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jjab360

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Better. Lack of OT depth scares me though. AJ's development gives me hope though that either Arcuri or McClendon can transform themselves athletically and technically like he did but one injury there could be a season ender for us.

I"m also not too worried about CB with the amount of bodies both veteran and developmental but we'll be dependent on a dominant pass rush to cover inadequacies there. Also I don't want to give up a draft pick for Ramsey but he's a target if he gets cut.

Overall this draft appears to be more of a restock than the shot of adrenaline that the 2024 draft gave us.
 

fearsomefour

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Forbes needs a Reverse Weight Watchers diet. He has to be ready to take down NFL-sized WRs, TEs, and RBs. Scarecrows do not work against the likes of Barkley. For lack of a better expression, 'Where's the beef!?!'
Ok, let him hang out with me for a few weeks.....
 

fearsomefour

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Better. Lack of OT depth scares me though. AJ's development gives me hope though that either Arcuri or McClendon can transform themselves athletically and technically like he did but one injury there could be a season ender for us.

I"m also not too worried about CB with the amount of bodies both veteran and developmental but we'll be dependent on a dominant pass rush to cover inadequacies there. Also I don't want to give up a draft pick for Ramsey but he's a target if he gets cut.

Overall this draft appears to be more of a restock than the shot of adrenaline that the 2024 draft gave us.
Lack of LT terrifies me.
I really hope they ink a vet sort of back up LT.
I don't mind McClendon at RT.....but, RT only.
 

fearsomefour

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One thing Im really looking forward to is development of some of the young returning players.
Avila can he have a bounce back year after a bad sophomore campaign?
Forbes, jokes aside about his weight, he is a first round talent at CB, can he start to live up to that status?
Speights, really hoping he takes a big step up, overall he surprised last year and when the mental side gets locked in I am hoping he can be very good.
Can Davis Allen finally take the next step in his growth or is this it?
Jokes aside again, can Kendricks return and provide a good depth piece to the CB room? I am hoping so.
Can our kicker settle in be consistent all year long? Not perfect, just consistent.
Will our Punter pick up another personal foul this year?
 

RamsRock

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One thing Im really looking forward to is development of some of the young returning players.
Avila can he have a bounce back year after a bad sophomore campaign?
Forbes, jokes aside about his weight, he is a first round talent at CB, can he start to live up to that status?
Speights, really hoping he takes a big step up, overall he surprised last year and when the mental side gets locked in I am hoping he can be very good.
Can Davis Allen finally take the next step in his growth or is this it?
Jokes aside again, can Kendricks return and provide a good depth piece to the CB room? I am hoping so.
Can our kicker settle in be consistent all year long? Not perfect, just consistent.
Will our Punter pick up another personal foul this year?
I wonder if Davis Allen's back injury impeded his development.
 

fearsomefour

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I think we're a contender but our secondary is on the weak side among those teams. Might not matter if our offense is great and our defensive front eats opposing QBs though.
HOMER!
 

Elmgrovegnome

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Jan 23, 2013
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So.. Roster wise.. where are the Rams at, in your mind? Are they better or worse than they were at the end of the season, in your mind? Compared to the start of last season?

Not a super deep dive.. but.. general thoughts:

Quarterback:
Same, and that's not a bad thing.

Running back:
Better. Corum has a year experience now and Hunter is an excellent addition, imo. I like that they have someone to work in who has a little more juice.. and who also runs hard.

WR:
Better. I hate saying that reflects in a negative way at all on Cooper Kupp.. so this is NOT taking any shot at him. But Davante is a significant upgrade, in my mind.. especially because of specific fit. Kupp may thrive again in a system where he's got two outside guys to take pressure off him and allow him to find space. Davante creates his own space.. puts a different kind of pressure on defenses.. and may actually open more up for guys like Tutu and Whittington. Also.. Tutu is better than a lot think.. and I think Whittington is going to take a step. I also think that there's more to squeeze from Smith.

