What Is A Rams Linebacking Corps Without James Laurinaitis?

[LesBaker]

Several of the run plays feature 6 men on the OL and one is coming right off the line to take on the MLB. Granted JL wasn't great at shedding blocks but for the handful of GIFs the author provides it's almost meaningless. You could find a small number of plays like that for any LB.

Again, I'm not a fan and the last couple of years he hasn't been much to brag about, but he's moved on so that's that.

Also he was more of a liability in the passing game to be honest. His ability to cover was not good.

 

[Wolfecola]

JL has a clear lane to take down the RB but doesn't. We're told the reason is because JL sucks, but the real reason is because his role was not the play-maker in that defense.

Oh boy.

 

[den-the-coach]

James Laurinaitis had the will, just no longer the skill.

 

[OntarioRam]

JL was never an exceptional player. At his best he was very solid, albeit unspectacular. What he lacked in athleticism he made up for with smarts. He also brought intangibles like leadership, durability, continuity and toughness. Finally, he was one of the few vets on the roster and a face of our defence for years. All of that made him more valuable to the Rams than what his objective market value might have been. Yes, he was overpaid, but it was justifiable for some time.

In the last 2ish seasons his play got markedly worse. It happens as players age. He was no longer worth keeping around at his salary. In fact, he probably wasn't worth keeping around at *any* salary if he was taking starting reps away from superior players. Evidently, Rams management thought the same.

I will always support him as a footbally player and remember his time in a Rams unifrom fondly. But it was time to move on. He gave a lot for this franchise. I wish we could have built a more competitive team during his prime years. He deserved to at least have a *chance* at playing in meaningful games.

 

[DaveFan'51]

The last Great MLB the Rams had was Jack 'Hacksaw' Reynolds! We need that Type at MLB!! JMHO ( And don't bring up Fletcher, he wasn't anywhere near as good as Jack!)

 

[DaveFan'51]

the last couple of years he hasn't been much to brag about

Well .... this^ just happens to coincide with Greg Williams coming on board as DC, so do you think JL's play may have been a by-product of what Williams wanted him to do? Williams called JL an extension of him on the field!

 

[Prime Time]

The last Great MLB the Rams had was Jack 'Hacksaw' Reynolds! We need that Type at MLB!! JMHO ( And don't bring up Fletcher, he wasn't anywhere near as good as Jack!)

Thanks for bringing up one of my all-time favorite Rams players.

London Fletcher - Rams Rookie of the Year, in 99 season he had 138 tackles along with a Super Bowl ring, All-Madden team, 4 time Pro-Bowler, in 2000 he again led the team with 193 tackles. Over a career spanning 16 seasons he never missed a game. Yet the Rams let him go to another team. One of the worst boneheaded decisions ever made by any Rams front office.

http://mmqb.si.com/2014/02/13/london-fletcher-unplugged-retirement-hall-of-fame

London Fletcher Is Ready For What’s Next
It took time, but by the end of his 16th NFL season the ironman linebacker was one of the game’s most respected and admired players. Whatever his future holds, it looks to be bright
by Robert Klemko/FEB. 13, 2014

Bill Frakes/Sports Illustrated/The MMQB

Linebacker London Fletcher is all but sure that his 16th NFL season was his last. With 215 consecutive starts, he would retire as the all-time ironman among NFL linebackers, and his 256 consecutive games played ranks fourth in league history. A veteran of St. Louis, Buffalo and Washington and a two-time Super Bowl starter for the Rams (in the SB XXXIV win over the Titans in and the SB XXXVI loss to the Patriots), Fletcher has clear ideas about the direction of the league, his plans for life after football, and his Hall of Fame status. He spoke to The MMQB’s Robert Klemko after the conclusion of the season.

ROBERT KLEMKO: Are you sure you’re done, or is it still 99 percent?

LONDON FLETCHER: It’s still 99 percent. You have to leave that one percent out there.

RK: And you’ve settled on TV as a post-football career?

LF: That’s my aspiration once I leave the game. I still want to be around the sport, and I think I can give some insight about the game, because I’ve been around it so long. I think I could provide some good analysis. I’ve done enough in the last four or five years to know how it goes.

Coaching was a thought, and I’ll never say never, but I have three young kids, so the demand and hours that would come with coaching is not what I want to do. I’m walking away from the game to spend more time with my wife and children, not to spend less time. When you become a father it just puts you in this totally different mindset. Everything you do becomes about them.

RK: Will you let your five-year-old son play football?

