Tag: ernest jones

6 Rams to watch in Week 2 vs. 49ers

Here are six players from the Rams to watch in the team’s Week 2 showdown with the 49ers.

The Los Angeles Rams shocked many people by defeating the Seattle Seahawks 30-13 on the road in Week 1. After beating one divisional opponent, the Rams will now host the San Francisco 49ers at SoFi Stadium in Week 2.

Matthew Stafford and the offense were firing on all cylinders in the season opener despite All-Pro wide receiver Cooper Kupp being sidelined. Meanwhile, the 49ers cruised to a 30-7 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1 to prove they are still a top-tier team in the NFC.

With the Rams being near touchdown underdogs entering Week 2, here are six players to watch in the impending matchup with the 49ers.

‘Ernest would beat him up’: John Johnson not taking green dot from Jones

Raheem Morris had a funny way to confirm Ernest Jones will still be the defensive signal caller over John Johnson III

All offseason, the Los Angeles Rams have operated on defense with the plan to have Ernest Jones wear the green dot on his helmet, making him the player who relays the play calls from Raheem Morris to the rest of the defense. It’ll be the first time he’ll have that responsibility after Bobby Wagner wore the green dot last year and Jordan Fuller the year prior.

Some fans probably wondered if John Johnson III might take that role from Jones after previously being the Rams’ signal caller in 2020 but Raheem Morris made one thing very clear: that’s not happening.

During his press conference Monday, Morris raved about Johnson but ensured everyone that Jones will keep the green dot because if Johnson took it, “Ernest would beat him up.”

“The intelligence, the smarts, the coach on the field, some of those types of things that he’s so accustomed to doing,” Morris said of Johnson. “He’s the guy that’s worn the green dot, so having two guys in the backend that has actually had the green dot before and being able to communicate throughout the defense only can increase that, especially with a young team, so that’s very helpful. Now he’s not getting a green dot from Ernest because Ernest would beat him up, but those two being back there and the potential of Russ (Yeast), helping him develop and Quentin Lake and all those guys, it’s some great competition so I can’t wait to see what’s going to happen today.”

Johnston is still getting up to speed in Los Angeles after only signing a week ago, so he hasn’t exactly cut loose in practice yet. It doesn’t help that he missed the entire offseason workout program while sitting on the market as a free agent.

Morris was excited to see him do a bit more in practice on Monday and he should continue to ramp up as the Rams practice with the Raiders this week and the Broncos the following week.

“It’s really been cool,” Morris said. “John is everything as advertised, that spirit, that fun loving guy and I’m really getting a chance to be excited today when we get a chance to watch him practice a little more and get more involved, so I’m really excited about that.”

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Ernest Jones highlights two Rams rookies who have stood out in camp

Ernest Jones is excited about all of the Rams’ rookies, but two in particular have stood out to him

If the Los Angeles Rams are going to make a run at the playoffs this season, they’re going to need their rookies to step up as starters and key rotational players. Obviously, Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp and Aaron Donald will need to stay healthy, too, but with so many rookies on the roster, the Rams are counting on those players to rise to the occasion.

It’s early, but Ernest Jones has been impressed by the rookie class. During an interview on Inside Rams Camp, Jones mentioned a couple of first-year players who have stood out to him in practice: Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson and Byron Young.

He also loves the job the rookie defensive linemen have done thus far.

“You got Tomlinson, the cornerback. I love the way he’s playing,” Jones said. “That entire D-line – like, they couldn’t have drafted or picked a bunch of undrafted guys that could truly come in and step in and help you right off the bat. All these guys are showing me sparks. Byron Young is really impressive. Love watching him play, so I’m excited about all of them.”

Hodges-Tomlinson was a sixth-rounder, so he has some work to do if he’s going to be a significant contributor this season. Young was the Rams’ second pick, going in the third round out of Tennessee. He’s already getting first-team reps and could help Los Angeles right away as a pass rusher.

