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Just a reminder that all the Rams player related bets in the Sportsbook will close 16 minutes before kickoff today. I might not have time to re-do books before the 4th preseason game so now is the time to make whatever wagers you want.
Oh..and I get extra $ROD for creating a thread don't I? I'll need them because I plan on putting them up as a prize in the 19-Handicap ROD unofficial Pick'em.
The Los Angeles Rams are signing veteran wide receiver Tavon Austin to a contract extension that will be announced Saturday night, according to league sources.
Austin is a multi-dimensional former first-round draft pick who was an All-American from West Virginia.
He was playing under a four-year, $12.751 million rookie deal that included a $7.653 million signing bonus.
Austin caught 52 passes for 473 yards and five touchdowns last season.
Have trouble surfing? Certain sites bog down? It might not be your machine or the speed of your connection.
It might be your DNS.
There's a free utility for Windows, Linux and Mac called Namebench. It evaluates the speed at which a connection can resolve a certain number of popular web addresses (it's configureable)
For example. I have Frontier FiOS. Ever since they bought FiOS from Verizon, the speeds have stayed okay, but the "feel" of the Internet is just a lot slower. I decided to see if the issue was the DNS.
I installed Namebench, selected a few DNSes that I wanted checked like OpenDNS and Google DNS (you can google those numbers, google's is 8.8.8.8) as well as had it check all known national DNS and regional DNS and ran the test . Took between 5-10 minutes where I needed to just let the computer have the connection.
The results really surprised me.
It turned out that the DNS provided by my ISP was 201% slower than if I used OpenDNS!!! That means that if I go to a page with a lot of links, each link will take that much longer to resolve using my ISPs DNS! Well, I reconfigured my router using the OpenDNS router and...
HOLY COW!!!
It's like every device in my house got an upgrade. My iPhone 6 was loading mmo-champion and Facebook (two really tough sites on load times) almost immediately! My kids have phones from the 6s to the 4 and all of them noticed a huge difference...not in the overall speed, but in the snappiness. Ads, especially, don't seem to take forever to resolve.
I know that as we look for ways to enjoy the streams and vids and content of the season, this may help some folks.
This was just an intro as I'm on my phone. I can go into more depth if folks are interested.
The 1994 season for the Los Angeles Rams was the 57th NFL season for the Rams as an organization and the 49th in the greater Los Angeles area. The team had gone through many up and down seasons that included a Super Bowl appearance but by 1994 the luster and good play had dried up leading then owner Georgia Frontier to explore moving the team. The fans in the L.A. area took notice and the Rams had a minimizing attendance average of only 42,000.
The 1994 NFL Draft did produce a future Hall of Famer that became famous during the Greatest Show on Turf in Isaac Bruce but during that rookie season he was buried in the depth chart and finished with only 275 receiving yards. The star of the team, and only Pro Bowler, was the future Steeler Hall of Fame running back, Jerome Bettis, who finished the season with over a 1,000 yards. Bettis went with the Rams to St. Louis but after a change in offensive philosophy became less of a threat.
The offense finished the season in 21st out of 28 offenses in points scored and Flipper Anderson who led the team in receiving yards failed to reach 1,000 yards. Hall of Fame tackle Jackie Slater was still on the team and also went to St. Louis the following year but was mainly a depth player at this point in his career. The offense was quarterbacked by both Chris Miller and Chris Chandler, although neither provided the offense the team needed.
This coupled with the 23rd ranked defense that finished with only 26 sacks, 14 interceptions, and a good 19 fumble recoveries, led the Rams to their 5th consecutive losing season and a 4-12 record, which was concluded on a 7 game losing streak. The failed season and move led to Chuck Knox after a promising beginning to his L.A. Rams tenure. A few other interesting notes about this '94 team was that future St. Louis Rams Head Coach, Mike Martz was the quarterback coach and an important part of the Super Bowl team, LB Roman Phifer was only 23, and current broadcaster, DT D'Marco Farr, was a rotational player as well.
