FEATURE Atwell Extended

[HE WITH HORNS]

Atwell: I'd like to test free agency and see what offers are out there.

The Rams: we are willing to offer you 10 million for one season.

Atwell: Where do I sign?

 

[Merlin]

What's laughable is that you call it "crying" when in reality the crying is about Tutu's contract and subsequent value. I'm actually laughing at the circus environment because it's entertaining. I will continue to trust in those that get paid while having brought the Rams back to prominence.

Teams have people making decisions. As such they never bat a thousand. Thus there is no point in blindly assuming the Rams get everything right. Most of their moves I am good with, but some of them the fans know are not good and are often correct when most here disagree with said move.

But also what is the fun in everyone agreeing on everything the Rams do. Go join a cult if that is your preference, you'll be way happier.

What is great about this site is most of us here have long histories discussing our favorite team. The camaraderie is important as well, so if you want to swoop in with contempt for opposing opinions you're gonna have a rough fucking time around here.

 

[DzRams]

So in changing the offense he's bring back and over paying somebody he didn't utilize the last 4 years. Color me skeptical.

Drafting Egbuka in the 1st Arroyo at TE in the 3rd and Bech in the 4th changes the WR room. Tutu not contributing much doesn't move the needle just my 2 cents.

I get skepticism on if the changes will work. But there are several who've said I don't believe there will be any changes. That makes no sense to me when the HC is making strong statements that he's wanting to change things.

If the coaching staff initially plugged Tutu into X role, watched him for 4 years and feel he'd be more effective in Y role, are moving out a well-respected vet to make space for him at said Y role, then I'd say there's a good chance it will work since the HC knows what changes he's making and is very familiar with the skillset of a critical player that he's plugging into these new changes. But just in case the HC is wrong, it's a one-year contract to minimize their risk.

This is more than just changing the WR room talent-wise. This is changing the structure of the offense and/or the type of talent that has been prioritized. I suspect your draft picks could be one way to go but then you have very few people who know the offense next year.

 

[AZRams4Life]

Teams have people making decisions. As such they never bat a thousand. Thus there is no point in blindly assuming the Rams get everything right. Most of their moves I am good with, but some of them the fans know are not good and are often correct when most here disagree with said move.

But also what is the fun in everyone agreeing on everything the Rams do. Go join a cult if that is your preference, you'll be way happier.

What is great about this site is most of us here have long histories discussing our favorite team. The camaraderie is important as well, so if you want to swoop in with contempt for opposing opinions you're gonna have a rough fucking time around here.

A "rough fucking time around here" is such a pleasant entry to the conversation. There is nothing about a forum that I consider "rough," but I do appreciate your concern. Cheers.

 

[OldSchool]

For a team trying to win in 2025 and potentially Stanford’s last year, that WAY too much reliance on rookie receivers to play a lot and produce.
That would still be a great draft. But realistically it’s a 2026+ thing.

Instead of relying on Atwell? Gimme a break. We could have that explosiveness on offense and that money we wasted could have been used for Bolton or Chavarius Ward and solidified our defense. Instead we now have to rely on rookies or bargain basement players at ILB and CB.

Seven rookie WR's had more receptions than Tutu
Eight had more yards
Eleven had more touchdowns

But I know it's not fair because he wasn't given the chance! Oh and none of those WR's had McVay and none of them had Puka opposite them to take the primary coverage away.

 

[dieterbrock]

But I know it's not fair because he wasn't given the chance! Oh and none of those WR's had McVay and none of them had Puka opposite them to take the primary coverage away.

And he was stuck with that QB who the Giants passed up on for Tommy Devito

 

[OldSchool]

I get skepticism on if the changes will work. But there are several who've said I don't believe there will be any changes. That makes no sense to me when the HC is making strong statements that he's wanting to change things.

