Under McVay, '17 is now a "prove it" year for a lotta players...

[Riverumbbq]

McVay will jettison guys who don't run crisp routes, first off. Tavon included, so he'd better be ready to work his butt off on his routes. His stamp on the team will be that exact precision in route running from day one in OTAs, and guys who can't get that are not gonna be around long.

OL is really the biggest piece, the biggest question for me. McVay is going to have the passing game covered, he's gonna coach/teach the skills guys into shape quickly. They need more talent, but guys are going to improve under him. Defense is covered under Wade, dude is gonna have that side of the fence workin.

The OL, that's the thing. Who is his hire going to be there. Everything is going to revolve around that IMO.

Agree on what you say here, even with Tavon's future value. Many fans complained about Austin's high cost extension, although it's really only a two year guarantee as after 2017 there is no 'dead CAP' applied to the Rams if they choose to part ways. Thing is, if they can improve his production as a WR3, his versatility and value to the team could be immeasurable. As a punt returner, he'd be right up there with the best if it wasn't for some ST's penalties, and his value as a RB was proven during the 2015 season. I'd like to see him become the kick returner also, ... still, he must improve on those routes if he's to be taken seriously as a quality WR and not just a 'gadget' player, either that or face a serious contractural re-negotiation or possibly become a CAP casualty as early as 2018. jmo.

 

[Young Ram]

May be a bit early to compare Jackson to Gurley. Jackson's very best season by rush average was as a rookie, at 5 yards per carry. Jackson gained his most yards in a season during his 3'rd year out of the 12, with a bit over 1500 rushing yards in 2006. He also had Orlando Pace, Adam Timmerman, Richie Incognito, Todd Steussie, Alex Barron and the oft injured Mark Setterstrom, etc. I loved Jackson for his capabilities, and even with Pace & Timmerman reaching their waning years, this line was light years ahead of our 2016 Rams. Both Bulger & Jackson had their best years for yards gained in 2006, and that team only managed an 8 - 8 record, a year where Bulger was sacked a record 49 times and Jackson had over 800 additional receiving yards. Of course, we also had a pretty poor defense at this time. The aging Bruce & Holt duo were also on that 2006 team.
Gurley was getting hit behind the L.O.S. about as consistently as possible, not to say he is faultless every play, but comparing the two teams, well ... you can't. The 2006 Rams offense was a far better rush blocking team than in pass pro during this period, but Bulger was also far more dangerous at this time than either Keenum or a rookie Goff. Our current OL is about as confused as any i've seen, whether it takes coaching or personnel or both to make it at least average, I guess we'll find out soon enough. McVay will give us a pass attack, and Gurley can only improve once this team's offense becomes multi-dimensional. When it comes to worrying about our team, it's the OL that keeps me up at night, not Gurley. jmo.

Ok but I wasn't comparing the 2006 Rams to the 2016 Rams. I'm comparing Steven Jackson the player to Todd Gurley the player. Let's take a look at his other years. 2007 Rams went 3-13 and Jackson eclipsed 1000+ despite playing only 12 games. 2008 Rams, 2-14, again 1000+ In 11 games. 2009 Rams, 1-15, his second best season 1400+ yards in 15 games AND playing with a herniated disk AND being the ONLY offensive weapon facing 8-9 man fronts constantly. You could rely on Jackson to make big plays. His lowest longest run was in 2010 which was 42 yards. Gurley's longest run this year was 24 yards.


Sure it might be early to compare the two, but to say he doesn't have anything to prove and that we shouldn't be concerned is nonsense.

 

[Young Ram]

Thats what happens though when there us absolutely no threat from the qb position every team every coach every opposing team fan said stop Gurley because Gurley have Proven that he can take over a game. When you have every team geared to stop one person and the oline cant run block thats what you get

2009 we had nothing. No QB. No WRs. Everybody knew Jackson was getting the ball. He was proven. He responded with 1400+ while playing in 15 games and with a herniated disk.

 

[Dxmissile]

2009 we had nothing. No QB. No WRs. Everybody knew Jackson was getting the ball. He was proven. He responded with 1400+ while playing in 15 games and with a herniated disk.

