http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...e-keenum-trade-in-august?campaign=Twitter_atn


Rapoport: Broncos kept tabs on Case Keenum



Trevor Siemian will make his first professional start in Thursday night's 2016 NFL Kickoff.

If not for a few twists and turns last month, it could have been Case Keenum starting for the Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl 50 rematch with the Carolina Panthers.

Denver kept tabs on Keenum during the preseason, going as far as to conduct trade talks with the Los Angeles Rams, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported, via a source informed of the discussions.


The Rams would have required a "huge pick or player compensation" to move their Week 1 starter, Rapoport added, but the Broncos never offered a high enough draft pick or a talented cornerback such as Aqib Talib or Bradley Roby.

Broncos coach Gary Kubiak has a familiarity with Keenum going back to their days with the Houston Texans, when the former University of Houston standout started eight games over Matt Schaub during the 2013 season.

Once Siemian showed enough in training camp and preseason action to instill confidence in Denver's coaching staff, though, the Broncospulled the plug on trade talks.

It's hard to imagine general manager John Elway surrendering a high draft pick or a valuable chip on his dominant defense for a physically limited quarterback who was winless in eight starts under Kubiak three years ago. The same quarterback was free for the taking in November of 2014 when Keenum was a street free agent for nearly two months after being waived by the Rams.

Even if rookie Paxton Lynch ends up displacing Siemian as the starter within the next couple of months, Kubiak and Elway ultimately reached the sensible conclusion on Keenum's value.

"Hey Jared. It's Sam. Great seeing you. You got a sec?....Great! I understand you'll be in street clothes Monday Night. No wait, man! I'm not trying to rub it in! Come back!......Great. Thanks for giving me a chance."

"So, I don't know if you know. I spent a bit of time in street clothes when I was with the Rams,....no, it's true. So being that you're going to be in front of a national audience, and all, I thought it was important to look good. Have you thought about what you are going to wear? ...No? Good. Because I'd like to introduce you to Sam Bradfords Sideline Hoodie Collection!!

Yeah, that's right. It's all the rage for us #1 overall picks. Whether you've torn an ACL, or just been deactivated because you are a slow-witted dork. This line of Rams-wear will help you look stylin', as you cozy up to the first stringer, and pretend you are relevant as the TV cameras zoom-in during a red zone time-out. Or maybe you're spittin' seeds and laughing with one of the lineman, as if to tell the TV public, 'I got this'. You like seeds, right Jared? I mean.... you're a baseball guy."

"So without further ado:"



"This hoodie is awesome, and preferred choice for night games. And you know it gets cold in San Francisco, right Jared? What was that saying...you know...from Mark Twain?....(oh that's right...the 'sun-rise' guy). Well he once said, 'the coldest winter I ever spent, was a summer in San Francisco.' Santa Clara, whatever. Consider the vinyl/cotton hoodie."


"Next is another great hoodie with the blue, and a gold streak on each sleeve. This one is a little thicker, which might suit you well. You're about my height, but you could use some bulk. What do you weigh about a buck-fiddy?....Hey...hey... I'm just messin'. We boys, right?"



"This next...woah!!!...how'd that get there? Oh Yeah.....just a thought. Maybe before the national anthem you pull the hoodie and pace the sidelines, and give Kaepernick your best Phelpsface?....no? Alright. Moving on..."



"This one is kind of a 'throw-back' look. You're in L.A. now. It might really appeal to some of the REALLY old-timers in the Ram fan base...like @RamFan503 and @DaveFan'51 . Some of the young, virile guys like @Roman Snow and @Tron may like it, too.




"Jared, when I was spittin' seeds, and counting Stan's money, this little number looked particularly good on me. Notice the NFL logo still planted firmly on my sleeve? Don't ever be like that other bay area dork Brady and 'dis' the league, man. I mean, Super Bowl titles are nice, and everything, but when your a sideline stud, like you and me?....You gotta wear the shield proud."




"And finally, during military month, heres my 'hoody fatigues'. UUUURahhhh!! as the Marines say! You might look across and see that twisted Kaepernick in your second meeting wearing a Fidel Castro, or Black lives Matter hoodie.....Oh....I'm not saying you'll still be on the sidelines, Jared....but you know. Maybe Sean can wear this.....but wear it proud, my friend."

So there you have it Jared. The Sam Bradford Sideline Hoodie Collection! Care to place an order?


But wait! There's more! Act now and I'll throw in a case of these little babies to help ease away the time standing next to Chase Reynolds:




Order five or more garments, and I'll bump you up to the Hot N Spicy!!



