Mailbag! Taking on Reader Questions

Answering reader questions about the upcoming NFL season

What is your opinion of the Rams' new logo and uniforms? --Dennis
I think the Rams uniform is cool. When they wear it I will be reminded of the Ukraine flag!

What do you think of Colin Kaepernick getting signed? What team? If he does play, do you think he'll do well? --Drew

Honestly, I don't know. He was okay in my opinion when he left. I didn't understand why he was leaving at the that time, I was just getting into football but now I understand. What I think of Colin getting signed is awesome, I'm glad he gets to play again although he will be rusty.

I think if he is signed I would see him going to the Chargers, Jaguars, Raiders, Browns, Lions, or Redskins.

Which team made the best offseason move and what was it?--Ms. Durant

I think the team that made the best offseason moves was the Buffalo Bills. They acquired WR Stefon Diggs. 

The Bills also signed DE Bryan Cox Jr. to a one-year contract and signed LB Mike Bell. To me, I think that is going to be one of the most dangerous teams in the AFC.

ZERO Lions in the Top 100 AND they're only 29th in offseason grades? What reasons can I have to be hopeful for a turnaround in Detroit this year?-- CP

Just pray that Matthew Stafford can come in clutch with a good season.

As a fan, how big of an impact do you think football in empty stadiums would have on your enjoyment of the games?

I think for the fans it would be weird. It is def a big change for everyone, we will just have to adapt to it.

Keep the questions and topics coming!

--Blitz War

Ram Report's recap of ESPN's 'Offseason Grades' and the CBS Sports 'Top 100 Players' list

This week on Ram Report, our analysts break down two key offseason lists from NFL experts, with an early glimpse of where the talent and expectations are heading into the new season.

Pete Prisco of CBS Sports gives his annual 'Top 100 Players' list for 2020- full article here

Bill Barnwell of ESPN ranks the offseason moves of all 32 teams- full article here

Which player's ranking from the 'Top 100' list was the biggest shock?

Blitz War- Cooper Kupp @ 97 isn't right. Cooper Kupp has far outperformed his draft slot after being a third-round pick in 2017. Kupp stayed healthy for all 16 games this season, putting together the best year of his young career thus far. He caught 94 of the 134 passes thrown his way, gaining 1,161 yards receiving with 10 touchdown catches. He is so underrated; he is that ice cream cone on a hot summer day.

Jack- Tom Brady was a big shock to me at No.19, Brady is now 42 years old and in a new environment. Sure he's the GOAT and has a lot of weapons around him this year but he's not mobile, his arm is ok but not as good as it used to be. He's lost a lot of physical talent and this year is on he is only going off an okay/good arm and great Football IQ, which is not the 19th best player in the NFL talent.

What are some surprises or takeaways from Bill Barnwell's 'Offseason Grade' rankings? 

Blitz- The Denver broncos @ 3 surprised me until I read why:

"The Broncos signed running back Melvin Gordon in free agency, then used their first two picks on wide receivers Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler. They also upgraded their offensive line by signing Graham Glasgow and got Lock an accomplished offensive coordinator in former Browns and Giants coach Pat Shurmur."

The Broncos defense needs some work but they still have until the trading deadline to work on that. With an explosive running back like Melvin Gordon, they will be on a good road. Melvin Gordon is like a brick wall on wheels.

Jack- I don't understand how Barnwell ranks the Cleveland Browns at No. 2. They didn't make many changes besides boosting the offensive line and changing the front office. Because of the lack of changes, this makes no sense considering how bad they were last year after making a ton of good changes in most people's opinions. I just don't see how you can rank a team at No.2 after barely any changes and an already bad team after a lot of supposedly great moves last year.

Jack's take on the Ravens players in the Top 100...
Lamar Jackson at No. 7 is probably correct. Yes, Jackson did win the MVP award last season, but he is still only a 3rd-year player and needs to grow as a passer. 

