Morgan Fox Back in Horns-Tanzel Smart Looking for New Team.

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Ram65

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First reported by @London_Ram


The Rams brought back one defensive lineman on Friday and said farewell to another.

The team announced that defensive end Morgan Fox has been re-signed. Defensive tackle Tanzel Smart was cut loose in a corresponding move.

Fox signed with the Rams as an undrafted free agent in 2016 and played in four games as a rookie. He was up to 16 games in 2017, missed 2018 with a torn ACL and returned to appear in every game last season. He had 18 tackles and two sacks while playing on 32 percent of the team’s defensive snaps.

Smart was a 2017 sixth-round pick who played 31 games over the last three seasons. He has 21 career tackles.


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I wonder what took them so long to make this move. It could have been money/cap. It seems like Fox is a better fit at DE with the Rams having SJD and Gaines to rotate in at DT. Fox is an effort guy not a difference-maker but could keep improving. It good to have him give Brockers a rest. Jonah Williams the UDFA with an impressive pro day could give him some competition at DE.
 
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Memento

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I wonder what took them so long to make this move. It could have been money/cap. It seems like Fox is a better fit at DE with the Rams having SJD and Gaines to rotate in at DT. Fox is an effort guy not a difference-maker but could keep improving. It good to have him give Brockers a rest. Johnah Williams the UDFA with an impressive pro day could give him some competition at DE.

Hoecht is another name to look at; he had a solid Pro Day himself. I don't see either of them making the 53 man, but they'll be solid practice squad members.
 

Ants

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Fox is solid. I wasn't impressed with Smart - not that I thought he was bad, just a guy IMO.
 

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Never was impressed with Smart. That one video of him training, while admirable of him trying to improve with AD, made him look like an un-athletic slug...
 

Dieter the Brock

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Unable to figure out how to hijack this thread into a Marquise Copeland appreciation thread. Any help will be greatly appreciated
 

BonifayRam

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Interesting.......appears the 5 tech/3 tech/OLB'er past history playing events fits more into the Cloaking scheme of Brandon Staley. Smart was primarily a 3 tech DT with some elements of playing NT but that about it. Smart has been here for 3 seasons & done very little plus was in his final season under contract.

Rams did not come up the tender offer that had a fixed cost & contract time period to the RFA Morgan Fox earlier. Rams let him seek a home to play elsewhere. I thought that Denver defense was a good fit & had posted on that. So now the Rams might have him back most likely @ a lower contractual amount after all this. I have not seen any $$$ amounts yet though.

Micheal Brockers was the starter with the Rams @ the 3 tech post for 3 seasons before Donald ousted him. Rams do have 3 new UDFA DL'ers in Mike Hoecht, Sam Renner & Jonah Williams.

Canadian prospect Mike Hoecht has some unreal speed on him @ 6-4/295 lbs .....ran a 4.65 forty-yard dash while putting up 23 reps of 225 lbs on the bench press, plus a three-cone 7.07. Sam Renner is a pure small 3 tech DT 6-4 270 but the Rams already have a dinky lightweight 3 tech starting;).

Not sure how the loss of a reserve 3 tech is being looked at but Fox can certainly play that post so can Copeland. Fox & Donald in the past can be seen together in many photos in TC & seated on the sidelines for many year now. So I was thinking Donald might have had a small part in making this happen.

Fox's practice film time back in early 2018 TC & preseason playing those two ER/OLB'er posts might have magically surfaced for Staley to see.
 
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Neil039

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Gotta go with the guy who can step in and do what the Defense needs. Obviously Fox is seen as this guy. Good luck the Smart, hopefully on a AFC roster.
 

ramfan46

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Interesting.......appears the 5 tech/3 tech/OLB'er past history playing events fits more into the Cloaking scheme of Brandon Staley. Smart was primarily a 3 tech DT with some elements of playing NT but that about it. Smart has been here for 3 seasons & done very little plus was in his final season under contract.

Rams did not come up the tender offer that had a fixed cost & contract time period to the RFA Morgan Fox earlier. Rams let him seek a home to play elsewhere. I thought that Denver defense was a good fit & had posted on that. So now the Rams might have him back most likely @ a lower contractual amount after all this. I have not seen any $$$ amounts yet though.

Micheal Brockers was the starter with the Rams @ the 3 tech post for 3 seasons before Donald ousted him. Rams do have 3 new UDFA DL'ers in Mike Hoecht, Sam Renner & Jonah Williams.

Canadian prospect Mike Hoecht has some unreal speed on him @ 6-4/295 lbs .....ran a 4.65 forty-yard dash while putting up 23 reps of 225 lbs on the bench press, plus a three-cone 7.07. Sam Renner is a pure small 3 tech DT 6-4 270 but the Rams already have a dinky lightweight 3 tech starting;).

Not sure how the loss of a reserve 3 tech is being looked at but Fox can certainly play that post so can Copeland. Fox & Donald in the past can be seen together in many photos in TC & seated on the sidelines for many year now. So I was thinking Donald might have had a small part in making this happen.

Fox's practice film time back in early 2018 TC & preseason playing those two ER/OLB'er posts might have magically surfaced for Staley to see.