"So how many would you like Jared? Cuz...I gotta go. Some people have a playbook to learn." :neener:

:fuelfire:

Carolina Panthers.

Denver Broncos.

Who ya got?

Login to view embedded media View: https://youtu.be/-VAMQF8vnNo

Rams defensive coordinator Mike Waufle joins Mason and Ireland to discuss the Rams defensive system, Aaron Donald's impact and Colin Kaepernick's anthem protest.

[av]http://cdn16.castfire.com/audio/303/2111/22714/2996640/masoncuts_2016-09-08-173040-8006-0-0-0.64k.mp3[/av]

http://www.espn.com/espnradio/play/_/id/17497860

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...aight-years-of-a-rookie-starting-qb-in-week-1

Nine straight years of a rookie starting QB in Week 1

• By Conor Orr
• Around The NFL Writer
• Published: Sept. 8, 2016

Carson Wentz's debut for the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday against the Browns and Dak Prescott's start against the New York Giants will keep alive a recent trend surrounding rookie quarterbacks in the NFL.

According to the NFL, this is the ninth straight year that at least one rookie passer starts on opening weekend, which more than doubles the second-longest streak in the Super Bowl era (1968-71).

The previous quarterbacks during the streak?

» 2008 - Matt Ryan (Atlanta, W), Joe Flacco (Baltimore, W)

» 2009 - Mark Sanchez (NYJ, W), Matt Stafford (Detroit, L)

» 2010 - Sam Bradford (StL, L)

» 2011 - Andy Dalton (Cin, W), Cam Newton (Car, L)

» 2012 - Robert Griffin III (Was, W), Andrew Luck (Ind, L), Ryan Tannehill (Mia, L), Brandon Weeden(Cle, L), Russell Wilson (Sea, L)

» 2013 - E.J. Manuel (Buf, L), Geno Smith (NYJ, W)

» 2014 - Derek Carr (Oak, L)

» 2015 - Jameis Winston (TB, L), Marcus Mariota (Ten, W)

Given recent trade developments in Philadelphia and Prescott's white-hot preseason, it's safe to say that this debut is on par with last season's Winston-Mariota battle to start the season in terms of anticipation. The Eagles have entrusted Wentz with their future -- and after only 12 completions over 24 attempts in one preseason game.

Eagles general manager Howie Roseman recently gushed about the quarterback in an appearance on Good Morning Football, comparing his movement to that of a gazelle and hinting that his offensive acumen is on the cutting edge of the league’s development arc.

The Cowboys have already seen Prescott -- starting in place of an injured Tony Romo -- against starting-caliber competition and could use his mobility to add a new wrinkle to their high-powered offense alongside first-round pick Ezekiel Elliott.

And honestly, what would opening weekend be without at least one new quarterback to break down? The last time we were deprived of the option was back in 2007, when JaMarcus Russell was taken with the No. 1 overall pick and Brady Quinn went No. 22 to the Browns.

Russell got his first start on Dec. 30 that season in a 30-17 loss to the Chargers. Quinn, meanwhile, had to wait until 2008 to make his debut on Nov. 6 in a loss to the Broncos.

Well we are going to get these kind of media exploits every week until Goff takes his first regular season snap.. Oh well It changes my opinion of JG 0%. Keenum holds all the cards as long as he plays well and who in their right minds would root for him to fail?

Check out @MylesASimmons's Tweet: Login to view embedded media View: https://twitter.com/MylesASimmons/status/773986408427958272?s=09

After 60 years , TOPPS will no longer be producing NFL Trading cards ( They still do baseball and stuff )

I used to collect TOPPS football cards as a kid , and then as I got older , there just got to be way to many different kinds so I stopped , but ever year I would still get the Rams team set , I have every Rams team set since 1968 , but it looks like that run has come to an end

It looks like now , Panini has the exclusive rights to NFL trading cards

This will be the first time in 40 some years , I haven't collected a TOPPS trading card ,and will have to switch to Panini if I want to continue my Rams sets

No more Jerry Lewis Telethon , no more TOPPS NFL Trading cards

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Listening to flagship SF radio station this morning, they interviewed Tony Dungy. He talked about several general things in anticipation the start of the NFL season. Then they got to the subject of the coming Monday Night Football matchup. A few notable insights from that conversation:

