http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/w...dy-had-a-concussion-last-year-has-had-others/

Gisele says Tom Brady had a concussion last year, has had others

The New England Patriots played 19 games last season and filed several injury reports each week. The only two times Tom Brady appeared on the injury report, he was designated as questionable due to a thigh injury.

According to his wife, though, Brady sustained a concussion last season. Gisele Bundchen told Charlie Rose on "CBS This Morning" that Brady "does have concussions."

"I just have to say, as a wife, I'm a little bit -- as you know, it's not the most, like -- let's say, [it's] an aggressive sport. Right? Football, like, he had a concussion last year. He has concussions, pretty much. I mean, we don't talk about it. But he does have concussions. And I don't really think it's a healthy thing for your body to go through that kind of aggression, like, all the time. That cannot be healthy for you, right? And I'm planning on having him be healthy and do a lot of fun things we when are like 100 [years old], I hope."

The revelation that Brady might have sustained a concussion at some point is not exactly shocking. Quarterbacks take vicious hits all the time and concussions also often result from repeated small blows to the head, of which quarterbacks take plenty as well.

The bigger news here would be Brady having a concussion and the Patriots not reporting it. Failure to properly disclose an injury has in the past occasionally resulted in the loss of a draft pick, though the Seahawks did not lose a pick for their failure to disclose Richard Sherman's MCL injury last season.

It's obviously not known if the NFL would consider the extemporaneous comments of a player's wife to be evidence of an injury that actually occurred, and it's not known if the "we" Gisele was referring to when she said "we don't talk about" meant the Patriots, or herself and Brady. The latter would mean that Brady concealed the injury from the team, rather than the team concealing it from the league, which would probably insulate the Patriots from any punishment.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/l...deal-with-the-eagles-joins-crowded-backfield/

LeGarrette Blount has found a new home. The Philadelphia Eagles announced that they've agreed to a one-year contract with the bruising back, as first reported by ESPN.com's Adam Schefter.

Blount spent most of the past three seasons with the New England Patriots, helping them win two Super Bowl titles while leading the NFL with 18 rushing touchdowns last season. He ran for 1,161 yards on 299 carries.

The Patriots elected to sign former Bengals running back Rex Burkhead and former Bills running back Mike Gillislee rather that bringing Blount back into the fold, which left the bruising back on the open market for months. There was reportedly mutual interest between Blount and the New York Giants, but instead he winds up with their division rival.

The Eagles have a pretty crowded backfield with Ryan Mathews, Darren Sproles, Wendell Smallwood and rookie Donnel Pumphrey already on hand, though Schefter reports that Blount's signing could mean Mathews is the odd man out.

Blount is the purest power back of that group, though, so there should be a role available for him in short-yardage situations.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/a...-up-about-his-sexuality-mystery-suicide-note/

Aaron Hernandez fiancee opens up about his sexuality, mystery suicide note

Dr. Phil didn't hold anything back this week when he interviewed Shayanna Jenkins-Hernandez. In her first interview since her fiancé, Aaron Hernandez, committed suicide in a Massachusetts prison, Dr. Phil attempted to get an explanation for several questions that have remained unanswered since Hernandez's death on April 19 .

One of the biggest mysteries revolves around the contents of one of the suicide notes that were found with Hernandez's body on the morning he died. Shortly after Hernandez's death, the district attorney's office said that the first two notes were intended for Hernandez's fiancée and his 4-year-old daughter. However, they were mum about the contents of the third note.


Shayanna Jenkins-Hernandez was interviewed by Dr. Phil. Peteski Productions/CBS Television

According to a report from Newsweek that came out April 21 , the final note was intended for Hernandez's prison boyfriend, a 22-year-old man named Kyle Kennedy. However, Jenkins-Hernandez firmly denied that during her interview with Dr. Phil.

"There's nothing for Kyle Kennedy. There's no letter for Kyle Kennedy," Jenkins-Hernandez said. "There's one addressed to our daughter [one for me] and then there was another one to his lawyers."

Kennedy's lawyer, Larry Army, had said that the third note was intended for his client.

Not only did Jenkins-Hernandez shoot that theory down, but she doesn't seem to believe that there was any type of romantic relationship between her fiancé and Kennedy.

'If Kyle Kennedy was such a close friend, and Aaron was telling him he wanted to [commit suicide] he would still be here because Kyle Kennedy should have, you know, poked that lightbulb in somebody's head and been a true friend and stopped it," Jenkins-Hernandez said.