Like I stated Jackson was a veteran Rb and he is the all time leading rusher in Rams history. If you wanna compare compare their first 2 yrs in the league. Remember to that teams can't cut block now which was a big factor in the running scheme. I don't get comparing someone against someone who isn't even done writing his own story yet. Over reacting on a guy that finished 3rd in rushing last year but willing to give latitude on a 1st round pick that did absolutely nothing on a offense that did absolutely nothing. The disrespect is real for Gurley I guess

 

[HellRam]

2009 we had nothing. No QB. No WRs. Everybody knew Jackson was getting the ball. He was proven. He responded with 1400+ while playing in 15 games and with a herniated disk.

Jackson consistently averaged 4.0 + ypc over his career with the Rams as well. He was also the only RB I ever saw knock the shit out of Patrick Willis on a pass protection play. He was really under-rated in that regard as well. I'm a big Gurley fan, heck who isnt? But comparing Gurley to Jackson right now IMO is a disservice to Action Jackson.

 

[HellRam]

Like I stated Jackson was a veteran Rb and he is the all time leading rusher in Rams history. If you wanna compare compare their first 2 yrs in the league. Remember to that teams can't cut block now which was a big factor in the running scheme. I don't get comparing someone against someone who isn't even done writing his own story yet. Over reacting on a guy that finished 3rd in rushing last year but willing to give latitude on a 1st round pick that did absolutely nothing on a offense that did absolutely nothing. The disrespect is real for Gurley I guess

The thing is Jackson's play did not regress that much when the talent around him decreased.

As for disrespect.... he's catching the same smack Goff is right now. And it's probably fair, except one player is a rookie QB and the other is a 2nd year RB.

 

[Zodi]

Didn't read through the entire thread so forgive me if this was posted, but the biggest change I expect for Gurley is inspired by McVay saying Gurley can play all three downs. I like Bam Bam, but I was so damn tired of seeing Gurley called off the field every third down. Dude is a weapon in the passing game.

 

[Dxmissile]

Ok but I wasn't comparing the 2006 Rams to the 2016 Rams. I'm comparing Steven Jackson the player to Todd Gurley the player. Let's take a look at his other years. 2007 Rams went 3-13 and Jackson eclipsed 1000+ despite playing only 12 games. 2008 Rams, 2-14, again 1000+ In 11 games. 2009 Rams, 1-15, his second best season 1400+ yards in 15 games AND playing with a herniated disk AND being the ONLY offensive weapon facing 8-9 man fronts constantly. You could rely on Jackson to make big plays. His lowest longest run was in 2010 which was 42 yards. Gurley's longest run this year was 24 yards.


Sure it might be early to compare the two, but to say he doesn't have anything to prove and that we shouldn't be concerned is nonsense.

Saying Gurley is a bigger concern to Goff is nonsense imo.
All those squads had a much better offensive line then what we saw last year. All they could do is run block. But just focus on one player though. Sure Gurley could improve but giving the circumstances I think he played good because I'm looking at ball security blitz pick up I'm looking for the effort when he doesn't have the ball. What I saw was a guy just looking to take whatever hole the offensive line could create. He didn't have any trust in his line so instead of losing yards he took what he could get. Did that mean he missed some cut back lanes yes it does but it also meant that he was fumbling the ball trying to create something it meant that he wasn't constantly putting his team in second and 14 cause he tried to get a cut back. Not having trust in your blockers is a big hindrance to a QB and a RB. It's like the trust Rodgers have with his receivers when he scrambles or the trust Bell have when he waits on his lineman to block. They have that trust because they proved over and over again to be reliable. If you watch the first 3 games of the season you would see a patient Gurley waiting for blocks to come you would see him looking for that cut back lane, but they never materialized and from that point on the trust was gone.

 

[Riverumbbq]

Ok but I wasn't comparing the 2006 Rams to the 2016 Rams. I'm comparing Steven Jackson the player to Todd Gurley the player. Let's take a look at his other years. 2007 Rams went 3-13 and Jackson eclipsed 1000+ despite playing only 12 games. 2008 Rams, 2-14, again 1000+ In 11 games. 2009 Rams, 1-15, his second best season 1400+ yards in 15 games AND playing with a herniated disk AND being the ONLY offensive weapon facing 8-9 man fronts constantly. You could rely on Jackson to make big plays. His lowest longest run was in 2010 which was 42 yards. Gurley's longest run this year was 24 yards.


