Denver's OLB Von Miller traded to Rams

[So Ram]

"I can't stop smiling": Aaron Donald, Rams defense excited to add Von Miller to mix

"I can't stop smiling": Aaron Donald, Rams defense excited to add Von Miller to mix​

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – For an idea of how excited Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald is about the arrival of new teammate and outside linebacker Von Miller, consider he compared it to a recent major life event.

"I don't know man," Donald said, when asked about the last time he was this happy. "Probably when my baby was born. I've been cheesin'. I can't stop smiling."

Donald has every reason to.

Already with a league-leading 25 sacks – Donald has five of them – the Rams defense now adds Miller to the mix, injecting leadership, All-Decade pass rush talent and more into the unit.

The 32-year-old Miller amassed 110.5 career sacks in nine-plus seasons with the Broncos, making him the NFL's active leader. He'll help bookend an edge group led by Leonard Floyd and his team-high 6.5 sacks.

Donald is familiar with Floyd from connecting on social media and through attending his Pass Rush Summit in 2019. While Floyd hasn't attended a pass rush summit yet, he did work with the same trainer as Miller – former Falcons All-Pro defensive end Chuck Smith.

"It's been great so far," Floyd said after Thursday's practice about Miller. "He came in day one, said he was going to come in and just play hard for us and help us win football games."

Exactly how – aside from the obvious of continuing to put pressure on the quarterback as the Rams have done consistently this season – remains to be seen, but Rams defensive coordinator knows from experience to tailor scheme to fit talented players.

Morris remembers having conversations with members of the Buccaneers scouting staff when he was the Bucs head coach about Miller when Miller was coming out for the 2011 NFL Draft and whether he would be a fit in their 4-3 scheme.

"I said, 'Change the scheme,' and I meant it with every being I had," Morris said Thursday. "I feel no differently about what he'll be able to do for us."

This much is clear: The arrival of Miller will make it difficult to concentrate on just one Rams pass rusher, whether it be Donald, Floyd or another member of the unit.

"You add a talent like that with the players we got like Flo and myself, even Greg (Gaines) has been rushing good, the certain looks we're able to give, it's going to be hard for teams to try to focus on one person because we've got so many good players, so it should be fun," Donald said. "We've still got to go out there and compete and make it happen, but we've got a great opportunity to do some great things."

First let me say it PIVES ME about all the negative talk about The Rams defense & Raheem Morris.Yes - I got a negative day because I didn’t word my thoughts right.I still think unfair negative post have no business here before that. Anyway moving on .

 

[So Ram]

Raheem Morris is leading his Rams defense even before adding Von Miller The NFL active Sack Leader in Sacks at 25.I stated The Rams would be tops there & also turnovers/INT’s.

The point is more than just the connection of this team with him is what he brings in leadership.Tre Anchrum going up against Von Miller as a Rams starter in the preseason is his greatest accomplishment as a player.He was so geeked up for holding up a qrt against The Best Edge rusher in The NFL.

 

[So Ram]

Adding other examples is his camp. The Von Miller offseason Edge Rushers Camp.A guy like Aaron Donald went to learn,teach,mentor.This is what The Rams try to bring into there organization.Just adding Tyler Higbee went to a TE’s camp such as The Von Miller camp of NFL players learning and giving back.

—Silly is a player like Justin Hollins playing for The Rams Raheem Morris.A player last season who was picked up by Les Snead off waivers with no training camp.He played & started in the Playoffs having no preseason. Now he is injured,but was starting to play well.
Then a guy like Kenny Young starting out with The Rams under Raheem Morris.Here is a article of Morris stating about his STATS are for LOSSERS moto.

Outside linebacker Justin Hollins and linebacker Kenny Young difference-makers for Rams defense

 

[So Ram]

Von Miller as a Ram will not only be good on the field.
The Rams from the beginning of Sean Mcvay signing as a HC Kevin Demoff made sure Wade Phillips(DC with HC experience) was a part of the package.
Turning the page Wes Phillips worked with his dad on The Rams coaching staff as Wade basically retired his history career under Mcvay as the DC.
Along came Staley who was just a LBer coach for Denver who became The Rams DC & now SD Chargers HC.
Now The Rams have Raheem Morris who is like a Mentor to Sean Mcvay & a Great NFL friend.We can continue going down The Rams(Mcvay’s) coaching tree & connections.
The pot was also about Mcvay being the youngest HC in NFL HISTORY & players he (Les Snead & Rams) have brought in.Here are a few.I could go into detail as well.