I also agree with Prisco's rating of No. 27 for Ronnie Stanley, Stanley who is Jackson's blind side (most important offensive lineman) was arguably the best player at his position last year and should get paid the most of anyone at his position when his contract is up next year.

Prisco is now 3/3, Calais Campbell is a much needed veteran defensive end for the Ravens and has so much talent, No. 39 is a good placement by Prisco. Marlon Humphrey is a great pass coverage corner but has a little trouble run-stopping, he is emerging into an elite corner in the NFL, that being said I would say Prisco is now 3.5/4. 

Ok so lastly, I love Mark Andrew as a player, he put up awesome numbers last year and it seems like he might continue that in the future but considering how unproven he is I don't think Prisco should have had him at No.100. 

I would've liked to see outstanding veteran safety Earl Thomas III on the list, or lockdown cornerback Marcus Peters, and breakout outside linebacker Matthew Judon should be in the conversation for the bottom of the list. Justin Tucker makes field goals like an archer hits bulls-eyes (no kickers anywhere on the list though).

Blitz's take on the highest ranked Ram...
Aaron Donald @ 2 is fair... well maybe that's a little high in the list in my opinion. Last year Donald had 19 assists and 12.5 sacks, With a 72 sacks from 2014 to 2019, he's a force to be reckoned with.

In five seasons, Donald has made five Pro Bowls, earned four first-team All-Pros, and won back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year awards. He is the reigning NFL sacks leader and is on pace to one day be fitted for a gold jacket. 

Aaron Donald hits the quarterback so fast he doesn't remember who he was going to pass it to! Donald has been cited as one of the greatest interior defensive linemen of all time. 

Jack's take on the Ravens' offseason moves...
The Ravens offseason was like a sundae with only some toppings. They beefed up their defense live and found a long term inside linebacker in Patrick Queen. They also got a running back of the future. But they lost Hall of Famer offensive lineman Marshall Yanda and they didn't get enough edge rushers. All in all, they got most of the sundae but just couldn't put the whipped cream and cherry on top.

Ram Report Tackles the Patriots' 2020 Draft

Greetings,

Many people requested a breakdown of the Patriots draft picks so I went and got help from an old friend. Meet Jack Shapiro ~Crowd Cheers~ 

Here are some quick facts about Jack. He is bad at Madden (I destroyed him with Hail Marys), he is good at all sports {JACK IS AN ELITE QUARTERBACK}, and closely follows the whole NFL. Even though he likes the Ravens, being in New England he is surrounded by Patriots fans. He reads The Boston Globe almost every day~ (which is filled with Patriots news).

This year the Patriots are like a crumbling castle: once a dynasty but slowly crumbling and falling. In comparison the Rams are like a person that’s knocking on the door but can’t get in the house. These two teams faced off in the 2019 Super Bowl with the Patriots coming out on top. This year I think the Rams will have a better season than the Patriots.

Here is the Ram Report take on New England's 2020 Draft Class:

Day One Grade (Round 1): B-

The Patriots had the No. 23 pick in Round 1, and then traded the selection to the Los Angeles Chargers for No. 27 (second round) and No. 71 (third round) overall. The Patriots used a strategy in this draft to trade away their two mediocre picks for another team's good pick and bad pick. In my opinion, this was a bad choice because they had a chance for a really good defensive back or linebacker but instead they took a solid defensive back and a solid linebacker.
~Jack

Day Two Grade (Rounds 2-3): C/C-

Kyle Dugger (2nd Round) is a 6/1" 220-pound Strong Safety/Punt Returner from Lenoir-Rhyne College. He's very athletic and fast. He posted a 4.49 40 yard dash, a vertical jump of 42" and a broad jump of 11'2" at the NFL Combine. Dugger is an interesting pick in the second round considering he's a Division 2 prospect (The NCAA ranks divisions based on school size and talent, most prospects are in Division 1). Because of this many people DO NOT like this pick because he is unproven against very good talent.. 