TEs:
Appreciably better than the start of last season and slightly better than at the end. Ferguson is interesting.. I think he impacts the WR mix quite a bit.. I can see him taking on a lot of motion stuff and being a super-sized Puka in motion actions. Higbee came back and looked better than I expected.

Oline:
Should be better? Sounds like Shelton is penciled in as starter.. but I'm curious if Limmer can get in the weight room enough to make a difference there and beat him out. At worst, depth at center should be better. No experienced swing tackle is a bit of a concern. I wonder what they really think of Leveston? There's no reason to think he *can't* be a solution.. but it's unknown. The UDFA guy is very intriguing from a physical profile standpoint.. but.. who knows with that?

Safeties:
Slightly better. I just think with a full season for the young players.. and having, essentially the same unit come back, is a big, big plus. They need to be creative and they can be. I think they may be a real strength.

Corners:
Who knows? Lol. Apparently, they're happy with them. Seems there's some smoke around Ramsey coming back. We'll see. So many question marks.. but there's still some real potential with Forbes and Durant.

Linebackers:
Better. I think. I mean.. we have to see Paul in action, he's a rookie. But.. he seems like a fantastic addition and Landman feels, at worst, like an upgrade on 1st and 2nd down over Reeder or Rozeboom. I think Speights will take a big step.. love, love what I saw from him.

OLBs:
Better. I hope. I think Verse will continue to improve and I hope he can figure out what's behind so many of his missed tackles. If he cleans that up.. he starts moving into DPOY conversations. A truly special player who I expect to get even better. BY is what he is.. limited.. but plays hard and has some good qualities. Losing Hoecht hurts.. but I'm intrigued by Stewart and believe he may be every bit as good, if not better. Even as a rookie.

DL:
Better. Definitely better. Adding ford and then Hamilton MORE THAN MAKE UP for losing Bobby Brown.. and Poona is just an absolute perfect fit for what they needed to add on first and second downs. Hamilton is intriguing.

If the additions on offense compliment each other the right way.. the offense can go from pedestrian to good or very, very good. If they can stay healthy.. and if someone like Ferguson can be better as a rookie than expected? They may be fire. Ferguson, Watkins and Hunter create the possibility of more explosive plays, imo.. Corum too.

They still can make additions.. but it's a very solid roster.. and, oh.. did I mention? They got an extra first rounder in next year's draft for, basically, a high fourth round pick. Amazing.

Limmer’s problem isn’t strength. He’s very strong. It’s the mental side of the game. Shelton is more technically sound and gets the line calls right. Limmer made too many mistakes.

I would count on any of the rookies this year. Chris Paul’s playing weight is around 220 lbs. plus linebacker is a tough transition. If any UDFA lineman have to play that’s trouble. It means someone’s injured.

I expect Hamilton and Stewart to get some playing time, but I’m not so sure either has a big impact this year. They are likely more rotational guys.
 

jap

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The lack of LT terrifies me.
I really hope they ink a vet sort of backup LT.
I don't mind McClendon at RT.....but, RT only.
McSnead has had a couple of seasons that were harmed by a rash of injuries to the OL, including the early part of the 2024 campaign. I am pretty sure they are studying veteran tackles to see who is or soon will be available to bolster the OL, just as they are performing due diligence on other positions. Since they appear to be treating this season as a viable Super Bowl campaign, they know they have to cover all bases.
 

dang

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Forbes needs a Reverse Weight Watchers diet. He has to be ready to take down NFL-sized WRs, TEs, and RBs. Scarecrows do not work against the likes of Barkley. For lack of a better expression, 'Where's the beef!?!'
I’ll send him my ice cream and chips/french onion dip supplemental diet plan. He’ll gain 15 lbs in 2 mths guaranteed.
 

Ram_Rally

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Feels like we're better everywhere except the secondary. And it feels like we're one injury away from not being good enough at every position. But as of today we're a legitimate contender.
 

WestCoastRam

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Feels like we're better everywhere except the secondary. And it feels like we're one injury away from not being good enough at every position. But as of today we're a legitimate contender.
Yeah, no team has perfect talent and depth but we're in pretty good shape... but depth at pass catcher and talent at CB gets me a little itchy.

