7 Takeaways from Rams victory over Chargers ...

[BonifayRam]

You've been right all along my Ram Brothers. Rams have better options now then Burgess including Grant Haley, times to cut bait unless he showcases something better in the next two weeks.

I have been far behind most other ROD members on the real status of safety Burgess. His rookie 2020 preseason & his early regular season cameo performance pre-injury blinded me for long time.

I actually thought he had a real opportunity to challenge Fuller & Rapp to be the other starting safety with Nick Scott. I have been on the wrong track with Burgess. A UDFA rookie safety Dan Isom #41 clearly outplayed Burgess

 

[fearsomefour]

This is very good news for my ears! Been hoping for this as many here know, I like Tremayne Anchrum & think he can be a good fit.

Sad to see our former 3rd rd selection who is not into his 4th season as a Ram OL'er #71 Bobby Evans playing against 2nd & 3rd team defenders having such a poor showing but I should have known that this game is just a continuation of his past 2 seasons...

I am surprised that center Jeremiah Kolone who has been lurking here with McVay since 2018, would appear to have the 2nd team center position well within his grasp.

Studs and duds from Rams' win vs. Chargers: Perkins, McCutcheon lead the way

There may not be anything on the line record-wise for the Rams this preseason, but a ton is riding on the three exhibition games for 50-plus players who are battling to make the team. Saturday night was their first chance to impress the coaching staff, and several…

theramswire.usatoday.com

Duds: Bobby Evans and A.J. Arcuri​

Evans didn’t have the best night at right tackle, allowing a few pressures on Perkins throughout the first half before Arcuri took over in the second half. He’s still fighting for a roster spot and isn’t yet locked in as a primary backup, so this preseason performance won’t exactly help his case as the regular season approaches.


View: https://twitter.com/i/status/1558649817152114690
Watch Evans #71 on this goal line block......


It wasn’t much better for Arcuri at right tackle in the second half, as he struggled to prevent the Chargers’ edge rushers from pressuring Perkins in the pocket.

Evans is a frustrating player.
There are times he has been a force in the run game. More so at G than at T. There are other times where he seems lost and just sort of shuffles around.
When he did get extended playing time at RT he was a C- sort of player in my opinion. Did some solid things but had issues with speed rushers that could get low. Contrary to popular opinion on the board he did not receive much help from TEs or RBs. He was left alone the vast majority of the time.....the Rams just got the ball out quickly, not really trusting him to hold up in pass pro.
You can see he has a few pieces there to be really good.....but, at this point, doubtful they will get put together.
He should have a very tough time making the roster this year.
Bad news for him....Good news for the Rams as other players (like Kolone, Anchrum and Jackson) seem to have grown.
The good new for him is nearly every team is an injury or two away from needing a serviceable player with some experience.

 

[fearsomefour]

I have been far behind most other ROD members on the real status of safety Burgess. His rookie 2020 preseason & his early regular season cameo performance pre-injury blinded me for long time.

I actually thought he had a real opportunity to challenge Fuller & Rapp to be the other starting safety with Nick Scott. I have been on the wrong track with Burgess. A UDFA rookie safety Dan Isom #41 clearly outplayed Burgess

View attachment 55776

You and me both.

 

[OldSchool]

A few things while trying to not get too excited by what we saw from some of the young guys.

I'm a bit disappointed after McVay specifically said he wanted to see Tutu in preseason games that we didn't see him at all. I speculated we might not see him until we see Wolford in preseason.

Bobby Brown was impressive. If he comes back from this injury well and stops being a knucklehead and getting suspended we could have good depth there and maybe a replacement for A'Shawn when his contract is up.

I may have missed it but I don't recall seeing much from the OLB's.

As somebody who's been pounding the table for drafting more DB's it was nice to see the young guys show promise especially a couple I had mocked to us in the past that's always nice!

Bruss was better imo than most are giving him credit for and Evans might be worse than what we're saying. I saw one where Bruss got bull rushed but I've seen a few OLine guys like Schwartz and Baldy break down those plays and talk about they're not nearly as bad as fans make them out to be in fact they're closer to a win than a loss on the play. If you get bull rushed and it takes the guy 4 seconds to push you back into the QB that's fine that's pretty normal for a QB to get the ball to a WR or to move in the pocket.

