Category: Latest Rams news

Jalen Ramsey to miss season finale with knee injury

Jalen Ramsey’s first season with the Rams has come to an end.

Jalen Ramsey injured his knee on Saturday night against the San Francisco 49ers, but he never missed a single snap despite being listed as doubtful to return. The Rams are going to play it safe with their star cornerback and keep him on the sidelines for Sunday’s finale at the Coliseum.

Sean McVay said Tuesday that Ramsey will not play against the Cardinals in Week 17 due to the knee injury.

“He had a Grade II strain on the LCL and he’ll be out for the game,” McVay said.

As for whether Ramsey will need surgery or any sort of procedure on his knee, McVay doesn’t believe that to be the case.

“I don’t think so,” he said. “I think it’s more than anything just being smart. He came back in and it shows you how tough he is, what a great competitor. But when you are looking at something like this, you just want to be smart. Typically, it’s something that can take anywhere between a month, a month and a half. But it should heal on its own.”

Ramsey’s first season ends with the Rams having played nine games (eight starts). He picked off one pass, had four total passes defensed and made 33 tackles. He’s under contract in 2020 but will become a free agent after next season.

With Ramsey out, David Long and Donte Deayon are expected to get more playing time. Nickell Robey-Coleman could also play outside cornerback, moving from the slot.

“Expect to see a little bit more of David Long,” McVay said. “Robey, he’s got the ability to play outside and inside. You get Donte Deayon up and you’ve got some corners you feel good about. And you have some flexibility with our safeties that can do some different things, which is a nice bonus for us, as well.”

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Look: Rams wearing jersey patch on Sunday for last game at Coliseum

The Rams are wearing a special patch on Sunday to commemorate their last game at the Coliseum.

The Los Angeles Rams may not be playing for a postseason berth or anything more than their pride in Sunday’s season finale, but the game will carry some meaning for the venue in which they’ll play.

Sunday’s game against the Cardinals marks the last home game for the Rams at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum – a stadium they moved back into in 2016 after leaving St. Louis. They also played there from 1946-1979, spending more than three decades at the near-100-year-old stadium.

To commemorate this farewell game, the Rams will be wearing a special patch on their jerseys against Arizona. Here’s a look at it from Paul Lukas of Uni Watch.

Next year, the Rams will move into the brand new SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, which is nearing completion. They’ll share the venue with the Chargers, as well.

Going from the Coliseum, which opened in 1923, to a state-of-the-art stadium like SoFi Stadium is going to be quite the change for Rams players and fans.

 

Rams may have to choose between Cory Littleton and Dante Fowler

The Rams probably won’t have enough money to pay both Cory Littleton and Dante Fowler Jr.

Two pleasant surprises on the defensive side of the ball for the Rams this season have been Dante Fowler Jr. and Cory Littleton. On a one-year contract, Fowler has produced 11 sacks, 16 tackles for loss and 16 quarterback hits, showing that betting on himself was a good gamble to make.

Littleton, by the same token, is in the final year of his contract and having a stellar season. Though he wasn’t named to the Pro Bowl, he’s been one of the best linebackers in all of football this season.

Both of their campaigns are great to see, but it also could be bad news for the Rams. Because of the contracts Fowler and Littleton are going to command, the Rams may not be able to afford both of them.

With the salary cap expected to be between $196.8 million and $201.2 million in 2020, the Rams are projected to have around $23-27 million in cap room next year. In addition to Fowler and Littleton, three other starters are slated to become free agents: Andrew Whitworth, Austin Blythe and Michael Brockers.

The Rams would probably like to bring back all three, but doing so and retaining Fowler and Littleton will be near-impossible.

Based on the fact that Za’Darius Smith got a contract worth $16.5 million per year from the Packers last year, it’s easy to imagine a scenario where Fowler gets nearly that much in free agency next year – if not more. Smith had 8.5 sacks in 2018 before becoming a free agent, and Fowler has 11 through 15 games.