I question this pick even though he's an elite player in division 2, he just has to prove he can play against very good talent.
~Jack

Josh Uche (2nd round) is a 6'1" 241-pound outside linebacker from the University of Michigan. While he was injured for the combine he had an awesome senior year. He was named defensive player of the year at Michigan. Uche had two tackles, a 13-yard sack, forced a fumble and broke up a pass against Middle Tennessee State last year. The Patriots might have lost a lot of their big playmakers but they are not done, most of their draft picks have had awesome senior years. 

Uche also was a two-time All-Big Ten honoree so he shouldn't have a problem adapting to their defense. The pick has upside as Uche is a solid player in a much needed position.
~Blitz War

Anfernee Jennings (3rd round) is a 6’ 2” 256-pound Outside Linebacker from the University of Alabama. He chose not to do many things at the combine but did put up good senior numbers. With these stats, he was named an All-SEC First Team selection by both coaches and the Associated Press, and was Top 5 for the Butkus Award, presented annually to the nation’s top linebacker.

With his position versatility and good run-stopping, he could turn into a solid player for the Patriots who lost a lot of their better defensive players this year. He and Josh Uche are both guys that could make a difference in a much needed position for the Patriots.
~Jack

Devin Asiasi  (3rd round) is a 6’3” 257-pound Tight End out of the University of California Los Angeles, he is very athletic and has a great vertical jump of 30.5 inches, he came up with a 4.73 40 yard dash in the NFL Combine. In 2019 Asiasi recorded career-highs across the board with 44 catches, 641 receiving yards. Although he might not be the best tight end Draft, in his senior year he was a beast at UCLA.

When he was with Dorian Thompson-Robinson at UCLA the duo was great. Thompson-Robinson was a very good match with Asiasi and the two were clutch together considering they were both very good individual players. Now it's all up to Asiasi to adapt to the Patriots team and Quarterback Jarrett Stidham, who’s starting for the first time this year. This is a good pick as it gives the Patriots a solid tight end to fill a much-needed position.

~Blitz War

Dalton Keene (3rd round) is a 6’ 4” 251-pound Tight End from Virginia Tech. The Patriots have a lot of tight ends who are all trying to replace Gronk, with all of those tight ends they are trying to find a solution for their situation. He is another guy that could contribute to the team. This is an interesting pick because they took Asiasi the pick before and Keene is the 4th tight end on the depth chart.

~Jack

Day Three Grade (Rounds 4-7): B-/B

• Justin Rouhwasser, K, Marshall-5th round, No. 159 overall
• Michael Onwenu, G, Michigan- 6th round, No. 182 overall
• Justin Herron, OT, Wake Forest- 6th round, No. 195 overall
• Cash Maluia, LB, Wyoming- 6th round, No. 204 overall
• Dustin Woodard, C, Memphis- 7th round, No. 230 overall

These five players were picked late in the draft. Rohrwasser is important because he will be the starting kicker this year. Onwenu, Herron, Woodard, Maluia are all players to add depth to the roster.

Overall Draft Grade: C+/C-

Best Pick: Devin Asiasi. Last year in the wake of the loss of Gronk the Patriots could not find a solution at Tight End. Asiasi is an underrated player who could do a lot more good than bad for the Patriots this year.

Worst Pick: Kyle Dugger. Kyle Dugger is a bad pick in my opinion considering the Patriots are rebuilding after the loss of Tom Brady and needed to use the first pick on a great PROVEN player. Not an unproven good Division 2 player.


~Blitz War and Jack

Jared Goff Has A Complete Set Of Weapons To Work With In 2020

During the offseason, the Rams got a new running back, a wide receiver, and lost their BEST RUNNING BACK OF ALL TIME. Van Jefferson (WR) and Cam Akers (RB) are good players they picked up in the 2nd round of the draft. CAM AKERS CAME FROM A OFFENSIVE LINE THAT WAS SO EASY TO GET PAST, IT WAS LIKE BEATING THE TUTORIAL OF A VIDEO GAME.