The Returning 2016 Rams
The 2016 LA Rams features a young running back in Todd Gurley that has many "experts" already stating that he is the best back in the league, a no.1 pick at quarterback in Jared Goff, and a good defense. The offense is in need of the biggest change in production after finishing last in nearly every category excluding rushing. This Rams team also hasn't had a 1,000 yard receiver in quiet a few years, the last one to do so was Torry Holt.
The defense of the new L.A. Rams is where this team makes its money. With Pro Bowlers Aaron Donald and Robert Quinn, the defensive line will continue to be a point of emphasis for opposing offensive game plans. After releasing long time St. Louis Ram, James Laurinaitis, the new man in the middle will be former outside backer, Alec Ogletree. Ogletree is the main reason I believe this defense will become great. You just don't find linebackers with that kind of speed and coverage ability. This Rams team will nearly be identical to the team the Rams had last year in St. Louis just with a few subtractions and a few new draftees.
The biggest questions for this team will be, can the secondary make up for the loss of corner Janoris Jenkins and Rodney McLeod, and can the offense improve off a putrid season that had the Rams finish last in points scored and yards gained?
As many of you know with my migraines, I use my comp for my pain management, occupational therapy, socialization and just plain fun!
Well, my old comp was a Mac Pro 1,1 with an ATI 5870 1GB video card and 2TB Western Digital Black HD with a 30" Apple Cinema Display that I bought in 2006.
The only thing that I do that stresses it is playing World if Warcraft and Diablo 3 and recently, because my machine couldn't do the latest OS upgrades, I got hard locked out. To say I was depressed was an understatement. I have friends for 8 years or more in the WoW community that would be tough to KIT with without the game (just like it's tough to KIT with folks who've stopped following football...).
Anyway, after a TON of prayer and patience... Well, the prayers were answered and I was able to put together my new rig.
I coulda just posted the specs, but since when have I ever just posted a short post?
Mack's new Mac:
Mac Pro 5,1 6 core 3.33GHz
32GB 1333MHz ECC RAM
EVGA GTX 980 Ti ACX 2.0 6 GB -Blessed (Mac ROM)
Samsung SM951 AHCI 512GB SSD on
Lycom DT-120 PCIe card
ASUS MX27AQ 27" WQHD IPS monitor
It's a beast! I put the parts together myself on eBay (I did a TON of research so I knew what I was looking for), so it cost me between half and a third of what complete systems with these specs were going for.
Best part is that in my research I found out that I will be able to "hack" my old machine to upgrade it to the latest OS. So the wife will get my old rig which is a massive upgrade over her old iMac.
Great start to the season!!!!!!
Should also make streaming nicer!
*I got a note about how to help with that I'll put in a new post*
I might post a pic if I can finish tidying up (no sooner than I clean than people try to dump stuff on my desk!!! Arrrggghhhh!!!)
Anyone else get a new rig or new piece of gear that will add to the fun of the season?
The Rams made their young defensive end Robert Quinn a franchise player when they extended his contract in 2014 all the way through 2019. The team's single-season sack record holder had a bumpy road last year trying to fight off a back injury.
Quinn had never missed a game until week nine versus the Minnesota Vikings. What we didn't know at the time was that Quinn would end up being done for the season. The Rams haven't really had a chance to maximize their defensive line personnel because they have battled injuries. Everyone talks about the extreme depth the Rams have on their defensive line but it's minimized when they can't use their backups in a rotational way. Last year that definitely was the case as both Chris Long and Quinn went down with significant injuries.
This year Quinn has been trying to come back better than ever but he faced an uphill battle in the injury recovery process. Now this Saturday when the Rams go to Mile High Stadium to play the Denver Broncos, Quinn will be in the starting lineup on a defensive line he hasn't been with in an actual game since the middle of the 2015 season. It should be a fun experience for Quinn who probably won't play a ton but still needs the game reps for the season.
