My offseason Rams concerns have now been reduced to just 3…

[dang]

Ramsey was a top three corner years ago. Now he is a guy who must be handled carefully. Which is why the Rams wisely washed their hands of him.

If he was top three you can bet he would still be in horns. Rams don't move top players. They acquire and pay them fat contracts. The guys who get moved are the ones who cannot live up to those contracts.

I loved Ramsey on the Rams and he was surely at the top of the list of physical corners. However, he’s lost a step in the ability to shutdown a WR1. I think he would be an All Pro Safety if he was willing to make that move but I see his All Pro CB days behind him.

 

[Zodi]

Ramsey was a top three corner years ago. Now he is a guy who must be handled carefully. Which is why the Rams wisely washed their hands of him.

If he was top three you can bet he would still be in horns. Rams don't move top players. They acquire and pay them fat contracts. The guys who get moved are the ones who cannot live up to those contracts.

Disagree, so does PFF. I guess we'll have to wait and see how he does with Miami. Then I'm sure the comments will be like "Yeah but he's playing opposite of Xavien Howard."

 

[I like Rams]

Ramsey was a top three corner years ago. Now he is a guy who must be handled carefully. Which is why the Rams wisely washed their hands of him.

If he was top three you can bet he would still be in horns. Rams don't move top players. They acquire and pay them fat contracts. The guys who get moved are the ones who cannot live up to those contracts.

How would the Rams have been able to pay him? He was guaranteed zero money this season.

 

[Merlin]

I loved Ramsey on the Rams and he was surely at the top of the list of physical corners. However, he’s lost a step in the ability to shutdown a WR1. I think he would be an All Pro Safety if he was willing to make that move but I see his All Pro CB days behind him.

This year should be interesting for him. I expect teams to throw at him more in that Miami defense. He never really has had great ball awareness and he has to guess more now with routes. Guy is disruptive still if he is near the wideout but refs always gave him elite corner treatment and that can change quick as a guy like him starts clinging more. I give him cred on being one of the best in the league at holding. But as those calls start going against him he will experience what all greats back there face when their wheels degrade.

Even PFF will notice this season if things go that route. But he does still have enough game to be a cover 3 type like Sherm was. He just isn't an island guy any more and it is why the Rams wisely got out early.

 

[Merlin]

Disagree, so does PFF. I guess we'll have to wait and see how he does with Miami. Then I'm sure the comments will be like "Yeah but he's playing opposite of Xavien Howard."

I have no problem giving him cred if he has a bounceback season. But he has not been the guy the Rams traded for.

 

[snackdaddy]

Worst case scenario, we could be looking at drafting in the top 5. Best case scenario, the offense bounces back and the defense plays mediocre.

On defense we have little to no experience on the edges. Little to no experience in the secondary. One decent ILB. Morris will have his work cut out for him. I think he has no choice but to play even more bend don't break in order to protect the youngsters from getting beat deep too often and ruining their confidence. We'll probably be seeing some blown coverages early in the season. All we can do is hope as the season goes on they start to gel together.

On offense it all hinges on the line. Stay healthy and I think they can be in the upper half of the league in that category. They have a good quarterback. Elite receiver. A running back capable of being top tier. Who also happens to have plenty of motivation in his contract year. Unless they exercise the RFA option on him. Don't sleep on Van Jefferson. He's in his contract year with plenty of motivation to step up.

I think the defense will struggle and give up plenty of points. If the offensive line struggles and can't stay healthy 5 wins is probably their ceiling. If they can stay on the field and perform well enough I can see somewhere between 7 and 10 wins.

 

[den-the-coach]

I'm not sure I would breath a sigh of relief at Witherspoon signing. His whole career has been one or two good games followed by 8-12 of really shitty games.

Well, that still trumps 16 bad games from Kendrick.

 

[Faceplant]

Well, that still trumps 16 bad games from Kendrick.

Kendrick Ran his mouth like he was an All Pro too. Man was that kid annoying. Hopefully his ego got checked like his skill did as a rookie.