Jenkins-Hernandez also took exception to the fact that Army insisted that Hernandez had left a $50,000 watch for Kennedy before killing himself.

"I think it's very foolish for a man, or his counsel, to come out and talk about a $50,000 watch when he has a child, and offer his condolences to his fiancée and his child, but then asking for such things or saying such things. It's not commendable," Jenkins-Hernandez said.

With Kennedy's lawyer insisting that Hernandez was very close with his client, Dr. Phil asked the obvious follow up question: Was Aaron gay?

"The Aaron that I know? No. I got no indication or any feeling that he was such," Jenkins-Hernandez said. "He was very much a man to me. It's embarrassing in a sense."

On the other hand, Jenkins-Hernandez did concede that just because she didn't see it doesn't mean it didn't happen.

"It's hurtful, regardless of if it's true or not," Jenkins-Hernandez said. "It's not something I saw. It's not something I believe. It's just not him.

While Hernandez was still alive, Jenkins-Hernandez said she "asked him if it was true [that he was gay] and he said that it wasn't."

Jenkins-Hernandez also added that Kennedy's name never came up once during her conversations with her fiancé.

"I don't know who this Kyle Kennedy is. I've never heard of him, honestly. Aaron has never mentioned him," Jenkins-Hernandez said.

One thing Jenkins-Hernandez couldn't explain about Aaron's death was the suicide note that he left for her . Near the end of the note, Aaron wrote the words, "You're rich" to Jenkins-Hernandez. When Dr. Phil asked if what that meant, Jenkins-Hernandez admitted she wasn't sure.

"That I don't know," she said. "I think anything's a possibility, but I don't know what this was for."

One theory is that Hernandez killed himself so that his murder conviction for killing Odin Lloyd would be vacated, which is exactly what happened on May 9 . The vacated conviction means that Hernandez died without a murder conviction on his record, something that could potentially pave the way for her to collect money from the NFL.

Jenkins-Hernandez's interview with Dr. Phil was recorded on the same day that Hernandez's conviction was thrown out (May 9). The interview aired as a two-part special on Monday and Tuesday this week. During the first part of the interview, Jenkins-Hernandez said she thought Aaron's suicide was a hoax when she first got the call that he had killed himself.

Jenkins-Hernandez also said she has a lot of questions left for Aaron.

"If he was sitting right here, there are tons of stuff I would ask," she said. "I can't speculate on what he was thinking. It's unbelievable to me. I don't believe any of it and I don't believe that was the cause."

I am excited about achieving a life-long goal at age 53 by getting a BS History degree in December. I couldn't concentrate and had little confidence when I was 18 yrs old in order to grind out a degree program. I wasn't stupid, but am sure that I had/have ADHD, which wasn't a "thing" when I was growing up. It was called hyperactivity back then. In any case, I will get the degree summa cum laude and have already been all but offered a teaching asst-ship at my University if I want to pursue a MA in History. I also am considering getting a Law degree at a different school, instead of the MA.

I know that some have said, "you want a degree, have mine"...or..."why the hell are you doing that?"...or..."why would you spend the money for a Law degree at your age?" I barely graduated High School in 1982; although, I tested high enough to enter a nuclear field Electronic Tech program in the US Navy. Graduating at the top of my class, let alone earning a degree, checked off something on the bucket list. I am also a writer, and have been honored by having a poem published in our University's literary journal (and maybe a short story next year). Before entering college, I was trying to write a novel (have about 55,000 words written). I stopped because I felt that my work would not be honored unless I had those letters after my name. I am now not just a amateur historian, but a trained one with a degree. I hope to write interesting historical fiction for teens very soon. Anyway, this is the true purpose of the degree.

Enough about me...Are any of you doing something late in life that you always wanted to do when younger?

www.espn.com/blog/los-angeles-rams/post/../id/33826/meet-the-rams'-'stone-cold killer'-'beast'-and-prep-football-legend--coach Sean McVay

I found this article w/ a video attached at espn and new it would be of great interest! It's a really long 'Link' I hope I got it right!! The article is by Gonzalez our beat writer!

http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2017/05/17/nfl-problem-rookie-quarterbacks-not-enough-practice-time

Why You Can’t Let Young QBs Learn from the Bench
Every team would love to keep its highly drafted quarterback under wraps for a season or two so he can slowly transform into a franchise player, but it’s a pipedream in today’s NFL
by Andy Benoit


Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Every year we see NFL teams draft an unready quarterback in the first or second round, with the intention of having him learn from the bench as a rookie. The Bears (Mitchell Trubisky), the Texans (Deshaun Watson) and especially the Chiefs (Pat Mahomes) will toy with this idea in 2017.

