Who are you focusing on, post-bye?

[Kupped]

With playoffs unlikely, I'm going to be even more focused on the young players and their performance. I'm looking at who's going to be here next year.

The most interesting players, imo..

-Durant. He's working on the outside now.. can he hold up physically and is he good enough to pencil in as one of the starters next year?
-Bobby Brown. Coming back from injury, can he sustain the improvement he was starting to show? If so, the Rams at least have a legitimate first three starters on the DL and can focus on depth/rotational guys to fill out that part of the team.
-Zach Evans. I really, REALLY hope McVay does give him some actual work. What do the Rams have there?
-Quentin Lake. His work in the star is very encouraging. Interesting to have that big of a body in that spot.
-Hoecht. He seems to have had his best games recently. I'm NOT looking at him to be a starter.. but he looks like a guy who could be your 3rd or 4th edge and bring value.
-Mathis. Show me anything.
-Would love to see anything from backup TEs Allen and Long.
-Tomlinson. Just want to see if he's able to play outside at all on this level. Having one undersized corner isn't the end of the world, if he turned out to be a baller. Just can't have two small guys on outside, imo.

 

[Memphis Ram]

McVay and his play calling. Any offensive changes?

 

[Giles]

Easily Mcvay.

 

[Merlin]

I have a lot of questions on the defensive side of the ball. And I think that side requires investment badly so seeing who the keepers are going to be will be crucial.

Durant needs to get healthy and show he can hold up, he's going to be one of those old coverage specialist types I think in his ceiling, which is quite valuable if he gets there but yes he has to be up for games to help us. Tomlinson needs to get on the field, I think the guy is a dog so I don't know who he's pissed off but I'd like to see what he's got second half of the sched.

I'm eager to see what Lake's got. Yeast as we just saw late in that last game is a bit limited in his instincts playing deep, not sure he'll be the guy for us long term back there. Also Fuller has not excelled for us and is also a UFA (as is JJ) so we will probably be drafting another safety or maybe signing someone on the cheap but that pairing is going to be in question for next season. If Lake could emerge that would be valuable. I'm hoping he can start getting snaps in that primary pairing so we can see if he's in play for '24.

Jones is another player on defense that I'll be watching. He's been solid for us but it irks me to continually see division rivals, SF in particular, showing an ability to unearth midround gems at backer while we continually end up with guys who can't fill for shit vs the run. DL hasn't favored them, granted, but still I think they can do a lot better on that side of the ball and if they see good value at ILB I wouldn't ignore it due to Jones. Guy has great leadership and all that but I'm tired of seeing a defense that is weak in the flats in pursuit and that specializes in selecting backers who like to tackle from behind. What I'd like to see is Jones take a big step forward and start making more impact plays while remaining healthy.

My guess is the secondary will get sorted. They're part of the way there by moving Durant outside the hash. Tomlinson needs to be one of our top 3 corners. As to where he fits, it seems like the staff soured on Kendricks since his play dropped off a cliff so he's probably depth the rest of the way. Also the Rams value Spoon's experience out there so he'll probably remain in place. And lastly whether Lake can hold things down on the interior will affect all this, and it's not exactly a good look for Tomlinson to not be in that role but you have safety pairing for next year to be concerned with too. So lots of moving parts but I like our secondary coaching and think they're going to figure it out.

My hope is Durant gets healthy and Tomlinson starts eating into Spoon's snaps. Reason for that is because Spoon can't cover the deep routes on an island, and it's become a problem for us any time we face an offense that can mismatch him. Tomlinson would change that, assuming he can get past whatever has been keeping him out of the lineup.

 

[Loyal]

I am watching Aaron Freakin' Donald, like I have since the Rams drafted him Ever since I saw this...


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSlvm7kMGBg


Also my boi Puka!

 

[Merlin]

"Those Rams cheerleaders are gonna get all my attention, specially the hairy ones..."
~ @Loyal

 

[oldnotdead]

IMO Tomlinson needs a redshirt year. CB is one of the hardest positions to adjust to from college to the NFL. In the NFL it's all about technique which is why what program the kid comes from is important. They have to understand how they align is important because WRs will use that to determine how they run their routes. Most make a big jump in year two with year three really showing whether they can be a legit starter or simply rotational.

I think this last half will tell if Jackson can be the franchise LT they need. So far he's been inconsistent because of his flaws in technique. If Wendell can correct that Jackson probably can be a good LT. Dotson has overall been decent at RG but has room for improvement. Avila learned he has work to do but he's shaping up to be a fine LG.

The Rams need a 4th WR. Skowronek is a decent possession type receiver but I think they need more at #4.

Michael Ojemudia has the physical attributes they wanted in DK with excellent long speed to go with it. He has good agility, but he lacks the "instincts" that don't make him a ball hawk type of CB. That said he's better in man coverage than zone which is why I think Morris with his zone heavy scheme doesn't use him.

I really hope when they review the game film they drop their read / react mixed Fangio style front and go to a penetration 1 gap style with their DL. This will allow Jones and whoever is beside him at LB to be the ones who read and flow to the POA. That will allow the entire front 7 to play faster. They need to play Hoecht strictly as a DE, not a WIL. He doesn't have the coverage skills to play that position. If they were to simply play a straightforward 3-4 hybrid scheme it would solve their contain issues. That would allow them to play with a WIL, MIKE and SAM, and their edges can simply focus on collapsing the pocket. The SAM and WIL will provide the contain.

The Rams could use Fuller as a WIL or SAM to help take away that quick dumpoff to the TE option for the QB. He also would provide better coverage ability than Hoecht. Hampton has the speed (4.5) and build you want as a classic strongside OLB (SAM) he simply needs to be coached up in coverage techniques. It was the position Ebukam played so well. The SAM also provides that blitzing LB when they need one. The WIL will give them that weakside contain for the QB and the dumpoff to the RB on the weak side which is why they can use a safety like Fuller for that role as Jordan is 6'2" and 203 lbs, running a 4.6. This would be why I've said a base nickel is the type of personnel they have.

JACK Young
3T Donald
1T Turner
5T Hoecht/Mathis

WIL/SS Fuller
MIKE Jones
SAM Hampton

CBs Witherspoon, Durant
Safeties Lake, Yeast
DIME DB i.e. SCB Shelley

Enough of this read / react shit turn the dogs loose and let them play fast. Play your safeties as left and right. The QB doesn't know if they will be a two deep shell or if one will drop into the mid range zone and which side the safety will be over the top single high.

 

[thirteen28]

I really want to continue enjoying the development of Byron Young on the D side. It would be incredible if the once-paltry 3rd round pick we got from Miami for Jalen actually turned into a stud edge rusher. Hoping he can get 5 more sacks before the end of the season to put him at double-digits as a rook.

Kobie Turner is another one I'm watching, I like what he's shown so far. He'll never be AD, but maybe he could be a poor man's AD.

And Puka of course.

And for fuck's sake, could we please get a couple of Davis Allen sightings?

 

[Corbin]

 

[Memento]

I want to see Warren McClendon, Desjuan Johnson, Davis Allen, Tre'Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, and Zach Evans get more playing time. I also want to see Nick Hampton play inside linebacker where his frame and sideline-to-sideline playing style fits.

 

[jrry32]

Myself.

 

[Merlin]

This makes me want to book a flight to Pattaya Beach.

 

[Corbin]

This makes me want to book a flight to Pattaya Beach.

Never been but sounds amazing asf! Lol

 

[Ramlife]

Seeing the Rams kick the shit outta of the Seahawks. Losing sucks. WIN!