Even on a team with as little experience as the Rams, the rookies will need to earn their spots on this roster come September. Fortunately, it sounds like they’re off to a good start.

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Budda Baker, other NFL players discuss what makes Cooper Kupp great

Budda Baker and other NFL players talked about what makes Cooper Kupp great after the Rams WR landed at No. 47 in the Top 100

Cooper Kupp didn’t have the season he wanted or expected in 2022, but it’s not because he struggled whatsoever. It was simply that he missed half the season with an ankle injury, a disappointing follow-up to his historic 2021 campaign.

That shouldn’t discredit Kupp as one of the best receivers in the NFL – and one of the best overall players regardless of position. Unfortunately, it didn’t stop him from dropping 43 spots in the latest Top 100 Players ranking, which is voted on by players throughout the league.

Kupp checked in at No. 47, down from No. 3 last year. One thing remains clear, though: His competitors know what a nightmare he is to defend when healthy.

After Kupp was revealed as the 47th-best player in the league, the NFL released a video of players paying respect to the Rams receiver, including Budda Baker, Marlon Humphrey, Austin Corbett and Ernest Jones.

“The Rams used him in so many different ways that it just made him a matchup nightmare,” Humphrey said. “They never really had him in one spot, so as a defense, we try to figure out, ‘OK, we gotta stop this guy.’ But it’s hard to stop a guy if you don’t know where he’s gonna be.”

Baker gave Kupp credit for his speed and ability to run deep, which he doesn’t often get praised for, being a slot receiver who’s quicker than he is fast.

“He’s a guy who has decisive speed,” Baker said. “He can run deep, he can take a jetsweep to the crib. He can run intermediate routes, shallow. We kind of double-team him a lot, try to get him the ball as (little) as possible.”

Kupp may not have been voted as high as expected on the Top 100 list, but he clearly has the respect of DBs around the league.

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Ernest Jones wants to square off with Steph Curry – on the golf course

Golf is Ernest Jones’ new hobby and in a year, he says he’ll be ready to take on Steph Curry

Ernest Jones said this offseason that he’s become obsessed with golf, spending a lot of time on the course during the summer when the Rams were off. He’s not going to quit his day job of patrolling the middle of the defense any time soon, but his golf game is coming along.

Eventually, he wants to put himself to the test against one of the best pro athletes to tee it up: Warrior guard Steph Curry.

Curry just won the American Century Championship this summer in dramatic fashion and has played in Korn Ferry Tour events in the past, but Jones is confident he can take down the smooth-swinging Steph at some point.

Jones said he’s not quite as good as Andrew Whitworth yet, but give him a year and he’s gonna be in a spot to take down Steph.

“Not yet. Whitworth, he has a stick on him. Not yet I’m not there, but give me a year. It’s gonna be a problem. Steph Curry’s gonna have to see about me,” Jones said while mic’d up on NFL Network. “I want him to know right now, when I get it, I got it. And it’s gonna be over for him. I’m calling him out. I want it. I want all the smoke. I want it.”

Jones seems legitimately excited about the idea of potentially having a match against Curry set up, which sure would be fun to watch. We don’t know what Jones’ handicap is but knowing the player Curry is, he’s probably got a ways to go.

It’s fun to see Jones’ competitive juices flowing just thinking about this potential match someday.

For more on Jones’ golf game, check out the video below.

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Rams’ 23 most important players for 2023 – No. 6: LB Ernest Jones

Ernest Jones is now the Rams’ top linebacker and defensive signal caller, making him a critical piece in 2023

The Los Angeles Rams have been high on Ernest Jones since selecting him in the third round in 2021, deploying him in a few different ways over his first two seasons. He impressed as a rookie and then got a chance to learn from Bobby Wagner last season, playing a part-time role as the No. 2 linebacker.

Following Wagner’s release, Jones is the unquestioned starter at inside linebacker. He’ll probably be on the field for just about every snap this year as long as he’s healthy, helping elevate a defense that’s lacking proven talent at all three levels.

