A few random thoughts after sleeping on this fubar of a game…

[Merlin]

Also and btw if I am McVay I am asking my OL coach the question of how we got to the point where we started Shelton at RG when Jackson is clearly superior.

He may already know the answer to that. But I think starting the wrong guy was part of what got Kromes fired.

 

[Mojo Ram]

I haven’t looked at the numbers but I feel like the run D has been pretty good, and teams are testing it. I think folks are being too critical of Wags. He’s lost a step, yeah. He’s not prime Wags. Didn’t we know that coming in?

 

[So Ram]

I haven’t looked at the numbers but I feel like the run D has been pretty good, and teams are testing it. I think folks are being too critical of Wags. He’s lost a step, yeah. He’s not prime Wags. Didn’t we know that coming in?

He lead The Rams with 10 tackles.I was a Troy Reeder fan,but to say Bobby Wagner making The Play Calls & leading The Rams in tackles is a bad player to have signed seems ridiculous.

AD99 was 2nd & hearing some radio guy saying AD was worse than Bosa & is not a D’Roy candidate is silly.Heard that same talk host person say he was frustrated & losing his control. The never saw that. I did see him make 1 last tackle for loss which kept The Rams in it if the scored a TD.

 

[Kupped]

Also and btw if I am McVay I am asking my OL coach the question of how we got to the point where we started Shelton at RG when Jackson is clearly superior.

He may already know the answer to that. But I think starting the wrong guy was part of what got Kromes fired.

How good do you think Jackson is? Are we pencilling him in the rest of the season & for 23 with Bruss opposite? Might actually be a physical interior.

 

[Rams43]

Also and btw if I am McVay I am asking my OL coach the question of how we got to the point where we started Shelton at RG when Jackson is clearly superior.

He may already know the answer to that. But I think starting the wrong guy was part of what got Kromes fired.

Possibly starting the ‘wrong’ player is not exclusively an OL issue.

What about starting Rapp?

 

[Kupped]

Possibly starting the ‘wrong’ player is not exclusively an OL issue.

What about starting Rapp?

What’s his option with Rapp? Burgess?

I’m adding… it would be great if Burgess could step up.

 

[Merlin]

How good do you think Jackson is? Are we pencilling him in the rest of the season & for 23 with Bruss opposite? Might actually be a physical interior.

Yeah I think so. Or maybe LG so that his feet don't get fucked up for if we need him at LT.

Edwards is probably gone in FA so that LG spot should be open too.

 

[Merlin]

Possibly starting the ‘wrong’ player is not exclusively an OL issue.

What about starting Rapp?

Please don't get @Kupped started.

Whoops too late.

 

[Kupped]

Please don't get @Kupped started.

Whoops too late.

Rapp isn’t a hill I’m gonna die on.

I just hope Burgess or Yeast are ready. You’ve said Burgess doesn’t have enough dog in him… let’s hope he got some canine transfusion lol.

 

[Kupped]

Yeah I think so. Or maybe LG so that his feet don't get fucked up for if we need him at LT.

Edwards is probably gone in FA so that LG spot should be open too.

Great point about moving him to LG. I assume Edwards is gone.. Rams have 4 solid guard candidates on the roster. If Arcuri can be a reasonable RT… they actually don’t have to draft anyone.. but I wouldn’t mind a bigger center.

 

[Merlin]

Rapp isn’t a hill I’m gonna die on.

I just hope Burgess or Yeast are ready. You’ve said Burgess doesn’t have enough dog in him… let’s hope he got some canine transfusion lol.

Burgess isn't good enough. I don't think he's a factor. If we see him in a primary role we're up shit creek.

Fuller is my guy. He's not been the same player under Raheem that he was under Staley, and that happens with safeties because that's a position where you can be asked to do a crazy range of shit and some just fit better with some game callers. You can put them in the same scheme but the call itself can put more or less load on a guy and so sometimes fit is a problem.

But Rapp needs to be in a more classic SS role. Not playing over the top ever. He is a problem and will continue to be so until they replace him. So what I'd tell Raheem is play Fuller and just try to call it to his strengths as much as possible. Rapp is not working so I doubt Fuller will be worse.

And if he cannot accept Fuller then it's Yeast or bust. Preseason Yeast rose to the occasion and did some good things, so maybe he can help us. Only way to know is see how he handles the situations but as a rook he's gonna learn things the hard way, we all do.

 

[Kupped]

Burgess isn't good enough. I don't think he's a factor. If we see him in a primary role we're up shit creek.

Fuller is my guy. He's not been the same player under Raheem that he was under Staley, and that happens with safeties because that's a position where you can be asked to do a crazy range of shit and some just fit better with some game callers. You can put them in the same scheme but the call itself can put more or less load on a guy and so sometimes fit is a problem.

But Rapp needs to be in a more classic SS role. Not playing over the top ever. He is a problem and will continue to be so until they replace him. So what I'd tell Raheem is play Fuller and just try to call it to his strengths as much as possible. Rapp is not working so I doubt Fuller will be worse.

