to play along the boundary.

In the slot, Nickell Robey-Coleman and Lamarcus Joyner are capable cover guys and two of the best blitzing DBs in football. Robey-Coleman likely gets the nod so that Joyner can become a fulltime free safety. His speed can correct the centerfield range that this secondary lacked after losing Rodney McLeod in free agency.