Nick Hampton’s best position?

[TheTackle]

I hope this thread inspires some full throttle debate or better leaves some blood on the floor

Let us return to a long standing argument between us…

Looking at the numbers, in terms of the Edge defenders now on the squad, set against his rookie year (when he looked more like a safety out there), does he need to transition to ILB to make the team?

I am not saying he definitely can but is it that or get cut?

I did not see him show up on special teams and if they were high on him as an edge why double down in this draft?

Ochaun and Brenden both have the jump on him and I don’t see that changing unless he comes in looking like a rocked up Joey Porter which I doubt he has the body for

Debate!

 

[So Ram]

I hope this thread inspires some full throttle debate or better leaves some blood on the floor

Let us return to a long standing argument between us…

Looking at the numbers, in terms of the Edge defenders now on the squad, set against his rookie year (when he looked more like a safety out there), does he need to transition to ILB to make the team?

I am not saying he definitely can but is it that or get cut?

I did not see him show up on special teams and if they were high on him as an edge why double down in this draft?

Ochaun and Brenden both have the jump on him and I don’t see that changing unless he comes in looking like a rocked up Joey Porter which I doubt he has the body for

Debate!

Debate is he has never really impressed me.I thought he was going to get cut last season.

He got some quality playing time late,but I don’t think he came into training camp in great shape.

Rosemboom is a guy who played well last year and got Big Time Experience & was put in difficult situations. He really came on & had a INT in a critical moment.

I know this thread isn’t Boom,but dude came into training camp WANTING IT !! I wanted The Rams to draft a W/Inside LBer(Wilson,Watson) & they had there chance.Troy Reeder is going to need to step up & Hummel continues to be another LBer Shula likes.He was The LBer coach last season & Trusts those guys.

I also think The Rams bring in some UDRFA who they might try to develop ???? I wanted a sideline to sideline guy.Like I said Boom is really going to try to keep his JOB !!!

As far as Nick Hampton ?? He is practicing with Mathias as a OLB.
Both those guys are going to be pushed very hard,but there off season doesn’t look good to me ??
They need to get in shape & Mathais has that size(height) & Hampton looks slow & heavy.

If you want THE BIG PICTURE of THE RAMS DEFENSE it’s Quintin LAKE !! Dude looks like a ALL PRO !!
He came into TRaining(OTA’s) YOLKED !! He looks like a LBer from chest up.Sean Mcvay LOVES him !! He LOVES his mind & work.He LOVES what he brings to The Rams facility !!! Sean Mcvay says he can’t say ENOUGH about Q. Lake.

What I’m saying The Day after The Draft & seeing photos .Listening to Mcvay & remembering last year. Boom & Lake are starting.

Nick Hampton is a couple stars behind & he knows it.Mathis is going to need to figure it out,because The Rams drafted some Young Player who WANT IT!!
The energy that this 2024 Class is going to be like No other UpFront !!

 

[OldSchool]

I think with this draft he'll be Edge #4 or5 after Young, Verse, Hoecht and then he battles with Mathis. I think his best bet is to put a ton of effort into coverage teams. That's how he can stick on the Rams and follow in the footsteps of guys like Nick Scott.

 

[Ramrocket]

If he can’t excel on special teams I think he is gone.

 

[Allen2McVay]

I think with this draft he'll be Edge #4 or5 after Young, Verse, Hoecht and then he battles with Mathis. I think his best bet is to put a ton of effort into coverage teams. That's how he can stick on the Rams and follow in the footsteps of guys like Nick Scott.

Do you remember reading anything about Michael Hoecht's playing weight last season? I don't.

He is still listed at 310 on the Team's site but that doesn't mean anything. It still has Alaric Jackson at 285. Hoecht converted to Edge in the middle of 2022 out of necessity but was scheduled to stay at Edge last year. Not sure if he dropped some weight (assumed so), or how much.

Reason I ask is that the Rams seem to have a lot of bodies at Edge right now ... Verse, Young, Brennan Jackson, Hampton, Mathis, Keir Thomas and VanValkenburg. That's seven, without counting Hoecht. Figure 4 or 5 on the 53-man roster.

