A disappointing loss to the 49ers after a huge win against Seattle last week. Kind of leaves us all just scratching our heads, with 3 7-win seasons in Jeff Fisher's 4-year tenure. It will be a busy offseason, with much change potentially occurring: on the roster, on the coaching staff (front office?) and the teams' location. Stay tuned.
Food for thought...for those who think you must have a great passing game to succeed in the NFL. 7 of the top 10 passing teams in the league did not make the playoffs. Conversely, 5 of the top 10 rushing teams in the league made the playoffs.
Twitter Talk
Best wishes to all for a healthy, happy and prosperous 2016!!
Happy New Year St Louis!!!!
— Chris Long (@JOEL9ONE) January 1, 2016
The labyrinth of bureaucracy, the constricted time frame, plus dealing with the NFL makes it all the more remarkable:
Critics can say what they want, but job by STL task force and supporters to get stadium plan in 13 months is nothing short of phenomenal.
— Howard Balzer (@HBalzer721) December 29, 2015
Sad to see him playing in a Patriots uniform, but will be happy when he retires as a St. Louis Ram:
Cheers and #happynewyear to all! pic.twitter.com/26ADuUt6rO
— Steven Jackson (@sj39) January 1, 2016
The power of positive thinking. Go get em Sted!
New year, new goals! Bring it on
— STEDMAN BAILEY SR (@iamSB3) December 31, 2015
An expensive proposition no matter which way you look at it...
Relocation proposals for Los Angeles are due tomorrow and all 3 teams — #Rams, #Chargers & #Raiders — will file them. No surprise there.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 3, 2016
What will it cost? I'm told the relocation fee for Los Angeles is $550M per team. Hefty. Owners expected to help out whoever gets left out
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 3, 2016
Considering the foibles of the Rams' QB's this season, this little nugget is for all the Bradford haters:
Sam Bradford is the first QB in Eagles history with three straight games of 320 yards and 65 percent accuracy.
— Reuben Frank (@RoobCSN) January 4, 2016
Even Torry Holt is taking a swing...
Rams finish 7-9 in 2015-16 season. According to Jeff Fisher they'll "fix it". #Rams
— Torry Holt (@BigGame81) January 4, 2016
A telling statistic:
In their 9 losses this season, Rams scored 28 points (total) in 2nd half and OT
— Bernie Miklasz (@miklasz) January 4, 2016
Another telling statistic:
As a group, Rams WRs posted 137 catches for 1,635 yards, 8 TDs. Atlanta's Julio Jones finished with 136 catches for 1,871 yards, 8 TDs.
— Nick Wagoner (@nwagoner) January 4, 2016
Quote Of The Week
From Drew Magary at Deadspin:
"Since the beginning of time, pro sports teams have been more interested in exploiting fan loyalty than appreciating it. This is not the first time a fanbase has been given the Sophie’s Choice of A) Losing their team or B) Making a spoiled rich (owner) even MORE of a spoiled rich (owner)."
Rams 360: The Greatest Show On Turf: St. Louis Rams Official Website
Join the 1999 Super Bowl Rams as they reminisce about the Greatest Show on Turf. A must-see video!
Rams face tough decisions on Trumaine Johnson, Janoris Jenkins: ESPN NFL Nation
Nick Wagoner hits on the key question regarding eligible Free Agent CB's Johnson and Jenkins:
"So the case can be made that the Rams can afford to bring both Johnson and Jenkins back. And they'll probably try. But that begs the question of whether that would be the most efficient use of their resources given their needs to significantly improve the offense and re-sign other key defensive free agents."
Allocation of resources will be the most difficult thing the Rams will have to do this offseason.
A closer look at the case for Keenum to be Rams' QB in 2016: ESPN NFL Nation
Two thumbs up for Nick Wagoner for his clever word play in the article title! I believe the Rams should tender Keenum to return (he's a Restricted Free Agent after the season) and have him compete for the starters job next summer. The Rams do have quite the conundrum, with Nick Foles and Sean Mannion also on the roster. Should the Rams roll with the three of them next season, or bring in more competition via Free Agency or the draft?