Whitworth— hOf
John Sullivan
Robert Woods
Suh
Donte Fowler
Talib
Peter’s
Robey-Coleman— loved his style as a
Nickle & Joyner moving to FS.
Weedle
Clay Mathews
RAMsey
Stafford
DJ1
Floyd
Sony
Now that Von Miller is a Ram you can tell what The Rams think about how much the Lockeroom means with veteran players & leadership.CJ Anderson is another example of producing.
I just see The Rams future even become better & Toos in The NFL. We can talk Mcvay’s history as well & his believes.You can talk about his coaches he trusts.
The one I like to invision if his Grandfather & what he built.I love looking back at The Rams HACKSAW REYNOLDS as a perfect example & we can go along that painful path.The Truth is Sean Mcvay’s Trust in Les Snead & Raheem Morris could be priceless.

 

[RamsFan4Life]

Goddamit……is it Sunday yet??!?!!?!!!

 

[thirteen28]

I'm surprised we haven't seen more Snead copycats around the league but I just don't think other GMs have the balls to do what he does. Most of these guys are just trying to hold onto their jobs and are scared of the repercussions if a big move doesn't work out so they just can't pull the trigger. Snead knows the organization has his back and that's what makes the difference.

In some respects, I wonder if Snead's approach actually (and contrary to conventional wisdom) isn't actually the safer approach. Snead is spending more of his high draft capital on guys like Ramsey, Stafford, and now Miller - players with an established, proven track record. Take Ramsey for instance - two first round picks for a surefire, generational talent, where the picks given up are not guaranteed to even become quality starters (and I think the bust rate for 1st rounders is about 50% anyway). So instead of rolling two dice at different times and possibly coming up empty, Snead rolled both dice at once with a virtual guarantee of a great player.

Meanwhile, he's stocked up on lower round picks to increase the odds of getting solid contributors there, even if they don't become perennial all-pros.

It's the NFL version of Moneyball. Time for Michael Lewis to write a book on it just as he did on Billy Beane's approach.

 

[NJRamsFan]

It's the NFL version of Moneyball. Time for Michael Lewis to write a book on it just as he did on Billy Beane's approach.

Wholeheartedly agree, I've been saying this for a year or two now.

 

[NJRamsFan]

I'm surprised we haven't seen more Snead copycats around the league but I just don't think other GMs have the balls to do what he does. Most of these guys are just trying to hold onto their jobs and are scared of the repercussions if a big move doesn't work out so they just can't pull the trigger. Snead knows the organization has his back and that's what makes the difference.

It's not a simple repeatable process....YET. Much like the Oakland A's in the early 2000s, they found undervalued players due to investment into analytics while bucking the trend of "gut feelings" and "5 tool players" that was commonplace for scouts at the time. Other teams couldn't just say let's get the cheap players and be good too, they needed to create the infrastructure.

In the case of Snead and Co, You can't just say let's do what the Rams are doing without a few things in place to replicate their success. It's not just job security holding them back, trading picks for players does not automatically = success.

First, Snead is VERY good at finding late-round value in the draft without that, this whole thing does not work as well. Second Demoff and Snead are masters at manipulating the cap without that this doesn't work well and it provides a level of security to "hedge" their bets. In the past, if you made a mistake trading multiple picks or giving out bad contracts it was a death sentence you'd be paying for for years they have found a workaround by manipulating the cap mixed with finding late-round value. Finally, the hardest to replicate piece of this puzzle is Sean McVay, without a coach/system of his caliber the whole thing is bogged down. McVay and his system are able to maximize the production of the players within the system again making the perceived draft losses more tolerable because a 57th overall Van Jefferson or 66th overall Cooper Kupp or a cast-off Robert Woods = >First round talent when being led by McVay.

It's a balance and a process that is not as easy as saying let's give up our picks and do what they're doing.

 

[Allen2McVay]

Some good thoughts and comments on this "new-way-of-doing-things" in the NFL, where higher round draft choices are used to trade for proven talent.

