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LA Rams to be featured on Hard Knocks 2016 (1 Viewer)

Not only does the NFL not give a single flying #### about St. Louisans, they're rubbing their faces in it now.

I hope Goodell goes off a cliff.

 
I can understand st Louis fans being unhappy but really it's the logical choice for a new fan base that doesn't give a #### about football but idolizes reality show stars.  

 
Too bad Hard Knocks wasn't around in 1950, they could have covered 3 X First-team All-Pro Bob Waterfield, who was married to pin-up girl and Howard Hughes starlet Jane Russell. Also, the rare QB platoon with fellow future Hall of Famer Norm Van Brocklin. In 1950, NVB and Waterfield finished 1-2 in passer rating and the Rams scored 38.8 PPG, a record that still stands, with WRs Tom Fears, who led the NFL with a then record 84 receptions, and Elroy "Crazy Legs" Hirsch (though lost to the Otto Graham-led Browns in the Championship game, 30-28).    

 
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Bob Magaw said:
If they were doing this in the 40s-50s, they could have covered 3 X First-team All-Pro Bob Waterfield, who was married to pin-up girl and Howard Hughes starlet Jane Russell. Also, the rare QB platoon with fellow future Hall of Famer Norm Van Brocklin. In 1950, NVB and Waterfield finished 1-2 in passer rating and the Rams scored 38.8 PPG, a record that still stands, with WRs Tom Fears, who led the NFL with a then record 84 receptions, and Elroy "Crazy Legs" (though lost to the Otto Graham-led Browns in the Championship game, 30-28).    
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But since it's 2016, they get Case Keenum, Nick Foles, and the never ending mystery of Brian Quick!

WHAT A DEAL!

 
Keenum admittedly a tad less buzz than interwoven NVB, Waterfield and Jane Russell story lines would have commanded.

The Rams do have consecutive Rookie of the Years in RB Gurley and DT Donald.

An up and coming defense that lost veteran leadership in Chris Long and James Laurinaitis as well as half their secondary in CB Jenkins and FS McLeod, WLB Alec Ogletree shunted to MLB, former SS Mark Barron just became one of the highest paid WLBs in the league. DC Gregg Williams has the Bountygate notoriety. 

WR/RB/PR Tavon Austin coming off a career high 10 combined TDs, WVU teammate Stedman Bailey attempting an NFL return after being shot twice in the head in 2015.

Plus, the Rams could attempt to trade up to the 1.6-1.5-1.4 region (BAL, JAX and DAL, respectively - LA has some ammo to move up with their 1.15 and 2.15 plus PHI 2.13 acquired via the Bradford trade) to try and snipe SF for whoever CLE doesn't take, Wentz, or more likely Goff, or possibly a more surgical trade up, or even stay put and take Paxton Lynch, which would significantly change the QB story line leading into the season - though Lynch would likely sit for some if not most of the 2016 season.

* HC Fisher returning to LA after playing at USC (same with SS T.J. McDonald), first pre-season game against the Cowboys, also possible joint training camp scrimmages which led to bench clearing brawls last Summer, and probable appearances by LA-based former Rams greats such as Hall of Fame RB Eric Dickerson. 

Certainly the presence of Jack Nicholson gave the Lakers publicity footprint some high powered extra cache even when the lights burned brightest during the legendary Showtime era, perhaps there will be some Rams counterparts?

 
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Not very exciting. The real story is the relocation but I don't see that being compelling towards the normal Hard Knocks delivery. I watch every year because I enjoy seeing the process and behind the scenes type stuff as well as every year the underdog stories of guys you would otherwise never know and maybe don't ever make a roster- which has some compelling drama but I am not seeing much about the Rams that is interesting. I will watch but it is not as interesting to me as some of the past years have been.

Smart on the NFL and Rams side to try to kickstart the fanbase in returning to LA though.

 
I'm tempted to watch to see if the series will address how Stan Kroenke didn't say a single ####### word during the relocation process, then suddenly came out of hiding after the relocation went through.

Or how Goodell was in Kroenke's pocket the whole time and worked on his behalf to try to sabotage the STL riverfront stadium deal.

Or how more St. Louisans showed up to a public town hall to voice support for keeping their team than San Diego or Oakland fans did to theirs.

Or how Demoff smiled when he mentioned how the team tanked during last season and allowed a relocation to be easier.

Or...you get the idea. I have a feeling I'll have to wait for the ESPN 30 for 30 on this, though.

 
I'm curious to see how Gurley looks another season removed from torn ACL rehab.

He broke the NFL record of most combined rushing yards in his first 4-5 starts, less than a year after the injury. Was as good as advertised and played up to his billing as the best RB prospect since Adrian Peterson.