It’s a logical and admirable approach. Every team wants its guy to be like Aaron Rodgers emerging from Brett Favre’s shadow, turning an apprenticeship into stardom. The only problem: that never happens anymore.

Literally. It … does … not … happen. Since 2006, no team that drafted a quarterback in the first two rounds sat him for the entirety of his rookie season and then saw him become a long-term franchise quarterback.

In fact, only two QBs in that time who sat out their entire rookie seasons have even gone on to start at least 48 games: Colin Kaepernick, with the 49ers, and Chad Henne, with the Dolphins.

The previous generation of quarterbacks saw a handful of highly drafted players sit and learn. The best examples were Carson Palmer in Cincinnati, Drew Brees in San Diego, Philip Rivers in San Diego, and, of course, Rodgers in Green Bay.

There were also the unique cases of Tony Romo and Tom Brady, guys who were brought in to fill the back of the roster and wound up developing well enough to become quality starters once they took the field. (Incidentally, both permanently replaced Drew Bledsoe.)

But those quarterbacks were all drafted at least 12 years ago. No one has followed that path since.

What’s changed in those dozen years? You can start at everyone’s favorite place and blame the culture. The NFL is an impatient, win-now league more than ever!

There’s some truth to that, plus the simple fact that teams who draft a quarterback in the early rounds usually do so because they didn’t have a good one to begin with. The Favre-led Packers selecting Rodgers is an extreme outlier. Many teams with highly drafted QBs don’t have a solid starter for him to sit behind.

But the bigger issue is time. In 2011, the current collective bargaining agreement significantly reduced practice hours, both during the season and and during the offseason. Naturally, it’s the backup players’ reps that disappear.

There’s barely enough time for the first-teamers to practice. Which means the only way to evaluate a QB and let him learn kinetically is to put him with your first team. And voila! There’s your new starting quarterback.

Eventually, something will give. Stylistically, the NFL and college games are drifting farther and farther apart. Incoming NFL quarterbacks are less prepared each year. With fewer chances for them to practice, young quarterbacks must continue to learn under the fire of live games. This diminishes the NFL’s product and can help ruin careers.

There is, however, one saving grace. The nature of today’s pass-happy NFL is prolonging quarterbacks’ careers. The days of repetitive deep dropback passes are practically over. Teams now regularly throw the ball quickly after the snap. Quicker, shorter passes place a greater emphasis on the intellectual side of quarterbacking and less on the physical side.

A quarterback no longer has to consistently throw the ball as far or hold it as long. Instead, he’s reading the defense more before the snap, which is how he’s able to throw so quickly after it. (This is how most college offenses operate, but they’re executing many of those quick throws differently than what you see in the NFL.

In college, the hash marks are spaced farther apart, which allows for wider formations. The wider side of these formations create more defined, almost indefensible quick throws. Everything becomes easier for the quarterback.)

Look at all the thirtysomething quarterbacks who are still performing at their highest levels:

Tom Brady, almost 40
Drew Brees, 38
Carson Palmer, 37
Eli Manning, 36
Philip Rivers, 35
Ben Roethlisberger, 35

Peyton Manning threw for 5,477 yards at age 37 and, after finally getting pushed up against the ropes by Father Time, still won a Super Bowl at age 39.

The NFL no longer gives young quarterbacks enough time to develop, but at least more stars at this position are staying around a little longer. At some point, of course, new quarterbacks will be needed. Hopefully in the next CBA teams can get back to practicing more. Developing QBs from the bench needs to be a real option rather than the pipedream that it has become.

Guess whos back? Back again. Fish is back, tell a friend.
http://www.turfshowtimes.com/2017/5/16/15651078/former-rams-hc-jeff-fisher-spotted-at-nhl-game

Well its good to see Fisher in good spirits getting crunk @ an NHL game in the restroom. Is it the angle or did Fisher lose a lot of weight?

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2017/05/clippers-logo-bad-agua-caliente-nba

There are several pro sports team that could dramatically improve their logos with one small change. We’ve picked out five to upgrade with a simple change. Let’s start with the Clippers…

1. Los Angeles Clippers: Get rid of the black


I thought we left the black accents back in the late ’90s where they belonged? Teams like the Mets and Knicks dropped it and instantly improved their logos. The Clippers need to follow suit and drop the black.