LF: He loves football. He’s glued to the set. He plays flag now. It would be more difficult for me to keep him away just because he loves it so much. You think about the risks with head injuries, and you don’t want them harmed. That comes into play. You have to make sure he’s in a program where they’re teaching him the fundamentals and doing things the right way from a tackling standpoint. I have confidence in that.

RK: Do you worry about CTE for yourself?

LF: With all the research that’s come out, you think about that, but I don’t think I’ll have an issue. I’ve suffered a few concussions, but I’ve never been a big hitter with my head. Even before all the research came out, I didn’t think that was smart.

RK: Fondest football memory?

LF: The Super Bowl is the fondest memory. That’s absolutely what we play for. It doesn’t get any bigger than that. The thing is, I did it at such a young age, I don’t think I truly appreciated it as much as I could have. I still enjoyed it and it was a great accomplishment from a team standpoint, but as I’ve gotten older and realized how difficult it is to get to the playoffs, I’ve had a greater appreciation for being able to win it.

RK: If you played next season, could you be as effective as you’d like?

LF: Yes. It’s not a productivity thing, the reason I’m walking away. I know I can go out and make plays and be effective, just because I know how to prepare. It’s just that I want to do other things in life.

RK: What’s changed the most about the NFL over your time in the league?

LF: So many more rules have been implemented. It makes it so difficult to be a defensive player and do your job effectively. If they’re going to keep lowering the hit zone, you’re eventually going to have to curb the knee injuries too. It’s going to end up being two-hand tag. I understand the health concerns, but it’s still football.

RK: Who was the greatest motivator and the greatest football mind you ever played for?

LF: The greatest motivator was Frank Gansz, who passed in 2009. He coached special teams in St. Louis [in addition to several other teams]. That guy could get you to run through a brick wall. You would go to the special teams meeting even if you weren’t on special teams, just to hear him talk. The greatest football mind was Dick LeBeau.

He came to Buffalo in 2003 for one year before he went to Pittsburgh. He is far and away the greatest football mind I’ve ever been around, and it’s not even close. There’s no close second. You realize it right away, in the first three minutes of him doing the first install of a fire zone. Anybody who’s been around him, played for him, spent a moment with him—you know, that’s football royalty. It doesn’t get any better.

RK: You were underappreciated for much of your career. Was it a motivating factor?


LF: It was one of them. It pissed me off. Even now I still get pissed off. I still don’t know that people gave me my due respect for my production. It was a motivating factor for a number of years in my career. That feeling never really went away.

RK: Should you go to the Hall of Fame?

LF: I think my career was Hall of Fame-worthy. I don’t have a vote, but when you look at the other linebackers who were Hall of Famers, and you look at every possible measuring stick, you can’t discredit me. I don’t see how it’s a debate, but it’s hard because one of the things I’ve always tried to be is a humble player and a humble person. I don’t want to send the wrong message. But I think when you look at the productivity, the durability, the longevity, I’m in there.

RK: Best player you ever faced?

LF: Marshall Faulk.

RK: Hardest to tackle?

LF: I don’t know, man… They all fall.

 

[DaveFan'51]

Thanks for bringing up one of my all-time favorite Rams players.

London Fletcher - Rams Rookie of the Year, in 99 season he had 138 tackles along with a Super Bowl ring, All-Madden team, 4 time Pro-Bowler, in 2000 he again led the team with 193 tackles. Over a career spanning 16 seasons he never missed a game. Yet the Rams let him go to another team. One of the worst boneheaded decisions ever made by any Rams front office.

http://mmqb.si.com/2014/02/13/london-fletcher-unplugged-retirement-hall-of-fame

London Fletcher Is Ready For What’s Next
It took time, but by the end of his 16th NFL season the ironman linebacker was one of the game’s most respected and admired players. Whatever his future holds, it looks to be bright
by Robert Klemko/FEB. 13, 2014

Bill Frakes/Sports Illustrated/The MMQB

Linebacker London Fletcher is all but sure that his 16th NFL season was his last. With 215 consecutive starts, he would retire as the all-time ironman among NFL linebackers, and his 256 consecutive games played ranks fourth in league history. A veteran of St. Louis, Buffalo and Washington and a two-time Super Bowl starter for the Rams (in the SB XXXIV win over the Titans in and the SB XXXVI loss to the Patriots), Fletcher has clear ideas about the direction of the league, his plans for life after football, and his Hall of Fame status. He spoke to The MMQB’s Robert Klemko after the conclusion of the season.

ROBERT KLEMKO: Are you sure you’re done, or is it still 99 percent?

LONDON FLETCHER: It’s still 99 percent. You have to leave that one percent out there.