Donald is becoming one of the best defensive players in the NFL (after J.J. Watt), he is starting to get more recognition.

Big transition to position conversion MLB Alec Ogletree (though he played inside and outside at Georgia, and even safety, in a Karlos Dansby, Jamie Collins-like career arc and trajectory) replacing Laurinaitis as QB of the defense. Can he read his keys and pre-snap reads to get the defense lined up correctly, as well as withstand the rigors and punishment associated with MLB, stack and shed, etc. If so, he has vastly superior athleticism and playmaking ability to his predecessor. I think he led the NFL in combined FFs (10) in his rookie/soph campaigns of 2013-2014, very unusual for a 4-3 WLB, more typically leaders would come from the DE or 3-4 OLB pass rushing specialist ranks.   

 
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TEs Kendricks (extended in '15) and Cory Harkey (just re-signed) line up at FB a lot. Appointment TV. I'll be keeping some sedatives handy in case things get too exciting. :)

 
Bob Magaw said:
Keenum admittedly a tad less buzz than interwoven NVB, Waterfield and Jane Russell story lines would have commanded.

The Rams do have consecutive Rookie of the Years in RB Gurley and DT Donald.

An up and coming defense that lost veteran leadership in Chris Long and James Laurinaitis as well as half their secondary in CB Jenkins and FS McLeod, WLB Alec Ogletree shunted to MLB, former SS Mark Barron just became one of the highest paid WLBs in the league. DC Gregg Williams has the Bountygate notoriety. 

WR/RB/PR Tavon Austin coming off a career high 10 combined TDs, WVU teammate Stedman Bailey attempting an NFL return after being shot twice in the head in 2015.

Plus, the Rams could attempt to trade up to the 1.6-1.5-1.4 region (BAL, JAX and DAL, respectively - LA has some ammo to move up with their 1.15 and 2.15 plus PHI 2.13 acquired via the Bradford trade) to try and snipe SF for whoever CLE doesn't take, Wentz, or more likely Goff, or possibly a more surgical trade up, or even stay put and take Paxton Lynch, which would significantly change the QB story line leading into the season - though Lynch would likely sit for some if not most of the 2016 season.

* HC Fisher returning to LA after playing at USC (same with SS T.J. McDonald), first pre-season game against the Cowboys, also possible joint training camp scrimmages which led to bench clearing brawls last Summer, and probable appearances by LA-based former Rams greats such as Hall of Fame RB Eric Dickerson. 

Certainly the presence of Jack Nicholson gave the Lakers publicity footprint some high powered extra cache even when the lights burned brightest during the legendary Showtime era, perhaps there will be some Rams counterparts?
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Exactly 0.0% chance they trade up for a QB.  Fisher/Snead are QB blind and criminally under value the position.   Our fate is sealed to another 7-9 season and wasting of a top 5 defense.   Gurley is who I really feel bad for, SJax 2.0 is his future.  

 
They traded up for Tavon Austin, a passing game weapon, from 1.15 to 1.8 in 2013.

They traded for and extended Foles in 2015, who had a 26/2 TD/INT ratio in 2013. Were you for or against that trade and/or extension last year?

They continued to pay the last bonus baby #1 overall QB under the old labor agreement in 2014, coming off a torn ACL injury (which was retorn in the pre-season).

I've been critical of not doing more via the draft, trade or free agency (but realistically, how many good options have there been via trade and free agency, and again, they DID trade for Foles, and good QBs generally aren't made available in free agency), but it isn't like they've done nothing at the position. They probably stuck with Bradford too long, but who was predicting consecutive torn ACLs? How often has that happened to a QB since the merger? They traded down in the second last year, still getting RT Havenstein, and parlaying the extra third into QB Mannion (who looked much better at Oregon State in 2013 than 2014, when he had future first round WR Cooks of NO and third round WR Wheaton of PIT to throw to, and broke the conference record in career passing yards). The top two QBs last year were gone in the first two picks. They took Gurley at #10 overall, should they have drafted a QB instead? They took something like seven straight offensive picks in the 2015 draft (before two token defensive picks, LB/ST Hager and since cut/signed by TB DE Ifedi in the seventh/final round), including four OL, and two on day two, which can help the QB and passing game. Carr would have been a good pick in 2014, but they thought they were good with Bradford. That year, they took LT Robinson #2 overall and Donald around #13 overall, should they have taken a QB like Johnny Manziel instead of Donald? Would you have been an advocate and proponent of that move at the time? :)

* Les Snead was a scout for over a decade and promoted to Personnel Director in 2009 for ATL, a team that drafted Matt Ryan third overall in 2008. Keep in mind, when Snead talks about how important defense is to winning, and Fisher talks about how they can win with Keenum, that could be pre-draft disinformation and smokescreens. If they DID intend to trade up and snipe SF of, for instance, Goff, you wouldn't expect them to just blurt out their intentions, and put all their cards on the table before the hand was over, right? What they are saying and how they are acting is exactly what I'd expect if they intended to take a QB. Doesn't mean they will, just that this is EXACTLY what I'd expect from them if they did intend to. Also, they don't necessarily have to trade up, some scouts think Lynch has as much or more upside as any QB in the draft, and he could fall to them at 1.15.   

