Would you want to see Hager get the nod over Laurinaitis next week?

[FrantikRam]

If TJ Mac can make all the calls, then yes.

I'm a bit confused though - lots of people have pointed this out before; only now everyone is seeing it? Some people have thought for years that JL was kind of holding this D back....I know I have. If you take away the MLB position and compare our D to Carolina's, would anybody say their defense was better than ours?? But put in Kuechly and BAM...they're a top unit while we have managed to finish middle of the pack year after year after year

 

[Ramhusker]

What a conundrum we have here. One of our "perceived" super stars isn't cutting the mustard right when we need him to do just that. I don't know what the answer is but I do know Fisher likes to stick with his guys, hell or high water. So, we got what we got. I'd like to see Hager get on the field to spell JL from time to time just to see how he does and give JL a blow. That would be a sort of "face saving" way of putting a band aid on the situation, especially if Hager holds down the fort. If Fisher gets job-scared, you will see some kind of adjustment but I'm sure it will be too late because like I said, he sticks with his guys. And I agree with Irish, we have 3-4 personnel and JL would probably be just fine in such an alignment.

 

[shovelpass]

I make this post with MUCH fear as I was Torched in August for mentioning replacing JL. The two ILB's I remember going in 2ND round were the much smaller but super fast sideline to sideline guys in Perryman of Miami and Kendricks of UCLA and led Pac 12 in tackles. Not sure either would have been a fit for us buy Both have giant highlight reels taking down much bigger men with ease alone!

Fisher has said before McDonald can make all the "D" calls. Of course we would HAVE to be prepared for such a case as IF JL got dinged. Troy P. of the steelers made their calls for years. Not only LB's can do it.Love how Hager has shown as a Friend of Fisher' and had a decent PS leading us in tackles against other teams seconds and below.

Ayers is our best shot if we are to ever give JL a rest. I don't think we even consider it unless games like the skins repeat themselves. JL had a very GOOD game against the shehags so I don't think its even being considered. 3 guys we wearing the "C" on their chest had the 3 lowest ratings on "O" and "D" this last game. Foles played scared and refused to roll to his left when the pocket and protection dictated that. He was hearing FOOTSTEPS even when we had time to wait and look downfield for a 1st down like he did the week before. Foles has seen the skins more than anyone and he knows that field too. I was shocked.

The skins used Aaron Donalds speed and penatration against us as they used that to rn right by him and would chop block him and Quinn also and I only saw one holding call on Quinn bringing back another long run. They had us gameplanned to a "T". They knew about our LB coverage against TE's. I saw Bobby Wagner from shegals bring down big Lacy all by himself. We don't have any LB that can make tackles like that. I don't see JL's replacement on our team yet. Maybe with tons of weightroom Hager gets stronger. I see us with 2 second rounders to find that guy. This years FA'cy will be spent signing our own as so many guys are coming due at once. Unless they all play themselves out of jobs.

Lets see what JL and AO do against a bigtime passing team. That is more than Cousins should have done. We are famous for making folks look better than they ever will be. Cousins was horrible in PS .
I'm sure lots of guys had bad filmroom days this week unless the players coach Fisher did'nt have them watch their mistakes. We need a tougher approach in practice and Mason was'nt ready for game speed and not testing him in practice was on Fisher. We need to be in pads more than we are. I know Fisher is dreadfull of injuries as he should well be. We've had more than our share over the years.

I posted before the skins game about playing a wounded animal. They were still mad about last years captains sent out before the game and the shutout and they knew we have a rep for taking teams lightly when we should'nt. They did'nt want to be 0-2 as they really played the phins tough and should have won that game. The Jags finished the job on the phins over confidence. Jags will be another tough game for others. Falcons new coach is bringing the attitude I want the RAMS to play like. The shehags DC Dan Quinn was a great hire and many of their losing ways will be crushed.

I see Fisher with us till possibly "17" so saying anything negative is a waste period. I do have a real life seperate from football. Especially mentally. You can't allow yourselves to let this game ruin your life,health and it will if you let it. Like @X said even if you spend tons of money on our group as I have you have to be able to seperate so your health is'nt effected. My wives brother was told he has Leukemia yesterday. 146 Americans are told that everyday. So enjoy what you can while you can and never let it affect your health in any way. We have a chance to do to the steelers what the skins did to us. Maybe this is our Broncos game from last season. One thing: It will be an up and down season so prepare as we saw many many upsets this last week in Pro's and college.

NO INJURIES!!!