Here is the thing with Quinn, he had a defensive player of the year worthy season in 2013, a down year to his standards but still solid nonetheless in 2014 and his 2015 campaign was plagued by injury. Now here comes a new season in a new home and new players to go with him on that d-line.
If everyone stays healthy this defensive line could be a monster presence in the record books. The Rams signed former first-round picks Quinton Coples (Quinn's former teammate at UNC) and Dominique Easley. Quinn is coming back to a defensive line that has a new starting defensive end alongside him in William Hayes and an overall improved interior d-line duo of Michael Brockers and one of the best in league in Aaron Donald.
The Rams moved to 2-0 in the preseason with a win over the Kansas City Chiefs. The first cuts (down to 75) date is August 30th and here is our updated roster prediction for the 53-man roster going into week three in Denver.
1.QB1: Case Keenum
2.QB2: Jared Goff
3.QB3: Sean Mannion
18.LT1: Greg Robinson
19.LT2: Darrell Williams
20.LG1: Rodger Saffold
21.LG2: Garrett Reynolds
22.C1: Tim Barnes
23.C2: Eric Kush
24.RG1: Jamon Brown
25.RG2: Cody Wichmann
26.RT: Rob Havenstein
27.DE1: Robert Quinn
28.DE2: William Hayes
29.DE3: Eugene Sims
30.DE4: Quinton Coples
31.DE5: Ethan Westbrooks
32.DE6: Matt Longacre
33.DT1: Aaron Donald
34.DT2: Michael Brockers
35.DT3: Dominique Easley
42.CB1: Trumaine Johnson
43.CB2: E.J. Gaines
44.CB3: LaMarcus Joyner
45.CB4: Troy Hill
46.CB5: Marcus Roberson
47.FS1: Mo Alexander
48.FS2: Cody Davis
49.FS3: Christian Bryant
50.SS1: T.J. McDonald
51.K: Greg Zuerlein
52.P: Johnny Hekker
53.LS: Jake McQuaide
Notable roster cuts:
Aaron Green, Running back - This is only going to get tougher as the preseason moves along. Green has already looked like a back worth keeping. The problem? Chase Reynolds doesn't get cut and he happens to be the best special teams player on the Rams. Not playing last week hurt him but Green figures to play versus the Denver Broncos this week in what could be one of his last chances to impress.
Brian Quick, Wide receiver - Still don't see him making the roster. The emergence of guys like Nelson Spruce and hopefully Duke Williams will be too much for Quick to overcome. Even more notable head coach Jeff Fisher called him out in a press conference saying that he needs to catch the ball. Quick is playing his last two games in a Rams uniform unless he really comes out and gives them a reason to keep him.
Mike Thomas, Wide receiver - Thomas had a couple of drops week one of the preseason and as of right now Nelson Spruce and Paul McRoberts have poured on some pressure for the 6th round pick out of Southern Miss. Thomas didn't do much to help his cause in week two. Spruce has been more noteworthy but McRoberts has been logging some serious snaps in game. We will see if Thomas can bounce back, if not he could be looking at practice squad stint at best.
Read more...
Cowboys coach Jason Garrett announced Saturday that starting quarterback Tony Romo underwent an MRI on Friday that revealed a broken bone in his back, per David Helman of the team's official website.
Garrett labeled Romo "day-to-day" and refused to give a timetable for his return, but NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport was told by a source that the quarterback's "best-case scenario" is returning by "mid-season," noting that Romo "broke a different bone than last time" when he suffered a fracture in 2014.
"We're confident that he's going to be coming back and playing football for us this year," Garrett told reporters.
Romo was hurt three plays into Thursday's preseason game against the Seahawks, writhing on the field after taking a hit from Seattle's Cliff Avril. The passer was quickly removed from the lineup in favor of promising rookie Dak Prescott.
This is dark news for Dallas. Back injuries are especially tricky and Romo's recent career has been riddled with broken bones and upper-body setbacks. At age 36, it's fair to wonder how many more hits his body can endure.