• I didn't realize, but Dungy's son played for Chip Kelly up in Oregon. Dungy seems to have warm feelings for Kelly, and a general respect for him. He also believes in Kelly's coaching style, and said that he thinks he will "eventually be successful".
• Dungy's hesitancy with predicting early success for Kelly, and the Niners, seems to be a personnel issue. He didn't knock current players, but did note that the 49ers were better equipped with Gore, Davis, Kaepernick and Crabtree, (all before they got old, or decided to start sucking) He was cautious about predicting any success for this year. (Read: in his gentlemanly way, Dungy was saying we should blow them out.)
• On Goff, the Bay Area radio hosts asked Dungy, prefacing the question with the fact that "Here is a local boy. Grew up in Marin County. Went to Cal. A lot of people in this area following him. And he is not even going to be dressed for the first game Monday Night! :shocked: What is going on with Jared Goff?": Dungy's answer was not from this school::banghead: :help::fuelfire::headexplosion::shocked: :baghead: :eek::giveup:He was decidedly from this school: :icare:opcorn::shades::cheers: Dungy noted that he believed Goff shows promise, and that it is a process with quarterbacks. He noted that he has made some good throws in the preseason, and has all the tools. He believes the notion that young quarterbacks should step right in and be ready to lead an NFL team is ridiculous. "Payton Manning had Hall of famer running back Marshall Faulk, Hall of Fame receiver Marvin Harrison, and he went 3-13, and threw nearly 30 picks."
• His words echoed recently posted articles noting that there has been only one quarterback (Luck) picked in the modern era in the first round that has had a winning record as a rookie. The Rams are built to win now, and can be patient with Goff.

I'm not one that needs other people to agree with me to validate my opinion. Majority opinion, or consensus do not equal truth. But it is nice to hear sober, measured analysis cut its way through the foggy thinking that pervades lame-stream media. (Sports, politics, you name it)

I like Dungy. He is a good man.

The preseason is gone. All the speculation about the roster ( most of it anyway) has been answered. Most of us felt that our roster was so strong that a few of the players cut by the Rams would be picked up by other teams. To my knowledge, only vets have been picked up, Kush and Ayers. The Rams only picked up 7. So maybe the roster isn't as strong as we thought. Our starters seem great, especially the front 7. I still believe that our offense is much improved, especially with a full off season to work with the coaching staff. I think Keenum can get it done. The one thing that kind of scares me right now is the Rams slow starts. SF has a new coaching staff. Even though we are familiar with Kelly's offensive philosophy, we don't know what's up his sleeve with this new team. It's put up or shut up time. There's still a little Koolaid left. The Rams will get off to a fast start and have a two digit lead by half time then a big dose of Gurley in the second half.

GO RAMS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Go ahead and call me an idiot but, I just looked at the depth chart and didn't realize we are not using outside linebackers, more corners and safeties instead. I know Williams was using Barron as a hybrid linebacker last year and it paid off, imo. So I assume that is what led to this kind of defensive line up, the speed of the game and a more pass happy league ? Did I say you can call me an idiot for not paying attention ?

and ordered the damn direct tv so I could get Sunday ticket. I'm
moving out to my property at the end of the month. I went ahead and ordered the service and took a tv out there so I can watch every game lol. Didn't wanna go the satellite route. But at least I won't miss a game.

http://footballgameplan.com/fbgps-nfl-gameplan-week-1-preview-rams-at-49ers/

Good morning Ram fans! Good luck this week!

Em

And I thought he was a possible long term answer for us.

I didn't even know he played baseball to be honest

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2016/09/08/tim-tebow-mets/89992144/

L.A. Rams 2016 season predictions: WR Kenny Britt
http://www.downtownrams.com/single-post/2016/09/03/LA-Rams-2016-season-predictions-WR-Kenny-Britt
September 3, 2016 | By:Jake Ellenbogen

Where Are They Now? The 2016 NFL Draft Class
http://www.downtownrams.com/single-post/2016/09/03/Where-Are-They-Now-The-2016-NFL-Draft-Class
September 3, 2016 | By: Blaine Grisak

L.A. Rams 2016 season predictions: WR Tavon Austin
http://www.downtownrams.com/single-post/2016/09/05/LA-Rams-2016-season-predictions-WR-Tavon-Austin
September 5, 2016 | By: Jake Ellenbogen

L.A. Rams 2016 season predictions: TE Lance Kendricks
http://www.downtownrams.com/single-...ms-2016-season-predictions-TE-Lance-Kendricks
September 6, 2016 | By: Jake Ellenbogen

