Posts
-
To unlock all of features of Rams On Demand please take a brief moment to register. Registering is not only quick and easy, it also allows you access to additional features such as live chat, private messaging, and a host of other apps exclusive to Rams On Demand.
The Best NFL Free Agent at Every Position
- By Prime Time
- RAMS / NFL TALK
- 14 Replies
https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/pro-5-potential-splash-signings-that-could-have-a-huge-impact
5 potential splash signings that could have a huge impact
BY MICHAEL RENNER
Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports
Every team has its own unique strategy to how it approaches free agency. Some use it to plug holes, while others improve by spending big for immediate impact. Usually, perennial contenders fall more into the former category than the latter, but we’re hoping that changes this offseason. These are our favorite splash signings that could push a franchise over the edge in 2018.
JIMMY GRAHAM TO THE NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
This is the type of splash that comes when you cannonball off the high dive. The Patriots offense plays matchups more than any team in the NFL and even in his early 30s, Graham is still the definition of a mismatch. Few defenses in the NFL have a defender capable of manning up on Rob Gronkowski.
Exactly zero of those teams then have another capable of bodying Graham. His yards per route run may have dipped from 1.91 in 2016 to 1.12 this past season, but his touchdown production increased from seven to 10. Russell Wilson had the highest completion percentage in the red zone when throwing into contested situations of any quarterback this past season, and Graham was a big reason why.
SAMMY WATKINS TO THE GREEN BAY PACKERS
The Packers could clear out almost $20 million in cap space next season with the stroke of a pen and not miss much from their receiver room. Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb have incredibly bloated contracts compared to their on-field production of late and are prime candidates to be either cut or restructured. That space would be more than enough to get an upgraded running mate for Davante Adams, who signed a long-term deal at the end of the 2017 season.
A Watkins-Adams one-two punch would be the best the Packers receiving corps has looked since the famous 2011 group. The biggest knock on the Packers receivers of late has been their inability to separate versus man coverage and despite a down 2017, Watkins can still get open with the best of ‘em.
MALCOLM BUTLER TO THE NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
The long-rumored trade from last offseason could end up coming to fruition for New Orleans in the form of a signing. Butler would fit in perfectly across from Marshon Lattimore to round out the Saints secondary. Butler has a long history of tracking receivers in New England, but was usually limited to the smaller, shiftier receivers.
That’s no problem with Lattimore in the lineup who has shown he’s capable of tracking any receiver in the league. Last season Lattimore tracked number ones six times during the regular season – and every game from Week 14 on. Butler had a down year grade-wise at only 79.2 overall, but still tracked receivers on 10 separate occasions last season.
KIRK COUSINS TO THE MINNESOTA VIKINGS
The crown jewel of the free agent quarterback market heading to one of the most complete rosters in football is a scary thought to the rest of the NFL. Cousins finished with his lowest grade as a starter this past season, but was still at 78.8 overall.
While it’s concerning that Cousins play dipped as the talent around him crumbled in Washington, he’d be going to a Vikings team that featured two top-10-graded receivers in Adam Thielen (84.6 overall) and Stefon Diggs (85.4). Cousins is a far more proven option than Case Keenum and a far less fragile option than Sam Bradford. It won’t be cheap, but the Vikings would lock themselves into Super Bowl contention for the foreseeable future by nabbing Cousins.
DION LEWIS TO THE SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
Arguably the most impressive fact about Jimmy Garoppolo’s scintillating end to the 2017 season was that he was doing it with one of the least talented offenses in football. Their most dynamic playmaker, Marquise Goodwin, was an afterthought in a non-existent Buffalo Bills passing attack the year prior.
Lewis combines superb between the tackles vision with game-breaking receiving ability that would take a ton of pressure off Jimmy G. The Patriots running back led all fulltime backs this year in elusive rating and has always been among the best in that statistic.
5 potential splash signings that could have a huge impact
BY MICHAEL RENNER
Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports
Every team has its own unique strategy to how it approaches free agency. Some use it to plug holes, while others improve by spending big for immediate impact. Usually, perennial contenders fall more into the former category than the latter, but we’re hoping that changes this offseason. These are our favorite splash signings that could push a franchise over the edge in 2018.