It's a worst-case development for the Cowboys, but Prescott also brings a dash of hope. While it's dubious to judge quarterbacks off preseason action, the fourth-rounder has lit up opponents in August and made one big play after the next for the Cowboys. Prescott currently leads the NFL in completion percentage (78 percent), passing yards (454), passing touchdowns (5) and quarterback rating (137.8).
The strategy in Dallas won't change, though, with the clock-chewing Cowboys expected to ride rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott in hopes of keeping their less-than-stellar defense off the field.
For weeks, many have wondered what Prescott might accomplish in the rough-and-tumble regular season. They'll find out much sooner than anyone expected.
The defending SB champs and the #1 ranked D in the league. And the Broncos are at home.
What better test for the following:
First, the O players.
Keenum
Goff
Gurley, Cunningham, Brown, and Green
Entire OL. If they can dictate here, they can dictate to anybody.
Higbee, Kendricks, and Hemingway
All of the WR's not named Britt or Austin. Cooper's not out of the woods just yet, either. Who will step up here?
Any O players that can impress vs the Broncos are gonna take a giant step forward. Can't imagine a greater risk/reward challenge, frankly.
Now the D players.
Some DL sorting is gonna take place among Coples, Fox, Westbrooks, Longacre, Sims (yeah, Sims), Thomas, and Seau. Anyone impressing against the SB champs is gonna have a big leg up for the 53.
Gawd! Will someone in this LB corps finally blow things up and truly impress? Would be nice to see Tree at MLB flash, huh? And those backups have a golden opportunity to claim a spot if they can look really good on a few plays. Far as I can tell, there are 3 LB positions that are wide open, still. Frankly, that seems less of a case of the backups looking really good (as in RB's) and more of a case of the backups looking just sorta "pretty good". Kinda disappointing for me, TBH.
CB's. What can I say? Can Gaines seize that outside starting spot tonight? Can Sensabaugh look like a starting caliber CB for the first time? Wouldn't hurt Joyner to shine tonight either, huh? We've got 3 promising youngsters in Hill, Jordan, and Washington. Which one will claim that 5th spot behind Roberson? Talk about pressure.
Finally, there's the S position. Can TJM start to look more comfortable back there? If only to make the fans a bit more comfortable. And it's almost now or never for Mo, Bryant, and Davis to claim that other starting position, isn't it?
So there we have it. A showdown vs the defending SB champs. Some careers will be on the line tonight right up to the final snap of the 4th quarter.
The fishing has been wide open out here in SoCal Tuna,Dorado,yellowtail been crazy lately Tuna up to 200lbs even. Been smoking fish for 2 weeks this batch is for tonight's game. Go RAMS
of NFL gamepass. I will be able to watch tonights game and Thursdays game in high quality instead of crappy stream, and can cancel it next Friday before it costs me $99.99.
Thought I would share this if anyone else is interested.
Currently, NFL rosters have up to 90 players. On Tuesday, the maximum drops to 75. Four days later, the limit reduces to 53.
My calculator tells me (assuming I entered the information correctly) that up to 1,184 roster moves will be made over the next eight days. Most of those will come from the termination of contracts or the placement of players on waivers. Teams are preparing for the coming glut of cuts by, for example, contacting agents to find out which of their clients are on the bubble.
It’s a common practice, and as a practical matter it’s happening now. Because very soon plenty of guys will be looking for jobs, and plenty of teams will be looking to upgrade their 53-man rosters by grabbing guys cut by other teams.
Regardless of how it all works out, more than 1,000 guys who currently are playing in the NFL and very much want to do so will soon be told they can’t. Plenty more would currently love to be on a 90-man roster but still can’t get a shot (thank heavens I read this one more time before hitting “publish,” because I had a word other than “shot” in there).
Hopefully, the media will keep this dynamic in mind before making a big deal about a handful of guys who choose to leave football before football chooses to tell them to leave. Far more will be leaving football before they want to.
Serious question. I don't know of a scenario I like.
I mean... It appears Keenum is set to start preseason game 3. In my opinion, that all but makes it official he's starting week 1.
