2021 off-season discussion

[RamRod]

14 minutes ago, MDY10 said:

What’s up with the international player pathway program? I guess a dude named Max Pircher who is an OL will be joining the rams. Cards ,niners ,and hawks have one player as well. Anyone know anything about it?

I think basically just a program to give international players a chance to compete at the NFL. Not sure how assigning players works. Sounds like the NFC West was chosen by a random draw.

[MDY10]

3 hours ago, RamRod said:

I think basically just a program to give international players a chance to compete at the NFL. Not sure how assigning players works. Sounds like the NFC West was chosen by a random draw.

Well at least we got a lineman out of it lol

[RamRod]

2 minutes ago, MDY10 said:

Well at least we got a lineman out of it lol

I assume team need plays into what player you get. Cardinals got a TE and they are thin there.

[RamRod]

We made a waiver claim

 

[MDY10]

1 hour ago, RamRod said:

I assume team need plays into what player you get. Cardinals got a TE and they are thin there.

Ahh i see. Can’t believe I’ve never heard of this. 
 

15 minutes ago, RamRod said:

We made a waiver claim

 

not too familiar with him so I’ll have to do some homework. Think he has a chance to stick around? I feel like getting players off of waivers is rare for this team. 

[RamRod]

15 minutes ago, MDY10 said:

Ahh i see. Can’t believe I’ve never heard of this. 

It's still a fairly new thing.

18 minutes ago, MDY10 said:

not too familiar with him so I’ll have to do some homework. Think he has a chance to stick around? I feel like getting players off of waivers is rare for this team. 

Went to James Madison. Will compete for a reserve EDGE role.

[Flounch]

So after this offseason and this draft, who feel that this team is better or as good as last year ? 

For me, this team is worst than last year except the QB position.

We didn't make the moves to improve this team, we just make moves to fill the holes. 

With the whole division improving in offense and defense, i really don't think we are ready to compete seriously....

[stl4life07]

4 hours ago, Flounch said:

So after this offseason and this draft, who feel that this team is better or as good as last year ? 

For me, this team is worst than last year except the QB position.

We didn't make the moves to improve this team, we just make moves to fill the holes. 

With the whole division improving in offense and defense, i really don't think we are ready to compete seriously....

I think this team will be better. Why? Because the team takes on the identity of its coach. McVay is the boy genius on offense. Yes the Rams have Donald and Ramsey and even Floyd who came along last season and Williams who had a break out season. The defense was the best but we know thats not the Rams identity. Its about scoring and putting fear in defenses. Thats what the Rams went out to improve. They got the QB who has a big arm and will sling it all over the field. They went and got speed in DJax and Tutu. Harris from a measurable standpoint can be a mismatch on the field eventually but immediately he should make an impact on special teams which we know the Rams was lacking the past few seasons. So yes I think the Rams have improved because the offense will be better and we wont have to rely on the defense constantly to keep the game close enough so the Rams can make a play or two on offense just to win. The Rams offense can be dynamic in the event where the defense might take a step back or two and the Rams still will be in great shape to win. Not to mention I expect Akers to continue to be a stud which Stafford never had a legit running game. I expect Jefferson to continue to improve. McVay will more than likely go back to his 11 personnel where we see 3 receivers on the field majority of the time and even I want to see McVay throw a wrinkle in to have Tutu lined up as the back so the Rams will have 4 receivers out there for Stafford to just torch defenses. 

[stl4life07]

4 hours ago, Flounch said:

So after this offseason and this draft, who feel that this team is better or as good as last year ? 

For me, this team is worst than last year except the QB position.

We didn't make the moves to improve this team, we just make moves to fill the holes. 

With the whole division improving in offense and defense, i really don't think we are ready to compete seriously....