2016 NFL Mock Draft: Walter Football
Charlie Campbell updates his three round mock draft. At #18, the Rams select WR Laquon Treadwell. In the ensuing rounds, the Rams select QB Carson Wentz and DE Jarran Reed in the 2nd and LB Tyler Matakevich in the third 3rd. I love the Treadwell and Wentz selections.
Todd Gurley missed game with "mild turf toe": ESPN NFL Nation
From Coach Fisher:
"So, just a little bit of detail on Todd and his status, he’s got a mild turf toe. Nothing that’s going to set him back, nothing that’s going to be a problem for him, but we didn’t feel like it was necessary to mess with it and create the possibility where we could damage the joint a little bit more. So, we decided to hold him today."
Draft Prospect Highlight Reel: WR - Laquon Treadwell - Mississippi
Method to the madness: How Belichick rules the draft: Grantland
Should the Rams be taking notes from the master himself?
2016 NFL Draft underclassmen tracker: SB Nation - Mocking The Draft
Which college players are going pro? MTD's Dan Kadar will keep us updated on declarations as the deadline date (January 18) approaches.
What makes Jared Goff the best QB in the draft: SB Nation - Mocking The Draft
Will the Rams stand pat at QB this offseason? Or will they make a dramatic move and trade up for perhaps the best QB in the 2016 NFL Draft?
Transactions Table: Over The Cap
As Free Agency approaches, fans will be looking for all the information they can get. I'll make every effort to keep Rams fans updated on regular basis regarding where the Rams stand with Free Agency, the roster and all salary cap issues/salary cap space. In the meantime, OTC has produced this handy guide to 2016 salary cap hits for players over $4 million. The Rams may just have a few on that list they'll be paying close attention to as the new league year approaches.
Highlights: Rams at 49ers - Week 17: St. Louis Rams Official Website
The top plays from the Rams' loss to San Francisco in the season finale.
Stat Facts Of The Week: Toxic Differential
Toxic Differential Leaders
Team
Turnover Differential
Big Play Differential
Toxic Differential
1
Carolina Panthers
19
34
53
2
Seattle Seahawks
4
38
42
3
Buffalo Bills
4
29
33
4
Cincinnati Bengals
9
22
31
5
Arizona Cardinals
12
15
27
6
Minnesota Vikings
5
19
24
7
Kansas City Chiefs
15
5
20
8
New York Jets
8
11
19
9
Pittsburgh Steelers
1
18
19
10
New England Patriots
7
9
16
11
Green Bay Packers
5
4
9
12
St. Louis Rams
4
4
8
13
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
-4
12
8
14
Denver Broncos
0
7
7
15
Jacksonville Jaguars
-7
9
2
16
Baltimore Ravens
-12
9
-3
17
Oakland Raiders
0
-4
-4
18
Houston Texans
2
-8
-6
19
New York Giants
6
-15
-9
20
San Francisco 49ers
-4
-5
-9
21
Atlanta Falcons
-6
-4
-10
22
Philadelphia Eagles
-4
-6
-10
23
Chicago Bears
-1
-9
-10
24
New Orleans Saints
1
-20
-19
25
Miami Dolphins
-3
-22
-25
26
Dallas Cowboys
-18
-7
-25
27
Detroit Lions
-9
-20
-29
28
Indianapolis Colts
-5
-25
-30
29
Cleveland Browns
-8
-23
-31
30
Washington Redskins
1
-33
-32
31
San Diego Chargers
-8
-25
-33
32
Tennessee Titans
-14
-19
-33
Heading into the final week of the season, the Rams were tied for 12th in the NFL in the "Toxic Differential" metric (+8). The Rams were +4 in both Turnover and Big Play Differentials.
The expression "toxic differential" was coined by former NFL coach Brian Billick. Billick was head coach of the Baltimore Ravens for 9 seasons, and led them to a Super Bowl victory in the 2000 season.
From an article by Brian Billick for NFL.com in November, 2011:
"People are constantly looking for the right combination of stats to indicate the probable success of a team. What are the key factors to winning? Is it sacks, third-down conversions, first-down efficiency, the ability to run the ball and stop the run, total passing yards? All are important, but none are a precise indicator of success."