JIMMY GRAHAM TO THE NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
This is the type of splash that comes when you cannonball off the high dive. The Patriots offense plays matchups more than any team in the NFL and even in his early 30s, Graham is still the definition of a mismatch. Few defenses in the NFL have a defender capable of manning up on Rob Gronkowski.
Exactly zero of those teams then have another capable of bodying Graham. His yards per route run may have dipped from 1.91 in 2016 to 1.12 this past season, but his touchdown production increased from seven to 10. Russell Wilson had the highest completion percentage in the red zone when throwing into contested situations of any quarterback this past season, and Graham was a big reason why.
SAMMY WATKINS TO THE GREEN BAY PACKERS
The Packers could clear out almost $20 million in cap space next season with the stroke of a pen and not miss much from their receiver room. Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb have incredibly bloated contracts compared to their on-field production of late and are prime candidates to be either cut or restructured. That space would be more than enough to get an upgraded running mate for Davante Adams, who signed a long-term deal at the end of the 2017 season.
A Watkins-Adams one-two punch would be the best the Packers receiving corps has looked since the famous 2011 group. The biggest knock on the Packers receivers of late has been their inability to separate versus man coverage and despite a down 2017, Watkins can still get open with the best of ‘em.
MALCOLM BUTLER TO THE NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
The long-rumored trade from last offseason could end up coming to fruition for New Orleans in the form of a signing. Butler would fit in perfectly across from Marshon Lattimore to round out the Saints secondary. Butler has a long history of tracking receivers in New England, but was usually limited to the smaller, shiftier receivers.
That’s no problem with Lattimore in the lineup who has shown he’s capable of tracking any receiver in the league. Last season Lattimore tracked number ones six times during the regular season – and every game from Week 14 on. Butler had a down year grade-wise at only 79.2 overall, but still tracked receivers on 10 separate occasions last season.
KIRK COUSINS TO THE MINNESOTA VIKINGS
The crown jewel of the free agent quarterback market heading to one of the most complete rosters in football is a scary thought to the rest of the NFL. Cousins finished with his lowest grade as a starter this past season, but was still at 78.8 overall.
While it’s concerning that Cousins play dipped as the talent around him crumbled in Washington, he’d be going to a Vikings team that featured two top-10-graded receivers in Adam Thielen (84.6 overall) and Stefon Diggs (85.4). Cousins is a far more proven option than Case Keenum and a far less fragile option than Sam Bradford. It won’t be cheap, but the Vikings would lock themselves into Super Bowl contention for the foreseeable future by nabbing Cousins.
DION LEWIS TO THE SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
Arguably the most impressive fact about Jimmy Garoppolo’s scintillating end to the 2017 season was that he was doing it with one of the least talented offenses in football. Their most dynamic playmaker, Marquise Goodwin, was an afterthought in a non-existent Buffalo Bills passing attack the year prior.
Lewis combines superb between the tackles vision with game-breaking receiving ability that would take a ton of pressure off Jimmy G. The Patriots running back led all fulltime backs this year in elusive rating and has always been among the best in that statistic.