Downtown Rams Podcast Ep.1: Roster Cuts, Season Preview, NFL Draft Preview & Season Predictions
http://www.downtownrams.com/single-...-Preview-NFL-Draft-Preview-Season-Predictions
September 6, 2016 | By: Jake Ellenbogen & Blaine Grisak

2016 NFL Full Season Predictions
http://www.downtownrams.com/single-post/2016/09/06/2016-NFL-Full-Season-Predictions
September 6, 2016 | By: Blaine Grisak

Getting to know the new Rams practice squad members
http://www.downtownrams.com/single-...g-to-know-the-new-Rams-practice-squad-members
September 6, 2016 | By: Jake Ellenbogen

OLB Akeem Ayers gets last laugh, signs with Colts over re-upping with Rams
http://www.downtownrams.com/single-...ugh-signs-with-Colts-over-re-upping-with-Rams
September 6, 2016 | By: Jake Ellenbogen

Three Rams who will return to camp and make the active roster next year
http://www.downtownrams.com/single-...-to-camp-and-make-the-active-roster-next-year
September 7, 2016 | By: Jake Ellenbogen

5 Reasons The Rams Won't Make The Playoffs
http://www.downtownrams.com/single-post/2016/09/07/5-Reasons-The-Rams-Wont-Make-The-Playoffs
September 7, 2016 | By: Blaine Grisak

First off we all know that his cut was not a surprise, given the way the Rams were working others into the position. And I am not trying to make a big deal out of it or anything, either, as the perspective is the guy is a backup center.

But to me it was clear that there were two guys kept on the roster when he was cut that were not as good as him. I have re-watched all the preseason games, and Kush got better each week. I feel he is better than Arkin, and yes I realize he was also cut. But I also think he's better than Rhaney.

I think this is a good example of perceived upside vs a better player. By that fourth preseason game Kush was routinely getting to the second level and making blocks, and while he had a couple miscues in pass pro the guy IS a backup center. IMO the difference in him and the others is notable, and tbh I think he knew that and you could see it in his face on the episode when he was talkin with Snead.

Just wanted to see what everyone's take is there. Not looking for pitchforks or anything, it's no big deal, but I do think it was a blunder where the Rams erred too much on upside and flexibility to play OG.

http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/loca...Charge-in-San-Francisco-Police-392350161.html

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Dude got dropped from the whiners for punching a 70 year old man but in the video he's bleeding from his head??? Did he really get his ass handed to him by a 70 year old? lol

Sean Mannion will open the season as Rams' backup QB, and he's ready if needed

By Gary Klein

[www.latimes.com]

Sean Mannion might one day be known as the quarterback who forced Jared Goff to the inactive list.

For one game at least.

Mannion, a second-year pro, enters Monday night’s season opener at San Francisco as the Rams’ No. 2 quarterback behind starter Case Keenum.

Goff, the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft, will be on the sideline wearing a Rams sweat suit.

Mannion had an inkling he would be the backup after last week’s exhibition loss at Minnesota, when Coach Jeff Fisher said Goff was “not ready” and that Mannion would probably be No. 2 against the 49ers.


On Monday, Mannion said quarterbacks coach Chris Weinke reiterated that scenario. Fisher made it official Tuesday.

Players were off Wednesday, but Mannion will be taking second-team reps when the Rams begin game-week preparations Thursday at Cal Lutheran.

“It feels good for the coaches to put me in that position,” Mannion, 24, said this week. “Going back to April [off-season workouts], I’ve been happy with the way I’ve been playing and the throwing the ball.

“To have your effort rewarded and to be put into this position is great, and something I take very seriously.”

Monday night’s game will be a homecoming of sorts for Mannion, who played at Pleasanton Foothill High, located about 25 miles from Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.

Mannion went on to Oregon State, where he became the Pac-12 Conference’s all-time passing yardage leader.

The Rams selected the 6-foot-6, 233-pound Mannion in the third round of the 2015 draft and he opened the season as the No. 3 quarterback behind Nick Foles and Keenum.

Mannion was inactive for the first 10 games. However, with Keenum sidelined because of a concussion suffered against the Baltimore Ravens, Mannion relieved a struggling Foles against the Cincinnati Bengals and completed six of seven passes for 31 yards.

The Rams’ trade to the top of last April’s draft to select Goff eventually led to Foles’ release. Mannion was regarded as the No. 3 quarterback behind the competition between Keenum and Goff for the starting job.

That competition never materialized because of Keenum’s sold play and Goff’s inconsistency and mistakes.