2. Tennessee Titans: Drop the flames


The Titans logo has been referred to as the Flaming Thumbtack, which is a fitting name. That’s exactly what it looks like. It’s actually supposed to be a shield (I think), so what’s the deal with the flames? Extinguish them and you have a much more stylish design.

3. Texas Rangers: No more drop shadow


Do you know how you can tell when a logo was designed back at the turn of the century? Drop shadows. Teams have gone away from using them of late, and it’s time the Rangers hop on that trend. A simple blue outline gives the logo a much more classic look.

4. Los Angeles Angels: Add some color and no beveling


You can throw beveling in the same trash bin as drop shadows. Flatter looks are in now, and for good reason: Look how snazzy that upgraded Angels logo is. All we did is drop the darker red and add some color to the halo.

5. Los Angeles Rams: Use the classic color scheme




Everyone is just waiting for the Rams to return to their classic blue and yellow color scheme. Here’s how their current logo would look in the throwback colors.

Talking Head (Matt Williamson) take on current state of Rams.


http://audioboom.com/posts/5924705-locked-on-nfl-short-state-of-the-rams

(about 10 minutes)


I thought he was pretty spot on, though I think the secondary will be better than he thinks.

When I first read about his tryout I looked him up, found that he was 5'7 1/2", 161 lbs, and immediately dismissed his chances. Then I watched a couple of youtube videos (highlights and pro day interview) where he claims to have run a 4.3/40 and some had him at a 4.2 something / 40 and I must admit, that I became more intrigued.

And while it was just in shorts, I read the following and I'm beginning to believe he might have a real shot to make the roster:

Login to view embedded media View: https://twitter.com/MylesASimmons/status/864238952856682496

Login to view embedded media View: https://twitter.com/vcsjoecurley/status/863110090273955840


And especially after I looked up Taylor Gabriel of the Falcons and found that he is about the same size.

And this is what Gabriel did last year.
Login to view embedded media View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnVoe_UfGMc


If he makes it, he won't have Julio Jones opposite him, but if he has any other characteristics like Gabriel the Rams may have found a gem with this kid. Some don't want to hear it, but speed kills.

This is merely an excuse for some Bob Marley videos in the NFL section.
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http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...on-of-bob-marley-signs-contract-with-redskins

Nico Marley, Grandson of Bob Marley, Signs Contract with Washington
JOSEPH ZUCKER


Sue Ogrocki/Associated Press

The Washington Redskins signed former Tulane Green Wave linebacker Nico Marley on Tuesday. Marley is the grandson of music legend Bob Marley.

Marley played four seasons at Tulane and finished the 2016 season with 86 total tackles, 13 tackles for loss and three sacks.

Marley's father, Rohan, also played football. Upon leaving the Miami Hurricanes, he spent a season with the Ottawa Rough Riders in the Canadian Football League.

In a 2014 interview with Sports Illustrated's Michael McKnight, Nico expressed his desire to carve his own path and not rely solely on his family name.

"I always wanted to make something for myself," he said. "I've never said, 'I'm gonna do it like my dad did it,' or 'I want to be like my grandfather.' Every individual is supposed to have something he wants to go get, something he wants so bad he don't need anybody's help. That's what I get from my father and grandfather."

Marley joined the team shortly after the 2017 NFL draft but didn't have an official contract with the team until Tuesday.

Last Saturday, the Washington Post's Mike Jones reported Marley was working with the Redskins' second-string as an inside linebacker.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...s-grandson-lands-a-roster-spot-in-washington/

Marley played at Tulane, where he was credited with 48.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks and four interceptions over 48 games. As pointed out in a recent profile on The Undefeated, Marley’s production came despite being undersized for the position at 5’8″ and 200 pounds and didn’t land him an invite to the Scouting Combine.

The undersized, undrafted Marley merited a profile on the site because of his lineage. He’s the grandson of music icon Bob Marley and the son of former University of Miami linebacker Rohan Marley, which won’t help him stick with the team in the regular season but does explain how Marley grabbed a bit more notice than your average NFL long shot.

The Los Angeles Rams officially claimed C Austin Blythe off of waivers from the Colts on Tuesday.

Blythe, 24, is a former seventh-round pick of the Colts back in 2016. He’s currently in the second year of his four-year, $2.401 million contract and stands to make a base salary of $540,000 for the 2017 season.