 
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I never care who the team is, I just love watching this show.  I love seeing how things happen within a football organization and and seeing it unfiltered.

 
"A rumor that won't go away..."

:lmao: :lmao: :lmao:

"... as cheaply done and ham fisted as I've ever seen..."

ironically...

* Even as a yarn, on a scale of 1-10, -171

 
Hawkeye21 said:
I never care who the team is, I just love watching this show.  I love seeing how things happen within a football organization and and seeing it unfiltered.
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Seriously.  If you're #####ing about Hard Knocks, you're doing it wrong.  And it's about you, not HBO or HK.  Doesn't matter the team, the storylines are there every year.  And, it's always great tv.

 
massraider said:
I think you might be completely insane. 
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Doing my best Kramer impression..... "Or is he so sane he just blew your mind!"

I'm not sure how far down this rabbit hole Im willing to go but I do have to admit something smells fishy.  No halfway intelligent football person could possibly feel comfortable going into the season with the QB's currenly on the roster.   And I'm not buying any shot of of moving up for 1 of the 2 worthy prospects this year.   No chance we play the roll of the Redskins after being the ones on the other end of that deal.....

 
The Rams could possibly move up to 1.6 for an extra second, hardly what WAS paid.

Anyway, just because it didn't work out for WAS, doesn't mean all trade ups are doomed (or that teams would let their actions be dictated by failures of completely different organizations), Julio Jones worked out pretty well, Les Snead was a personnel exec when that trade happened.

Lynch another possible option that wouldn't necessarily require a trade up, he has more upside than any QB currently on the LA roster.

 
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Jeff Fisher has done enough ( or enough of little) to get his butt fired by now in his time with the Rams. Why does he still have a job?
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I believe Fisher took the job knowing the team was moving back to Los Angeles. Win or lose he was going to be the coach.

 
Schopenhauer, didn't he play for Green Bay?

If Rosen ends up with the Rams in a few years, could he be the Hosin One?

So many questionable assumptions.

The Rams are going to tank for the next two years and gut the nucleus of an up and coming roster (Fisher and Snead have been accumulating high picks for four years, with another three picks in the top 45 in 2016 - they have drafted 2014 Defensive Rookie of the Year Donald and 2015 Offensive Rookie of the Year Gurley in the last two consecutive drafts, arguably among the best in the league at their respective positions) for the chance to draft a player that may not even be a top prospect in 2018 (Hackenberg regressed), and even if he is, no guarantee he ever becomes even a competent NFL QB, let alone a star.

Yet they just extended WLB Mark Barron and DE Williams Hayes (why if they are tanking?), and in the next year or two could be looking to extend LB Ogletree, CB Trumaine Johnson (franchise tagged), DT Michael Brockers, WR Tavon Austin and SS T.J. McDonald, DT Aaron Donald soon after, as well as RB Gurley.

The draft hasn't happened yet. If they intended to move up, they probably wouldn't hold a press conference and alert the media about their designs. What would you expect them to say, if they plan on moving up in the draft (probably something very much like, Keenum is our starter)? We don't even know what Fisher and Snead will do about a month from now, let alone three to four drafts from now. We have no idea if they actually intend to roll with Keenum this year, all they have said is he is the starter FOR NOW, and others (for instance PFT, later issuing a correction) have read more into it than is there. Is the roster much better now than when Fisher and Snead took over the franchise, compared to when drafts were run by their predecessors Spagnuolo and Devaney, or Linehan/Martz and Zygmunt/Shaw? Absolutely yes. That is how they still have a job.

2019 (when Kroenke World opens) is three years and four drafts from now. That is an eternity, plenty of time to find a QB between now and then without needing to posit a bizarre Getting Hosin' for Rosen scenario, that takes a vivid, florid, even Baroque imagination to conceive (let alone believe).

If the Rams are in the war room and in position to trade up for Rosen in a few years, should they include extra picks because he is Jewish? I couldn't make this stuff up. If Wentz, Goff or Lynch come to the Rams and win, the fans can care less if they are Jewish or not, that is absurd.