If the coaching staff initially plugged Tutu into X role, watched him for 4 years and feel he'd be more effective in Y role, are moving out a well-respected vet to make space for him at said Y role, then I'd say there's a good chance it will work since the HC knows what changes he's making and is very familiar with the skillset of a critical player that he's plugging into these new changes. But just in case the HC is wrong, it's a one-year contract to minimize their risk.

This is more than just changing the WR room talent-wise. This is changing the structure of the offense and/or the type of talent that has been prioritized. I suspect your draft picks could be one way to go but then you have very few people who know the offense next year.

He could have made changes in season last year by putting Tutu in more when everybody was healthy. How about the playoffs when it mattered the most and he could have done something different that the other team wasn't used to seeing? Oh Tutu had 1 target on a grand total of 3 offensive snaps. Yeah sounds like he really wanted to use him.

I get it we're fans we want the best we want to believe it will all work out. But there is nothing in his 4 years here to give us a realistic expectation that he will live up to this 1 year contract.

 

[Allen2McVay]

There is nothing about a forum that I consider "rough,"

Have you ever tried to get through a long So Ram post, with a hangover?!? ... That's Rough!

 

[AZRams4Life]

He could have made changes in season last year by putting Tutu in more when everybody was healthy. How about the playoffs when it mattered the most and he could have done something different that the other team wasn't used to seeing? Oh Tutu had 1 target on a grand total of 3 offensive snaps. Yeah sounds like he really wanted to use him.

I get it we're fans we want the best we want to believe it will all work out. But there is nothing in his 4 years here to give us a realistic expectation that he will live up to this 1 year contract.

You said it yourself - "could have." That's a perfect example of hindsight being 20/20. This one year prove it contract gives them the chance to look at what could have been and do something different. Just consider the possibility that looking at film (hindsight) will help structure the future. That's my positive take and I'm sticking to it.

 

[Ramhusker]

As far as I know.
With the two kids in Philly he became expendable pretty quickly.
Him and a ILB could really help transform this D.

That’s why I was more than interested in Baun. Those two would have tuned our D nicely.

 

[DzRams]

He could have made changes in season last year by putting Tutu in more when everybody was healthy. How about the playoffs when it mattered the most and he could have done something different that the other team wasn't used to seeing? Oh Tutu had 1 target on a grand total of 3 offensive snaps. Yeah sounds like he really wanted to use him.

I get it we're fans we want the best we want to believe it will all work out. But there is nothing in his 4 years here to give us a realistic expectation that he will live up to this 1 year contract.

This feels largely nonresponsive since 98.14% of your post here is based on the past. You're right! If they plan to roll with the same offense, same WR type, and same role for Tutu, then I agree that signing him again is the most fucking nonsensical thing of all time.

But if they're changing the offense, changing their preferred WR type, and changing Tutu's role, none of what you wrote about the last playoffs or last 4 years is relevant. McVay wants to use him in a different way in the future. You're too focused on the past.

As to your statement that McVay could have made in-season changes last year, good luck with that. McVay is a great coach but being super malleable on the fly is not a strength of his. The only time I've seen wholesale changes is during off-seasons when he has time to go back to the chalkboard and re-invent things.

 

[Ram Ts]

Instead of relying on Atwell? Gimme a break. We could have that explosiveness on offense and that money we wasted could have been used for Bolton or Chavarius Ward and solidified our defense. Instead we now have to rely on rookies or bargain basement players at ILB and CB.

Seven rookie WR's had more receptions than Tutu
Eight had more yards
Eleven had more touchdowns

But I know it's not fair because he wasn't given the chance! Oh and none of those WR's had McVay and none of them had Puka opposite them to take the primary coverage away.

Come on dude. First off, you can’t compare the 2024 receiver draft class with 2025. Be real.

Second, we don’t pick until 26. You think it’s some certainty that WR excels at the 2024 receiver rate and the 3rd / 4th round pick too. Again, be real. Most those 2024 guys you mentioned were early 1st round picks - even the later ones would be top 15-20 in this draft.

