- Joined
- May 9, 2018
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- 5,024
1. So here we are... we've reached the end of another Rams season.
2. This will be my final weekly installment of 20 Random Thoughts for the season. I'll be doing additional lists during the offseason on a more ad hoc schedule. I expect there will be a lot to talk about between now and next Fall.
3. Those who read my posts have easily divined that I am an eternal optimist. I was optimistic before this season, and I was rewarded by the affirmation that came from a "beyond expectations" outcome.
4. That said, I will confess and acknowledge that those who went into this past season with a more guarded, or even jaded, view and expectation were, in fact, more in line with logic than starry-eyed optimists like me.
5. It was entirely logical to expect that the loss of Jalen Ramsey, Bobby Wagner, Leonard Floyd, Nick Scott, Taylor Rapp, Gregg Gaines and A'Shawn Robinson would result in a defense that would struggle, at best.
6. It was entirely logical to presume that the addition of one second round pick to a group of holdovers would not be enough to solve the OL problems that plagued the Rams in 2022.
7. It was entirely logical to worry that age and injury would impact Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp, resulting in a limited offensive attack.
8. It was entirely logical to doubt that Cam Akers would stay healthy and turn around our running game.
9. Of course, logic sometimes is overridden by a happy convergence of smart moves, good fortune, and other unforeseeable factors.
10. Looking back, we can say that Kobie Turner and Byron Young have more promise (at a lower price tag) going forward than Gaines/Robinson and Floyd would have if they had been retained.
11. We can say that Ernest Jones thrived in Wagner's absence.
12. We can say that our DBs, though far from perfect, held their own in the absence of the departed veterans.
13. We can look back on a (relatively) healthy campaign for the still-elite Stafford.
14. We can hope for a bounce-back season from Kupp, while basking in the glow of Puka Nacua's emergence.
15. We can take comfort in the knowledge that the OL problems in 2022 were fixable with the right 5 guys playing the bulk of the snaps throughout the year.
16. We can say "Cam who?" as we look forward to Kyren Williams' future (and search the draft for his clone!).
17. And, most of all, we were reminded that the folks in charge of the Rams are pretty good at their jobs.
18. And so, in the convergence of a purge and a surge, departures and additions, young and old, we find ourselves looking ahead to a 2024 in which Super Bowl aspirations are both optimistic and logical. The optimists and the realists are now one and the same.
19. Thanks to all who have joined me on this weekly journey of data dumps, streams of consciousness, catharsis and analysis, and everything in between, all in 20 soundbites per week!
20. And, as always, GO RAMS!!!!!!!
2. This will be my final weekly installment of 20 Random Thoughts for the season. I'll be doing additional lists during the offseason on a more ad hoc schedule. I expect there will be a lot to talk about between now and next Fall.
3. Those who read my posts have easily divined that I am an eternal optimist. I was optimistic before this season, and I was rewarded by the affirmation that came from a "beyond expectations" outcome.
4. That said, I will confess and acknowledge that those who went into this past season with a more guarded, or even jaded, view and expectation were, in fact, more in line with logic than starry-eyed optimists like me.
5. It was entirely logical to expect that the loss of Jalen Ramsey, Bobby Wagner, Leonard Floyd, Nick Scott, Taylor Rapp, Gregg Gaines and A'Shawn Robinson would result in a defense that would struggle, at best.
6. It was entirely logical to presume that the addition of one second round pick to a group of holdovers would not be enough to solve the OL problems that plagued the Rams in 2022.
7. It was entirely logical to worry that age and injury would impact Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp, resulting in a limited offensive attack.
8. It was entirely logical to doubt that Cam Akers would stay healthy and turn around our running game.
9. Of course, logic sometimes is overridden by a happy convergence of smart moves, good fortune, and other unforeseeable factors.
10. Looking back, we can say that Kobie Turner and Byron Young have more promise (at a lower price tag) going forward than Gaines/Robinson and Floyd would have if they had been retained.
11. We can say that Ernest Jones thrived in Wagner's absence.
12. We can say that our DBs, though far from perfect, held their own in the absence of the departed veterans.
13. We can look back on a (relatively) healthy campaign for the still-elite Stafford.
14. We can hope for a bounce-back season from Kupp, while basking in the glow of Puka Nacua's emergence.
15. We can take comfort in the knowledge that the OL problems in 2022 were fixable with the right 5 guys playing the bulk of the snaps throughout the year.
16. We can say "Cam who?" as we look forward to Kyren Williams' future (and search the draft for his clone!).
17. And, most of all, we were reminded that the folks in charge of the Rams are pretty good at their jobs.
18. And so, in the convergence of a purge and a surge, departures and additions, young and old, we find ourselves looking ahead to a 2024 in which Super Bowl aspirations are both optimistic and logical. The optimists and the realists are now one and the same.
19. Thanks to all who have joined me on this weekly journey of data dumps, streams of consciousness, catharsis and analysis, and everything in between, all in 20 soundbites per week!
20. And, as always, GO RAMS!!!!!!!
