Tag: Kevin Demoff

Kevin Demoff has funny message after Rams keep finding money for stars

Rams COO Kevin Demoff has a sense of humor on Twitter, sharing a funny tweet about the team extending two of their stars

Somehow, the Los Angeles Rams just keep finding money in the couch cushions to sign their stars. First it was Matthew Stafford earlier this offseason. Then they brought in Allen Robinson and Bobby Wagner. And finally, they capped off the spring by re-signing both Aaron Donald and Cooper Kupp.

The question everyone’s asking is, how do they keep affording all these contracts? Well, COO Kevin Demoff has an explanation … sort of.

He shared this funny tweet after the Rams extended Kupp with a three-year, $80 million deal – just two days after they gave Donald $95 million for three years.

Yeah, that sounds about right. Their manipulation of the salary cap is second to none, and it’s why they’re one of the best organizations in the NFL right now.

Rams’ exec Kevin Demoff delivers spectacular tweet to fan

Kevin Demoff with a wonderful response to Rams fan seeking some help

Los Angeles Rams chief operating officer Kevin Demoff made the day, month, and entire year for a fan named Brittany on Twitter.

Brittanybets posted a tweet Saturday for her 2,700-plus followers that asked the Rams for help with her boss because the Rams’ game with the Seahawks was moved to Tuesday.

And the pre-Christmas dream came true as Demoff responded in the kindest and most wonderful of fashions.

Now that’s a

Rams’ Demoff doesn’t regret Goff’s contract, hopes Stafford puts them ‘over the top’

Kevin Demoff doesn’t regret Jared Goff’s contract and called him a “great piece to our franchise.”

After Jared Goff helped lead the Rams to Super Bowl LIII, the team rewarded him with a four-year contract extension worth $134 million in 2019. He then proceeded to struggle the following season, and then again in 2020, throwing only 42 touchdown passes and 29 interceptions in the last two seasons.

As disappointing as his final seasons in Los Angeles were, the front office has no regrets about giving him that massive payday, which in turn cost the Rams $24.7 million in dead money this year by trading him to Detroit.

Rams COO Kevin Demoff spoke to reporters at the team’s fan premiere at SoFi Stadium and he told Kevin Modesti of the Los Angeles Daily News that he doesn’t regret paying Goff when they did.

“Every time a player doesn’t finish the deal that they signed, you probably wish they had,” Demoff said. “Regrets? No. Jared has been a great piece to our franchise.

“You can’t be caught up in decisions you’ve made in the past, because things change.”

Demoff told Gary Klein of the L.A. Times that the team made “the best decision at that time that we thought made sense for the Rams,” but that proved to not be the case. He wished Goff the best of luck with the Lions, appreciating all that he did for the franchise and Rams fans.

Of course, Goff’s replacement is Matthew Stafford, who Demoff hopes puts Los Angeles over the top as a Super Bowl contender. Though he’s never won a playoff game, there’s a sense of Super Bowl or bust in Los Angeles.

“It’s a new beginning at that position with a player who’s had a really decorated career to date,” Demoff said. “And we’re hopeful he’ll help put us over the top.”

Rams’ Kevin Demoff hopes virtual draft changes outdated process for good

Kevin Demoff doesn’t think it’s necessary for teams to submit draft cards or call in their picks.

The 2020 NFL Draft will take place as originally scheduled on April 23-25, but it will be held in a vastly different form due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There won’t be any events held in Las Vegas, teams won’t be in one location submitting their picks, and players selected won’t walk across the stage to shake commissioner Roger Goodell’s hand.

Instead, it’ll be done virtually with coaches and general managers at home in front of their own computers and TVs. It’ll be quite the change from the traditional format, but Rams COO Kevin Demoff hopes it changes the draft for good.

He doesn’t find it necessary for teams to submit physical cards for each selection, nor should they have to call a draft center every time. Perhaps this digital overhaul will lead to some changes for the better.

“There are many things that come out of moments like this,” Demoff said, via ESPN. “I don’t know that having to have a card and a call to a draft center are needed protocol in 2020 even in the best of scenarios, so maybe a different way to submit picks is an advancement that comes out of this time rather than something that’s just historically done.”

Rather than calling in their picks to a central draft location and then having a representative bring the card up to the commissioner, teams will now submit their selections online through a secure internet connection. Backup options in case of internet failure include landlines and email communication.

That’s the sort of change Demoff hopes to see, shifting away from how things have been done for years in the past. In today’s day and age, there’s no reason to believe the NFL can’t make internet draft picks work in future years, too.

As for how picks will be announced, that process won’t continue after this year. Goodell will be stationed in his home and making pick announcements from his basement. There will be a virtual fan aspect to it all, emulating reactions from fans after the pick is announced, but it’s impossible to beat a live audience as we’ve had in recent years.

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Chargers, Rams’ new stadium opening could be delayed

Is there a possibility of the Los Angeles Chargers going back to Dignity Health Sports Park this upcoming season?

