Some recent Ram coaching/FO decisions that I still don’t understand…

[Merlin]

I am most disappointed with the OL. Most of McVay's struggles in his epic five year run with us have been related to OL play and the fact that a budget OL tends to suffer vs quality fronts. And I get that some moves are not going to work. Boom by himself was a rational attempt to get a LT on a budget. Bruss by himself was not so bad of a choice either, but these things are magnified when your depth options can't handle the load. Hindsight on OL is that they went with a bit too much risk and I don't blame them but it is what it is.

Second largest annoyance is the RB room. How we end up with the same fucking 3 RBs who have never been good enough (Hendy, Akers, Brown) is maddening to me. Makes me feel like I am on crazy pills. I give them credit for choosing a RB in the draft, however perhaps our next back can be a little bit less passcatchy and have some gravitas to his run style.

Also the secondary got way too thin last season and we didn't pay for that because of Von and the defensive front dominating. I think going forward they are aware they need help at safety and more quality at corner at the top. Rest of this schedule gives Kendrick and Durant a chance to show what they can do but if they want roles they're gonna have to show well. Because otherwise the Rams will add another corner as they will have no choice. Depth is fantastic we just need that second and third corner playing with more consistency.

And of course we knew edge would be a problem. This team desperately needs a blindside rush threat. Going into the offseason that is job one, barring a miracle where Hardy is a revelation, which is a longshot at best.

 

[gabriel18]

Ive liked just about every free agent signing over the past few years. The Atwell pick is still a brain fart. 10 year plug and play center there for the taking. The oline got overwhelmed by some top defenses the past few years. Then you lose 40% of your starting oline , and do very little to replace them. Recipe for what we’re seeing now.

 

[Wisconsinram]

I am most disappointed with the OL. Most of McVay's struggles in his epic five year run with us have been related to OL play and the fact that a budget OL tends to suffer vs quality fronts. And I get that some moves are not going to work. Boom by himself was a rational attempt to get a LT on a budget. Bruss by himself was not so bad of a choice either, but these things are magnified when your depth options can't handle the load. Hindsight on OL is that they went with a bit too much risk and I don't blame them but it is what it is.

Second largest annoyance is the RB room. How we end up with the same fucking 3 RBs who have never been good enough (Hendy, Akers, Brown) is maddening to me. Makes me feel like I am on crazy pills. I give them credit for choosing a RB in the draft, however perhaps our next back can be a little bit less passcatchy and have some gravitas to his run style.

Also the secondary got way too thin last season and we didn't pay for that because of Von and the defensive front dominating. I think going forward they are aware they need help at safety and more quality at corner at the top. Rest of this schedule gives Kendrick and Durant a chance to show what they can do but if they want roles they're gonna have to show well. Because otherwise the Rams will add another corner as they will have no choice. Depth is fantastic we just need that second and third corner playing with more consistency.

And of course we knew edge would be a problem. This team desperately needs a blindside rush threat. Going into the offseason that is job one, barring a miracle where Hardy is a revelation, which is a longshot at best.

Merlin,
I agree on the OL.
Regarding RB's- we are a cash-strapped team dependent on our draft picks working out. And they drafted one who became inured early. I don't "fault" our approach here.
The secondary was largely viewed as a strength heading into the season. Tons of talent including the addition of Hill. the progression of Long, Rochelle, and others. It hasn't materialized, as sometimes happens.
Edge has always been the concern and that remains.

 

[AppeasFBlGods]

The idea of a wr over creed wasn't bad. They like Brian Allen. The issue was the pick. If they had taken amon ra st brown, we would have had the perfect Robert woods replacement.

 

[Tano]

The idea of a wr over creed wasn't bad. They like Brian Allen. The issue was the pick. If they had taken amon ra st brown, we would have had the perfect Robert woods replacement.

Well that would have been okay and we could have at least gone FA OL in the offseason instead of going for Robinson

 

[dieterbrock]

Outside of the patriot's dynasty cheating, everyone going to catch the other side of it.

Fixed it for ya. Lol
Great post, totally on point.
Kansas City seems to be blazing a nice path though

 

[Tano]

Fixed it for ya. Lol
Great post, totally on point.
Kansas City seems to be blazing a nice path though
View attachment 57390

What cheating? The Patriots players were able to read the formation of the Rams receivers in SB 2001 and know exactly what route they were going to run.

 

[bubbaramfan]

Patriot cheating? Tano, you don't recall guys recording Rams practices' so they all knew the calls? Then the NFL finding the tapes and then burning them?

Their trophy should have been taken from them, Kraft banned from games for life, Bellicheat forced to retire and the team suspended rom the playoffs for 2 years.