Dee Ford got $17 million per year deal from the 49ers after being traded by Kansas City, while Danielle Hunter is making $14.4 million per year on the deal he signed in June of 2018.

In other words, expect Fowler to seek a contract in the range of $15-17 million per year. The Rams can structure his contract to lessen the cap hit in 2020 when they’re thin on space, but that also pushes more money to the back of the contract when players such as Aaron Donald, Todd Gurley and Jared Goff will have big cap hits, too.

As for Cory Littleton, his comparison is fairly easy. The Panthers basically set Littleton’s floor earlier this month when they signed Shaq Thompson to a four-year, $54.16 million deal – an average salary of $13.54 million.

The Cowboys gave Jaylon Smith $12.75 million per year this offseason, as well, which is a good comp for Littleton. Myles Jack’s contract with the Jaguars is paying him $14.25 million per year, while Deion Jones is making the same amount with the Falcons.

None of those players are significantly better than Littleton, if at all. Jones is the only one of them that has even made the Pro Bowl. Littleton is 26 years old, so he still has plenty of prime years ahead of him at inside linebacker.

He’ll almost certainly get at least $13 million per year with his next contract, which again, might be more than the Rams are willing to spend.

If you combine his projected salary of $13 million with Fowler’s potential of making $15 million, that’s a big chunk of change the Rams would have to shell out to keep both. Again, contract structure doesn’t mean they’re going to get that much in Year 1, but both deals would put Littleton and Fowler among the highest-paid players at their positions.

The same is already true of Aaron Donald, Jared Goff, Todd Gurley and Brandin Cooks – and Jalen Ramsey is going to break the bank in the near future, too.

So when it’s all said and done, the Rams will probably have to choose between Fowler and Littleton. Keeping both is going to be extremely difficult unless major changes are made to the Rams’ salary cap – which seems unlikely, given the way this team is set up.

Be prepared to see at least one of the two in another uniform next season, if not both.

Dante Fowler trolls Jaguars on Twitter, Jacksonville fans respond

Dante Fowler Jr. made sure Jaguars fans knew his 11 sacks would lead their team.

Dante Fowler Jr. joined the Rams midway through last season in a trade with the Jaguars. The move carried some risk for Los Angeles, considering Fowler only had half a season left on his contract.

After his deal expired, the Rams brought Fowler back for one more year. He bet on himself, in a way, signing a one-year extension to prove he can be one of the best pass rushers in football. While he hasn’t quite reached that title yet, his gamble on himself is paying off.

Fowler has 11 sacks, 16 tackles for loss and 16 quarterback hits this year, all the highest of his career. A radio host in Jacksonville noted Fowler’s stats and shared a nugget on Twitter that his 11 sacks would lead the Jaguars.

Fowler shared the tweet with his followers, saying “trust me they know.”

Jalen Ramsey could do nothing but laugh.

Not surprisingly, Jaguars fans took exception to Fowler’s tweet and responded in droves. Fowler replied to a lot of the critical tweets sent his way, defending himself while also taking shots at fans for being Jags supporters.

Fowler tried to end the conversation with this tweet.

Yet, the back-and-forth didn’t end there, with one golf journalist taking exception to Fowler claiming he’s better than Jaguars rookie Josh Allen.

Fowler has had a very good season for the Rams, and he’s going to be paid substantially this offseason – either by Los Angeles or another team. His bet on himself this year has certainly paid off.

Rams to balance player health with pride of winning in Week 17

Sean McVay says the Rams are going to play it smart in Week 17, not putting players in harm’s way.

Two years ago, the Los Angeles Rams rested their starters in Week 17 against the 49ers. After locking up the NFC West and no worse than a No. 4 seed in the playoffs, Sean McVay opted to play it safe and give his top players the week off.

