Tag: rams updates

Jerry Jones: Rams, Aaron Donald ‘broke my heart’ in 2014 draft

Jerry Jones told Aaron Donald he and the Rams broke his heart in the 2014 draft.

Aaron Donald was a polarizing prospect in the 2014 draft. There was no denying his production at Pitt (29.5 sacks, 66 tackles for loss), but he was also considered undersized to play defensive tackle in the NFL.

The Rams put those potential concerns aside and looked at his potential, drafting him at No. 13 overall. Since then, he’s been named a five-time Pro Bowler, six-time All-Pro and two-time Defensive Player of the Year.

The Cowboys were sitting three spots behind the Rams in the 2014 draft and were eyeing Donald with their first-round pick. Jerry Jones told Donald on Thursday night in Miami that he was heartbroken Aaron didn’t make it to them in the draft.

“First of all, it broke my heart that they took you before we could take you,” Jones said, via TMZ.

Donald thought he might fall to the Cowboys, telling Jones, “I thought I was going to get there.”

Jones has often called pass rushers and defensive linemen – the great ones, primarily – “war daddies,” and that’s exactly how he described Donald. He said he’d be one in Dallas, praising the defensive tackle.

“I’m going to tell you something right here,” Jerry said. “You raise your hand to this guy. Now, this is the definition of a war daddy. This’ll be a war daddy right here!”

Jones would love to have Donald in a Cowboys uniform, but the Rams have him under contract through the 2024 season, so it’s hard to see him leaving L.A. anytime soon.

Watch: Jared Goff, Todd Gurley and Clay Matthews read ‘Mean Tweets’

Rams players read “Mean Tweets” on “Jimmy Kimmel Live”

No matter how good a player is, he’s going to get criticized by fans on Twitter, Instagram and every other social media platform. While some players engage and reply to angry fans, most ignore the outside noise.

And then there’s the select few who get to read those scolding tweets on TV.

A staple of “Jimmy Kimmel Live” is his “Mean Tweets” segment where athletes and celebrities read tweets about them out loud. On Thursday, Jared Goff, Todd Gurley and Clay Matthews read mean tweets.

Given the seasons Gurley and Goff had in 2019, those were only two of many critical tweets posted about them. Goff threw a career-high 16 interceptions, while Gurley failed to crack 1,000 yards rushing (but still scored 14 touchdowns).

The tweet about Matthews was the best, even if it made absolutely no sense.

PFF ranks Jared Goff as 19th-best QB from 2019 season

Jared Goff didn’t receive high praise from Pro Football Focus.

By no means was it a banner year for Jared Goff in 2019. The two-time Pro Bowler struggled mightily behind the Rams’ makeshift offensive line and without much of a running game, throwing only 22 touchdown passes and a career-high 16 interceptions.

Part of the reason for his regression was the poor protection he got up front, but he’s also said he needs to play better moving forward. When you’re one of the top-paid players at your position, simply being average isn’t going to cut it.

Pro Football Focus actually put Goff in the bottom half of the league in terms of starting quarterbacks, ranking him 19th in the NFL following the 2019 season. That’s directly behind Baker Mayfield, Philip Rivers and Carson Wentz.

After three straight years of continued development, Goff took a step back in 2019 to rank among the middle tier of quarterbacks, which coincided with his offensive line’s regression in pass protection. He left too many throws on the table, missing a higher percentage than he did in 2018 while ranking in the bottom half at avoiding turnover-worthy plays. The scheme plays also took a hit, as Goff saw the third-largest decrease in positively graded throws, all leading to his uneven season that only really got going in spurts and featured six games with PFF grades of 60.0 or below. As he heads into Year 5, it’s fair to place Goff among the middle class of the league’s signal-callers, a group that is capable of high-end seasons with good play-calling and a strong supporting cast, but also capable of nondescript seasons like Goff had in 2019.

Goff showed in 2018 that he can be a true franchise quarterback for the Rams, but he needs to get back to that level of play and improve upon his poor 2019 showing. He’ll have the highest cap hit of any player in the NFL next season at $36 million, which has fans and analysts concerned about whether he can meet expectations in 2020.

The Rams will only go as far as Goff will take them, as evidenced by this past season. Of course, there are other circumstances that are out of his control – like a decimated offensive line, wide receivers and tight ends missing a few games and Todd Gurley having his touches limited – but Goff needs to carry his own weight as the NFL’s most expensive quarterback in 2020.

Aaron Donald loves having Jalen Ramsey on Rams defense

Aaron Donald says Jalen Ramsey is one of the best corners in the NFL.