So...
Now Goff loses the practice reps with the 1's. Not all of them... But certainly enough. If Keenum is starting, he needs the lion's share. There are only so many to go around if the goal is to win games.
Does Keenum have to struggle for Goff to start? That's not a good scenario. Likely means we are losing some early games.
Keenum has to get hurt? That's not a good scenario. Goff has to play without the reps, or Mannion gets the nod because Goff hasn't had the reps.
Keenum plays well enough, but Fisher thinks it's time for Goff to start? That scenario doesn't make me comfortable either. It would seem to put considerable pressure on Goff. What happens if Goff struggles? Do you go back to Keenum? That would not be a good scenario - at all.
I dunno. I am not real comfortable going with Keenum. Don't we already know what he brings to the table? I mean, we drafted his replacement for a reason. Isn't that what Fisher and Snead determined?
I'd rather go all in on Goff and live or die by his development. If he struggles, at least it's productive development. If he sits... Most every scenario seems like potentially a bad hand off to Goff and 2016 is at risk to become a lost season. I am tired of those.
IRVINE, Calif. -- Back surgery, the resolution to a litany of ailments that hindered the early part of his 2015 season, prompted Los Angeles Rams defensive end Robert Quinn to sit out his final seven games. And because he did, Quinn was forced to watch his teammate, star defensive tackle Aaron Donald, draw an inordinate number of double- and triple-teams from opposing offensive lines, unable to do much of anything about it.
“Shoot,” Quinn recalled thinking, “now he knows what I feel like.”
Quinn -- the 2013 Pro Football Writers Association Defensive Player of the Year after recording an NFC-leading 19 sacks -- used to be the man opposing offensive coordinators feared. But that was before Donald's star ascended and before Quinn’s back gave out. On Saturday in Denver, Quinn will play his first game in more than nine months, suiting up for a drive or two against the reigning-champion Broncos in a 6 p.m. PT kickoff. And Donald might finally start feeling a little relief.
“That man’s fast,” Donald said of Quinn. “When you got a guy who’s that fast, who can come off the edge, who can bend like he can bend, you just have to show that guy respect.”
Quinn recovered from a benign brain tumor in high school and starred at the University of North Carolina as a freshman and sophomore. A suspension during his junior season, for accepting improper agent benefits, caused Quinn to slip to the Rams at No. 14 in the 2011 draft. He went on to record 40 sacks from 2012-14, third-most in the NFL in that three-season span, and quickly built a reputation as one of the game's best at getting to the opposing quarterback.
Alec Ogletree said. “The way he came back, you can definitely tell he still has the get-off of the ball and he’s definitely able to make plays.”
The Rams’ defensive line -- anchored by Donald, the game's best interior pass-rusher -- has the potential to be one of the NFL's best this season. But that will only be the case if Quinn can rekindle his prior dominance, which is no certainty given the type of surgery from which the 26-year-old is recovering.
Quinn himself is not sure.
“I feel like I have the power back, I feel like I have some explosion back,” Quinn said. “But I haven’t played a game, so who knows where it’s truly at. I feel great, but I guess the game will tell.”
Bonsignore: Rams LB Alec Ogletree makes no apologies for blowing a gasket in his new role
Aug. 26, 2016 Updated 5:59 p.m.
‘We pride ourselves on getting lined up correctly and being dominant and getting the other offense off the field,' says Rams linebacker Alec Ogletree, who has taken on new responsibilities this season as the team's defensive play-caller.
ED CRISOSTOMO, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
By VINCENT BONSIGNORE / STAFF COLUMNIST
DENVER – The on-field to-do list for Rams middle linebacker Alec Ogletree begins the moment the last play ends. And you’d probably be shocked if you knew exactly how little of it is devoted to himself .
Unless your current job includes management responsibilities.
If so, you can appreciate the challenges Ogletree faces now that he has added defensive play-calling to his job duties since switching to inside linebacker.