The Chargers and Rams were slated to play in their new stadium this upcoming season. However, there’s less of a chance of SoFi Stadium being ready for Week 1.

“Our stadium, and I believe the Raiders’ stadium as well, will both be amazing when they are finished and when they will begin play, which will certainly happen in the near future, whether that’s in July, August, September, in 2021,” Rams COO Kevin Demoff said, per L.A. Time’s Sam Farmer.

The $5 billion stadium has been scheduled to be completed by July of 2020 for a Taylor Swift concert, but COVID-19, the ongoing worldwide crisis, has put the expected grand opening to a halt.

“This is not the time you want to be finishing a stadium, in this environment as you prepare,” Demoff said. “Because it’s when you need to be all hands on deck, walking through the building every day, meeting with your staff, working out the kinks and planning for it. So when you’ve been building something for a few years, you would love an optimal environment to finish it.”

If the stadium isn’t going to be open for the start of the 2020 regular season, could that mean that the Chargers would play at Dignity Health Sports Park, while the Rams play at the Los Angeles Coliseum in the meantime, like both did the past few seasons? It’s definitely possible.

The delay will also impact the Raiders, who are set to start their new journey in Las Vegas.

Only time will tell.

Kevin Demoff acknowledges SoFi Stadium opening could be delayed

Demoff is excited for the opening of SoFi Stadium, “whether that’s in July, August, September, in 2021.”

The Los Angeles Rams and Chargers will play their games at SoFi Stadium, it’s just a matter of when. Even though construction on the project has continued amidst the coronavirus pandemic – and even after a worker tested positive for COVID-19 – there remains a possibility that the stadium won’t open on time.

Rams COO Kevin Demoff acknowledged that this week when speaking to the Los Angeles Times, admitting that he isn’t certain when SoFi Stadium will open.

“Our stadium, and I believe the Raiders’ stadium as well, will both be amazing when they are finished and when they will begin play, which will certainly happen in the near future, whether that’s in July, August, September, in 2021,” Demoff said. “I don’t think you can look at either of these stadiums as short-term projects to finish but rather long-term beacons for the franchises and for the NFL.”

While the preseason doesn’t start until August, the stadium is supposed to open in late July for a Taylor Swift concert. Even back in January, when SoFi Stadium was said to be 85% finished, Demoff admitted the timeline and schedule was tight – and that was before the coronavirus outbreak.

“I’m sure as Taylor Swift comes in, we’ll have hammers and screwdrivers, and we’ll be hanging things,” Demoff said, via USA TODAY. “Everybody we’ve talked to about finishing buildings has said that up until 10 minutes before the doors open for the first event, you’re scrambling to hang pictures and fix everything, and I think that’s going to be true for this building as well.”

If construction is halted on the project to further protect the safety of the workers and those in the community, the Rams will have to find contingency plans for the 2020 season. Could that mean going back to the Coliseum until SoFi Stadium is finished? It’s possible.

That’s still a ways out, but with the uncertainty surrounding this entire situation, the Rams, Chargers and Raiders must all have backup plans. For now, work continues, even in an unideal situation for Demoff’s team.

“This is not the time you want to be finishing a stadium, in this environment as you prepare,” Demoff said. “Because it’s when you need to be all hands on deck, walking through the building every day, meeting with your staff, working out the kinks and planning for it. So when you’ve been building something for a few years, you would love an optimal environment to finish it. “

Rams COO Kevin Demoff is hopeful 2020 season starts on time

There are concerns that the 2020 season won’t start on time due to the coronavirus.

The coronavirus has paused sports around the world, delaying the start of the MLB season and halting the NBA and NHL campaigns, among other leagues. The NFL has pushed forward with free agency starting on time and the 2020 draft still set to be held on April 23-25 – albeit in a much different setting – but it’s not certain that the season will begin on time.

Kirk Herbstreit of ESPN said last week that he’d be “shocked” if there was football this fall, shedding light on the very real possibility that the NFL and college football seasons could be delayed.

Rams COO Kevin Demoff still hopes the season will kick off on time, but he’s reluctant to speak with any conviction during this uncertain time. He hopes the opening of SoFi Stadium will go off without a hitch on July 25 when Taylor Swift takes the stage for the venue’s first event.

“We’re hopeful that will remain the goal and then be open for the NFL season, which hopefully comes on time, the preseason and all of that,” Demoff told USA TODAY. “The hardest thing to do in this period of time and probably the one thing you’ll regret is to speak to anything with certainty.”

The Rams’ and Chargers’ season will unofficially begin in August when the preseason kicks off. Week 1 of the regular season will start on Sept. 10, about a month and a half after Swift’s concert.

The rapid spread of the coronavirus has many wondering if the season will indeed begin in September, or if the start of it will be pushed back. The Rams have already announced their refund policy in case games are canceled, giving fans back their money if that does happen.