I completely agree. After the game the game I signed off and went about my life, I didn't expect us to go 16-0 anyways. I figured today would be a good day to return, after the venting. I thought the entire team played poorly, not just JL, but I'm not calling for anyone's head, I don't like it, and it's only week 3. I was proposing an answer to a question. Though I do think that maybe our extra 2nd rounder should go to our future MLB, but it's way to soon to talk draft, we have playoffs to look forward to. I think we play up and down up until mid-season and make a run for it. I think the Packers game this year will be our Broncos game last year. I'm sorry to hear about your brother in law, that's rough, and yes there is way more important things in life than football. NO Injuries!, it's working so far.

 

[HometownBoy]

I, like others am hesitant to replace JL55 with the flavor of the month just because he had a bad game. Nothing is assured and there's no precedence that Hager will be radically better.

I figured we all knew already that just being not the other guy doesn't automatically mean greatness from the Bulger years.

 

[RamzFanz]

I, like others am hesitant to replace JL55 with the flavor of the month just because he had a bad game.

I think we have years of play to consider, not just one game. A lot of fans have been pointing this out for some time now. At the very least, we need a plan B.

 

[12intheBox]

Taking Paul Dawson instead of Sean Mannion would look really good right about now though.

This guy?


View: https://twitter.com/PFF_Sam/status/639791015428268032


I think we have plenty of that as it is.

And lets give Mannion a little bit of a chance.

 

[ausmurp]

Tree is a bit small to play the mike. I don't want him blowing up lead blockers.

Disagree wholeheartedly. See the best MLB in NFL, Bobby Wagner. Tree is same size if not heavier. Also Tree is bigger than Shazier of Steelers. Daryl Washington...etc.

I've been saying this from week 3 of 2014. Love JL as a person and he was very good a few yrs ago. We need a athletic MLB to make our D elite.

 

[ChrisW]

Disagree wholeheartedly. See the best MLB in NFL, Bobby Wagner. Tree is same size if not heavier. Also Tree is bigger than Shazier of Steelers. Daryl Washington...etc.

I've been saying this from week 3 of 2014. Love JL as a person and he was very good a few yrs ago. We need a athletic MLB to make our D elite.

Bobby is shorter than Ogletree but the same weight give or take 3 pounds. This gives him a lower center of gravity for the same mass. It's not the same thing.

We don't really need an athletic MLB. We need a boomer, a guy that can absolutely blow up blockers or RBs in the gap.

 

[RAGRam]

What I'd do is create the first ever 3-1-2-1-4 D:

Have Donald fill the role of hybrid DT/MLB playing just behind your front 3.
Play the other 3 DL as you would in the 4-3.
Have McDonald fill the role of SS/MLB.
Play Ogletree and Ayers as your OLB.
Have Jenkins/Johnson/McLeod/Barron as your back 4.

I'm not sure what good it would do, but I'm bored.

 

[12intheBox]

How about a 4-1-6?

Long - Brockers - Donald - Quinn

Tree

Jenkins - Barron - McDonald - McCleod - Alexander - Tru

 

[ausmurp]

Bobby is shorter than Ogletree but the same weight give or take 3 pounds. This gives him a lower center of gravity for the same mass. It's not the same thing.

We don't really need an athletic MLB. We need a boomer, a guy that can absolutely blow up blockers or RBs in the gap.

And Kueckly is an inch taller and slightly lighter than Tree. Washington is exact same size...

I'm just saying, the days of the 'big thumper' MLB are over imo. Athletic fast all around talent is the only way to stop the offenses of NE, GB, etc which these players have proven to show on film...I mean, it's on film, watch other teams not names Rams man lol. Why was Shazier taken in 1st rd? Teams are trending this way and we are one of the last, hence our issue at MLB.

 

[TheDYVKX]

This guy?


View: https://twitter.com/PFF_Sam/status/639791015428268032


I think we have plenty of that as it is.

And lets give Mannion a little bit of a chance.

That's pretty bad right there, but like the tweet says, 95% of the time he's fantastic. I think it was @jrry32 who loved him in the draft and got me watching him. Paul Dawson can play.

I'm not giving up on Mannion or anything, I just thought we could have gotten a comparable QB a bit later.

 

[ChrisW]

And Kueckly is an inch taller and slightly lighter than Tree. Washington is exact same size...

I'm just saying, the days of the 'big thumper' MLB are over imo. Athletic fast all around talent is the only way to stop the offenses of NE, GB, etc which these players have proven to show on film...I mean, it's on film, watch other teams not names Rams man lol. Why was Shazier taken in 1st rd? Teams are trending this way and we are one of the last, hence our issue at MLB.

You got me on Keuchly. But don't the Cards and Steelers run a 3-4? The LBers are different in that scheme. I wouldn't compare a 4-3 MLB to a 3-4 ILB.

 

[TheDYVKX]

If we want a run stopper in this next draft, I have my eye on Reggie Ragland. Need to see him improve in coverage but he's phenomenal against the run.