Or the headache and anger sometimes the result of trying to make sure everyone around you is doing his job. And how their ability to do so – or not – is a reflection of you.
It’s the complications of being responsible for yourself and a bunch of co-workers.
For Ogletree, that means hustling back to the line of scrimmage at the conclusion of the last play while digesting the next call from defensive coordinator Greg Williams – who is shouting in Ogletree’s ear from the sideline via walkie talkie transmission – then relaying the information to the rest of the defense and making sure 10 other players are lined up correctly and all operating on the same page both individually and collectively.
Then, at the very last second, shifting the focus back to himself.
Because, well, he’s got a job to do too.
Got all that?
“Yeah,” Ogletree says, laughing. “It can get frustrating at times.”
He can smile now only because the helmet is off, practice is finished and a late afternoon of relaxation awaits.
Keep an eye on him when the Rams play the Denver Broncos on Saturday, though, and you might get a different look.
If you watched last week’s “Hard Knocks” episode you know what I’m talking about.
Ogletree blew a gasket trying to get fellow linebacker Akeem Ayers to line up correctly just before a snap against the Kansas City Chiefs. Ayers was hopelessly out of position, and the Chiefs broke off a long play during their game-opening touchdown drive.
It was the second straight week the Rams defense let the opposing offense easily march down the field for a touchdown to start the game.
Ogletree, utterly fed up, let Ayers and everyone else around him on the sideline have it. It’s one thing to give up a touchdown, that happens. But for it to be the result of guys making silly mental mistakes and not being where they’re supposed to be is another thing entirely.
Eventually defensive end Robert Quinn interceded and calmed Ogletree down.
A few days later the fourth-year linebacker was a bit more tranquil about things, but no less serious.
He made no apologies for going ballistic.
“I felt it was needed,” Ogletree said. “That’s two weeks in a row we gave up touchdowns on opening drives. That’s something we don’t do and it’s something we can’t tolerate.”
Ogletree would have felt that way regardless. But he’s especially more sensitive to things now that he’s responsible for the Rams aligning and functioning correctly upon getting the play call from Williams.
It’s a new gig for Ogletree, who spent his first three years on the outside while James Laurinaitis called the defensive plays from his middle linebacker spot.
A new position and added responsibilities mean more shade on Ogletree. That sometimes means taking responsibility when teammates don’t line up correctly and the Rams give up big play as a result.
“It’s a reflection on me, Ogletree said. “And I do take it personal.”
Doesn’t matter one bit if it’s a preseason game.
“You definitely keep that in perspective,” he said. “But at the same time, you know, it’s simple stuff we’ve been working on. You just can’t mess that up.
“We pride ourselves on getting lined up correctly and being dominant and getting the other offense off the field. We want to create three and outs and turnovers and whatever we have to do to get out offense the ball. When we don’t do that it (stinks).”
Which is why it’s worth watching what the Rams do Saturday against the Broncos. It’s their last real dress rehearsal before the regular-season opener against the San Francisco 49ers, which means the starters likely playing into the third quarter.
The Rams defense, long regarded as the backbone of the team, has struggled a bit in two preseason games getting off the field on third downs and letting the Cowboys and Chiefs mount long touchdown drives. And that’s raised concerns considering starting cornerback Janoris Jenkins and safety Rodney McLeod created huge holes by bolting to the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles, and veterans Laurinaitis and Chris Long were released as part of a youth movement.
The Rams are confident they have the necessary pieces to replace the players lost, but until that’s definitively proven it’s a concern.
“It’ll be a good test for our early group in there,” Rams coach Jeff Fisher said. “I’d like to see the defense get off the field.”
That wasn’t the case against the Chiefs and Cowboys, who shoved the ball down the Rams’ throats to start both games.
“The things that have happened in the first half in a couple of these games have been very good correctable things that these guys have grown from,” Williams said.
Maybe so.
But Ogletree wants to see evidence of that as soon as possible.
Partly because he plays such an integral role in making sure that happens.