I thought at times all three of the backs ran well and missed some things. To be expected from younger backs.

Cutch was very nice holding up for that underthrow by Perkins on the 60 yard TD but that play should have been just a nice completion. The squatters DB tackled his team mate letting Cutch free. It'll take the 6 points but calling it just a nice catch. But that wasn't his only good play and there is reason to like the kid for sure.

Is Burgess just a young guy that never quite got right after early injuries? There was a lot of hype for him at the draft and into his rookie season and IMO he looks like a guy on the roster bubble.

The punter battle looks like two average to above average guys fighting it out. It may come down to who coach D is most comfortable with as the holder but Dicker's ability as an emergency kicker may be the edge in the end.

I though Coen did a good job with the play calling. Kept a good tempo mixed things up enough to keep the defense guessing especially as the game went on.

Also 5 players will be cut this week so keep your eyes open for that.

 

[BonifayRam]

Evans is a frustrating player.
There are times he has been a force in the run game. More so at G than at T. There are other times where he seems lost and just sort of shuffles around.
When he did get extended playing time at RT he was a C- sort of player in my opinion. Did some solid thing but had issues with speed rushers than could get low. Contrary to popular opinion on the board he did not receive much help from TEs or RBs. He was left alone the vast majority of the time.....the Rams just got the ball out quickly, not really trusting him to hold up in pass pro.
You can see he has a few pieces there to be really good.....but, at this point, doubtful they will get put together.
He should have a very tough time making the roster this year.
Bad news for him....Good news for the Rams as other players (like Kolone, Anchrum and Jackson) seem to have grown.
The good new for him is nearly every team is an injury or two away from needing a serviceable player with some experience.

Ref. final cuts...do you keep a marginal at best veteran former starter OL'er like Bobby Evans who will be gone in 7 months UFA'cy or cut a good promising younger OL prospect (Kolone/ Anchrum/ Arcuri/ Snyder/ Pircher/ Brewer) who is already playing near or even better than Evans?

 

[OldSchool]

View: https://twitter.com/JourdanRodrigue/status/1558747539725115393

 

[OldSchool]

View: https://twitter.com/dakpiff/status/1558841433418858496


View: https://twitter.com/JourdanRodrigue/status/1558848042819694592

 

[fearsomefour]

Ref. final cuts...do you keep a marginal at best veteran former starter OL'er like Bobby Evans who will be gone in 7 months UFA'cy or cut a good promising younger OL prospect (Kolone/ Anchrum/ Arcuri/ Snyder/ Pircher/ Brewer) who is already playing near or even better than Evans?

Evans is gone.
I thought Brewer played well at LG last night over all and was pleasantly surprised by Kolone.

 

[Merlin]

I see zero value in Evans or Burgess cluttering up the depth chart and taking valuable preseason snaps. I would have both of them in the first wave of cuts.

I wish McCutcheon had more wiggle and ability to separate. But he is a big target with good hands and focus. So his chances come down to whether they want to use a roster spot on a redzone type weapon. I think that is his niche for us this year if he makes it.

 

[Classic Rams]

I was pretty happy with Burgess in 2020 when he replaced an injured Fuller at safety. But he hasn't shown anything last year and last night he was taking bad angles and getting burned. He's looking like a Rapp who can't tackle. Ouch!!!

 

[Tano]

What I like about McCutcheon is that he basically takes the ball anywhere that is near him

He just grabbed it away from 2 or 3 DBs on the second td and although the first TD should have been just a 30 yard gain or so, he outstretched far over a DB to catch that ball.

That was an awesome catch.

 

[Pupped]

I see zero value in Evans or Burgess cluttering up the depth chart and taking valuable preseason snaps. I would have both of them in the first wave of cuts.

I wish McCutcheon had more wiggle and ability to separate. But he is a big target with good hands and focus. So his chances come down to whether they want to use a roster spot on a redzone type weapon. I think that is his niche for us this year if he makes it.

I wonder how much working with Kupp & Robinson will help him maximize what he has.