On Sunday against the Cardinals, the Rams won’t make wholesale changes to their starting lineup like they did in 2017, but they could opt to rest some of their best players. Jalen Ramsey has a knee injury, Troy Hill is recovering from a broken thumb, Bobby Evans injured his hip against the 49ers, Gerald Everett just returned from a knee injury and Todd Gurley’s knee problems are well-documented.

No player in the NFL right now is feeling like he did in Week 1, with players battling the bumps and bruises that come with a 16-game season. As a result, the Rams are going to be cautious in the season finale and not put players in harm’s way over a meaningless game.

“I think you want to be smart about it – you don’t want to force guys to play that aren’t in the position to be able to do that,” McVay said Sunday. “I do think we have a lot of good competitors. You’re always pushing through some bumps and bruises at this point, but if it is something where they are going to have it fixed or you’re putting them at further risk for injury, we would definitely take that into consideration and we wouldn’t want to expose guys for that.”

It’s a safe bet that Ramsey, Hill, Rob Havenstein and Evans won’t play against the 49ers. The Rams could also give either Blake Bortles or John Wolford some playing time in an attempt to protect Jared Goff from unnecessary hits. The same goes for Gurley, who may play less to limit the wear and tear on his knee.

But at the same time, McVay finds it important to finish the season with a winning record – which the Rams can achieve by beating Arizona.

“Yeah, I think it’s important. I think it demonstrates, too, the character that I do believe we have in this locker room,” he said. “For guys to continue to compete, we’re going to battle and we’re going to compete to the best of our ability to try to finish out with a winning record. That is something that I said to the team today and I think it’s important for us. We know the challenge because Arizona is a tough football team.”

We’ll see exactly how McVay chooses to approach the final game of the season, but don’t be the least bit surprised if Goff, Gurley, Ramsey, Evans and others are either limited in their playing time or don’t see the field at all on Sunday at home.

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Sean McVay pinpoints primary reason for Rams’ disappointing season

Sean McVay had one word for where the Rams came up short: consistency.

There are several reasons the Los Angeles Rams came up short and missed the playoffs this season. You can point to injuries, issues on the offensive line, Jared Goff’s regression – the list goes on. But Sean McVay didn’t name any of those deficiencies specifically when asked what the Rams’ biggest issue was in 2019.

Instead, he pointed to consistency – or lack thereof.

“I think overall, just the consistency. I think there’s been instances in all three phases where there’s been some really positive things and then there’s been some other instances where I don’t think we’ve played up to our capability. That’s all of us – that’s coaches, players, we’re all in this thing together,” McVay said Sunday. “Ultimately, you‘ve heard us talk about it before, consistency is the truest measurement of performance. Unfortunately, I think our inconsistency as a team ended up hurting us. We saw what we were capable of when the things were going well, and we saw how it can look when they’re not going well. It’s been a real big learning opportunity this year. It is something that you want to really make sure that you go back, you reflect on an you say, ‘All right, how can we try to be more consistent week in and week out? What are the things that I can do, that we can do in terms of how we’re setting up our offseason?’”

Aaron Donald said almost the same thing after the Rams’ loss to the 49ers on Saturday night.

“We just weren’t consistent,” he said. “We had a lot of ups and downs. Each week is different, no matter what the other team’s record is. When you come out flat some games, you’re going to lose. We had to be more consistent. It was just a bad year for us. We have to bounce back next year.”

At times, the Rams looked like one of the best teams in the league. Then at other points in the season, they seemed completely incapable of moving the ball against anyone; they scored 35 points in three games against the Steelers, Bears and Ravens.

The defense was stout in several games against the Seahawks, Cardinals, Bears, Bengals and Falcons. The Rams also allowed just 22 total points to the Saints and Browns in Weeks 2 and 3. On the flipside, they gave up 55 to the Bucs, 45 to the Ravens and 44 to the Cowboys.

See why McVay and Donald brought up the word consistency?