"Beginning in 1998, when I was the Vikings' offensive coordinator, I used a formula that I called the "toxic differential" as the best barometer for our team's success. Simply stated, the toxic differential is the correlation between turnovers and explosive plays."
Taking a look: Laquon Treadwell, Ole Miss: National Football Post
Treadwell is currently the highest-rated WR in the 2016 NFL Draft. He's also atop my board at WR. Will the Rams (who have a big need at WR) be in a position to select him? Or trade up if the cost isn't prohibitive?
NFL heavyweights to meet in New York in advance of LA relocation vote: CBS Sports
The NFL owners will be meeting in Houston on January 12-13, where a vote on a move to LA is still expected. In the meantime, as noted by Jason La Canfora:
"With the NFL pushing forward with plans to vote on a Los Angeles relocation soon, there will be preliminary meetings of key owners in New York next week. Sources said the powerful Los Angeles relocation commitee, which is spearheading this issue, along with the league's stadium committee and finance committee, are set to meet Wednesday and Thursday in New York."
10 Questions: Jim Thomas on the Rams: St. Louis Post-Dispatch
A sampling of topics and commentary from beat reporter Jim Thomas' weekly chat.
Five Things To Watch For Next Season: Belleville News-Democrat
The quarterback conundrum and the potential relocation to Los Angeles head the list of things to watch for in the coming months.
Tavon Austin up, Nick Foles down for Rams in 2015: ESPN NFL Nation
Nick Wagoner takes us through some of the Rams' ups and downs of 2015.
On This Day In Sports History
1976 - NFC Championship Game: Dallas Cowboys defeat the Los Angeles Rams 37-7.
1942 - NFL Pro Bowl - Chicago Bears defeat the NFL All-Stars 35-24.
A Less-Than-Stellar NFL Season Has Its Memorable Moments: New York Times
Memorable moments from the 2015 NFL regular season. Who will ever forget this runner-up for worst play of the year?
"Steven Hauschka’s poorly executed squib kick to start overtime in Seattle’s Week 1 loss at St. Louis. Coach Pete Carroll was blamed for trying an onside kick, but that was not the call. Hauschka made an awful attempt."
St. Louis Rams: 2015 In Review: Turf Show Times
ICYMI. A great article by Douglas Morrison looking back on the Rams' 2015 season.
Complete History Of The NFL
: FiveThirtyEight
How do the Rams rate as an NFL team since their inception in 1937? A mediocre record overall and three NFL Championships.
NFL head-coaching candidates: NFL.com
If you're on the "Fire Fisher" bandwagon (I'm not BTW), Albert Breer has put together a comprehensive list of the hottest names who could be NFL head coaches next season.
Order for top 20 picks in 2016 NFL Draft is set: NFL.com
With Sunday's loss to San Francisco, the Rams will select at Number 15 in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft.
Five questions facing the St. Louis Rams this offseason: ESPN NFL Nation
The quarterback position and possible relocation head Nick Wagoner's list of what to watch for this offseason.
Rams suffer OT defeat to 49ers in season finale: St. Louis Rams Official Website
Rams Insider Myles Simmons recaps the Rams loss to the 49ers.
Biggest battle is still to come for the Rams: St. Louis Post-Dispatch
The regular season battles in the trenches are over for the Rams. Now the relocation battles in the boardrooms begins.
It's Playoff Time. But First...: Sports Illustrated - MMQB
Peter King shares his thoughts on the week that was in the NFL.
The Pressers
Jeff Fisher Post-Game Press Conference: St. Louis Rams Official Website
Greg Zuerlein Post-Game Press Conference: St. Louis Rams Official Website
Case Keenum Post-Game Press Conference: St. Louis Rams Official Website
William Hayes Post-Game Press Conference: St. Louis Rams Official Website
One-On-One With Chris Long: St. Louis Rams Official Website
Following a 19-16 loss to the 49ers to end the Rams’ season at 7-9, coach Jeff Fisher says the offense is his priority for next season.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch Post-Game Coverage
Rams Report Card: Week 17 - San Francisco 49ers
Jeff Gordon hands out his weekly unit grades. The grades have more than one "F" in them this week.