But also because he’s no longer afforded the luxury of viewing his job from an individual lens. Now more than ever, he’s connected to the rest of his teammates. Their failures are sometimes his failure. And it can be frustrating when objectives aren’t met.
“Because you know the potential that this defense has,” he said, “You want it to be perfect, because that’s what this defense can be.”
As Ogletree is finding, there’s some psychology involved in the pursuit of that perfection.
While yelling at some teammates works well, others require a more reassuring voice. As he gets more in tune with the various personalities, the communication should improve.
“Every guy is different,” he said. “So you have to look at each guy individually and figure out how they learn best and try to approach them in the right way to get them going.”
If you saw “Hard Knocks” this week, that sometimes means blowing a gasket.
Last year’s Week 9 contest at Minnesota was the first time he’d ever missed an NFL game due to injury. It was the first Rams’ game he didn’t start since 2012. And after he tried to be effective in a pass-rushing role against the Bears in Week 10, the Rams shut Quinn down as he underwent season-ending back surgery.
“It sucked,” Quinn said after Thursday’s practice. “But I mean, it’s just an unfortunate accident. It happened, you just have to overcome it. It’s in the past, leave it in the past and try to make something happen this year.”
That process has been well underway since the start of the offseason program, as the team has brought Quinn along slowly. The defensive end mostly worked off to the side with trainers for the first couple of weeks, before participating in individual drills and a few team sessions. He’s been going full tilt since the start of camp, although there are days where the Rams back him off just a bit as a precaution.
“One of the biggest things you have to do with a competitor like him is hold him back,” defensive coordinator Gregg Williams said. “If we didn’t have the problem of holding him back, we have the wrong guy.”
Now, Quinn is set to make his 2016 preseason debut against the defending Super Bowl champion Broncos on Saturday night. Head coach Jeff Fisher said the plan is to have the D-lineman play for a couple series, and then in a few pass-rushing situations.
“I think I’ll have a few snaps, hopefully break that ice because it’s been a while since I really got out there,” Quinn said.
Everyone remembers Quinn’s spectacular 2013, in which he had 19.0 sacks. He wasn’t a slouch in 2014 either, coming away with 10.5 and going to his second consecutive Pro Bowl. And after playing through much discomfort last year, Quinn says he’s feeling more and more like himself once again.
“I’ve got to do a little bit extra just to be on the safe side,” Quinn said, giving credit to the training staff. “But every day, I feel pretty much rejuvenated.”
He’s also clearing the inevitable mental hurdle that comes with sustaining a season-ending injury.
“If you think about the injury, usually that’s when you kind of re-injure yourself. So I’m trying to just not think about it as much as possible,” Quinn said. “Of course, it’s a back surgery. It’ll get tight from time to time. But that’s around the time when we should start relaxing, cooling down — body starts settling. So, no, I don’t think it’s going to be anything to worry about.”
Saturday will be an important checkpoint in terms of performance and recovery for Quinn. And heading in, he’s feeling as if he’s returned to form.
“I feel like I’ve got the power back. I feel like I’ve got some explosion back,” Quinn said. “But, again, I haven’t played a game. So who knows where it’s truly at? Like I said, I feel great, but I guess the game will tell.” EXTRA POINTS
— Fisher said generally, the Rams will add a series or two to what players did last week for playing time against Denver.
“There may be a few guys that participate in somewhat fewer snaps, but for the most part, we want to push this thing well into the second quarter, and we’ll go from there,” Fisher said.
Quinn, of course, would likely be an exception to that. And Todd Gurley could be as well, as Fisher said he hadn’t yet decided how he’d distribute reps for the running back.
“I was really pleased with what he did last week — I really haven’t decided,” Fisher said. “He’s getting a lot of great practice reps. When we kick off against the 49ers, his reps in the preseason are meaningless.”
The quarterbacks will go through a similar plan, although starter Case Keenum is slated to see more time on the field. Keenum has played two series in each of the first two preseason games, and that number may increase to three or four depending on how the game goes. Jared Goff will come in from there, and Fisher said he would like to get Sean Mannion time this week as well.