Ill also say too that if you are thinking the Rams are going to take a step back then I dont know what to tell you. If anything they are improved. You may not be thrilled about their offseason in general but you take a 10 win team who lost in the divisional round and you improve at QB even if its slightly although I think its alot. You improve at QB and you get speed and you factor in Akers who is going to be even better and you get back Henderson to give the Rams that 1-2 punch in the backfield. This team isnt going to take a step back unless they get major injuries *knock on wood that doesnt happen*. Yes I know the division is better but it has always been tough one way or the other its just another year different faces but still same tough division. The Rams will be fine. I see worst case scenario 10 wins for the Rams. Best case scenario 13 maybe even 14 wins for the Rams. Ill just say (12-5) for the Rams and they get back to the divisional round and then we can see if Stafford can be the difference in the Rams advancing back to the NFCCG like they did in 2018 with Goff or not. 

[BStanRamFan]

18 hours ago, Flounch said:

So after this offseason and this draft, who feel that this team is better or as good as last year ? 

For me, this team is worst than last year except the QB position.

We didn't make the moves to improve this team, we just make moves to fill the holes. 

With the whole division improving in offense and defense, i really don't think we are ready to compete seriously....

• We upgraded at the most important position on the field. Way to gloss over that like it's nothing.
• Only significant departure was John Johnson and we all saw this coming for over a year now. We have 3 safety's with promise waiting to step in.
• Troy Hill will be missed, but he replaced NRC. That role will be replaced again. 
• Seattle regressed IMO. SF hasn't changed much and our issues with beating them stem from coaching and QB. Arizona hasn't beaten us under McVay.

[NVRamsFan]

Johnson is a huge loss but we think we have the replacements for him we just need those three to stay healthy.

 

Hills loss is being greatly understated by a lot of Rams fans and we have nobody on the roster to replace them.

 

Center wasn’t good last year and we just have question marks to replace him. 
 

Everett was a nice role player and we don’t know what we have to replace him.

 

We hope we upgraded our coverage teams but we still don’t have an answer to the return spot.

 

Acting like we have no issues or everything was covered or upgrading I just can’t understand that. 

[BStanRamFan]

On 5/7/2021 at 2:28 PM, NVRamsFan said:

Johnson is a huge loss but we think we have the replacements for him we just need those three to stay healthy.

 

Hills loss is being greatly understated by a lot of Rams fans and we have nobody on the roster to replace them.

 

Center wasn’t good last year and we just have question marks to replace him. 
 

Everett was a nice role player and we don’t know what we have to replace him.

 

We hope we upgraded our coverage teams but we still don’t have an answer to the return spot.

 

Acting like we have no issues or everything was covered or upgrading I just can’t understand that. 

In most sports betting markets, we are the 3rd or 4th best odds to win the Super Bowl. And 2nd in the NFC to the defending champs.

We're REALLY good comparatively speaking. Your concerns are valid, but the talent we have at KEY positions puts us at one of the best in the league. When people choose to focus on our 3rd CB, 2nd TE, and Return Man as "key issues" heading into the following season, you should feel really good about the chances of your team. 

*Not addressing a Center or future LT still irks me.

Edited May 9, 2021 by BStanRamFan

[LeotheLion]

The biggest loss we had this offseason was probably Staley. We don't make the playoffs last year imo if Wade was still DC. I'm hopeful Morris can be really good but I think there's a significantly better chance the defense is closer to average than top 8. The good news is if QB play is improved then the offense has to be better. 

[FrantikRam]

On 5/7/2021 at 2:28 PM, NVRamsFan said:

Johnson is a huge loss but we think we have the replacements for him we just need those three to stay healthy.

 

Hills loss is being greatly understated by a lot of Rams fans and we have nobody on the roster to replace them.

 

Center wasn’t good last year and we just have question marks to replace him. 
 

Everett was a nice role player and we don’t know what we have to replace him.

 

We hope we upgraded our coverage teams but we still don’t have an answer to the return spot.

 

Acting like we have no issues or everything was covered or upgrading I just can’t understand that. 

 

 

We have the best CB duo - by far - in the NFL. That allows us to have a little more uncertainty at that third CB position.

Long has more talent than Hill did - and Rams fans wanted Hill cut every year - that he had a good year last year seems more of a product of the secondary. Long could end up being an upgrade there, but like when we went from Fowler to Floyd, I doubt it'll be a downgrade.