The Rams have one more week left in the season before they begin evaluating the roster – likely from top to bottom, with a few exceptions (see: Donald, Aaron). With no first-round pick and very little spending money, changes are certain to be made.

McVay isn’t shying away from that, nor will any player or coach.

“Everything is going to be evaluated and I’m excited about attacking that challenge after this week,” McVay added. “That’s where our singular focus will be is on focusing on this week and the Cardinals game because that’s what we’re going to finish this season off the right way. I think you owe it to the players, to everybody in this organization. Then, after that, then we’ll have a good chance – unfortunately, a lot longer than we’re accustomed to – to really look inward and reflect on what are the things that we can do to move forward and be better attacking next season?”

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What does Gerald Everett’s future with the Rams look like?

Tyler Higbee is TE1, which leaves Gerald Everett’s future with the Rams on shaky ground.

Gerald Everett’s breakout with the Rams may never come.

For a tight end with so much potential and such high expectations among fans and media members, he may not have much of a future in Los Angeles after yet another disappointing season and the emergence of Tyler Higbee as the No. 1 tight end on the depth chart.

Everett missed three games with a knee injury, and in his return on Saturday night, he played just four measly snaps. He was targeted once and didn’t have a single catch, proving to be a non-factor in a must-win game for the Rams.

In the three games Everett missed – and on Saturday night, too – Higbee caught at least seven passes for 100-plus yards each week. He’s proved to be the Rams’ best tight end this season, becoming the first tight end in NFL history to catch at least seven passes for 100 yards in four straight games.

Everett has only one year left on his contract, becoming a free agent in 2021 if the Rams don’t sign him to an extension. Los Angeles already gave Higbee a new deal worth $7.25 million per year, which runs through the 2023 season.

The Rams clearly see him as a No. 1 tight end, and they’ve been using him as such in recent weeks.

So where does that leave Everett? Most likely, he’ll be back on the team for one more year in 2020, but even that’s not a certainty. He’s a tight end with a ton of potential as a receiver, which isn’t easy to find in the NFL.

It’s possible that the Rams could shop him this offseason in an attempt to recoup some of the picks they traded away to acquire players such as Jalen Ramsey, Austin Corbett and Dante Fowler Jr. In those trades alone, the Rams gave up a first-rounder (Ramsey) and fifth-rounder (Fowler) in 2020, as well as first-, fourth- and fifth-round picks in 2021.

Everett only has one year left on his contract and was a second-round pick in 2017, so the Rams aren’t going to fetch anything more than a third-round pick for him. But if they can get a fourth-rounder, should they consider it?

After reportedly seeking a sixth-round pick for Higbee last year, it’s possible the Rams would take a fourth for Everett. With Higbee paid and Johnny Mundt (a free agent in 2020, but a cheap re-sign) doing an excellent job as the No. 2 tight end dominating as a blocker, Everett’s role may not be very large next season.

The Rams already prefer not to take wideouts off the field in favor of tight ends, so with Higbee being the top option, Everett could have a hard time finding snaps next year. Trading him for a mid-round pick is not out of the question, especially with the Rams missing the playoffs and needing draft picks after wheeling and dealing the last two years.

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Rams open as big favorites over Cardinals in season finale

The Rams are heavily favored over the Cardinals in Week 17.

Neither the Rams nor the Cardinals have anything to play for in Week 17 besides their own pride as both teams have been eliminated from playoff contention. The Rams were most recently eliminated from the playoff race by losing 34-31 to the 49ers on Saturday night.

With several players banged up after the loss, the Rams could play it safe and keep their top players out of harm’s way to avoid further injury before the offseason. But as of now, the Rams are big favorites over the Cardinals, who just beat the Seahawks in Seattle on Sunday.

According to BetMGM, the Rams are 7.5-point favorites over the Cardinals in Week 17. The over/under is 48.5 points.

