All Things Rams - Stafford Thread

[Topweasel]

The underrated part of the Rams success is they have a lot of homegrown players on the roster even after saying Fuck Dem Picks.

Also while people want to poke holes in Mcvay's armor after a couple of years after the SB kind of sliding back, he got them competitive and into the SB like a year after taking over a team that couldn't win a single game with their QB. He knows how to coach. I am guessing they only will tank a season at most before they are competitive again.

[chemiclord]

I maintain McVay is an entirely replacement level coach who the Rams won in spite of more than anything else.

[jaadam4]

I maintain McVay is an entirely replacement level coach who the Rams won in spite of more than anything else.

I'm not a huge fan of him either but you can't argue with his body of work. Jeff Fischer was terrible who was a replacement level coach that kept getting lucky with players. McVay has to get some kind of recognition.

[froot loops]

I was not that impressed with McVay as a play caller, I think that he is àbout on par with Caldwell in that department. The big difference between McVay and Caldwell always looked like he was trying to imitate a stone statue on the sidelines whereas McVay knows where the camera is at all times. TV coverage loves when a coach is very active on the sidelines.

Holistically McVay gets that you need as much talent as possible. Football is mainly about accumulating as much talent as possible and lining up.

[whatever_gong82]

Much as I liked and respected Jim Caldwell, he would only let Stafford get loose when the team was losing late in the game.

With McVay, he let's Stafford rip it all game long.

[chemiclord]

Much as I liked and respected Jim Caldwell, he would only let Stafford get loose when the team was losing late in the game.

With McVay, he let's Stafford rip it all game long.

No, actually. McVay did pretty much the exact same "establish the run" nonsense, especially in the playoffs. It was ONLY desperation that led to McVay finally letting Stafford wing it against Tampa, San Fran, AND Cinci in the Super Bowl.

[froot loops]

I'm pretty sure us original Lion fans were much more comfortable watching our Rams than the people who grew up following the Rams. We were used to seeing a team running nowhere until they had to let Stafford wing it.

[Futureshock]

New Aaron Donald, Cooper Kupp deals actually create 2022 cap space for the Rams

Posted by Mike Florio on June 10, 2022, 10:53 AM EDT

Getty Images

The Rams gave significant new deals this week to defensive tackle Aaron Donald and receiver Cooper Kupp. Along the way, the Rams actually created cap space.

As noted by Field Yates of ESPN.com, the new contracts freed up $3.625 million in cap space for the Rams.

That’s what happens when a major piece of compensation becomes a signing bonus that, for both players, gets divided into five chunks. With only 20 percent of Donald’s $25 million to sign and 20 percent of Kupp’s $20 million to sign counting against the 2022 cap, that means $9 million in current charges — and $36 million later.

The Rams kicked the can, like many teams do. With the salary cap on the front end of a major growth spurt, any dollars deferred from 2022 into future years will have a reduced impact, since they’ll reflect a smaller percentage of the overall cap.

Still, the team’s approach to paying big money to multiple players has a practical impact. Of the 90 players currently on the roster, only 30 have 2022 cap numbers of $1 million or more. Unlike the Patriots of past years, who squeezed stars to take less and in turn had plenty of money for high-level backups with starting experience, the Rams risk reliance on young, cheap, and inexperienced players if starters are injured.

For example, if quarterback Matthew Stafford is injured, there’s no veteran backup with significant experience to step in and take over. Instead, it’s John Wolford, who has a cap number of $895,000 this year.

That puts more pressure on the front office to find capable, low-cost talent — and more pressure on the coaching staff to get those players ready to go — if/when starters are injured. It also puts more pressure of a training staff led by Reggie Scott to ensure that the team’s best players can play as many games as possible.

The risk is calculated. The risk is real. A rash of injuries will relegate the Rams to relying on reserves who aren’t as good as those with teams who have less of a gap in cap dollars between the starters and the understudies.

[Futureshock]

Rams COO Kevin Demoff: I don’t know if this model is sustainable forever, but we’ll stay aggressive

Posted by Josh Alper on June 9, 2022, 3:18 PM EDT

Getty Images

The Rams made a number of headline-grabbing moves on the way to winning Super Bowl LVI in February and they stayed active this offseason.

They signed wide receiver Allen Robinson and linebackers as free agents while also striking new deals that will put a lot of money in the pockets of quarterback Matthew Stafford, defensive tackle Aaron Donald, and wide receiver Cooper Kupp in the next few years. That fits the Rams’ recent model of building around high-priced players over draft picks and one can’t argue with how it’s worked out for them thus far.

Some have said that there will come a point where the Rams won’t be able to sustain that approach to team-building and the team’s COO Kevin Demoff doesn’t disagree, but he said that the team will remain aggressive even if they change the way they do business in the future.

“I don’t know that this model in particular is sustainable forever,” Demoff said, via Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times. “To me, it’s not about, ‘Oh, this is the model we will always have.’ I think our model has been [being] aggressive in trying to build the best team that we can build. That is sustainable.”

For now, though, don’t expect much to change. Demoff said that the Rams have designs on being one of the top global sports franchises and that “one title doesn’t get you there.”

[ghandi]

I'd imagine they pay the price at some point, but that point hasn't come ....yet....As for McVay, I'd like to see what he would do with a team that has lesser talent like the Lions....The Rams are pretty stacked...i imagine half the coaches in the league could get pretty far with that roster.

[Marko69]

WTF you got going on on your face, Kupp? First thing on the "to do" list after you get your $75M ......, buy a Braun!

[ghandi]

You see that picture of Kupp and would never guess he is one of the best WRs in the NFL.....

[Fraquar]

WTF you got going on on your face, Kupp? First thing on the "to do" list after you get your $75M ......, buy a Braun!

Normally I'd say it's his hockey playoff beard - but who is his team?

[edindetroit]

Screenshot_20220623-200855_Chrome.jpg
And the Lions would get one heck of a draft pick

[Futureshock]

Tonya Harding is available