Same old Rams fall to Niners 19-16 in OT
Joe Lyons and Jim Thomas recap the season finale between the San Francisco 49ers and the St. Louis Rams.
Bitter ending by the bay for Rams
Jim Thomas shares his thoughts on the Rams' season-ending loss to the 49ers.Niners Nation
CBS Sports Game Grades & Recap
49ers 19, Rams 16 OT
B-
The Rams have zero offense without Todd Gurley, so it wasn't exactly surprising to see St. Louis struggle with Gurley on the sideline.
B+
Blaine Gabbert did something on Sunday that not even Russell Wilson could do: Beat the Rams. Maybe the Rams underestimated Gabbert, maybe they gave up, but whatever the reason was, Gabbert was able to shred the Rams for 354 passing yards. That number marks Gabbert's career-high. Before Sunday, he'd never thrown for over 320 yards in a game.
St. Louis Rams Weekly Salary "Re-Cap"
The Rams have $2,309,338 in available salary cap space as of 11:00 pm, Sunday, January 4 (the 7th lowest total in the league). Please check here and here at Rams In Perspective for my regular salary cap updates throughout the year.
St. Louis Rams Current Roster & Depth Chart
Rams place DTs Worthington and Fairley on IR.
— Jim Thomas (@jthom1) December 31, 2015
Rams fill their spots by promoting RB Malcolm Brown from practice squad and claiming CBTroy Hill on waivers from Patriots.
— Jim Thomas (@jthom1) December 31, 2015
Rams place CB Eric Patterson (ankle) on IR, promote WR Nick Toon from practice squad.
— Jim Thomas (@jthom1) January 1, 2016
C
Tim Barnes
Demetrius Rhaney
Eric Kush
RG
Cody Wichmann
Brian Folkerts
LG
Garrett Reynolds
RT
Rob Havenstein
Andrew Donnal
LT
Greg Robinson
Isaiah Battle
TE
Lance Kendricks
Cory Harkey
TE
Jared Cook
WR
Tavon Austin
Wes Welker
Bradley Marquez
WR
Kenny Britt
Brian Quick
Nick Toon
RB
Tre Mason
Benny Cunningham
Malcolm Brown
RB
Todd Gurley
Chase Reynolds
QB
Case Keenum
Nick Foles
Sean Mannion
PK
Greg Zuerlein
P
John Hekker
LS
Jake McQuaide
DT
Aaron Donald
Louis Trinca-Pasat
DT
Michael Brockers
Ethan Westbrooks
DE
Chris Long
Eugene Sims
DE
William Hayes
Matt Longacre
MLB
James Laurinaitis
Bryce Hager
OLB
Mark Barron
Daren Bates
OLB
Akeem Ayers
Cameron Lynch
CB
Janoris Jenkins
Marcus Roberson
CB
Trumaine Johnson
Lamarcus Joyner
Troy Hill
SS
Maurice Alexander
Christian Bryant
FS
Rodney McLeod
Cody Davis
Practice Squad
Injured Reserve
IR/Designated To Return
LB Zack Hodges
CB E.J. Gaines
OLB Alec Ogletree
LB Matthew Wells
OG Rodger Saffold
CB Melvin White
WR Isiah Ferguson
Reserve/Suspended
FB Zach Laskey
OT Darrell Williams
TE Justice Cunningham
OG Jamon Brown
RB Trey Watts
WR J.J. Worton
SS Tim McDonald Jr.
WR Deon Long
DE Robert Quinn
Reserve/NFI
OG David Arkin
DT Doug Worthington
DT Nick Fairley
WR Stedman Bailey
CB Eric Patterson
74 Players Total
Classic Rock Monday: Guns N' Roses - Sympathy For The Devil
Please have a great Monday and a Ramtastic week!!
Poll
What does the future hold for Case Keenum and Rob Boras with the Rams?
The Rams will tender Keenum as a RFA and retain Boras as OC
The Rams will not tender Keenum and will replace Boras
The Rams will tender Keenum and will replace Boras
The Rams will not tender Keenum but will retain Boras
74 votes | Results