Meanwhile, Mannion impressed during training camp — “You can see the throws, you can see the poise, you can see the decision-making,” Fisher said a few weeks into workouts — and performed fairly well in three exhibitions.

After Goff played only two series in the exhibition opener against the Dallas Cowboys, Mannion came on and passed for three second-half touchdowns in a come-from-behind victory. Mannion did not play against the Kansas City Chiefs, but he entered the game late in the third quarter at Denver and played the second half at Minnesota.

He completed 39 of 60 passes for 325 yards and four touchdowns, with one interception.

“For the most part, I thought I played efficient football, put together some good drives and executed the offense,” Mannion said. “There are some things to work on, but for the most part I was accurate.”

Now Mannion is again one play away from going into the game.

Fisher indicated that he would probably switch Mannion and Goff for Week 2. That probably won’t change Mannion’s approach. From the time he joined the Rams in rookie camp last year, he has prepared each week as if he would start, he said,.

He will be ready, if needed, on Monday night.

“I feel way more comfortable,” he said. “You’re learning initially, but then once you learn it and have a year to work on the repetition of actually doing it on the field, it compounds that effect it has on your comfortability.”

Bonus baby

Offensive tackle Rob Havenstein was happy to move into the starting lineup last season as a rookie.

Everything else was a bonus, including the nearly $190,000 he received through the NFL’s performance-based pay program. The bonuses were announced in March.

“I saw it on Twitter or something like that,” Havenstein said this week. “I thought it was cool, obviously, but a bonus is just a bonus.

“It’s not something I was playing for. I just wanted to go out and do the best I could. And I’ll do the same thing this year.”

The yearly program was implemented as part of the NFL’s 2002 collective bargaining agreement with the NFL Players Assn. The formula for bonuses weighs playing time against salary.

Each team had a distribution pool of about $3.8 million, which does not count against the salary cap. Havenstein, a second-round draft pick from Wisconsin, had a base salary of $435,000, according to spotrac.com. He started 13 games.

His preparation for this season was stalled because of a foot injury.

The 6-foot-8, 321-pound Havenstein was sidelined for organized-team activities and nearly all of training camp, but returned to start the final exhibition against Minnesota.

He is listed behind Rodger Saffold on the Rams’ depth chart, and said he still was honing his pass-protection sets for the opener.

“That’s something I’ll be working on extra after practice,” he said. “Something I can’t get enough of are reps.”

Rams Preview: Case Keenum won the QB job, personifies team’s uncertainty

By Vincent Bonsignore, Los Angeles Daily News

[www.dailynews.com]

It’s funny how things work out sometimes.

When the Rams left Southern California for St. Louis 21 years ago they did so with an uncertain quarterback situation befitting an organization that never seemed to nail the most important position on the field.

They return to Los Angeles with the same uncertainty.

Welcome home, guys.

Uncanny how you look remarkably like the team that kicked us in the gut to make a Midwest money grab more than two decades ago.

• Rams schedule | Rams roster | Rams photos

Some things never change, apparently.

With all due respect to Case Keenum, who has played well this offseason and rightfully won the starting job over future face of the franchise Jared Goff, he isn’t Russell Wilson or Cam Newton or Tom Brady or Eli Manning or Philip Rivers or Ben Roethlisberger or any other current NFL quarterback you can hand the keys to with confidence they can guide the team to respectable places.

At his best, Keenum is a game manager capable of stabilizing the position and keeping the Rams in games. And considering he has started 15 games over his four-year career and never more than eight in one season, it’s a hunch to assume even that.

There simply isn’t enough sample size to say definitively he will consistently do that.

So we hope.

And cross our fingers.

Sounds kind of familiar right?

From James Harris to Ron Jaworski to Pat Haden to Vince Ferragamo to Jeff Rutledge to Dan Pastorini to Bert Jones to Jeff Kemp to Dieter Brock to Steve Bartkowski to Jim Everett and beyond, the Rams over the years knelt at the alter of the Football Gods praying they could squeeze out just enough from the young to the old to the has-beens to the never-were’s to the would-be saviors and the seriously flawed to lift the team to the next level or over the finish line.

The Rams over the years always had wildly talented rosters, but unable to land their Roger Staubach or Terry Bradshaw they operated a revolving door that welcomed in new candidates as quickly as it hurled the previous ones onto the street.

Aside from a brief period of brilliance provided by a lightning bolt named Kurt Warner and the stability of Marc Bulger, it was more of the same in St. Louis.

Lest we forget the Tony Banks and Sam Bradfords and Kellen Clemens of the world.