Those numbers on Hoecht are eye opening. Some serious athleticism to work with there. My sleeper crush on the DL is Jonah Williams. Snead and the scouts do a great job with UDFA's.
 

Ram65

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Those numbers on Hoecht are eye opening. Some serious athleticism to work with there. My sleeper crush on the DL is Jonah Williams. Snead and the scouts do a great job with UDFA's.


Nice article on Willaims. He will be 25 in August. I'm liking both of them. The numbers pop out at you. They are going to be coached up to jump to the NFL but, they have athletic talent.



Evan Brennan@EvanTheAgent

View: https://twitter.com/EvanTheAgent/status/1243606434077540352


Best private Pro Day by a DL this year done at @stroformance

Jonah Williams of @weberstatefb

6-5, 281
30 x 225
35 vert
9-7 broad
4.69 and 4.67 laser-timed 40
4.21 and 4.14 shuttle (laser)
6.77 and 6.71 3 cone (laser)
Embedded video
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2:30 PM - Mar 27, 2020 · Orem, UT
Twitter Ads info and privacy

29 people are talking about this

6-5, 281
30 x 225
35 vert
9-7 broad
4.69 and 4.67 laser-timed 40
4.21 and 4.14 shuttle (laser)
6.77 and 6.71 3 cone (laser)

Here's how those numbers stack up against all of the EDGE and defensive line prospects at the NFL Combine:

  • 40 - Top 3
  • Bench - Top 5
  • Vertical - Top 3
  • Shuttle - No. 1
  • 3-Cone - No. 1
 

BonifayRam

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I still have my doubts about McVay getting his magic & mojo back with this offense like 2017 early 2018 level......however I just have this gut feeling ..........................this defense is going to shock the NFL world in 2020.
 

den-the-coach

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however I just have this gut feeling ..........................this defense is going to shock the NFL world in 2020.

And then Brandon Staley will be hired as the Next Head Coach of the Chicago Bears.
 

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And then Brandon Staley will be hired as the Next Head Coach of the Chicago Bears.
Don't do it, Brandon. It's a trap! ~ Lovie
eekno5v.gif
 

ramfan46

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Nice article on Willaims. He will be 25 in August. I'm liking both of them. The numbers pop out at you. They are going to be coached up to jump to the NFL but, they have athletic talent.



29 people are talking about this

6-5, 281
30 x 225
35 vert
9-7 broad
4.69 and 4.67 laser-timed 40
4.21 and 4.14 shuttle (laser)
6.77 and 6.71 3 cone (laser)

Here's how those numbers stack up against all of the EDGE and defensive line prospects at the NFL Combine:

  • 40 - Top 3
  • Bench - Top 5
  • Vertical - Top 3
  • Shuttle - No. 1
  • 3-Cone - No. 1
Late bloomer that turned into a freak athlete. Looking forward to preseason to see if we found another DL contributor like Westbrook’s and Fox.
 

RamDino

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Jonah Williams seems to have all the right attributes... speed, power, and size. He may need a year of experience to maximize his technique, but his potential may be off the charts. Great pick up by Snead.
 

So Ram

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Interesting.......appears the 5 tech/3 tech/OLB'er past history playing events fits more into the Cloaking scheme of Brandon Staley. Smart was primarily a 3 tech DT with some elements of playing NT but that about it. Smart has been here for 3 seasons & done very little plus was in his final season under contract.

Rams did not come up the tender offer that had a fixed cost & contract time period to the RFA Morgan Fox earlier. Rams let him seek a home to play elsewhere. I thought that Denver defense was a good fit & had posted on that. So now the Rams might have him back most likely @ a lower contractual amount after all this. I have not seen any $$$ amounts yet though.

Micheal Brockers was the starter with the Rams @ the 3 tech post for 3 seasons before Donald ousted him. Rams do have 3 new UDFA DL'ers in Mike Hoecht, Sam Renner & Jonah Williams.

Canadian prospect Mike Hoecht has some unreal speed on him @ 6-4/295 lbs .....ran a 4.65 forty-yard dash while putting up 23 reps of 225 lbs on the bench press, plus a three-cone 7.07. Sam Renner is a pure small 3 tech DT 6-4 270 but the Rams already have a dinky lightweight 3 tech starting;).

Not sure how the loss of a reserve 3 tech is being looked at but Fox can certainly play that post so can Copeland. Fox & Donald in the past can be seen together in many photos in TC & seated on the sidelines for many year now. So I was thinking Donald might have had a small part in making this happen.

Fox's practice film time back in early 2018 TC & preseason playing those two ER/OLB'er posts might have magically surfaced for Staley to see.

I wasn’t paying attention, but just about everything I thought minus maybe a couple ways The Rams might go have come to fruition.

Clay & Robey Coleman both got released. Fowler I thought might have a chance to maybe resign Fowler at some point, back & forth.

I’ve been to a couple camps & Fox was with Michael Brokers a lot,. Donald held out a lot, so there is another player Fox fits with.

If you look at when The Rams lost to SF EVERYONE wanted to BLAME the O”Line who played well.
Smart & Gaines came in when SF was
backed up. Gave up 2 big plays.

Anyway - Gaines & Fox offset each other. Makes for a good duo at DT.If Gaines is to be any good Fox will make him better