When it comes to blockbuster trades, no team has struck more of them than the Los Angeles Rams since 2017. There was Sammy Watkins, Brandin Cooks, Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters, but none were bigger than their midseason deal for Jalen Ramsey in October.

They parted ways with two first-round picks to land the All-Pro cornerback, who went on to make the Pro Bowl in his first season with the Rams. It was a steep price to pay, but one the team feels good about – even with Ramsey having only one year left on his contract.

Aaron Donald loves having Ramsey roaming the secondary, saying he helps everyone else on defense – especially the pass rushers.

“It was like he was there for a year or two already,” Donald said of how Ramsey fit in the defense, on ESPN’s Golic and Wingo. “He’s one heck of a football player. He’s one of the best at what he does at his position. Adding him to the mix with the players that we’ve got, it was definitely a plus for us. We lost two good corners – that was hurting, we were worried about that – but we brought another good one in, so the things you’re able to do with him and the way we use him to help us as far as pass rushers. He can lock up one side of the field and guard the best wide receivers on the field. So when you’ve got a guy like that, he tends to help the defensive line make some plays, too. Adding him to the mix was a big plus for us.”

Trading away Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters came as a huge surprise initially, considering the Rams weren’t exactly flush with talent at cornerback. It also signaled that another move was likely coming, even though Les Snead said the Rams hadn’t agreed to acquire Ramsey before trading away Peters and Talib.

Ramsey did take some time to get acclimated to a new defense, but in 2020, he’ll have a whole year to learn the scheme. The same can be said about the rest of the Rams’ defenders, too, with Brandon Staley coming aboard as the new defensive coordinator.

Throwback Thursday: Rams won Super Bowl XXXIV 20 years ago today

Relive the Rams’ Super Bowl XXXIV win over the Titans, watching the game in its entirety 20 years later.

As the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers gear up for Super Bowl LIV, Rams fans can reflect on the Lombardi Trophy their team captured two decades ago. On January 30, 2000, the St. Louis Rams beat the Tennessee Titans in Super Bowl XXXIV, their first and only championship.

As one of the most improbable Super Bowl champions, the Rams went from 4-12 in 1998 to 13-3 in 1999, en route to winning the title. They were led by Kurt Warner, who previously worked at a grocery store before making it in the NFL. Marshall Faulk carried the load at running back, earning first-team All-Pro honors with 1,381 yards rushing and 1,048 yards receiving with 12 total touchdowns. On the outside, of course, was the tandem of Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt.

In Super Bowl XXXIV, they all played key roles. Warner threw for 414 yards and two touchdowns, while Faulk had 90 yards receiving despite only gaining 17 yards on the ground. Bruce and Holt both went over 100 yards receiving, with the biggest play in the game being Bruce’s 73-yard touchdown with 1:54 left in the fourth quarter.

Mike Jones’ tackle on Kevin Dyson at the 1-yard line is what saved the Super Bowl for the Rams – and it’s the iconic image that every fan remembers – but it was Bruce’s 73-yard score that put them up 23-16 in the final minutes.

You can re-watch the game in its entirety below, reliving the Rams’ historic win over the Titans.

John Sullivan would’ve taken pay cut to stay with Rams, even as backup

John Sullivan was open to returning to the Rams, but he wasn’t going to wait forever.

The Los Angeles Rams had major issues on their offensive line this past season, specifically at guard and center. They decided to replace Rodger Saffold and John Sullivan with Joseph Noteboom and Brian Allen, both of whom landed on injured reserve by Week 11.

Saffold left in free agency for a lucrative deal with the Titans, but it was the Rams’ choice to move on from Sullivan. They declined his option for 2019, which would’ve cost them $6.25 million and saved them $5.5 million in cap space.

Sullivan spoke to Rich Hammond of The Athletic recently about his transformation from NFL center to 240-pound retiree, and he said he would’ve been open to returning to the Rams – even as a backup for a lower price.

They encouraged him to stay in shape and told him they might re-sign him later in the offseason. Sullivan wanted to return, even at a lower salary, and even if it meant being a backup to young center Brian Allen.

The Rams didn’t select a center in the 2019 draft, which Sullivan saw as a potential opening for him to return and compete with Allen. However, in May, Sean McVay told Sullivan he wouldn’t be re-signed, but said he’d be one of their top candidates if they needed a center at some point.

“They didn’t draft a center,” Sullivan said, “so at that point in time, it signaled to me that there was a good likelihood that they were going to bring me back and that Brian and I probably would compete for the job. I was more than comfortable being a backup, if that was the direction they wanted to go.”