 

[12intheBox]

That's pretty bad right there, but like the tweet says, 95% of the time he's fantastic. I think it was @jrry32 who loved him in the draft and got me watching him. Paul Dawson can play.

I'm not giving up on Mannion or anything, I just thought we could have gotten a comparable QB a bit later.

Its always easy to cherry pick one or two plays and make a guy look bad. I like Dawson too - but he is physically limited.

I'd be willing to bet that the Rams call a LB's name on day or two of the 2016 draft.

 

[RamFan503]

Welcome to a sports forum. Fans get to talk about who they think the problems are and state opinions and what they would do..... If you don't think JL55 is a problem, then don't read it---but while Robinson did have some nice run blocks he sure is struggling on pass protect.

And I'm not big on the whole "if you don't like it, don't read it" mantra just because someone states that they don't like all the criticism of certain players. That is every bit as valid of a take IMO.

Sometimes a thread that is more about asking members what they would actually do if it was their position, gets viewed by some as a stage to single out one player as the whipping dog. I realize this was centered around whether we want to see JL replaced by Hager but it was IMO more about if you are really wanting to make JL the focus of what went wrong, what would you actually do and how do you see it working. I'm not trying to put words in the OPs mouth - just what it seems to me he was asking.

Our entire defense had let downs on several plays on Sunday. Personally, I don't think replacing JL solves that. He definitely needs to play better as almost our entire defense needs to step up. I don't agree that Hager is an upgrade against first team players. I can't see Barron standing up to having to stuff holes. Tree is not an ILB or MLB. By playing him there I think you would take away any playmaking abilities we drafted him for and I'm not sure he sheds those blocks inside either. Ayers might be able to play inside but I am going to guess he couldn't call the defenses. McDonald may be to that point where he can call them from the safety position. I think he is smart enough.

I'm open to them trying something but I'm also not big on switching things up for the sake of trying something new. I also don't see where any of the players we have are going to shed the lead blocker AND tackle a good RB. The lead blockers can't be making it to the second level if we are to be successful against the run. Stuffing a gaping hole is never something you want to rely on one player to be able to do consistently.

 

[TheDYVKX]

I'd be willing to bet that the Rams call a LB's name on day or two of the 2016 draft.

If we can deal with the important re-signings in FA, this opens things up for us to go this route. We can save a lot of money by upgrading on Laurinaitis with a cheaper, younger option. I'd hate to see it happen, hate to see us lose the heart and soul of our team for the past 5 or 6 years, but that's the way it goes. There seem to be a lot of interesting LBs in this class. If we do go for that MLB, I'm curious what style Fisher, Williams, and Bush would pick.

 

[Force16X]

i'm actually very surprised that somehow the Rams defensive woes vs the skins wasnt the fault of sam bradford where's the love for crying out loud?

 

[VinnyRam]

And I'm not big on the whole "if you don't like it, don't read it" mantra just because someone states that they don't like all the criticism of certain players. That is every bit as valid of a take IMO.

Sometimes a thread that is more about asking members what they would actually do if it was their position, gets viewed by some as a stage to single out one player as the whipping dog. I realize this was centered around whether we want to see JL replaced by Hager but it was IMO more about if you are really wanting to make JL the focus of what went wrong, what would you actually do and how do you see it working. I'm not trying to put words in the OPs mouth - just what it seems to me he was asking.

Our entire defense had let downs on several plays on Sunday. Personally, I don't think replacing JL solves that. He definitely needs to play better as almost our entire defense needs to step up. I don't agree that Hager is an upgrade against first team players. I can't see Barron standing up to having to stuff holes. Tree is not an ILB or MLB. By playing him there I think you would take away any playmaking abilities we drafted him for and I'm not sure he sheds those blocks inside either. Ayers might be able to play inside but I am going to guess he couldn't call the defenses. McDonald may be to that point where he can call them from the safety position. I think he is smart enough.

I'm open to them trying something but I'm also not big on switching things up for the sake of trying something new. I also don't see where any of the players we have are going to shed the lead blocker AND tackle a good RB. The lead blockers can't be making it to the second level if we are to be successful against the run. Stuffing a gaping hole is never something you want to rely on one player to be able to do consistently.

As the OP stated, don't bash JL55 character or anything like that and I don't recall anyone doing that--IMO. What is frustrating about JL55 play is even if the front 4 have an off day--you would like your highly paid middle linebacker to maybe take over the game and make some great plays. Just a couple great plays behind the line of scrimmage can really change the momentum of a game and it "seems" in some fans opinions there" may be" a better option. There is certainly blame to go around for the way Washington ran over us -- but what about trying a guy who had a great pre-season that is younger and faster--thats what I am taking from the OP. Sorry for the don't read mantra!!!!!

 

[Rmfnlt]

Go big... or go home.

Just cut him now.