It’s why he’s one of the Rams’ most important players for 2023.

Do the Rams have the worst LB unit in the NFL?

After losing Bobby Wagner, is the Rams’ LB unit the worst in the NFL? One outlet believes so.

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When you lose one of the best players in the NFL at a certain position, that unit is going to suffer. The Los Angeles Rams are going to experience that this season after parting ways with All-Pro linebacker Bobby Wagner, who they cut after just one season – a mutual decision between the team and player.

The tandem of Wagner and Jones had a lot of fans excited in 2022 and by all means, it worked out the way the Rams hoped it would. Wagner was a stud and Jones did an excellent job next to him in the middle of the defense. now with Wagner gone, it’s Jones’ turn to step up as a leader.

He’s embracing that opportunity as the defensive signal caller and primary linebacker, but that doesn’t mean the Rams are in great shape at that position.

In fact, Pro Football Focus doesn’t see a team in worse shape at linebacker. PFF ranked every team’s linebacker unit entering the 2023 season and the Rams were at the very bottom, 32nd overall.

Four linebackers saw the field for Los Angeles last season. Bobby Wagner played 1,079 snaps and was the best linebacker in football. Ernest Jones played 723 and was solid in run defense (78.8), suspect in coverage (51.2) and mediocre overall (63.6). Two other players played a total of nine snaps.

The loss of Wagner is devastating for this unit. With the All-Pro in the fold, Rams linebackers were second in overall grading and first in run-defense grading.

The rebuild is on in Los Angeles now. Jones remains a viable starter, but there is not another linebacker on this team who was even drafted. Christian Rozeboom, with a total of 10 snaps, is the only other player who has taken any defensive snaps in the NFL. Everyone on the Rams defense except Jones and Aaron Donald will be in an open competition for playing time.

Jones is going to go from playing about two-thirds of the snaps to playing almost all of them (hopefully), remaining on the field for all three downs. Rozeboom seems like the primary candidate to fill in as the No. 2 linebacker, but he’ll have to earn that role.

What works in the Rams’ favor – and perhaps what gives them a better linebacker unit than PFF is giving them credit for – is their reliance on single-backer sets. Under Sean McVay, the Rams have primarily used just one inside linebacker on most snaps. They run a 3-4 scheme, but it’s rare for them to have two inside linebackers and two outside linebackers on the field together. Last year was the exception because they had Wagner and Jones, two players they wanted out there most of the time.

So in 2023, the Rams will almost certainly shift back to a defense that typically has just Jones on the field at inside linebacker, along with two edge rushers, three defensive linemen and five defensive backs. They would love to have three reliable safeties to lean on, as they have in recent years with Jordan Fuller, Taylor Rapp, Nick Scott and John Johnson before he left, virtually replacing the second linebacker on the field.

While no one is arguing the Rams have one of the better linebacker units in the NFL, it’s not the worst. Jones is poised for a breakout year in his first season as a full-time player and as long as they get even average play from their second linebacker, Los Angeles will be just fine in the middle.

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ESPN ranked the Rams’ core – which includes rookie Steve Avila – 21st in the NFL

ESPN ranked the Rams’ 5-player core, including Ernest Jones and Steve Avila, 21st in the NFL heading into this season

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The Los Angeles Rams are entering the 2023 season with low expectations and part of the reason is the lack of long-term pieces on the roster after they parted with Jalen Ramsey, Leonard Floyd, Bobby Wagner and Allen Robinson this offseason. With the roster looking much different than a season ago, ESPN’s Seth Walder believes the Rams have the 21st-best core in the NFL.

The five-man core mentioned for the Rams features Matthew Stafford, Aaron Donald, Cooper Kupp, Ernest Jones, and rookie lineman Steve Avila. Here is what Walder said about the Rams’ current core:

Looking only at five-man cores certainly works in Los Angeles’ favor, yet the Rams’ list still turns to relatively unknown players after the first three. Even so, I have a hard time keeping a group that includes Kupp and this generation’s best defensive player too low on a five-player list.