Just one other factor but an important factor in the equation is that it works much better if the team giving-up the picks is a top-team because those picks are much lower in the rounds. A top-10 first rounder is far more valuable than a pick in the 20's. Now it's tricky because these are future picks; and teams can falter quickly. So there is some risk involved. However, if a team maintains success, those picks will be much lower.

Examples (Good and Bad):
There were mid-round picks included in the following but it makes things too murky to include them here.

1. Good (IMO)
The Rams traded two #1s to Jacksonville for Jalen Ramsey, then went 9-7 and 10-6.
K'Lavon Chaisson and Travis Etienne.
Chaisson was the 20th overall pick in 2020. He's an Edge; and in 23 career games, he has 7 starts and 2 sacks.
Etienne was the 25th pick in 2021. He's a RB (played with Lawrence at Clemson) and is currently on the IR.


2. Bad (IMO)
The Houston Texans won 11 games in 2018 but lost in the Wild Card Round. They had a ton of talent and a young, star at QB. However, Left Tackle was not strong. So, prior to the 2019 season, the Texans traded for Laremy Tunsil, and gave-up first rounders in 2020 and 2021 (similar to the Jalen-Ramsey-trade).

Houston went 10-6 and its #1 pick was low (#26). Miami traded-down to #30 and took CB Noah Igbinoghene.

But then the wheels-came-off (remember, it can happen quickly) and the Texans fell to 4-12 in 2020. The Texans' pick, held by Miami was the super valuable third overall. The Dolphins traded-down from 3rd-to-6th (Jaylen Waddle) and, now, also have the 49ers (currently 3-4) first round selection in 2022.

 

[CGI_Ram]

Just one other factor but an important factor in the equation is that it works much better if the team giving-up the picks is a top-team because those picks are much lower in the rounds.

That's a good point, worth stressing.

 

[blackbart]

One of the things I like about Miller is he is a Godly man who is prayerful.

That he enjoys hunting and fishing is pretty awesome too.

 

[dang]

You draft a player based on talent and skill. But if you don’t develop the player snd build a supportive team then all the skill and talent in the world won’t result in success.
McVay has built a staff that is great at developing players and building teams. That results in other developed “team-centric” players (with proven talent and skill) being successfully integrated into the team.
While “self-centric” players (even with skill and talent) are weeded out (e.g. Peters, DivaJax).

 

[Ram Ts]

There are quite a lot of intriguing ways to utilize Miller in this defense along the line and various personnel. I hope Morris starts off conservative during the regular season using him in the usual bronco way a bit; and waits until the playoffs to unleash some unexpected setups and utilization with AD, Floyd, Lewis, etc. Great opportunity to pull a Belichick here when needed in the playoffs.

 

[MadGoat]

I remember a decade ago, when the Rams defense was Chris Long and ten other guys who wouldn't have even started on most teams in the NFL. It's a great time to be a Rams fan.

 

[Allen2McVay]

I remember a decade ago, when the Rams defense was Chris Long and ten other guys who wouldn't have even started on most teams in the NFL. It's a great time to be a Rams fan.

View attachment 49556

How dare you insult my memories of Justin Bannan, Brady Poppinga, Josh Gordy, Fred Robbins, Chris Chamberlain and Justin King.

All defensive starters in 2011.

 

[NJRamsFan]

I remember a decade ago, when the Rams defense was Chris Long and ten other guys who wouldn't have even started on most teams in the NFL. It's a great time to be a Rams fan.

View attachment 49556

 

[MachS]

Justin King

This name is still allowed to be used around here?? Pretty sure it can result in a permanent ban, I'd be careful.

 

[Allen2McVay]

This name is still allowed to be used around here?? Pretty sure it can result in a permanent ban, I'd be careful.

Context?

 

[thirteen28]

I remember a decade ago, when the Rams defense was Chris Long and ten other guys who wouldn't have even started on most teams in the NFL. It's a great time to be a Rams fan.

View attachment 49556

Can we get another pic with Jalen in there?

Then it could be the new Fearsome Foursome, or maybe the four horsemen of the offensive apocalypse!

 

[Flatlyner]

Context?

Likely he should have used blue font on that.

And also, he really meant the name Tye Hill.