RK: And you’ve settled on TV as a post-football career?

LF: That’s my aspiration once I leave the game. I still want to be around the sport, and I think I can give some insight about the game, because I’ve been around it so long. I think I could provide some good analysis. I’ve done enough in the last four or five years to know how it goes.

Coaching was a thought, and I’ll never say never, but I have three young kids, so the demand and hours that would come with coaching is not what I want to do. I’m walking away from the game to spend more time with my wife and children, not to spend less time. When you become a father it just puts you in this totally different mindset. Everything you do becomes about them.

RK: Will you let your five-year-old son play football?

LF: He loves football. He’s glued to the set. He plays flag now. It would be more difficult for me to keep him away just because he loves it so much. You think about the risks with head injuries, and you don’t want them harmed. That comes into play. You have to make sure he’s in a program where they’re teaching him the fundamentals and doing things the right way from a tackling standpoint. I have confidence in that.

RK: Do you worry about CTE for yourself?

LF: With all the research that’s come out, you think about that, but I don’t think I’ll have an issue. I’ve suffered a few concussions, but I’ve never been a big hitter with my head. Even before all the research came out, I didn’t think that was smart.

RK: Fondest football memory?

LF: The Super Bowl is the fondest memory. That’s absolutely what we play for. It doesn’t get any bigger than that. The thing is, I did it at such a young age, I don’t think I truly appreciated it as much as I could have. I still enjoyed it and it was a great accomplishment from a team standpoint, but as I’ve gotten older and realized how difficult it is to get to the playoffs, I’ve had a greater appreciation for being able to win it.

RK: If you played next season, could you be as effective as you’d like?

LF: Yes. It’s not a productivity thing, the reason I’m walking away. I know I can go out and make plays and be effective, just because I know how to prepare. It’s just that I want to do other things in life.

RK: What’s changed the most about the NFL over your time in the league?

LF: So many more rules have been implemented. It makes it so difficult to be a defensive player and do your job effectively. If they’re going to keep lowering the hit zone, you’re eventually going to have to curb the knee injuries too. It’s going to end up being two-hand tag. I understand the health concerns, but it’s still football.

RK: Who was the greatest motivator and the greatest football mind you ever played for?

LF: The greatest motivator was Frank Gansz, who passed in 2009. He coached special teams in St. Louis [in addition to several other teams]. That guy could get you to run through a brick wall. You would go to the special teams meeting even if you weren’t on special teams, just to hear him talk. The greatest football mind was Dick LeBeau.

He came to Buffalo in 2003 for one year before he went to Pittsburgh. He is far and away the greatest football mind I’ve ever been around, and it’s not even close. There’s no close second. You realize it right away, in the first three minutes of him doing the first install of a fire zone. Anybody who’s been around him, played for him, spent a moment with him—you know, that’s football royalty. It doesn’t get any better.

RK: You were underappreciated for much of your career. Was it a motivating factor?


LF: It was one of them. It pissed me off. Even now I still get pissed off. I still don’t know that people gave me my due respect for my production. It was a motivating factor for a number of years in my career. That feeling never really went away.

RK: Should you go to the Hall of Fame?

LF: I think my career was Hall of Fame-worthy. I don’t have a vote, but when you look at the other linebackers who were Hall of Famers, and you look at every possible measuring stick, you can’t discredit me. I don’t see how it’s a debate, but it’s hard because one of the things I’ve always tried to be is a humble player and a humble person. I don’t want to send the wrong message. But I think when you look at the productivity, the durability, the longevity, I’m in there.

RK: Best player you ever faced?

LF: Marshall Faulk.

RK: Hardest to tackle?

LF: I don’t know, man… They all fall.

I hope you didn't think I was saying Fletcher wasn't good, it's just Jack was great! OK he lost his SB with the Rams in SB XIV!

Two of the biggest mistake the Rams EVER made where letting Reynolds, and Fletcher get away! But Reynolds going to the 49ers Hurt us most!!

 

[drasconis]

Thanks for bringing up one of my all-time favorite Rams players.

London Fletcher - Rams Rookie of the Year, in 99 season he had 138 tackles along with a Super Bowl ring, All-Madden team, 4 time Pro-Bowler, in 2000 he again led the team with 193 tackles. Over a career spanning 16 seasons he never missed a game. Yet the Rams let him go to another team. One of the worst boneheaded decisions ever made by any Rams front office.

.

I think he makes it into the hall...definitely not first ballot but eventually....if you look at his last couple of years his off the field stuff, he was being associated with HoF players doing things only they were doing (adds/NFL events). I think it hints very strongly where the view on him is by those in the know...