Sure it might be early to compare the two, but to say he doesn't have anything to prove and that we shouldn't be concerned is nonsense.

If you want to be concerned, go right ahead, I can't stop you. Still, I believe you are comparing apples to oranges. As I already noted, I loved Jackson as a Ram, he deserved a far better career than the one he got playing on those awful Rams teams. Again, most of those Rams teams where SJ had his most success, he had higher quality veteran offensive linemen than has Gurley, at least as rush blockers. Bulger, before finally succumbing to what has commonly become known as being 'Bulgerized' by poor pass protection, presented a bigger threat than either Keenum or the rookie Goff to the opposition. In my remark quoting your OP, I only discussed Jackson's rookie & 3'rd year as a player, discussing anything further just doesn't make much sense to me as Gurley has only participated in two seasons as yet, and even at that, their situations aren't comparable as the offensive lines, QB's and receivers were so very different. Bulger & Jackson had Pace, Incognito & Timmerman, Goff and Gurley have Greg Robinson, Wichmann & Barnes, hardly the same, ... Bulger & Jackson had Bruce and Holt, Goff & Gurley have Britt & Quick, hardly the same ... see where i'm going here ?
I'm not going to worry about or judge Gurley until the Rams at least give him a moderately average OL to fail behind, or to give Goff a decent enough receiving corps to take some of the pressure off Gurley, forcing defenses back enough to respect our passing game.
I'm not worrying about the stat differential between Jackson and Gurley, I only want Gurley to succeed. Steven Jackson got a bum deal, his time is over and we can't fix the offense to help him any longer, but Gurley's time is now, and we can build a quality team around both him and Goff. jmo.

 

[Dxmissile]

The thing is Jackson's play did not regress that much when the talent around him decreased.

As for disrespect.... he's catching the same smack Goff is right now. And it's probably fair, except one player is a rookie QB and the other is a 2nd year RB.

No he isn't everything Goff doesn't do get pass on to someone else. Goff only had like 3 interceptions the rest are on the receivers Goff completion percentage is low cause of the drops he fumbled the ball because of the offensive line, you see the trend. But with Gurley is awe he regressed he doesn't have any vision. By the time the Rams truly got bad Jackson was a 6 yr veteran.

 

[Legatron4]

Didn't read through the entire thread so forgive me if this was posted, but the biggest change I expect for Gurley is inspired by McVay saying Gurley can play all three downs. I like Bam Bam, but I was so damn tired of seeing Gurley called off the field every third down. Dude is a weapon in the passing game.

For real dude. It was so frustrating. It was like we were giving up on the drive. Teams knew we weren't running. Keep him in there and let him get into a rhythm.

 

[Zodi]

Still, I believe you are comparing apples to oranges.

Why can't fruit be compared?

 

[Riverumbbq]

Why can't fruit be compared?

I'm guessing its about discrimination. Apples are Red & Green, Oranges are, well, ... you know. alm:

 

[RamFan503]

Yes, when he has been used properly he benefits Gurley and keeps defenses WAY more honest.



I think you are partially correct, I think his stamp on the team will be QB then WR. Or he will copy this tattoo that @RamFan503 got on his last visit to see the Rams play the 49ers.

I predict this post will be edited in 10. 9. 8. 7. 6. 5. ...................

Ok.... first of all, I'll admit that your post was funny as hell. Second... you had to know WE couldn't leave that shit up. Third.... I can't fucking believe we don't have a linebacker or SS shadowing your ass for inappropriate posts. We should have had Barron or McD blind side your ass.

 

[shovelpass]

Gurley definitely missed some holes, and looked different (slower, what have you) but he was also hit in the backfield constantly. There was some stat about him having more yards after contact than actual yards.