Sullivan wasn’t going to wait around forever for the Rams to make up their mind, though. He wanted to transition to his new life of being retired and taking care of his body.

“We’ve always communicated very clearly with each other,” Sullivan said, “so I just told (McVay) — and there’s no malice as I repeat this story — but I just told him that I’m not going to put my life on hold on the off chance that, at some point, you guys either have a need for me or you want to bring me back.”

The Rams could’ve used Sullivan last season after Allen went down, and even before that point. Allen struggled early on, especially in pass protection. Sullivan was by no means perfect in 2018, but he was still a quality player and veteran voice in the locker room.

When Allen got hurt, Austin Blythe switched from guard to center, causing other shakeups at left guard and right guard. It remains to be seen how the Rams will handle the center position next season, but it’s safe to assume Allen will get another chance to start.

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Joseph Noteboom gives update on knee rehab, hasn’t started running

Joseph Noteboom shared an update on how his knee is feeling after tearing it last season.

Joseph Noteboom was drafted two years ago to potentially be the heir to Andrew Whitworth’s throne at left tackle. That changing of the guard was delayed a year when Whitworth returned for another season in 2019, opening the door for Noteboom to take over at left guard.

His first season as a starter was cut short due to injury, though, as Noteboom was lost for the year after just six games. He tore his ACL in Week 6 and was placed on IR, the first of many blows to the Rams’ offensive line.

Noteboom is expected to be ready for the 2020 season, and this week, he provided an update in an interview with Sarina Morales of the Rams’ site.

“I think we’re about eight weeks from surgery. Haven’t started running yet or anything like that, just trying to get the quad strength up and figure out walking. I think in about four weeks we start jogging and stuff like that on the field,” Noteboom said when asked about his knee.

As a result of his knee injury, Noteboom isn’t taking his health or availability for granted. He always knew the importance of eating right and working out, but now he realizes it even more.

“I’ve never really taken walking for granted, but now I do,” he said. “Health and eating well and getting your body right. I’ve always thought it was important, but now [even more]. I never want to get hurt again, because this sucks.”

Noteboom’s immediate role with the Rams is still to be determined. He could remain at left guard, but if Whitworth retires or leaves in free agency, he could slide back over to left tackle, which is where he played in college.

Whitworth’s decision will play a big role in Noteboom’s future, because if he comes back, the young O-lineman will remain inside at guard for at least one more year.

Roger Goodell addresses idea of 2020 NFL season opening at SoFi Stadium

Roger Goodell is open to SoFi Stadium kicking off the 2020 season on Thursday night in Week 1.

Each new NFL season typically starts with the defending Super Bowl champion playing in prime time on Thursday night in Week 1. Last season was an exception with the Bears and Packers opening the year to celebrate the league’s 100th season, but the Super Bowl champ usually plays the first game.

That may not be the case in 2020 with new stadiums set to open in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. At his state of the NFL press conference on Wednesday, commissioner Roger Goodell addressed the possibility of next season starting at SoFi Stadium with either the Rams or Chargers.

He was asked if there would be a concern about a 5 p.m. PT kickoff on a Thursday night, potentially causing fans to show up to the stadium late due to heavy Los Angeles traffic. While that would be taken into consideration, it’s not a huge worry.

“From our standpoint, we look at not only celebrating the Super Bowl champion, but as you point out, we are going to be relaunching two teams in Los Angeles and one team in Las Vegas,” he said. “In addition, we’ll be celebrating our 100th birthday on September 17. So when we’re sitting down, which we’ve already begun, looking at the schedule for next year, our hope would be to create the biggest and best platform for all those events. They’re very significant to the future of the league. We’re thrilled to be back in Los Angeles with two teams and we’re thrilled to have a great new stadium, which is going set a benchmark for stadiums.”

He continued by saying the league would be open to putting SoFi Stadium in prime time on either Thursday or Sunday night in Week 1, but the NFL does have to take into account the acclimation period that comes with a new stadium’s first game.

“Our job is to put the biggest stage together for all of those teams at that moment. And so we will do that obviously through scheduling,” Goodell added. “We do have the flexibility to move the Super Bowl champ to either Thursday or Sunday – we are required by policy, it’ll be one or the other. So we could very well start in Los Angeles on a Sunday to avoid [the traffic] problem. We are going to be playing prime-time games in Los Angeles at some point in time, but the likelihood around the first event, as you know, there’s a period of time where there’s an acclimation for everybody getting in and out of the stadium. But I think it’s going to be such a huge event, I’m not worried about a lack of fans there.”