 

[LesBaker]

RK: Best player you ever faced?

LF: Marshall Faulk.

I'd say that's a darn good answer.

IMO LF was worthy of Pro Bowls well before he finally got recognized in 2008.

 

[-X-]

"Here are a few more examples of Laurinaitis being too slow to make a play."

Disagree with this example in particular. It's called gap discipline, and he's the reason why the RB kicked it outside.
McDonald could have stopped this play and didn't, so the blame is on the wrong guy.

 

[Wolfecola]

McDonald could have stopped this play and didn't, so the blame is on the wrong guy.

Maybe McDonald wasn't the "playmaker" in that defense.

 

[Prime Time]

http://www.turfshowtimes.com/2016/1...s-in-2016?_ga=1.45726562.717250435.1413794255

TOP 20 and Bottom 20 RAMS in 2016 (Updated)
By jorgeocampo on Jan 6, 2016

Criteria

• PFF grades (Updated with reviewed grades and league averages)
• Only players with 40 or more snaps
• The Fisher/Snead picks/acquisitions are in bold

Top 20

1. Aaron Donald (DT) 99.9 - R1 Pick 13 (2014) - League average: 71.89
2. William Hayes (DE) 85.8 - R4 Pick 103 (2008) - League average: 70.10
3. Rodney McLeod (S) 83.9 - UNDRAFTED (2012) - League average: 71.67
4. Robert Quinn (DE) 83.3 - R1 Pick 14 (2011)
5. Trumaine Johnson (CB) 82.2 - R3 Pick 65 (2012) - League average: 63.66
6. Nick Fairley (DT) 82.0 - R1 Pick 13 (2011) - FA / Lions
7. Janoris Jenkins (CB) 80.7 - R2 Pick 39 (2012)
8. Garrett Reynolds (G) 80.6 - R5 Pick 156 (2009) - FA / Lions - League average: 64.08
9. Michael Brockers (DT) 79.7 - R1 Pick 14 (2012)
10. ROOKIE - Todd Gurley (RB) 79.1 - R1 Pick 10 (2015)
11. ROOKIE - Rob Havenstein (RT) 76.3 - R2 Pick 57 (2015) - League average: 59.31
12. Kenny Britt (WR) 75.8 - R1 Pick 30 (2009) - FA / Titans - League average: 70.22
13. Mark Barron (LB) 74.8 - R1 Pick 7 (2012) - FA / Buccaneers - League average: 60.44
14. ROOKIE - Matt Longacre (DE) 74 - UNDRAFTED (2015)
15. Marcus Roberson (CB) 71.6 - UNDRAFTED (2014)
16. Case Keenum (QB) 69.4- UNDRAFTED (2012) - FA / Texans (his grade is just below Blake Bortles and Matthew Stafford) - League average: 72.12
17. Ethan Westbrooks (DT) 69 - UNDRAFTED (2014)
18. Lamarcus Joyner (CB) 66.3 - R2 Pick 41 (2014)
19. Daren Bates (DT) 64.9 - UNDRAFTED (2013)
20. T.J. McDonald (S) 64.8 - R3 Pick 71 (2013)

Notes:

• Only two top 10 draft selections (Barron and Gurley)
• Only 2 top performers from the pre-Fisher era
• The number of undrafted players (6) equals the number of first round selections (6)
• 3 Rookies
• Tavon Austin overall grade is 60.3, not good at receiving (58.3), but great at running (80.0) and run blocking (74.8)
• Hekker is not graded, but we know he's a pro-bowl player

Bottom 20

1. Greg Robinson (LT) 30.3 - R1 Pick 2 (2014) - League average: 59.31
2. ROOKIE- Andrew Donnal (RT) 35.5 - R4 Pick 119 (2015)
3. Rodger Saffold (G) 38.2 - R2 Pick 33 (2010)
4. James Laurinaitis (LB) 39.3 - R2 Pick 35 (2009) - League average: 60.44
5. ROOKIE - Jamon Brown (G) 41.0- R3 Pick 72 (2015)
6. Maurice Alexander (CB) 42.5 - R4 Pick 110 (2014)
7. ROOKIE - Demetrius Rhaney (C) 43.6 - R7 Pick 250 (2015)
8. Eugene Sims (DE) 45.6 - R6 Pick 189 (2010)
9. Tim Barnes (C) 45.7 - UNDRAFTED (2011) / FA - Ravens
10. Chris Long (DE) 48.6 - R1 pick 2 (2008)
11. Brian Quick (WR) 50.2 - R2 Pick 33 (2012)
12. Lance Kendricks (TE) 52.8 - R2 Pick 47 (2011)
13. ROOKIE - Cody Wichmann (G) 53.3 - R6 Pick 215 (2015)
14. Nick Foles (QB) 53.9 - R3 Pick 88 (2012)
15. Tre Mason (RB) 55.9 - R3 Pick 75 (2014)
16. Stedman Bailey (WR) 55.9 - R3 Pick 92 (2013)
17. Benny Cunningham (RB) 56.7 - UNDRAFTED (2013). He's not good as a runner, but his grade as pass-catcher is 81.1
18. Jared Cook (TE) 59.0 - R3 Pick 89 (2009) / FA - Titans - League average: 67.11
19. Alec Ogletree (LB) 59.4 - R1 Pick 30 (2013)
20. Akeem Ayers (LB) 59.5 - R2 Pick 39 (2011) / FA - Patriots