Stafford and Kupp are certainly the two certainties on offense, while Avila is unquestionably expected to be a building block for the future after being selected in the second round of the 2023 NFL draft. The veterans on offense that were omitted from the core are Tyler Higbee, Rob Havenstein, and Cam Akers.

On the defensive side of the ball, Donald and Jones are the lone foundational pieces. The Rams are projected to start a handful of first- and second-year players in 2023 after moving on from Ramsey, Wagner, Floyd, Greg Gaines, and Nick Scott this offseason.

The Rams find themselves in an awkward spot this season with a few All-Pro-level players on a team that is looking toward the future. Even though the majority of the Rams’ core is set to be 30 years or older in 2023, they are hoping that guys like Avila and Jones can remain in Los Angeles for the long haul.

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Ernest Jones earns spot on NFL’s All-Underrated Team for 2023

Ernest Jones was named one of the NFL’s most underrated players heading into 2023 by Touchdown Wire

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Outside of Aaron Donald, the Los Angeles Rams don’t have many experienced starters on the defensive side of the ball this year. Jalen Ramsey and Bobby Wagner are both gone, as are Leonard Floyd, Greg Gaines and A’Shawn Robinson. One player who could become more of a household name in 2023 is Ernest Jones, the third-year linebacker out of South Carolina.

Jones has already played a key role on defense for Los Angeles in his first two seasons and now that Wagner is gone from the linebacker spot, Jones’ playing time will increase, as will his leadership responsibilities.

That will likely lead to more people outside Los Angeles knowing Jones’ name, especially if he continues to improve as he has throughout his young career so far. Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire highlighted every team’s most underrated player and he picked Jones for the Rams, calling him a “secret superstar.”

The Rams are clearly in a rebuilding phase, which leaves them a bit shy on underrated players. But Jones, selected in the third round of the 2021 draft out of South Carolina, qualifies. He can close to the quarterback as a blitzer from two levels (Jones had three sacks and 12 quarterback pressures in his rookie season), he’s effective in coverage (check out the interception of Derek Carr below), and he’s improved as a run defender.

As the Rams look to overhaul their defense, at least they have Jones as an ascending player as they start to fill things in around him.

Jones played 43% of the snaps as a rookie in 2022 and 66% last year alongside Wagner in the middle of the defense. His snap share could rise as high as 99% this season now that he’s expected to be the defensive signal caller and the primary inside linebacker.

He could make the third-year leap that so many other players do, which is exactly what the Rams need from him. And although Jones isn’t in a contract year, he can begin to make his case for a long-term extension in 2023 with a breakout season.

If he can put up 114 tackles and one interception while only playing two-thirds of the defensive snaps, it’ll be fun to see what he can do as a true full-time player.

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The NFL’s All-Underrated Team: One Secret Superstar for all 32 teams

From Matt Milano to Denico Autry to Tyler Lockett to Tony Pollard, here are the NFL’s most underrated players by team.

Why are great players underrated in any sport?

There are all kinds of reasons. In football, it could be that the guy playing your position is even better than you are, and he’s been doing it longer. Maybe we only have the attention span for one great player at your position Maybe you’re on a team that doesn’t get much national praise, or you’re part of a unit that… well, stinks… and you’re one of the few bright spots. Or, you’re just getting started on the ascent, and the world hasn’t quite caught up yet.

No matter the reason, there are many NFL players who ply their trade at an exceedingly high level, and they’re not given their proper due. Here, we look to rectify this in 32 individual instances with the most underrated player for every NFL team. Some of these guys have been doing it the right way in the shade for a long time for their teams; a few are new in their uniforms.

No matter why, all 32 of these NFL players deserve more love than they get, and here’s why. Here is every NFL team’s most underrated player.

(All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus and Sports Info Solutions unless otherwise indicated).