DTR Draft Profile: Davontae Harris, CB, Illinois State
- By JKBOGEN
- RAMS / NFL TALK
- 0 Replies
DTR Draft Profile: Davontae Harris, CB, Illinois State
Name: Devontae Harris
School: Illinois State
Height: 6-0
Weight: 200 pounds
40 Time: 4.43 seconds
Bench Press: 22 reps
Vertical: 32.5 inches
Notable Injuries: Torn small and large intestines
Notable Accolades: 24 starts at CB, 2017 All-Missouri Valley Football Conference First-Team selection and No.1 ranked passes defended in MVC (13 PBU & 2 INTs) in 2017
SMLXL
STRENGTHS
Harris' athleticism jumps right off the page. The 6-foot CB shows the versatility to play inside or outside man at the cornerback position. He takes an aggressive stance getting right up into the receiver's face to disrupt him off of the line of scrimmage. Harris shows the ability to stick with receivers while flashing his natural athleticism by flipping his hips with ease, back-peddling or just flat-out accelerating. Harris shows enhanced play recognition and will go the extra mile to make a play if he knows the ball is not coming his way. Illinois State often placed him on the edge as well to have him rush the QB and he showed the ability to do that as well. Overall, his play strength in which is shown by his ability to fight through blocks and make contact with the ball-carrier is NFL-worthy. His run support will not go unnoticed due to the fact he shows keen awareness and desire to pursue the ball-carrier. The flashiest part of Harris is not even his athleticism but his hard-hitting ability. He uses timing to dislodge a pass if it gets by him and into the receiver's hands. The timing and power put together allow him to jar passes loose and incomplete. Work ethic is a plus and you can judge that based on the fact Harris benched over 20 repetitions as a CB.
WEAKNESSES
While Harris is aggressive, he will need to be careful at the next level. When you watch the film you do see there are many times where something does not get called in college but you know it will at the next level. Harris can get grabby and hold on perhaps a little too long so he will need to clean that up. Perhaps his biggest knock is his lack of elite production against lesser competition. I don't worry about that too much but it is a tad bit concerning based on the level of competition. He is a little raw and will need to refine his technique but it's nothing a good bunch of coaching can't fix.
DOES HE FIT WITH THE RAMS?
He absolutely does, this is someone that can be versatile and perhaps allow the Rams to potentially fill their nickel corner position if they do not re-up Nickell Robey-Coleman. Harris' physicality and ball skills, as well as his above-average speed, will allow the Rams to do more. Of course, Wade Phillips would also get a corner that was used as a situational pass rusher as well. With the Rams uncertainty at CB, they will likely look to double up or even triple up on corners in this draft and Harris is going to be an obvious fit.
DRAFT GRADE
What they are saying: Rounds 6 - 7
What I'm saying: Round 3 -4
PLAYER COMPARISON
Sheldon Brown
SMXLL
I love this comparison more than you know. First of all, I fell in love with Davontae Harris on tape, it's just evident he offers so much to the table and that is without looking at what he did at the Combine. When you see a cornerback that runs a 4.4 and benches over 20 reps, you simply take notice. This is a cornerback that you should want on any team. The reason I compared him to Sheldon Brown is for the simple reason that both guys are athletically gifted and can lay the boom. Brown and Harris play bigger than their size suggests and they both ran in the 4.4's. Everyone remembers Sheldon Brown because of his hard-hitting ability that he displayed on Reggie Bush his rookie year and Steven Jackson when he knocked his helmet completely off. Having a player like Brown is like having an enforcer in hockey, a pitcher that is not afraid to throw near a batter in baseball or a center that blocks the ball and shoves the shooter in basketball to send a message. When you see Harris over the middle, you will think twice about throwing in that direction. Brown developed that kind of mentality in many QB's and of course, he gained a reputation for it that lasted just about his whole career. Expect Harris to be that kind of player.
Name: Devontae Harris
School: Illinois State
Height: 6-0
Weight: 200 pounds
40 Time: 4.43 seconds
Bench Press: 22 reps
Vertical: 32.5 inches
Notable Injuries: Torn small and large intestines
Notable Accolades: 24 starts at CB, 2017 All-Missouri Valley Football Conference First-Team selection and No.1 ranked passes defended in MVC (13 PBU & 2 INTs) in 2017
STRENGTHS
Harris' athleticism jumps right off the page. The 6-foot CB shows the versatility to play inside or outside man at the cornerback position. He takes an aggressive stance getting right up into the receiver's face to disrupt him off of the line of scrimmage. Harris shows the ability to stick with receivers while flashing his natural athleticism by flipping his hips with ease, back-peddling or just flat-out accelerating. Harris shows enhanced play recognition and will go the extra mile to make a play if he knows the ball is not coming his way. Illinois State often placed him on the edge as well to have him rush the QB and he showed the ability to do that as well. Overall, his play strength in which is shown by his ability to fight through blocks and make contact with the ball-carrier is NFL-worthy. His run support will not go unnoticed due to the fact he shows keen awareness and desire to pursue the ball-carrier. The flashiest part of Harris is not even his athleticism but his hard-hitting ability. He uses timing to dislodge a pass if it gets by him and into the receiver's hands. The timing and power put together allow him to jar passes loose and incomplete. Work ethic is a plus and you can judge that based on the fact Harris benched over 20 repetitions as a CB.