And as the Rams return to the region they called home for 46 years, it’s deja vu all over again.

So take your place among all the others, Keenum. It’s a crowded room to be sure.

Here’s the thing, though.

Even while the Rams conducted a quarterback merry-go-round through the 1970s and 1980s they won a ton of football games. In fact from 1973-89 they won eight division titles, reached eight NFC Championship Games and one Super Bowl.

They never quite got it right at quarterback – at least not the long-range answer – but they managed to field highly competitive teams nonetheless.

Into that kind of world steps Keenum, who doesn’t do any one thing especially well but does enough things satisfactorily that he can be trusted.

Yes, the Rams drafted Goff first overall with the hope he’d start sooner rather than later. But it looks like sooner is going to take a lot longer than expected.

That might be disappointing, but it’s not the end of the world.

The Rams always knew they had Keenum in their back pocket, fully understanding he isn’t Newton or Wilson but more than convinced he can be a missing piece that enables them to finally move beyond the 7-9 teams they’ve been recently to a potential playoff contender.

It’s a tip of the cap to Keenum, certainly, but also the belief in the infrastructure in place around the quarterback position.

The Rams boast a defensive line as good as any in the NFL led by All-Pro tackle Aaron Donald and defensive end Robert Quinn.

The linebacker group is young, fast and athletic with Mark Barron and Alec Ogletree a pair of playmakers poised to step into stardom.

And running back Todd Gurley is as good as it gets and operates behind an offensive line that grew considerably over the course of training camp and preseason.

“That’s a good young roster they’ve built,” a prominent NFL assistant coach told me recently. “The pieces are in place. If the quarterback can just be solid, they have a chance to be a good team.

Keenum isn’t a star, but neither was Brock or Haden or Ferragamo, and all three of them won division titles and advanced their teams deep into the playoffs.

Dare we dream that Keenum can be to Gurley what Brock was to Eric Dickerson or Haden was to Lawrence McCutcheon back in the day?

The NFL assistant coach I spoke to felt so, pointing out the roster in place is one Rams coach Jeff Fisher can win with.

“There’s a recipe in place that he’s proven he can succeed with,” the coach said. “Look, Jeff Fisher didn’t forget how to coach. This is a team right up his alley with a spectacular talent like Gurley – who is special – and a very good defense. If the quarterback can be effective – he doesn’t even have to be a star – just steady. It could be a good year.”

Sounds pretty familiar, doesn’t it?

It never meant the ultimate prize back in the day.

But the Rams won a bunch of football games.

Can Keenum be to the Rams what Haden, Ferragamo and others were to run-first, defensive-minded Rams teams of the past?

It sure has a familiar ring to it.

The Rams have some decision to make, Here are my list of players that may not suit up for the 49ers game. The list is from the most probable to list probable.

The (my) locks to sit:


The 7th bubble person and why:

Have fun with your projections.

Opening comments:
“I’m excited about the regular season. I thought we had a good training camp. I thought we learned and grew a lot as a defense. I’m excited about the matchup this week against the Rams. They’ve got a very talented roster and I think their offensive coordinator [Los Angeles Rams assistant head coach/offense] Rob Boras is doing a good job schematically with those guys, so it’ll be a great challenge for our defense.”


Have you seen DL Glenn Dorsey, has he been practicing? What do you envision his role to be?
“It’s still probably a little too early in the week to tell, but he has been able to do a little bit more over the past couple of weeks. These next couple of days will be huge for him.”


Seven-on-seven stuff? Has he gotten into full practices to this point?
“Not in full team drills yet, no.”


And what about DL Arik Armstead, where is he going to be as to practice being handled?
“Again, it’s early in the week, so that’s something that we’re going to monitor as the week goes on. Again, he’s a guy that’s done a little bit more over the past couple of weeks, so hopefully 48 hours from now we’re feeling pretty good about it.”


With eight defensive linemen and five inside linebackers, it looks like you’ll have the possibility to rotate along that defensive front, figuring teams might want to run the ball and control the tempo. Is that sort of your thinking with the numbers at that position, those positions?
“That might be a great question for [general manager] Trent [Baalke]. I think the way they went about it is they were kind of locked into some numbers to get to the 46 and then I think they just kept the best players that they could from there. I think that was their philosophy. I think that’s a great philosophy, that way you don’t get so locked into numbers and you end up keeping a guy who might not be better than some of the other guys on your 53. If you’ve got eight guys, it’s going to be a tough decision for us each week who’s going to be up on game day and how we’re going to deploy those players.”