The Rams are the ones building the stadium thanks to owner Stan Kroenke footing most of the bill, so they should be given the chance to play the home opener at SoFi Stadium. They have some marquee teams on their home schedule in 2020, including the Cowboys, Patriots, and of course the Seahawks and 49ers.

No matter which game opens SoFi Stadium next season, it’s bound to be packed with fans anxious to get a look at the state-of-the-art venue. It just remains to be seen when the first game will be played.

What are the Rams’ options with Brandin Cooks moving forward?

If the Rams want to part ways with Brandin Cooks, what are their options this offseason.

Brandin Cooks was a big-ticket addition for the Los Angeles Rams before the 2018 NFL Draft, acquiring him from the Patriots for a first-round pick, as well as a sixth-rounder. Since then, he’s had two very different seasons.

In 2018, he caught 80 passes on 117 targets for 1,204 yards and five touchdowns. They were numbers that were on par with his previous three seasons, all of which included 1,000 yards and at least seven touchdowns.

But this past year, Cooks was far less productive. He sustained two concussions and missed two-plus games as a result, costing him valuable practice and game time. He finished the year with only 42 catches for 583 yards and two touchdowns, seeing just 72 passes come his way. There was even a stretch where he was targeted fewer than five times in six of seven games. In that span, he caught only 12 passes for 162 yards and no touchdowns. His concussions played a role in that ineffectiveness, but he simply wasn’t the playmaker he was in past years.

Josh Reynolds filled in well while Cooks was out and has shown in the last two seasons that he’s certainly capable of being a starter in the NFL. As a result, fans are wondering if the Rams should move on from Cooks by either trading him or simply cutting ties altogether.

Logically, it does make some sense. Financially, it makes very little.

Consider these numbers for a second, as they pertain to Cooks’ contract.

  • 2020 cap hit: $16.8 million
  • Dead money if cut: $29.8 million
  • Dead money if traded: $17.8 million

So by parting ways with the receiver they just traded a first-round pick for and gave a massive extension to just two years ago, the Rams would lose money by trading or cutting Cooks. Outright cutting him simply isn’t an option unless the Rams want to pay $29.8 million for him to be a free agent.

Trading him is more possible, but it’s still unlikely because of the salary cap ramifications. The Rams have never been afraid to make the bold and unexpected move, of course, so nothing should be ruled out.

But in reality, their best option is to hold onto him for 2020 and hope he returns to the past form he showed from 2015-2018. If he can’t and they’d like to part ways before the 2021 season, it’s much move viable – though still not highly beneficial financially.

If they trade or cut him in 2021, they’ll save $3.8 million and take on $13 million in dead money. It’s not a huge savings, but it’s better than incurring a dead cap charge that’s more than his cap hit.

Expect Cooks to remain on the roster for next season, but beyond that is nowhere near determined.

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Rams carrying very little dead money into 2020

The Rams don’t have much dead money on the books in 2020.

For as much is made about the Los Angeles Rams’ salary cap situation, there’s one aspect of it that puts them in a good spot. Heading into 2020, they’re carrying very little dead money on the books, which not every team can say.

According to Spotrac, the Rams only have $387,593 in dead money at the moment, which is the sixth-lowest total in the NFL. Most of that comes from one player, too.

John Franklin-Myers, who was shockingly a final cut before the 2019 regular season began, carries a dead cap charge of $226,180. Obviously, that’s not a big number, but it does make up about two-thirds of the Rams’ dead money.

The rest of it comes from John Kelly, Dakota Allen, Trevon Young, Alex Bachman and Johnathan Lloyd. Kelly and Allen were both signed back to the practice squad, but their initial dead cap charges still remain on the books.

As of now, the Rams are projected to have between $16.8 million and $21.3 million in cap space next season, depending on where the salary cap falls between the $196.8-$201.2 million projection.

That’s the ninth-lowest total in the NFL for next season, which means the Rams will have to do some work in order to clear some space for free agents – both their own and outside players. With Cory Littleton, Dante Fowler Jr., Michael Brockers and Andrew Whitworth hitting free agency, the rams won’t be able to keep everyone.

If they do go to extremes to create cap space in 2020, though, it’ll bring more dead money on the books. For example, if they trade Todd Gurley, they’ll incur a dead cap charge of $12.6 million, while also saving $4.65 million. Similarly, if they trade Brandin Cooks, they’ll take on $17.8 million in dead money, which is $1 million more than Cooks’ cap hit. So they’d be paying him more to play elsewhere than they would to keep him.