 

[OldSchool]

Well, that still trumps 16 bad games from Kendrick.

I know that's tongue in cheek but he wasn't all bad tape he played some good football. Also he only played 15 games and started only 2. But don't let anybody giving out facts get in the way of the shit on DK train.

Also that doesn't change anything I said about Witherspoon he hasn't been good in fact he might be similar to DK some good some bad and streaky.

 

[den-the-coach]

Also that doesn't change anything I said about Witherspoon he hasn't been good in fact he might be similar to DK some good some bad and streaky.

We will agree to disagree on Kendrick I watched every Ram game last season & rewatched some and saw nothing positive from Kendrick besides that he was coachable.

Those are facts as to Witherspoon he rated as the 17th best CB by PFF in 2021 and IMO U never see Kendrick reaching that rating.

Again I hope I am wrong & you are right, but a CB who ran a 4.8 40 lost his confidence & seem to quit on the team (watch the end of the first half of the Denver game) I don’t shoot from the hip unless I have multiple ammunition in my chamber and when it comes to Kendrick I just see no upside.

 

[LARAMSinFeb.]

Does anybody have the inside track at ILB with Jones? I've noticed we have several on the roster, and I've only barely ever heard of Hummel.

 

[den-the-coach]

Does anybody have the inside track at ILB with Jones? I've noticed we have several on the roster, and I've only barely ever heard of Hummel.

Rozeboom & Hummel with a couple of the UDRFA that might show in TC & preseason.

 

[OldSchool]

We will agree to disagree on Kendrick I watched every Ram game last season & rewatched some and saw nothing positive from Kendrick besides that he was coachable.

Those are facts as to Witherspoon he rated as the 17th best CB by PFF in 2021 and IMO U never see Kendrick reaching that rating.

Again I hope I am wrong & you are right, but a CB who ran a 4.8 40 lost his confidence & seem to quit on the team (watch the end of the first half of the Denver game) I don’t shoot from the hip unless I have multiple ammunition in my chamber and when it comes to Kendrick I just see no upside.

Guess the difference with us is I don't give up on kids after their rookie seasons. How was Witherspoon his rookie year?

Can't find that particular season but here ya go after the 2020 season he was the 5th best by PFF, for the record I don't really care about PFF ratings they're incredibly subjective and as we've seen before they don't know the assignments of a player on plays and get grades wrong regularly. But hey that great rating was 2 years after he was the 4th worst in the entire league. Hmmm his 2nd year there were only 3 CB's worse than him in the entire NFL that's quite a list of people ahead of him. Almost like young players can get better isn't it

You might not like this season or preseason btw if you listened to McVay and Morris talk about their CB's.

 

[den-the-coach]

Guess the difference with us is I don't give up on kids after their rookie seasons.

You might not like this season or preseason btw if you listened to McVay and Morris talk about their CB's.

I heard what they said & like I communicated I would love to be wrong. But McVay & Cardberry kept talking up Bobby Evans too. It should be fun to see who shines in the secondary, hopefully the group will improve & grow week over week no matter who makes the roster.

 

[Riverumbbq]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxGASE6ujeM

 

[Tano]

Guess the difference with us is I don't give up on kids after their rookie seasons. How was Witherspoon his rookie year?

Can't find that particular season but here ya go after the 2020 season he was the 5th best by PFF, for the record I don't really care about PFF ratings they're incredibly subjective and as we've seen before they don't know the assignments of a player on plays and get grades wrong regularly. But hey that great rating was 2 years after he was the 4th worst in the entire league. Hmmm his 2nd year there were only 3 CB's worse than him in the entire NFL that's quite a list of people ahead of him. Almost like young players can get better isn't it

You might not like this season or preseason btw if you listened to McVay and Morris talk about their CB's.

It's Kendrick's speed that I am concerned about. I don't believe he should be on the outside. He should be a slot corner at best.

In fact, if he was a little bigger, I would put him at the hybrid LB/Safety role. I think he could be really good at that. But I am not sure he has the size for it.