OPPONENT BREAKDOWN
The Broncos finished the 2015 season the way every would have liked to — holding the Lombardi Trophy with confetti falling as Super Bowl Champions.
But the defending champs have experienced some turnover on their roster, particularly at the quarterback position, as last year’s starters Peyton Manning and Brock Osweiler retired and signed with the Texans, respectively. However the QB competition shakes out, Denver will likely remain a contender because of its top-tier defense.
AT A GLANCE
Executive VP of Football Operations/General Manager — and Hall of Fame quarterback — John Elway hired former Texans head coach Gary Kubiak to take over as head coach in order to push the team from contender to champion and the gamble clearly paid dividends in Year 1. Despite shaky quarterback play from both Manning and at times Osweiler, the Broncos compiled a 12-4 record and ran the table in the postseason to win the Super Bowl in Kubiak’s first year at the helm.
Despite coming into the Super Bowl as underdogs to the Panthers, the Broncos’ defense got sacks and forced turnovers en route to a 24-10 victory. Denver’s No. 1 unit allowed led the league by allowing only 283.1 yards per game and was No. 4 in points allowed at 18.4.
Clearly, there have been some changes to both the offense and defense with the defending Super Bowl squad. Defensive end Malik Jackson signed with the Jaguars. Offensive lineman Evan Mathis signed with the Cardinals. Linebacker Danny Trevathan signed with the Bears. And Osweiler famously went to Houston. ??But the club matched Miami’s offer sheet to re-sign running back C.J. Anderson and signed vaunted pass rusher Von Miller to a six-year deal in July after placing the exclusive-rights franchise tag on him.
Still, the quarterback situation provides the most intrigue heading into this year. Denver drafted Trevor Siemian in the seventh round of the 2015 draft, and he spent his rookie season mostly confined to the sideline. Veteran Mark Sanchez is now on his third team, having arrived via a March trade with Philadelphia. And the Broncos traded up for first-round pick Paxton Lynch, who has flashed in his preseason action, but may need significant time in order to become ready to start.
WHO MAY NOT PLAY?
Tight end Jeff Heuerman, who entered training camp as the starting tight end, has been dealing with a hamstring injury and appears unlikely to be ready for Saturday.
Defensive lineman Derek Wolfe has ben away from the team dealing with a family issue, and with the missed practice, may not play.
Outside linebacker Demarcus Ware is fresh off the NFI list this week, and as such is fairly unlikely to play. After back surgery, his goal has been to be ready for the regular-season opener.
WHO ARE PLAYERS TO WATCH?
The obvious answer here is the three quarterbacks: Siemian, Sanchez, and Lynch. Each has had his moments, but Siemian appears to have the inside track to becoming the Broncos’ starter for Week 1.
Siemian will start Saturday’s contest against the Rams. Kubiak declined to say who would come in second at quarterback, but at this point, it seems that both Sanchez and Lynch could be the backup to start the season.
Sanchez has played well in spurts, but he’s also fell victim to the turnovers that have plagued him throughout his career. Last week for instance, the USC product was in the midst of a good-looking two-minute drive, when he fumbled in the red zone. The 49ers recovered but turned it over themselves before Sanchez fumbled again. Those are the kinds of plays that could keep him out of the QB-1 role.
Lynch, on the other hand, just doesn’t seem to have the requisite experience needed to start from Day 1. That said, he has shown an ability to launch the ball all over the field with his arm strength. Plus, he’s displayed a proclivity for escaping a collapsing pocket and pick up yards with his legs.
Saw this kind of thread at another teams forum. It got a lot of attention.
My vote would go to DT Michael Brockers. Great draft pick and the Anchor of the DL. Eats two blockers and gives Donlad a chance to chase the QB. Gotta re-sign this guy.
Anyone else watching? I'm curious to see their defense. I'm not too worried about Gabbert or Kraperdick. But they do have some speed on the outside that concerns me.