Thirdly, those are mostly bad teams. How many of those teams were playoff teams - like one? This is a mcvay team that is contending. He’s going to require a receiver to fully know the offense, understand the blocking scheme, etc etc.

Forth, its entirely possible that whomever you pick at 26, 3rd and 4th busts. Now what do we do with puka and rookies who can’t play. What happens if puka goes down. You need veterans who the QB and coach trusts. We’re not the NYG here.

 

[dieterbrock]

Come on dude. First off, you can’t compare the 2024 receiver draft class with 2025. Be real.

Second, we don’t pick until 26. You think it’s some certainty that WR excels at the 2024 receiver rate and the 3rd / 4th round pick too. Again, be real. Most those 2024 guys you mentioned were early 1st round picks - even the later ones would be top 15-20 in this draft.

Thirdly, those are mostly bad teams. How many of those teams were playoff teams - like one? This is a mcvay team that is contending. He’s going to require a receiver to fully know the offense, understand the blocking scheme, etc etc.

Forth, its entirely possible that whomever you pick at 26, 3rd and 4th busts. Now what do we do with puka and rookies who can’t play. What happens if puka goes down. You need veterans who the QB and coach trusts. We’re not the NYG here.

McVay/Snead have a pretty good track record with rookie WR producing right away
Kupp- 62/869 5td
Puka- 105/1486 6td
I suppose if we’re playing the faith game, we’ve got to believe they can pull off some more rookie magic

 

[dang]

Yep, he should get 10 mill too

“You get $10m”
“You get $10m”
“You get $10m”
“And you get $10m”

 

[Ram Ts]

McVay/Snead have a pretty good track record with rookie WR producing right away
Kupp- 62/869 5td
Puka- 105/1486 6td
I suppose if we’re playing the faith game, we’ve got to believe they can pull off some more rookie magic

Hey from your lips to God’s ears my friend. But to be real, Kupp and (much more so) Puka are the extreme rarest of selections. Both full-on ballers that are also smart, tough SOBs & performing high level right away.

Then you have the (more common) TuTu, Jacob Harris, VanJ, Everette, Reynolds, Pharoh type picks - all being 1st-4th round picks by Snead (& mcvay except for Pharoh)

 

[kurtfaulk]

You're too focused on the past.

.

 

[Allen2McVay]

You're too focused on the past.

 

[fearsomefour]

The 10 million for Tutu could have gone a long way to signing an ilb like Bolton or a CB like Ward. I stead now well either just get a rookie or a cheap vet who is nowhere near as good.

The Rams clearly don't value ILB.

 

[fearsomefour]

By useful you mean only have 500 yards as a starter with double the snaps of Tutu who had 562 yards?

There is also a lot of work at the position besides just stats.
Robinson is a good blocker. I think he sort of embraced that as a way to get on the field, and he is solid at it. Not at the level of Kupp or Puka, but, he did good work as a blocker over all.
Tutu does a lot of clear out stuff in the routes.
He has size limitations but is a willing blocker as well.

 

[fearsomefour]

This feels largely nonresponsive since 98.14% of your post here is based on the past. You're right! If they plan to roll with the same offense, same WR type, and same role for Tutu, then I agree that signing him again is the most fucking nonsensical thing of all time.

But if they're changing the offense, changing their preferred WR type, and changing Tutu's role, none of what you wrote about the last playoffs or last 4 years is relevant. McVay wants to use him in a different way in the future. You're too focused on the past.

As to your statement that McVay could have made in-season changes last year, good luck with that. McVay is a great coach but being super malleable on the fly is not a strength of his. The only time I've seen wholesale changes is during off-seasons when he has time to go back to the chalkboard and re-invent things.

I think, based on nothing but opinion of course, the biggest challenge to this change is McVay.
The first time a game is tight and the OL is struggling....or the run game is shut down or the team is behind.....does McVay/Stafford resort to old habits and just force the ball to a double covered Puka? Or do they actually let some other guys contribute?