* About this same time just last year, Fisher was adamant Bradford was his QB. Than he traded him. Novel concept, sometimes what Fisher states, and what actually happens are different. Teams aren't under any obligation to tell the truth around draft time.

 
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Bob Magaw said:
The Rams could possibly move up to 1.6 for an extra second, hardly what WAS paid.

Anyway, just because it didn't work out for WAS, doesn't mean all trade ups are doomed (or that teams would let their actions be dictated by failures of completely different organizations), Julio Jones worked out pretty well, Les Snead was a personnel exec when that trade happened.

Lynch another possible option that wouldn't necessarily require a trade up, he has more upside than any QB currently on the LA roster.
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I never said all trades up are doomed.   Many have worked out.  I just can't see this  regime doing it.  

Nothing would make me happier then to see the Rams get aggressive and go after it and if you look into my posts prior to last year I've been a Fisher/Snead supporter.  There is no question the team is light years ahead of where it was when the 2 of them walked in the doors.  But it's becoming extremely clear to me that Fisher is who he is, a guy capable of taking a struggling team (granted we were far worst then "struggling") and making them mediocre. He has an extraordinarily long list of doing exactly that. 

I have no faith at this point in anything other then 7-9 or possibly 8-8 under Fishers leadership.  

 
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GordonGekko said:
No, what is completely insane is the idea that ANY functional GM and/or head coach would walk into a season with Nick Foles and/or Case Keenum as their starting QB1s and hope to keep their jobs.

You do not, I repeat, DO NOT open what should be the most expensive sports stadium built  EVER in human history and roll out a Ryan Mallet. Or a Case Keenum. Or a Nick Foles. Or a Brian Hoyer. Or whomever else from the retread pile. And while that will be years away, it still requires a team wanting to get that young elite franchise QB1 in place to plan ahead of time. Everyone associated with the NFL wants this move to be successful. A powerhouse team in LA is only good for upping the valuation of all NFL franchises and also to create the marketing base and interest to get the kind of global expansion that the league wants.
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Happy Easter everyone.  I should get an award, I read both of GG's posts in full.

Any multi-year tanking theory  always needs to be examined with a good amount of skepticism,  and then completely disregarded.  Any multi-year theory for a specific player should be completely disregarded from the jump.  The closest I can think of was my own Raiders, when Mark Davis allowed McKenzie to take all the salary cap medicine at once, even tho it meant 2012 was a lost season.  And that team had extraordinary circumstances, with a deceased owner, salary cap issues, and no 1st and 2nd round pick.  

Let's assume there is some jockeying going on above Fisher's head.  The head coach is the most replaceable part of the exec team, so that's plausible.  The question is, who is pulling these strings?  Les Snead, the GM that has drafted well recently?  No GM would be part of a two-year dump, and rookie QB.  He could never be sure he was going to be part of the winning team.  Something like this would have to come from the owner.  Kroenke is not a meddlesome owner, and he has shown no interest in being Jerry Jones.

The biggest issue with your conspiracy theory is that it doesn't make football sense.  It assumes they have a bad team, and need to build a young roster of talent for a young QB.

They have a talented young roster already.  They have Quinn, Donald, Ogletree, Trumaine, Austin, Gurley.  They have some offensive linemen, and need a true WR or two.  This team has a LOT of pieces in place, and is going to have to start replacing young talent with cheaper options, as it had to do with Janoris a few weeks ago.  This team already has young talent that is coming up for second contracts soon, if this team gets a QB, their window is officially open.  

Tanking for two years is stuff message board GM's come up with, when there's no real jobs on the line.  This front office, and coaching staff have mortgages, families, and financial responsibilities.  They aren't going to potentially damage their career prospects in order to maybe get a QB in two years.  

 
You do not, I repeat, DO NOT open what should be the most expensive sports stadium built  EVER in human history and roll out a Ryan Mallet. Or a Case Keenum. Or a Nick Foles. Or a Brian Hoyer. Or whomever else from the retread pile. And while that will be years away, it still requires a team wanting to get that young elite franchise QB1 in place to plan ahead of time.
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In 3 years Paxton Lynch should be ready when the stadium opens.

 
Just did a Google search.  It will be available on HBO Go on Wednesdays at around 7am.

 
Coach goes over camp rules right away and a player breaks a rule right away.  How stupid do you get.  I laughed when he cut him instantly.

 
I had forgotten all about Kara Henderson. 

Also, Chris Weinke is in the early running to take the torch from Brian Cushing of being this season's bag of doosh. 

 
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Favorite line in the show:

Fisher to Foles on the phone:  So you went on a vacation, that's great.  I Just wanted to check in on you and let you know we are releasing you today.

Nothing like getting fired on the phone.

 
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