NOTES:

• There are 3 first round + 5 second round players in the bottom 20

• Robinson is the big mistake in the Fisher/Snead era, but there aren't many more, 4 are rookies, Benny is a reliable catcher, Mason is capable of more, etc

• Jared Cook is not that bad, but his contract must be restructured

• The performance/cap space issue seems to be related to the "legacy" players (Saffold, Laurinaitis, Long, etc)

• Almost every linebacker is in the bottom 20 (remember the missed tackles and bad coverage versus Bears, Redskins, etc?), thats why a first round LB could be a good idea

 

[-X-]

Maybe McDonald wasn't the "playmaker" in that defense.

I don't think anyone is the playmaker in that defense.
Except maybe everyone on the all-first-rounders D-line.

 

[dieterbrock]

Question: What Is A Rams Linebacking Corps Without James Laurinaitis?
Answer: An improved one

 

[Ramfansince79]

Most of the hate towards JL was from a ranking from PFF. Players universally hate that website as it doesn't take into account differences in teams systems. Part of the reason JL was tangled up with lineman downfield is that we didn't have 2 fat fence post run-stuffing DTs--we have quick, get up the field DTs. It's a system that works for us. Sometimes (hopefully most of the time!) you get plays like the last one in the 1st Seahawks game last year. Sometimes you get an unblocked 315 pound guard leading the way for an untouched RB. Ray Lewis had Siragusa and Sam Adams clogging up the middle. (not saying JL is on same level as Lewis, but different systems).

Article is full of examples that are just wrong. For example: shows a clip of JL "needlessly" taking on a lineman. Guess what happens when you ignore a pulling guard that's 5 feet in front of you? He takes you out at the knees and you go on the IR.

It may have been time for him to go at his salary and to see what we have in Ogletree, but the dude laid it on the line for us on some shitty teams and never complained.

Let's not bash the guy, he's gone.

 

[tavian]

Can't agree with this^!! Not when I look at JL's career with the Rams!! I'll Throw a Flag on this OP!:redcard: I'll also say ...

View attachment 13686

View attachment 13687
IN FACT ...
View attachment 13688

Then you haven't been paying attention.The analysis is spot on.except this is not JLs responsibility.he doesnt have cutback on this will backer does.

and this one

and this one

and this one

JL is overrated,but OP does not understand what he is looking at.

 

[rfa77]

Seriously? A whole hate/bash/pile-on thread on a player who's no longer on the team??? And, for some sportswriter hack to take that much time dissecting a player the Rams let go? Must be a slow news day...

 

[-X-]

Then you haven't been paying attention.The analysis is spot on.except this is not JLs responsibility.he doesnt have cutback on this will backer does.

Yeah, there are a few examples provided in the OP that come from someone who clearly doesn't understand fundamental football, but it is what it is. I won't argue that JL could get washed out, would over-pursue, and had difficulty shedding blockers, but use some examples that make sense. There are also a ton of examples people could provide of him getting players into position, diagnosing the offense, making adjustments, and making solid reads/tackles. This 'article' is just confirmation bias, but I guess that's what he was going for.

 

[tavian]

Yeah, there are a few examples provided in the OP that come from someone who clearly doesn't understand fundamental football, but it is what it is. I won't argue that JL could get washed out, would over-pursue, and had difficulty shedding blockers, but use some examples that make sense. There are also a ton of examples people could provide of him getting players into position, diagnosing the offense, making adjustments, and making solid reads/tackles. This 'article' is just confirmation bias, but I guess that's what he was going for.

I think we will be improved with Ogletree at the mike,but I am also grateful to the all out effort JL always gave.