 

[Malibu]

This is a draft where we didn't draft one o-line player until one of the final picks in the 7th round (and he looked decent before he got hurt).

https://theramswire.usatoday.com/20...20-players-bust-recap/?itm_source=parsely-api

I have been saying over and over that we should draft at worst 1 OL in the first 4 rounds in every draft - that is the most important position imho

Logan Bruss get your facts straight

 

[Malibu]

I can't disagree with the OP there isn't one statement I can disagree with. To be fair they liked Allen so Humphreys wasn't as big a need I am sure in the Rams view.

I complained about 3 things in the off-season, 2 very loudly the OL and DB room and one sort of - a better backup QB only because I thought we had all the pieces to be right back up there at the top and felt if Stafford went down that could derail our chances without a better option than Wolford or Perkins.

They addressed the DBs pretty well with Hill and Durant/Kendricks and 2 Safety options. The OL was addressed to a degree with Bruss and in their mind Noteboom plus adding Bruss and the others that they had been grooming would work out. It didn't with Noteboom and injuries really did us in. Look at TB and AZ both with huge injury OL issues and both are suffering.

I must say though it's not exactly fair to diss the management since we won a Superbowl, went to a Superbowl and made separate appearances in 2 other seasons in the playoffs so whatever they have been doing it has worked. No team is perfect in their draft nor their team building philosophy. I bet you if KC had all our injuries at DB and OL like we did they would be 3-5 or 4-4 as well. It is easy to pick on the team when we are losing but last year we had the same OL lineup 98% of time last year. This year we have had 9 different configurations of the OL in 7 of the 8 games that is a disaster in the making. Edwards is back hopefully next week and let's see what happens when they are all are back together minus Noteboom and Jackson or Neskte seem to be better than him.

One thing more to note strangely enough the team was able to evaluate all the OLmen minus Ankrum and Bruss so they have a really solid picture of who can cut it and who can't which will serve us well in the rest of the games.

 

[Kupped]

Ive liked just about every free agent signing over the past few years. The Atwell pick is still a brain fart. 10 year plug and play center there for the taking. The oline got overwhelmed by some top defenses the past few years. Then you lose 40% of your starting oline , and do very little to replace them. Recipe for what we’re seeing now.

Very little?
They used their highest draft pick to replace the guard.. and gave a big contract to keep the guy who's been in the system 4 years and has performed quite well at Left Tackle over the years. There weren't many better options at LT and the options out there were super expensive.

 

[OnceARam]

It's Goff's girlfriend's fault.

 

[OldSchool]

It's Goff's girlfriend's fault.

I forgive her in advance of the upcoming swimsuit issue she should be in again.

 

[Tano]

Patriot cheating? Tano, you don't recall guys recording Rams practices' so they all knew the calls? Then the NFL finding the tapes and then burning them?

Their trophy should have been taken from them, Kraft banned from games for life, Bellicheat forced to retire and the team suspended rom the playoffs for 2 years.

Did you see my blue font - I was being extremely sarcastic

 

[Tano]

Logan Bruss get your facts straight

Did you click on the link. That was the 2020 draft where we didn't draft one o-line player until late in the seventh round.

Each time a pick came up, I was saying this is where the Rams will draft an o-line player.

Nope - not 1 and picking one late in the seventh round with a comp pick is like taking a UDFA player

 

[Merlin]

Regarding RB's- we are a cash-strapped team dependent on our draft picks working out. And they drafted one who became inured early. I don't "fault" our approach here.

Fair take but I blame them with the RB room. Sony was required to help this same group get the job done last season and this offseason they cast him off like he was an afterthought. Same thing happened with Anderson in the 2019 offseason. This past offseason what do they bring in, well of course it was a passcatchy McVay type back who cannot handle carries.

Am I being unfair to Williams? Probably. But I'm fucking pissed about this RB room. As great as McVay is he has his head up his ass with the RB position.

 

[snackdaddy]

There is one thing we may not have considered. They won a championship. Is the hunger still there? Are they fat and content now? Sometimes it sure looks like it. From the players to the coaches I don't see a sense of urgency.

 

[Pancake]

McVay is a great coach when he has a stacked roster. But what about when the roster has weaknesses? Does he raise the level of play of anyone? It doesn't seem like it to me.

 

[Kupped]

McVay is a great coach when he has a stacked roster. But what about when the roster has weaknesses? Does he raise the level of play of anyone? It doesn't seem like it to me.

Um…..

 

[Ellard80]

McVay is a great coach when he has a stacked roster. But what about when the roster has weaknesses? Does he raise the level of play of anyone? It doesn't seem like it to me.

the concept of a stacked roster is interesting applied to the NFL.....the salary cap makes that nearly impossible.