The Rams have beaten the Cardinals in five straight games, all coming by at least 16 points. Most recently, they blew out Arizona on the road, 34-7, in Week 13. It was one of the Rams’ best performances of the season as a team.

Kyler Murray left Sunday’s game with a hamstring injury, so his status for the season finale is up in the air. If he doesn’t play, the spread could move further in the Rams’ direction. Brett Hundley would get the start in that scenario.

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6 biggest reasons the Rams missed the playoffs this season

The Rams fell well short of expectations in 2019, and these are the six biggest reasons for that.

(Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)

There’s still one week left in the season, but the Los Angeles Rams have nothing left to play for. They were eliminated from playoff contention on Saturday night with their heartbreaking 34-31 loss to the 49ers.

It effectively brings an end to a seriously disappointing season for the Rams, as they became just the fifth team since 2009 to miss the playoffs the year after making it to the Super Bowl.

For a team that appeared poised to return to the postseason and make another run at a title, this season fell way short of expectations.

The question now is why?

There are always several reasons for a team coming up short, whether it’s coaching, execution, injuries or just sheer bad luck. All of the above apply to the 2019 Rams.

Here are the six biggest reasons they missed the playoffs this season, in no particular order.

Injuries

Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

The Rams were very fortunate on the injury front in 2017 and 2018. They didn’t lose many key players to injuries in the last two years, but this season, that wasn’t the case. Here’s a list of players who were hurt and missed multiple weeks this season:

  • LG Joseph Noteboom (IR)
  • C Brian Allen (IR)
  • CB Aqib Talib
  • OLB Clay Matthews
  • S John Johnson (IR)
  • WR Brandin Cooks
  • RT Rob Havenstein
  • TE Gerald Everett

Yes, every team deals with injuries, but the Rams had eight starters miss multiple games. Todd Gurley also sat out one week, Robert Woods missed a game for a family matter, Troy Hill didn’t play in Saturday’s loss due to a broken thumb, and Austin Blythe had an ankle injury that forced him to miss one game.

The Rams had issues of their own that they could control, but injuries were a big factor this season, too. They took a toll, particularly on the offensive line and in the secondary.

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Sean McVay explains why Rob Havenstein remains inactive despite practicing

Rob Havenstein was inactive on Saturday night despite not being listed on the injury report.

Rob Havenstein’s 2019 season has been a huge disappointment for several reasons. Not only was he playing poorly in the first half of the season, but he got injured in the first game after the Rams’ bye and hasn’t played a snap since Week 10.

Havenstein wasn’t listed on the injury report last week and the week prior, he was a full participant but listed as doubtful to play against Dallas. He appears to be healthy after practicing for two weeks, yet he was inactive on Saturday night.

Everyone’s been left wondering what’s going on with the Rams’ $32.5 million right tackle, and on Sunday, Sean McVay clarified Havenstein’s absence.

“He’s been practicing. He hasn’t really been in a position where he feels like he can do the things to play at a high level. So, we wanted to be smart with this and not push him,” McVay said. “Bobby’s (Evans) done some good things, but really, it’s been more of a reflection of how he’s felt during the week of practice, where could he really push through it, maybe. But, he’s not feeling totally good enough to be able to have that anchor, that stability that you need. We’ve just been smart and patient with it and taking his feedback and the doctors. We’ll see what this week looks like.”

Havenstein has an overall grade of just 50.9 at Pro Football Focus this season and allowed an eye-popping five sacks in 10 games. Evans’ grade is just 50.7 in six starts since Havenstein went down, but he’s allowed just one sack and hasn’t been penalized once.

Havenstein has a better overall body of work than Evans, which would make him seem like the better option at right tackle in 2020, but the Rams could be in for several changes on the offensive line this offseason so anything is on the table.

We’ll see what the future holds for Havenstein in Los Angeles, but unless he’s traded in the offseason, he’ll likely be back with the Rams next season – be it at right tackle or somewhere else.