Would you expect game days to have a five-man rotation on that defensive line?
“The guys that are up for us are going to play. As far as how many guys are up, we haven’t discussed that yet as a coaching stuff. That’s something that we’ll discuss at the end of the week.”


You talked a lot about rotating guys through during the preseason. Do you feel comfortable that you have a good handle on where everybody’s best fit yet or is that going to just be ongoing all year?
“I think you’re constantly evaluating guys, but yeah I think we’ve got a pretty good picture right now as a defensive staff as far as what we have defensively and how guys fit into this scheme.”


What’s made LB Tank Carradine suited to that outside linebacker spot?
“Say that again.”


What’s made Tank suited to that move to that outside linebacker?
“For us, schematically, he’s a bigger body. He’s put a lot of work into learning the coverage stuff. Very physical on the edge, which will help us set edges in the run game and force the ball back inside. He’s worked real hard at learning the position and then he’s got position flexibility along the front for us in some of the passing situations. So, that’s what we look for when we go find guys in college football. We want those big, physical guys who are heavy handed, can set edges, and at the same time be able to do some drop stuff for us.”


49ers color analyst Tim Ryan spoke during one of the preseason games, he actually compared DL Ronald Blair to Los Angeles Rams DT Aaron Donald. Do you see some similarities in their game and what are your expectations heading into his first season?
“I don’t like to compare players, but I know Aaron Donald’s a hell-of-a football player. That would be great if Ronald Blair could ever get to that level, but Ronnie is different than anything we have along the front. [Defensive line coach Jerry Azzinaro] Azz does a great job. You can’t coach Ronnie Blair the way you’re coaching [DT] Quinton Dial. They are different players, but Ronnie’s going to be a guy that’s going to make some splash plays for us in the run and pass game. He’s a guy we’re excited about.”


How happy were you to get LB Marcus Rush back on the practice squad and will he put pressure on the other pass rushers if they’re not performing?
“I was surprised that we got him back to be honest with you. When I found out that he was going to be on the practice squad, I was really excited about it because for the next four weeks we have three outside backers and he’s a guy that if we need to we could easily activate him and bring him aboard. He’s a heck-of-a football player. He’s done a hell-of-a job throughout the preseason and he’s a guy that I’ll be shocked if he’s on the practice squad all year.”


What’s the scouting report on DT Taylor Hart, the guy you got from the Eagles?
“I think I figured out Azz’s recruiting philosophy when he went to Oregon. I think he found every D-Linemen that was 6-5 or taller and just recruited those guys and wacked everybody else. But, I’m still getting to know him. I have watched him on tape. He’s a guy that I evaluated when he was coming out of college. Big, physical, strong at the point of attack in the run game, very tough, which we’re always looking for tough guys. That’s how you win late in the season, with tough gritty guys. I’m excited about adding him to the group.”


Do you anticipate it being a pretty seamless transition for him, given his familiarity to Azz?
“I think it’ll be, I don’t think it’ll be seamless because he’s never played in this system. I think he’ll be familiar with Azz and some of the D-Line techniques we use, but schematically some of the terminology will be different for him. He’s got some catching up to do.”


What stands out to you about the Rams?
“I’ll start up front. They are very physical. They have their whole offensive line healthy. In my opinion, they have six really good players. They haven’t been able to play together this preseason, but they are starting to get healthy. The quarterback does a great job getting the ball out of his hands, puts them in a position to win football games. Obviously, [Los Angeles Rams RB] Todd Gurley at running back is a dynamic player. [Los Angeles Rams WR] Tavon Austin is a dynamic player as a receiver, running back, screen guy, down the field. They’ve got a big receiver in [Los Angeles Rams WR] Kenny Britt. They’ve got three tight ends that they roll that all do a good job. So, they are pretty good personnel-wise.”


What did you see from CB Will Redmond from the time you had him on the field and do you think there is a chance you could see him before the year’s over being that you can bring an IR guy back?
“Yeah, I think that’s the plan. Will’s a guy that we were very excited about when we drafted him. We’re still very excited about him. We’ll lean on Ferg and the athletic training staff as far as when he’s fully back and if it’s a situation down the line where we can activate him, I’m sure that that will be a conversation.”


What are those three inside linebackers next to LB NaVorro Bowman separate and how do you kind of plan to go forward with that?
“They’ll all play. We need them all to play. We need all three of them to win. We have a plan right now going into Week 1. I’ll let you guys figure out that plan on Monday night. I’m not going to sit here and tell it to you now. But, we need [LB] Mike Wilhoite, we need [LB] Ray-Ray Armstrong and we need [LB] Gerald Hodges to be a good defense.”