 

[Young Ram]

Saying Gurley is a bigger concern to Goff is nonsense imo.
All those squads had a much better offensive line then what we saw last year. All they could do is run block. But just focus on one player though. Sure Gurley could improve but giving the circumstances I think he played good because I'm looking at ball security blitz pick up I'm looking for the effort when he doesn't have the ball. What I saw was a guy just looking to take whatever hole the offensive line could create. He didn't have any trust in his line so instead of losing yards he took what he could get. Did that mean he missed some cut back lanes yes it does but it also meant that he was fumbling the ball trying to create something it meant that he wasn't constantly putting his team in second and 14 cause he tried to get a cut back. Not having trust in your blockers is a big hindrance to a QB and a RB. It's like the trust Rodgers have with his receivers when he scrambles or the trust Bell have when he waits on his lineman to block. They have that trust because they proved over and over again to be reliable. If you watch the first 3 games of the season you would see a patient Gurley waiting for blocks to come you would see him looking for that cut back lane, but they never materialized and from that point on the trust was gone.

If gurley was as patient as Bell he would have had much better success this past season. What I saw from Gurley this year was that he took the play call and ran with it. Little did he try to create for himself. Again, I'm not belittling Gurley. He is a talented athlete that missed many opportunities and he needs to refocus this offseason to the player he was in 2015.

 

[Young Ram]

If you want to be concerned, go right ahead, I can't stop you. Still, I believe you are comparing apples to oranges. As I already noted, I loved Jackson as a Ram, he deserved a far better career than the one he got playing on those awful Rams teams. Again, most of those Rams teams where SJ had his most success, he had higher quality veteran offensive linemen than has Gurley, at least as rush blockers. Bulger, before finally succumbing to what has commonly become known as being 'Bulgerized' by poor pass protection, presented a bigger threat than either Keenum or the rookie Goff to the opposition. In my remark quoting your OP, I only discussed Jackson's rookie & 3'rd year as a player, discussing anything further just doesn't make much sense to me as Gurley has only participated in two seasons as yet, and even at that, their situations aren't comparable as the offensive lines, QB's and receivers were so very different. Bulger & Jackson had Pace, Incognito & Timmerman, Goff and Gurley have Greg Robinson, Wichmann & Barnes, hardly the same, ... Bulger & Jackson had Bruce and Holt, Goff & Gurley have Britt & Quick, hardly the same ... see where i'm going here ?
I'm not going to worry about or judge Gurley until the Rams at least give him a moderately average OL to fail behind, or to give Goff a decent enough receiving corps to take some of the pressure off Gurley, forcing defenses back enough to respect our passing game.
I'm not worrying about the stat differential between Jackson and Gurley, I only want Gurley to succeed. Steven Jackson got a bum deal, his time is over and we can't fix the offense to help him any longer, but Gurley's time is now, and we can build a quality team around both him and Goff. jmo.

If Jackson was successful with veterans what about 2009 then? He only had a 'bulgerized' bulger to work with, yet he still gave us a 1400+ yard year despite everyone knowing he was going to get the ball.

Again it may not be fair to judge these two players. Gurley still has a lot of football left to play, but Gurley needs to show off his ability. He needs to create plays when plays aren't there. Rarely did he do that this past season. That's what star players do. I'm hoping he gets back on track and becomes the greatest Rams RB ever.

 

[Dxmissile]

Gurley definitely missed some holes, and looked different (slower, what have you) but he was also hit in the backfield constantly. There was some stat about him having more yards after contact than actual yards.

Exactly im not saying he couldn't have been more patient but at the same time when you tried that earlier and it didn't work you lose that confidence that it will ever work. Here's hoping to a better Offensive TEAM period. Because everything was terrible

 

[Dxmissile]

If gurley was as patient as Bell he would have had much better success this past season. What I saw from Gurley this year was that he took the play call and ran with it. Little did he try to create for himself. Again, I'm not belittling Gurley. He is a talented athlete that missed many opportunities and he needs to refocus this offseason to the player he was in 2015.

Bell sit behind his block for about 3 seconds he can do that because his lineman can hold their blocks for that long. Our lineman on the other can barely hold there block at the snap let alone enough for Gurley to wait for a lane to open

 

[shovelpass]

Bell sit behind his block for about 3 seconds he can do that because his lineman can hold their blocks for that long. Our lineman on the other can barely hold there block at the snap let alone enough for Gurley to wait for a lane to open

A solid line can do that, look at Dallas. Zeke is a great back, but he can run for days before any threat of contact