From what he’s said & what people are saying about him, I feel like he’s had to show a great willingness to work.

 

[oldnotdead]

Arm strength can be improved. The poor OL play really hampered Perkin's ability to play from the pocket. He was under pressure on every dropback. He did make some nice throws, and his ability to escape was outstanding. His speed is deceptive, as he looks to "glide" when he runs.

They know what they have in Hardy as a pass rusher. The Rams are focusing on trying to give him reps in coverage. In that regard, he's a work in progress. With Hollins and Lewis in front of him on the right side, it's clear he will be the backup for Floyd this year.

McCutchen needs a year of studying how Robinson and Kupp run routes. If he has another game like last night he makes the team.

Not worried about RB depth.

Bruss looked okay, but it's clear he needs work and why Shelton is the starter right now. Ultimately, Bruss is going to be fine. Kolone definitely looked improved but it's clear he needs more work at making blocking calls. It's really hard to judge the OL because of the way they kept rotating players. Playing Evans at RT is his last chance to make the team. It's clear Arcuri is a long way from being ready. That said it wouldn't surprise me if he was a PS guy this year.

 

[Riverumbbq]

I'm glad Tutu wasn't in this game, I don't believe Perkins showed the ability to lead a fast WR with a deep throw. Tutu would have a step on his coverage and be forced to return for the ball. Wolford & Tutu as well as Stafford & Tutu played well in TC because they have the arm to hit Tutu going away. jmo.

 

[snackdaddy]

Can Bobby Brown be injured and serve his suspension?
If so how convenient is that

Lol, if there is ever a good time for an injury this is it.

 

[MachS]

I hope Van was watching McCutcheon last night. Cutch came back to the ball to draw interference, Cutch out physicalled the DB even though there was obvious PI on both TD catches, Cutch high pointed and won jump balls. This is what Van needs to do to take that next step.

Yea there are people who think Van can develop this part of his game but I don't think its possible. Its a very instinctual trait some WRs have. When that ball is in the air, how they use their body, how they adjust their route, how they attack it with their hands. Mccutcheon has been doing this for a long time and its a big part of his game. He's 6'3 and is exactly the type of WR that Stafford likes throwing to.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

He ran a faster 40 than Kupp (4.57) and had comparable short area times. He's also strong AF for a WR, imo... 19 reps on the bench.

He's not a burner, but seems plenty fast enough.

It sounds like he’s also a student of the game. He seems to be more of a worthwhile project than longshot Jacob Harris.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Yea there are people who think Van can develop this part of his game but I don't think its possible. Its a very instinctual trait some WRs have. When that ball is in the air, how they use their body, how they adjust their route, how they attack it with their hands. Mccutcheon has been doing this for a long time and its a big part of his game. He's 6'3 and is exactly the type of WR that Stafford likes throwing to.

I wonder if he keeps progressing would Snead consider trading a guy like Van to get a better return than trading Lance or Ben. I wouldn’t think this way but they’ve got a lot of candidates for WR 3/4/5/6 if they carry that many.
They traded Woods so imo nothing would be out of question.

I know I’m just spitballing.

 

[Merlin]

Whitley and Hardy both had solid outings too. Whitley in particular was good on the rush, he was shortening that corner on that LT and giving him all he could handle, his contain was shit though on a few plays.

Hardy played a better all around game, but both of them showed pretty well for a first outing and they saw the top of the Chargers depth chart. Can't complain about that.

 

[MachS]

I wonder if he keeps progressing would Snead consider trading a guy like Van to get a better return than trading Lance or Ben. I wouldn’t think this way but they’ve got a lot of candidates for WR 3/4/5/6 if they carry that many.
They traded Woods so imo nothing would be out of question.

I know I’m just spitballing.

Yea there's really not enough snaps to go around for all these guys. Which is why we probably wont overextend on an OBJ contract. As much as I love Odell and want him back, we really don't need him. Well see how Skow develops this year, I'm not the biggest fan of him honestly because I dont think he has good enough hands. Wouldn't be surprised if Mccutcheon ate into his snaps eventually. But we need Van and Tutu both to stretch the field vertically as they're the best two at doing that.