Todd Gurley II left the team. He was powerful like a rhino crashing through the defensive linemen. In 2018 the Rams lost the Super Bowl with 1,251 rushing yards, 17 touchdowns, and 5 yards per carry by Gurley on the season. The Rams released Gurley because they owed him $7.55 million dollars, but they saved $10.5 million total by releasing him. This is a good & bad thing because now they have cap space but they already lost a lot of key players (Aqib Talib, Brandin Cooks, Clay Matthews).

The Rams' Top 5 offensive weapons for Jared Goff as of now:

•  Cooper Kupp
•  Robert Woods
•  Gerald Everett
•  Cam Akers
•  Van Jefferson

1. Cooper Kupp, WR

He can pick pressure passes out of the air. He is definitely your go to person for deep throws or do or die passes.

2. Robert Woods, WR

He is good for possession catches and for getting the first down. If he's 1 on 1 deep, pass it to him. He is most likely to catch it. He's fast and he's good with route running.

3.Gerald Everett, TE

Definitely a beast. If you have those 10 yards to go then definitely your go to guy. Needs like 2 defenders to bring him down at 6'3" 240 pounds. Be careful!

4. Cam Akers, RB

A awesome running back for their type of play style. Especially if they are having tight ends blocking. He was a beast with a bad offensive line so with a decent one he should be fine.

5. Van Jefferson, WR

Quick, definitely an awesome route runner. Knows how to beat his defender and catch the ball. We have a rich man version of Robert Woods (well we also have the regular version of him too).

With these players, Goff should be able to make easy touchdowns. They have everything they need, even without Gurley and Cooks. They have a strong team. Now it's all up to Jared Goff.

In conclusion, the Rams offense should expect to be dynamic and explosive. They have everything they need on the offense. It should be no problem getting past the NFC defenses this year, because Goff's set of playmakers to work with is complete.

Let me know what you think in the comments.

Y.B.W.M.S.G.

Final First Impressions of the L.A. Rams Draft

Sorting out the highs and lows of Cam Akers ,
Jordan Fuller, and the rest of the Rams' 2020 NFL Draft class.

Day One Grade-- I would give it a D+. No first round picks.

So mid-season before the trade deadline, the Rams made a trade with the Jaguars. Jalen Ramsey for 1 first round pick in 2020, 1 first round pick in 2021, and a 4th round pick in 2021. I dont think that was a smart move trading 2(!) first round picks for someone who isn't even worth one 1st round pick. He is worth a 6th round pick. Jalen Ramsey didn't do well enough in 2019-2020 season for that. Hopefully he will be good in the 2020-2021 season.

Day Two Grades-- This is for the 2nd and 3rd rounds.
B+ for 2nd round. We got a running back (Cam Akers) and a wide receiver, Van Jefferson. Both well needed positions.

For 3rd round I think I would say A- because we got a LB and a safety and we definitely need those to help Jaylen Ramsey on the defense and build a defense around him. We need more corners though. We lost one of our star corners, Aqib Talib.

Day Three Grades-- This is for the 4th through 7th round.
For those rounds, I will give it a C.

We need safeties and have them. And we have a kicker to replace Greg Zuerlein. We have a safety named Jordan Fuller, and he came from OSU, a stacked team. Their basketball team is good too.


Overall Grade: B- | C+.
I would have made a better grade if they had a first round pick and didn't also trade the 2021 1st round draft pick.

Worst Pick: Brycen Hopkins (TE)
We don't need any more tight ends. We have Gerald Everett who is nasty and Tyler Higbee who is good for possession catches for the first down.

Best Pick: Cam Akers (RB)
He is BEAST and worked with a trash offensive line (at Florida State).