Indianapolis elected to cut Blythe loose on Monday after they signed a number of players to contracts.

In 2016, Blythe appeared in eight games for the Colts.

[nfltraderumors.co]

[www.thegazette.com]

[en.wikipedia.org]

Rams Announce 10 OTA Dates

Myles Simmons
Rams Insider
05/16/2017

The Rams are just about through Phase II of the offseason program, and on Tuesday announced the dates of their 10 organized team activity practices.

The third phase of the offseason program runs four weeks where teams may hold up to 10 OTAs. While there may not be contact, teams can run 7-on-7, 9-on-7, and 11-on-11 drills in practice.

In addition to the 10 OTAs, the Rams are slated to hold a mandatory minicamp from June 13-15.

These sessions are not open to the public, but the Rams will have open practices for training camp. Though the camp schedule has not yet been released, it typically begins the last weekend of July.

Below are the Rams’ 10 OTA dates:

May 22
May 23
May 25
May 30
May 31
June 2
June 5
June 6
June 7
June 8

http://www.therams.com

Let's check your Rams IQ!! We all know the Rams have Won 3 League Championship! And most probably know we have Won 8 Conference Championships! Fewer may realize the Rams have Won 13 Division Titles!

My Poll Question is, " Can you tell me how many consecutive Division title have the Rams Had!!

Click the link below and scroll down to listen to the podcast.
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http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2017/05/15/...-10-leveon-bell-ezekiel-elliott-david-johnson

Counting Down the Top Running Backs
A count down of the best RBs in football, and a deep dive into why each one thrives, and what the future holds for some veterans
Andy Benoit and Gary Gramling

Back by popular demand, we’re rolling out our position rankings once again, starting with running backs. Along with myself and Andy Benoit (whose vote counts double since he’s so frickin’ smart), the voting panel also includes researcher Matt Booker and producer Lou Pellegrino (whose poll swung the race for second place).

Number 10—3:03 - Tevin Coleman/Falcons

Number 9—7:38 - Jay Ajai/Dolphins

Number 8—12:40 - Melvin Gordon/Chargers

Number 7—17:06 - Jordan Howard/Bears

Number 6—20:40 - Todd Gurley/Rams

Number 5—29:21 - LeSean McCoy/Bills

Number 4—32:54 - Devonta Freeman/Falcons

Number 3—38:02 - David Johnson/Cardinals

Number 2—41:36 - Ezekiel Elliott/Cowboys

Number 1—46:47 - Le'Veon Bell/Steelers

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/t...hat-raiders-vegas-move-is-delayed-until-2021/

There's now a 'distinct possibility' that Raiders' Vegas move is delayed until 2021

While the Raiders' proposed timeline has the team making a move from Oakland to Las Vegas in time for the 2020 season, there is now a "distinct possibility" the move could be delayed until 2021. Raiders president Marc Badain said this week that if the Raiders and the stadium authority board in Las Vegas do not come to an agreement on a lease at the owners meetings later this month (May 22), they would likely have to delay the move another year.

"In order to approve a lease, you need full membership, and the league has four meetings a year: one in March, one in May, one in October and one in December," Badain said after a public meeting of the Las Vegas Stadium Authority board, per CSN Bay Area. "So, if you miss the May deadline, you push to October, we would lose a year, and everybody wants to get this project going, everybody wants to get these guys to work. So we didn't want to miss that deadline."

The actual move to Las Vegas was approved by a 31-1 vote (the Dolphinswere the lone "no" vote) at the NFL's March owner's meetings, and next up on the agenda is the lease. Stadium Authority board chairman Steve Hill said he believes the two sides can come to an agreement on a conditional lease that can be presented at the meetings.

"There's been no 'get this done or else' type of approach on this request (from the NFL), certainly done in a very appropriate manner," Hill said. "But I understand, particularly from the Raiders perspective and really from ours as well, the desire to move this forward. They are investing obviously significantly in this community and they have started to do that, and I wouldn't want to move too far forward if I didn't know that I had a deal either."

The proposed lease is expected to run 30 years and cover capital expenses that come up as the facility ages, per CSN. The Raiders' lease in Oakland currently runs through 2018, though Raiders owner Marc Davis said he'd be willing to stay longer than that if the fans of Oakland want to keep them around through 2019 while they await construction in Las Vegas.