The depth chart yesterday had Armstrong and Hodges kind of “co” and then Wilhoite behind them–?
“I don’t buy into that. Those depth charts are written in sand. So, that’s one package, one personnel group. We could have eight different personnel groups up in any given game. So, I don’t get into that.”


What’s the emphasis for the defense in terms of stopping Gurley?
“Do your job. Takes all 11. You know, just execute.”


Do you have to prepare any differently for a unique skill player like Tavon Austin where they really try to get creative to get him the football, use him in different ways?
“Sure. You’ve got to do some stuff schematically to get guys around him because he is such a dynamic player in space, yeah.”


They use a lot of those kind of ghost sweeps with Tavon to play Tavon off of Gurley. What are some of the challenges trying to defend that?
“They just force you to communicate. You know, if you’re running any type of combo coverage stuff, if he’s running to the other side of the formation, you’ve got to change coverage or if your zone drops on one and now one could become two very quickly. So, it forces you to think a little bit quicker. It’s not the same thing, but it’s kind of similar to some of the up-tempo stuff. Just makes you think and react faster than probably what you want to as a defense.”


Do football coaches ever watch Hard Knocks, especially when you play the team going into Week 1?
“When I was with New York, we were on it. So, I watched it when we were on it. I did not watch Hard Knocks this past year just because I know that the head coach usually has final editing rights and you really don’t get a lot of football stuff out of it. So, some guys on staff have watched it and some of guys on the defensive side of the ball have made some comments about it, but me personally, no.”


Comments along the lines of what they’re doing or–?
“Yeah. Just some stuff that have come up, yeah.”


I know you’re just focused on Week 1, but I think your first six opponents were in the top-10 in rushing last year. Are you aware of the early season challenge there? Are you eager to see what your run defense looks like?
“Absolutely. I’m excited about it.”

B.S. This is where I hate PFF. We may be a no-name OL, but healthy, these guys are going to surprise some people. Should we remain healthy, this OL starts moving up the charts following game one. Love PFF for their grading, but prognosticating isn't always in their wheelhouse. Guess they hadn't even noticed that GRob's play picked up big time towards the end of last season and extending into the 4 pre-season games. Also missed that Reynolds is now on IR.

I understood them giving us 32'nd in the league at WR a couple days ago, but this is just wrong. jmo.


PFF : https://www.profootballfocus.com/pro-ranking-all-32-nfl-offensive-lines-entering-the-2016-season/

Continuing our season previews series, the PFF analysis team recently ranked every NFL offensive line, based on both the starting lineup and projected depth of each unit. Nearly every team has made changes to their line compared to last year, and at the very least, each team has addressed the depth of their O-line unit.

With those changes taken into consideration, here’s how the league’s offensive lines stack up heading into the 2016 season.

[More: Be sure to check out PFF’s ranking of all 32 NFL QB situations, running back units, and defensive front-sevens.]

1. Dallas Cowboys

2. Oakland Raiders

3. Green Bay Packers

4. Cincinnati Bengals

5. Atlanta Falcons

6. Carolina Panthers

7. Philadelphia Eagles

8. New Orleans Saints

9. Arizona Cardinals

10. Buffalo Bills

11. Houston Texans

12. Washington

13. Baltimore Ravens

14. Pittsburgh Steelers

15. Minnesota Vikings

16. Indianapolis Colts

17. Kansas City Chiefs

18. New England Patriots

19. Miami Dolphins

20. New York Giants

21. Cleveland Browns

22. Detroit Lions

23. Jacksonville Jaguars

24. New York Jets

25. Tennessee Titans

26. San Francisco 49ers

27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

28. Denver Broncos

29. San Diego Chargers

30. Chicago Bears

31. Los Angeles Rams
Projected starters: LT Greg Robinson, LG Jamon Brown, C Tim Barnes, RG Rodger Saffold, RT Rob Havenstein

Roster depth: Cody Wichmann, Andrew Donnal, Demetrius Rhaney

Key stat: The Rams’ projected starting offensive line has played 230 snaps together.

In 2015, the Rams loaded up on offensive linemen in the draft. They hit on Rob Havenstein, but they are still waiting for the rest of their younger linemen to develop. In the short-term, they might be better off finding someone else at left tackle and starting Garrett Reynolds, but instead, it looks like they will stick with their younger linemen for now and see if they can reach their potential.

32. Seattle Seahawks