If Hoecht is still around 300 lbs, he should be able to fill a dual-role. Heck, the man went to Brown University. 45 years ago, I got a rejection letter from Brown that read ... 'You Must be Kidding'.

Hoecht could replace Murchison on the D-Line (I don't think he makes any impact).

That would give the Rams a six-man-line of Turner / Fiske / Brown starting, with Desjuan Johnson / Tyler Davis / Hoecht in reserve. That would allow Hampton, Mathis, Thomas and VanValkenburg to compete for 1 or 2 reserve Edge spots behind Young and the two rookies.

Of course, this is just Super-Duper Early Speculation. Training Camp performance and injuries usually make final roster decisions fairly easy.

Thrilled with the Draft results. Would like to see a quality veteran WR added simply because I can not see Kupp and Nacua each playing 17 games. They are too tough, and take too much of a beating, in my opinion. Could Hunter Renfrow be a fit, or is his slot-role-status too limiting?

 

[OldSchool]

Do you remember reading anything about Michael Hoecht's playing weight last season? I don't.

He is still listed at 310 on the Team's site but that doesn't mean anything. It still had Alaric Jackson at 335. Hoecht converted to Edge in the middle of 2022 out of necessity but was scheduled to stay at Edge last year. Not sure if he dropped some weight (assumed so), or how much.

Reason I ask is that the Rams seem to have a lot of bodies at Edge right now ... Verse, Young, Brennan Jackson, Hampton, Mathis, Keir Thomas and VanValkenburg. That's seven, without counting Hoecht. Figure 4 or 5 on the 53-man roster.

If Hoecht is still around 300 lbs, he should be able to fill a dual-role. Heck, the man went to Brown University. 45 years ago, I got a rejection letter from Brown that read ... 'You Must be Kidding'.

Hoecht could replace Murchison on the D-Line (I don't think he makes any impact).

That would give the Rams a six-man-line of Turner / Fiske / Brown starting, with Desjuan Johnson / Tyler Davis / Hoecht in reserve. That would allow Hampton, Mathis, Thomas and VanValkenburg to compete for 1 or 2 reserve Edge spots behind Young and the two rookies.

Of course, this is just Super-Duper Early Speculation. Training Camp performance and injuries usually make final roster decisions fairly easy.

Thrilled with the Draft results. Would like to see a quality veteran WR added simply because I can not see Kupp and Nacua each playing 17 games. They are too tough, and take too much of a beating, in my opinion. Could Hunter Renfrow be a fit, or is his slot-role-status a problem?

He had some sacks but I remember very little good of him aside from those. I'm a well known Hoecht detractor but the Rams signed him so I could see him being Edge 3/4 along with Jackson and I expect that split to decrease as the season moves along and Jackson gets more up to speed. I think he'll be very good I just think he's got a little work to do. Verse and Fiske step in day 1 IMO.

Edit: I just noticed I left Jackson off the list but clearly had him in my mind as I called Hoecht/Hampton 4/5.

 

[Allen2McVay]

He had some sacks but I remember very little good of him aside from those.

I'm pretty sure Larrell Murchison had two sacks in his very first game as a Ram in 2022, with zero since then ... a span of seventeen games.

Realize his snaps have been limited but I just don't see him making plays. By contrast, in limited snaps last year, I thought Desjuan Johnson Flashed (i.e., was notable) quite a few times.

 

[Kupped]

He's more of a 4-3 OLB than 3-4 OLB.

But I think he can play football and may stick on ST and play in some sub packages.

 

[rdlkgliders]

Special Teams

 

[WestCoastRam]

I think @JimY53 has gone into this a lot. Hampton hasn't shown any ability in college nor in pros to play a position outside of OLB. Prob his best chance is to stick there and we'll know a lot more in camp this year (biggest jump should be 1st to 2nd year here).

Is there a chance he could play off the ball, not really. It's not impossible but maybe it's like a .05% chance. The instincts, the eye discipline, reading keys, the athletic traits (forget bend and ankle flexion, begin to look at tight hips, change of direction) are all different. It would be a pretty big jump. Not impossible. Very very not likely though.

 

[TheTackle]

Special Teams

If memory serves Hampton didn’t always suit and when he did he was invisible in the worst special teams unit in football. In which case is he a bust?

 

[TheTackle]

He's more of a 4-3 OLB than 3-4 OLB.