 

[Snaz]

It's Kendrick's speed that I am concerned about. I don't believe he should be on the outside. He should be a slot corner at best.

In fact, if he was a little bigger, I would put him at the hybrid LB/Safety role. I think he could be really good at that. But I am not sure he has the size for it.

I think that is the ideal position for him, Hybrid S/LB. Not enough speed for CB. Hope he gets a lot of practice at that role.
He just is too slow. Decent size 6' 194 but 40 time and Shuttle are slower than James Laurinaitus was, and he eventually got too slow to play.

 

[oldnotdead]

Does anybody have the inside track at ILB with Jones? I've noticed we have several on the roster, and I've only barely ever heard of Hummel.

IMO they are going to play a lot of alignments with just one ILB. With Jones, Copeland, and Rozeboom behind him, that position isn't a major concern. The other two LB positions can be played by two OLBs i.e. as an example Hampton at SAM and Mathis at WIL. Basically I see Mathis as a replacement for Howard, who was faster but didn't provide the run support they needed. In a nickel, they will pull the WIL and probably play 3 safeties if they fall into a Tampa Two scheme. They can play Kendrick or better yet Taylor in that middle zone with Yeast and Fuller or Lake over the top.

I think this is Fuller's last year as a Ram. Although he would be much better in that middle zone than Kendrick who is limited by lack of athleticism to playing strictly downhill.

I love Tomlinson's play, but his lack of stature IMO is a concern. Short CBs tend to have short careers plagued by injuries. Limited play radius means they must play a closer, more physical type of coverage. Tomlinson has the speed and athleticism to play that kind of coverage, but it will take a physical toll at this level. IMO we are looking at another Jason Verrett type of CB. Capable of playing outside but much better inside as a nickel DB. I just hope he's more durable than Verrett who I also predicted an injury filled career.

There is nothing that Witherspoon brings to the table that can't be had with McCutcheon except experience. Witherspoon is streaky, looking great one play and sucking big time the next. At best he's a situational rotation player to fill a bridge role for Tomlinson and perhaps McCutcheon. In that role, he might be fine for a year. Witherspoon IMO will fill David Long's and Troy Hill's roles as a rotational DB and hopefully, he will be fine.

 

[den-the-coach]

There is nothing that Witherspoon brings to the table that can't be had with McCutcheon except experience. Witherspoon is streaky, looking great one play and sucking big time the next. At best he's a situational rotation player to fill a bridge role for Tomlinson and perhaps McCutcheon. In that role, he might be fine for a year. Witherspoon IMO will fill David Long's and Troy Hill's roles as a rotational DB and hopefully, he will be fine.

Well, in fairness Witherspoon has playing experience Cameron McCutcheon is an UDRFA from a small school in Western Carolina. How do you know that McCutcheon will be better then other UDRFA's like Tyon Davis or another big CB they added in Vincent Gray via New Orleans from Michigan? I am anxious to see the UDRFA CB's and maybe one of them shows enough to offer some upside, but I would not be shocked if Witherspoon is the starting CB's along with Kendrick & Durant in the slot, again everyone knows how I feel about Kendrick, but I promised at @OldSchool I would temper my pessimism on the Georgia product.

 

[OldSchool]

Well, in fairness Witherspoon has playing experience Cameron McCutcheon is an UDRFA from a small school in Western Carolina. How do you know that McCutcheon will be better then other UDRFA's like Tyon Davis or another big CB they added in Vincent Gray via New Orleans from Michigan? I am anxious to see the UDRFA CB's and maybe one of them shows enough to offer some upside, but I would not be shocked if Witherspoon is the starting CB's along with Kendrick & Durant in the slot, again everyone knows how I feel about Kendrick, but I promised at @OldSchool I would temper my pessimism on the Georgia product.

My whole stance on Kendricks and all kids on their rookie deal where we all say it takes about 3 years to judge a draft. But a lot of people around here will say that and then turn around and give up on a guy after his rookie season. Just doesn't jive to me.