I separate out depth vs talent here since I think if our pass catchers stay healthy we're fine vs with CB, I actually think we've got a ton of depth but no real talent to speak of.

I'd feel great if we had a 5th receiver with some runway of talent and a plus starter at CB.
 

fanotodd

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Concerns:
1) Tackle3. An adequate swing Tackle is necessary to go all the way.
2) CB. If DW and Witherspoon are your top two CBs, you have to go into 2025 with your fingers crossed that this isn’t the year Father Time extracts his due.
3)Any word on Fiske? A complete bounce back would be a relief.
4) WR Adams. See #2.

Positives:
1) Leadership. With Donald retiring, Kupp in decline, Higbee out for most of the year, and Big Rob in and out of the lineup, there was an opportunity for some of the younger guys to make this team their own. They became more assertive as the season went along and IMO, be ready to start a new era.
Nacua, Verse, AJ to name a few.
2) ILBs. Speights is an excellent thumping tackler for the run. Isn’t that the #1 priority of a MLB? Having him starting right out of the gate HAS to help. Between a FA signing and a draft pick, I don’t see how the Rams could be in worse shape at the seldom used other ILB.
3) WR. Yes, I said that despite losing Kupp. With Whittington and Mumpfield in the mix, I see a WR room with more grit and agility. High effort guys. Whenever I rewatch last season I am always bewildered at why the Rams didn’t use Atwell more. He’s good.
All of this should encourage Adams to show the skillset he has and those guys don’t. I’m excited to see the aerial assault that might remind us of the GSOT days—different, yes, but dominant.
4) TEs. Assuming the Rams top draft pick is an upgrade over at least 2 of last year’s 4, and hopefully 3, the Rams are in good shape. A healthy Higbee goes a long ways.
5) Defensive front 5. These guys are fucking scary and the whole league knows it after watching the Rams down the stretch and especially in the playoffs.
 

Ram_Rally

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Yeah, no team has perfect talent and depth but we're in pretty good shape... but depth at pass catcher and talent at CB gets me a little itchy.

I separate out depth vs talent here since I think if our pass catchers stay healthy we're fine vs with CB, I actually think we've got a ton of depth but no real talent to speak of.

I'd feel great if we had a 5th receiver with some runway of talent and a plus starter at CB.
Agree wholeheartedly. I suppose it's a good thing we have so many draft picks next year so we can upgrade via trade if there's an injury.
 

Gandalf

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Feels like we're better everywhere except the secondary. And it feels like we're one injury away from not being good enough at every position. But as of today we're a legitimate contender.
The young guys have had a year to learn and grow; our secondary should be better. I hope.
 

JonRam99

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I think we adequately & directly addressed the significant holes in this team, enough so that I think we're definitely considered a playoff contender -- i.e., if we don't make the playoffs, it will be a downer.
Defense - The D-line is frightening; I have christened them "the Choir of Chaos". Adding Stewart & Poona is significant, as they provide the anchor in the middle & the speed on the fringes at OLB. If we kept it the same as '24, we'd be good, but adding these 2 makes us a complete nightmare for offenses.
ILB was a huge hole. Paul & Speights & Landman are great additions to what was a very lackluster room. Paul especially gives us that sideline-to-sideline LB that we've been missing.
I also thought we'd add more at CB. There's still time, though, and Kinchens, Witherspoon & Durant were coming along nicely towards the end of the season, so maybe we actually are OK there.
Offense - we really, really needed to add playmakers, especially with the decline & departure of Kupp. Adams, Ferg, & Hunter round out our complement of playmakers at all 3 levels nicely. Getting Higgs back for a full season would be terrific, we saw the difference he makes when he's in the lineup. Adams gives us a true downfield threat, and Ferg.... he's a sneaky TE. He's VERY good at getting open, seamlessly switching from blocking to getting open. Not dominantly athletic, but will make nice plays for us. When he is on the field, he *has* to be accounted for.
So yes, all in all I think we in a great position to go deep this year. (Achilles heel: LOT, as has been mentioned)
 
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