But I think he can play football and may stick on ST and play in some sub packages.

So should we try and trade him? He didn’t make any noise on special teams either!

 

[WestCoastRam]

If memory serves Hampton didn’t always suit and when he did he was invisible in the worst special teams unit in football. In which case is he a bust?

hahaha, that may be the case but, I mean, we can see how he looks this year. Year 1 to 2 can be a big jump for guys in terms of rebuilding their bodies and work ethic. I don't have high hopes for him but we'll see!

I think Tutu is a decent example of this, he even said he was lost that first year and didn't know what it took in terms of effort. Granted, he isn't an all pro but he went from a nothing to a solid role player in this offense. (Maybe took another year too).

 

[PhillyRam]

I think @JimY53 has gone into this a lot. Hampton hasn't shown any ability in college nor in pros to play a position outside of OLB. Prob his best chance is to stick there and we'll know a lot more in camp this year (biggest jump should be 1st to 2nd year here).

Is there a chance he could play off the ball, not really. It's not impossible but maybe it's like a .05% chance. The instincts, the eye discipline, reading keys, the athletic traits (forget bend and ankle flexion, begin to look at tight hips, change of direction) are all different. It would be a pretty big jump. Not impossible. Very very not likely though.

If they can transition a 6-4, 300 lb UDFA from DL to an OLB, like they did with Hoecht, then I think a 6-3, 235lb Hampton has a shot to play the off the ball LB position.

And you may say Hoecht wasn't good, yet they made the playoffs with him playing that role in his 2nd yr playing the position.

 

[WestCoastRam]

If they can transition a 6-4, 300 lb UDFA from DL to an OLB, like they did with Hoecht, then I think a 6-3, 235lb Hampton has a shot to play the off the ball LB position.

And you may say Hoecht wasn't good, yet they made the playoffs with him playing that role in his 2nd yr playing the position.

I would argue that's an easier transition do to more similarities to what's asked of DL and OLB but there's always a chance!

Just think it's minuscule!

TBH, I've been impress with Hoecht's transition, I actually think he could be quite a good situational player at OLB or possibly squeezing down inside again. Just not a starter.

 

[JimY53]

Do you remember reading anything about Michael Hoecht's playing weight last season? I don't.

He is still listed at 310 on the Team's site but that doesn't mean anything.

Jourdan said under 290 or 280... something like that. He cut weight in 2023, I'd bet he was 275-280

It still has Alaric Jackson at 285.

Right, and he's like 325 or more

 

[JimY53]

If they can transition a 6-4, 300 lb UDFA from DL to an OLB, like they did with Hoecht, then I think a 6-3, 235lb Hampton has a shot to play the off the ball LB position.

The issue is never having played it. Being a DE and an OLBer ... there are some similarities in part of the responsivities.

Playing ILBer verses edge when you've been and edge since high school is a bigger ask. ILBer rely on trined eyes keying on guards and RBs, seeing blocking schemes, flowing to ball.

Edge is "go get them" and "don't lose contain" ... even the coverages are different ... straing line speed does not matter that much as an ILB, not making false steps is crucial.

I always say never say never but I don't see it.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

I hope this thread inspires some full throttle debate or better leaves some blood on the floor

Let us return to a long standing argument between us…

Looking at the numbers, in terms of the Edge defenders now on the squad, set against his rookie year (when he looked more like a safety out there), does he need to transition to ILB to make the team?

I am not saying he definitely can but is it that or get cut?

I did not see him show up on special teams and if they were high on him as an edge why double down in this draft?

Ochaun and Brenden both have the jump on him and I don’t see that changing unless he comes in looking like a rocked up Joey Porter which I doubt he has the body for

Debate!

Cut candidate imo

 

[jjab360]

He was drafted as an edge rusher and I don't see anything in his game that suggests a transition to an off ball linebacker

 

[RamFanWA]

If Hoecht is still around 300 lbs, he should be able to fill a dual-role. Heck, the man went to Brown University. 45 years ago, I got a rejection letter from Brown that read ... 'You Must be Kidding'.

I grew up in Rhode Island.... and um??? Brown has a football team?
Who knew???!!!!!
Of course, things can change in 40 years.... I mean - look at me!!!