"We have two more years of lease options for Oakland right now," Davis said. "If the fans would like us to stay there, we'd love to be there for that and possibly talk to them about extending it for maybe 2019 as well and try to bring a championship back to Oakland."

It's unknown whether he would extend the same option for 2020 as well, but one would presume that would be the case, given his feelings on 2019.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/t...all-is-set-to-make-its-nfl-debut-next-season/

The safest helmet in football is set to make its NFL debut next season

Player safety is one of the biggest issues facing football at all levels right now.

The NFL obviously has the most high-profile bout with figuring out a way to make the game safer for players, and the league may be on the verge of making a drastic shift thanks to new helmets. According to Inc.com, 25 NFL teams purchased the new ZERO1 helmet from the Seattle-based startup company Vicis and will distribute them in practices this spring.

The ZERO1 "features a pliable outer layer and an impact-absorbing core layer that cushions the wearer's head against violent collisions -- all, for the most part, while maintaining the look and shape of a classic helmet."

Here's a more detailed description from the company's website (which also features testimonials from several people that have used the helmet):

The ZERO1's multiple layers work together to slow impact forces. The helmet features a soft outer shell and an underlying layer of columns designed to mitigate collisions from multiple directions.

The ZERO1 delivers breakthroughs in safety based on current, state of the art testing protocols. It also elevates performance, featuring the industry's widest field of peripheral view and low aerodynamic drag. Our tagline is Protect the Athlete/Elevate the Game™ – and that's what we've done with the ZERO1.

And here's a video explaining how this works:

Login to view embedded media
In testing against 33 other helmets to measure which best reduces the severity of impact to the head, the Vicis ZERO1 finished first. Included in the study were helmets from Schutt and Riddell, which currently account for approximately 90 percent of helmet sales.

Vicis was founded by neurosurgeon Sam Browd and Dave Marver, former CEO of the Cardiac Science Corporation, with the goal of reducing the high rate of concussions in football. While it would take years of play and further studies to conclusively prove that they've been successful, the studies show that they're on their way to making an impact.

And as it turns out, we may see the ZERO1 on the field pretty soon. "I'm quite confident you'll see this on several NFL players this season," Marver told Inc.com, though he refused to say which players might do so."It's up to them to reveal that."

It's worth noting that several current and former NFL players are part of Vicis' "coalition." Richard Sherman, Doug Baldwin, Bobby Wagner, Alex Smith, Jerry Rice, Tony Dorsett, Roger Staubach, and more are members of the advisory team.

was wondering if anyone here has access to the construction webcams or those people that do....if so

1. Can we get the EAST camera Live again? It provides a great view of daily construction
2. Can we get the NORTH camera cleaned off?

who knew it was so fun to basically watch grass grow...

Thanks.

...... That thinks we could be as good as 9-7 or even 10-6?

I think the turnover on this team is so massive, on both sides of the desk, that that whole mess of 2016 could do an immediate 180.

Not sure if this will be the year, but it's coming here very soon. The Shehawks are an aging roster with more holes than people realize and their impact players are slipping. The Cards are dependent on a QB whose best days have been behind him now for a while and their roster took some serious hits this offseason.

I don't know how well SF is going to build this thing here in the next few seasons, but they had a draft with a couple big time impact defenders at the top of their draft. Their new GM seemed to have a good feel for how to navigate things and for identifying good players. They have what looks to be a strong staff on offense, and a very clear identity defined for who they are going to be moving forward.

Our Rams have, I think, the biggest improvement in staff overall in one season that I have seen in a long time. Both sides of the ball look very capable, and the question of how quickly or whether they can get Goff on track looms as a big question. I personally think he's got the talent and dedication and it's a matter of time and protection. Also I am not sure the Rams' front office model can sustain high quality picks required to stay on top if they can get there, but those things will come clear here in time.

I suspect this division will be more wide open this season than anyone expects. Not saying the Rams will rise this season, but it is possible if the QB position sees significant improvement and their defense makes a move to well within top 10 in scoring. Both things are possible, so while some will accuse me of kool-aid drinking here I will say we do have a chance albeit slim to have a memorable season.

So I don't know about you dudes, but I'm pumped up for this year. Can't wait for camp.

So, simple question: what's the best cover version of a song of all time? I'm down to three:

- Tom Petty/Steve Winwood/Jeff Lynne/Prince - While My Guitar Gently Weeps
- Heart - Stairway to Heaven
- Frank Zappa - Stairway to Heaven

Whatcha got?