But for now, Demoff remains hopeful that SoFi Stadium will open on time and that the Rams can run out of the tunnel there this fall. If not, the Rams will adjust, as everyone has during this uncertain time.

“Whenever the first game is played at SoFi Stadium, which we certainly hope will be as soon as possible, it’ll be a great celebration,” Demoff said.

“The health and priority of the nation for everybody to stay safe comes first. And if that changes timetables, then we’ll adjust, as everybody has had to adjust to the disappointment that has come through some of the cancellations and closures. Lots of life moments have changed.”

Kevin Demoff: Rams’ young players ‘are going to have to step up’

Kevin Demoff knows the importance of the Rams’ young players in 2020.

When the Los Angeles Rams take the field at SoFi Stadium in September, Cory Littleton won’t be manning the middle of the defense. Dante Fowler Jr. and Clay Matthews won’t be rushing the quarterback off the edge. Nickell Robey-Coleman won’t cover the slot, Eric Weddle won’t be aligned deep at safety, and Greg Zuerlein won’t trot out for field goal attempts. Most notably, Todd Gurley won’t be in the backfield behind Jared Goff.

The Rams will look vastly different than they did in 2019, but that was to be expected this offseason. With limited cap space and five starters hitting free agency, the front office knew major changes were coming.

“Each year, your players change, your team changes and we knew walking into this season there would be tough choices,” Rams COO Kevin Demoff told ESPN. “It’s going to be a different-looking team than the one that left the field in 2019, but I think everybody knew that was going to be the case.”

The Rams have been aggressive in their roster construction, trading first-round picks for Brandin Cooks and Jalen Ramsey in recent years. They also acquired Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib in trades, as well as Sammy Watkins. Not all of those deals worked out, leaving the Rams with limited draft capital as a result.

Los Angeles won’t be able to spend much more in free agency and it doesn’t have a first-round pick in 2020 or 2021, meaning the younger players on the roster will have to step up.

“If you look at our team, we drafted a lot of young players who, ultimately, in a salary-cap era when you have stars who have been paid, are going to have to step up,” Demoff said.

In arguably the best division in the NFL, the Rams could be in for a difficult season in 2020. But fortunately, the core of the team remains intact, with Goff, Aaron Donald and Ramsey all still in L.A.

They’re expected to perform at a high level, but players such as Micah Kiser, Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, Darrell Henderson and the younger offensive linemen will need to become quality starters. If they can’t, the Rams are in for a long year.

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Kevin Demoff highlights 3 young players the Rams are excited about

The Rams are going to lean on their young players, for better or worse.

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After seemingly going all in two years ago with the additions of Marcus Peters, Aqib Talib, Ndamukong Suh and Brandin Cooks in the same offseason, the Los Angeles Rams have taken a more conservative approach in the last two offseasons. They watched Rodger Saffold, Lamarcus Joyner and Suh eave in free agency a year ago, and this offseason, they lost Cory Littleton, Dante Fowler Jr. and Michael Brockers, among others.

Their less aggressive plan lately has a lot to do with the repercussions of making so many bold moves in the first two years of Sean McVay’s tenure. Now, it’s time for the Rams to lean on young players they’ve drafted and get top-level play from their biggest stars.

COO Kevin Demoff recently appeared on ESPN LA 710 and discussed the Rams’ quiet offseason, attributing it to the team’s confidence in its younger players such as Darrell Henderson, Micah Kiser and Ogbonnia Okoronkwo.

“We always knew when we took a more aggressive strategy beginning in 2017-2018 when Jared Goff’s contract came up that there would have to be one offseason where you’re a little bit more disciplined to kind of get back in line and to make sure that what we think is our window to compete stays open for a very long time,” Demoff said. “I think we could’ve moved some resources around this year to push some salary cap pain off into the future. But when Sean and Les (Snead) looked at this roster, a lot of young guys they’re excited about to compete. While you’re always saddened to lose a Todd Gurley, there’s a lot of excitement about Darrell Henderson and what he did last year and what his future looks like. The chances for a Micah Kiser – who had a great preseason last year – to step up at the inside linebacker position. Obo on the outside. I think there are a lot of young guys who we’ve been counting on the last few years, who we’ve been developing who will be part of this roster moving forward.”

The Rams dug themselves into a hole with the contracts they gave out to Gurley, Goff and Brandin Cooks, none of which have paid off up to this point. They were forced to eat $20.15 million in dead money by releasing Gurley, which could’ve been used to retain a player such as Littleton or Brockers.

It’s easy to see the logic of signing those three core players when the Rams did, but the contracts have hindered the Rams’ flexibility with the salary cap. And now they’re paying for it.

Much of the 2020 season will hinge on the play of their younger players such as Henderson, Kiser and Okoronkwo. If they can’t meet expectations and fill the voids left by Gurley, Littleton and Fowler to at least a small degree, the Rams are going to be in trouble.

But, they’re at least going to give those guys a chance to prove their worth after struggling to make an impact early on in their careers.

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