I'm not sure what you want in a returner? Kick returns are negligible these days, and the only thing we want in a pint returner is to secure the ball. That is an unknown for now, but I imagine McVay will get it fixed. When he focused on the defense last year he helped turn it into the best unit in the league - special teams are likely to get some of that focus this year.

Everett had the highest drop percentage last year. This one shows that you just have an issue with the Rams right now in general - replacing Everett from 2018/2019 would be a concern - replacing Everett from 2020 will be easy.

JJ is the big issue - really the only issue. Hill, Everett, Blythe, Ebukam, Fox, even Brockers - are all just average players, some elevated by their situation. Replacing average players with unknowns is what good teams do.

JJ is a concern - our defense is going to be worse.

But versus where we were last year were better at:

QB

RB (second year for Cam)

WR (3, 4 and 5)

TE (Everett was completely awful last year so until we see someone dropping 15% of their passes, this is an upgrade)

C (Corbett >> Blythe)

 

And we're worse at:

LT (age)

S (JJ)

 

And then back to the average players that are being replaced on defense.

Offense has improved more than enough to offset the regression on defense and win us 13 games

[MDY10]

7 hours ago, FrantikRam said:

Long has more talent than Hill did - and Rams fans wanted Hill cut every year - that he had a good year last year seems more of a product of the secondary. Long could end up being an upgrade there, but like when we went from Fowler to Floyd, I doubt it'll be a downgrade.

I kind of feel like the Rochell pick was because they didn’t feel confident about Long and how he has developed. I could definitely be wrong though. They seemed to really want to grab a CB since the pre draft process started. Would be awesome to have 4 guys they can trust. 

 

7 hours ago, FrantikRam said:

I'm not sure what you want in a returner? Kick returns are negligible these days, and the only thing we want in a pint returner is to secure the ball. That is an unknown for now, but I imagine McVay will get it fixed. When he focused on the defense last year he helped turn it into the best unit in the league - special teams are likely to get some of that focus this year.

Maybe tutu or Djax if he’s still an option there? All I know is that it needs to be better than last year lol it was hard to watch. Maybe Xavier Jones can battle for return duties with Funk? Not sure if he has that return experience or not. 

 

7 hours ago, FrantikRam said:

Everett had the highest drop percentage last year. This one shows that you just have an issue with the Rams right now in general - replacing Everett from 2018/2019 would be a concern - replacing Everett from 2020 will be easy.

I’m not upset he’s gone. He’s made some big plays but I feel like had horrible drops. He was great after the catch. Doesn’t stafford like throwing to TEs a lot? How do we feel about Higbee going into this season? Also, Hopkins better get his S*** together or someone’s taking his job. 

7 hours ago, FrantikRam said:

JJ is the big issue - really the only issue. Hill, Everett, Blythe, Ebukam, Fox, even Brockers - are all just average players, some elevated by their situation. Replacing average players with unknowns is what good teams do.

I agree with most of this except for brockers. I think he will be a bigger loss than people think. I’m very curious about the guys we picked up in the draft like Bobby brown. Hoping they can fill in nicely for where he was. I guess Ashawn is still around too. 
As for JJ, I agree it’s a big loss.. however I think we’ve lucked out with Fuller and Burgess in the last draft. Burgess was playing pretty well before the injury. We know what Fuller did. Hopefully Rapp can get something going because that would be a massive help. I’m very curious about Paris Ford as well. 
 

i know I’m probably in the minority here but I actually liked the rams off season. Would have been pretty sweet if they picked up someone like Trent Williams and kicked Whit to guard.

Middle backer and the edge across Floyd are others to watch out for. If Terrell Lewis can stay healthy he could still be a huge steal. Obo will have one last chance to prove himself imo. Also needs to stay healthy. We will finally see how Howard does as well. 
 

Anyone have any idea when Tristan Jackson will get a shot? Seems like they’ve been holding on to him for a while and won’t place him on PS or else he will be gone quick.