WEAKNESSES
While Harris is aggressive, he will need to be careful at the next level. When you watch the film you do see there are many times where something does not get called in college but you know it will at the next level. Harris can get grabby and hold on perhaps a little too long so he will need to clean that up. Perhaps his biggest knock is his lack of elite production against lesser competition. I don't worry about that too much but it is a tad bit concerning based on the level of competition. He is a little raw and will need to refine his technique but it's nothing a good bunch of coaching can't fix.
DOES HE FIT WITH THE RAMS?
He absolutely does, this is someone that can be versatile and perhaps allow the Rams to potentially fill their nickel corner position if they do not re-up Nickell Robey-Coleman. Harris' physicality and ball skills, as well as his above-average speed, will allow the Rams to do more. Of course, Wade Phillips would also get a corner that was used as a situational pass rusher as well. With the Rams uncertainty at CB, they will likely look to double up or even triple up on corners in this draft and Harris is going to be an obvious fit.
DRAFT GRADE
What they are saying: Rounds 6 - 7
What I'm saying: Round 3 -4
PLAYER COMPARISON
Sheldon Brown
I love this comparison more than you know. First of all, I fell in love with Davontae Harris on tape, it's just evident he offers so much to the table and that is without looking at what he did at the Combine. When you see a cornerback that runs a 4.4 and benches over 20 reps, you simply take notice. This is a cornerback that you should want on any team. The reason I compared him to Sheldon Brown is for the simple reason that both guys are athletically gifted and can lay the boom. Brown and Harris play bigger than their size suggests and they both ran in the 4.4's. Everyone remembers Sheldon Brown because of his hard-hitting ability that he displayed on Reggie Bush his rookie year and Steven Jackson when he knocked his helmet completely off. Having a player like Brown is like having an enforcer in hockey, a pitcher that is not afraid to throw near a batter in baseball or a center that blocks the ball and shoves the shooter in basketball to send a message. When you see Harris over the middle, you will think twice about throwing in that direction. Brown developed that kind of mentality in many QB's and of course, he gained a reputation for it that lasted just about his whole career. Expect Harris to be that kind of player.
PFF Tweet: Lowest INT Rate Under Pressure
- By Merlin
- RAMS / NFL TALK
- 36 Replies
Nice article and even nicer to see an analyst going back and grading himself like that. Because he fell into the BS that all the media did, where they completely disregarded not only Jared but the team in general because of previous failures. Truth is that there is turnover every season in this league, with teams rising and falling, but the "experts" inevitably only foresee the same exact results as the previous season. It's something that drives me effin crazy with these guys, the complete and utter inability to look deeper at a roster and coaching staff makeup than last season's results and actually BE an expert on the game in their prognostications.
But anyway.
One other note is that wrt QBs there can be significant deviation in the OL stats over a season based on how well he plays. Which is one of many reasons why the position is so coveted. That said, clearly GRob's performance the previous year and the OL at large in 2016 were not related to just Jared. And further, McVay's addition brought deeper understanding for the QB, outlets for most given situations that could be made in-time wrt the blitz, that enormously impacted line play in a positive fashion above and beyond the additions of Big Whit and Sully.
Great read though and thanks for putting that up!
Run Rich, Run! (in minutes)
- By RocknRam29
- RAMS / NFL TALK
- 5 Replies
See Rich's 40-Yard Dash (running in his suit) compared to other players' 40-Yd dash! 
Login to view embedded media View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ2EL7Z0bnY
Login to view embedded media View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ2EL7Z0bnY