And if he cannot accept Fuller then it's Yeast or bust. Preseason Yeast rose to the occasion and did some good things, so maybe he can help us. Only way to know is see how he handles the situations but as a rook he's gonna learn things the hard way, we all do.

Well.. Fuller is out. I didn’t see if he was still on field for Deebo TD.

You’re 100% right about Rapp… but, as is with many of the D problems… what are the options?

Injuries suck

 

[LARAMSinFeb.]

Only comment I'd make re: drafting 2 every year is remember you have to be able to make spots for them on the roster. So maybe every other year or as needed is a better approach, where you always draft if there is any question. It would be nice to see this team field a more dominant front.

Yeah. "We need to prioritize OL in next year's draft" is about 3 years too late; OL is something you have to develop in advance.

 

[Snaz]

Those D line stunts really messed with our OL.

 

[Merlin]

Those D line stunts really messed with our OL.

I think it was even worse last season in the first game too. That stunt that they run with Bosa going to the inside ate up both Hav & Corbs in that game. It was even uglier than this last one IMO. And the Rams playing better in the successive games vs them changed the equation.

Honestly our OL didn't actually start playing what I would term good team ball until after that month long swoon. Which coincided with running the ball. But not trying to make it about running the ball only. The pass pro was massively better in game 2.

 

[Tano]

I think this year's OL group was a bit light and we discussed that during the offseason and prior to the final cuts. So yeah they should have done a bit more for the unit, given that they went the budget route at LT with Boom. And I'm not knocking Boom. But the way things went down a little more investment on the interior would have been wise.

The Bruss injury really hurt because we already felt a little short in the depth quality. That was a real kick in the nuts.

Only comment I'd make re: drafting 2 every year is remember you have to be able to make spots for them on the roster. So maybe every other year or as needed is a better approach, where you always draft if there is any question. It would be nice to see this team field a more dominant front.

I was thinking the spots taken in the top 4 rounds could replace the ones leaving or injured a lot or just not playing well (Blythe) and the one's taken in the later rounds goes on the practice squad. How many of our practice squad OL are UDFA's? But yeah maybe we always take one in the later rounds for practice squad purposes and one every other year in the first 4 rounds for maintenance purposes with maybe another one taken in the first 4 rounds in the off years when we are losing someone.

 

[Tano]

What I'm saying is that it's not the problem right now. Math.
Rams only carried 8 OL... and one of them was Evans.. who wouldn't have been there, most likely, if Bruss hadn't gotten hurt.

I can understand if the argument is that you just don't think they devote enough resources to the Oline and that the overall quality isn't good enough.. maybe Edwards wouldn't be the starter.. maybe Allen would be the backup.. but the number of injuries have wiped out the on-roster depth. Period.

Once you're on practice squad, you're fair game for the rest of the league.

That third string center was on the practice squad.. if he was "good".. he would've been poached by another team.

So, no.. it's not a depth and draft issue at the moment. When they were playing with Shelton, Jackson and Edwards.. backups at two positions.. one of them the 4th guard.. they were doing a decent job.

They gave up one sack to the Falcons and one sack to the Cardinals.. that's fine.. especially for backups including a 4th stringer.

I think the Rams should carry 9 maybe even 10 OL and reduce their WR by 1 and another position group by 1 (not sure which one) - heck they could have reduced their WR group this year by 2. Although McCutcheon would have been a goner for sure. And you know who else I would have dropped because we would never have gotten him if we had gone a different direction in the draft in 2021.

 

[Kupped]

I think the Rams should carry 9 maybe even 10 OL and reduce their WR by 1 and another position group by 1 (not sure which one) - heck they could have reduced their WR group this year by 2. Although McCutcheon would have been a goner for sure. And you know who else I would have dropped because we would never have gotten him if we had gone a different direction in the draft in 2021.

Seems fair… and maybe they were going to carry 9 before Bruss got hurt.
Evans as #9 doesn’t seem like the worst plan in the world… but at left guard… yikes.

I’ll add.. I think the group they brought into the season… including Bruss… was solid. Still feel that way.
Once you get to 3rd & 4th string, idk.

Other than Tutu… the draft picks have made sense, imo.

 

[kurtfaulk]

Well, our OL could be worse...

View attachment 56825

don't laugh, there was a play against the whiners where higbee and skow got in each other's way and the rusher had a free run at stafford which led to a sack.

.

 

[Tano]

Seems fair… and maybe they were going to carry 9 before Bruss got hurt.
Evans as #9 doesn’t seem like the worst plan in the world… but at left guard… yikes.

I’ll add.. I think the group they brought into the season… including Bruss… was solid. Still feel that way.
Once you get to 3rd & 4th string, idk.

Other than Tutu… the draft picks have made sense, imo.

Yeah Evans at LG - ick

But I think we could have someone better than Kolone on the PS as the third string center if we paid more attention to the OL in 2020 and 2021 drafts.