[aeneas1]

Colts didn't have to trade Marshall to Rams, but they did. And without him, we dont have GSOT.

“They wanted our draft choice, and we wanted Marshall Faulk, and Jim Mora was the head coach there,” Vermeil said Thursday. “Jim and I worked together at Stanford as young assistants. Jim was my linebacker coach at UCLA, so we had a relationship. “And it worked great for us. It worked great for Marshall Faulk. They got the running back they wanted out of Miami who had a great career for them, Edgerrin James, had great success. They already had a great quarterback who was really starting to come on in Peyton [Manning].
“So they got what they wanted. We got we wanted.”

I'm on board with anticipating the Rams getting the benefit of the doubt more this upcoming season then in the past,, bit nothing covert. Even the lopsided Faulk trade you mentioned wasn't league driven imo. But I agree that those listed items would benefit the league too.

no it wasn't... i'm just having a tough time wrapping my head around the notion that goddell and the league not only has the rams best interest at heart, above most (all?) other teams, but that they would also conspire, and/or intervene to ensure the rams are given every possible advantage to succeed, it really strikes me as a huge reach, a fantasy, albeit a nice fantasy...

[moklerman]

Wasn't Marshall traded to the Rams to punish him? Indy had better offers from other teams but they sent him to, what everyone thought, was a bad team.

[Stranger]

Rams success in the short term = NFL success for all of the teams. It's just good business. It can demonstrate that bigger better stadium developments drive bigger revenues for large metropolitan markets, the NFL and their TV broadcasters. A scenario where everyone wins, including the financiers of these huge developments. Hence, Goodell and the NFL owners show a validated path to their $25B/yr dream.

For now, I'm going to stay warm, cozy and happy in my little hyper-reality cave... until my theory is disproven

I guess we'll all see how this plays out soon enough.

[Stranger]

Here's what I'm talking about..... A little help from our friend, Jeruh.

Cowboys' Jerry Jones: We don't have to draft QB in 2016
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300000 ... qb-in-2016

Aikman: Manziel or RGIII will be Cowboys backup QB
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300000 ... -backup-qb

[Hacksaw]

I like JJ's mindset about winning now. Why draft a guy.
I can't see the Redskins trading their bust QB to Dallas but stranger things have happened.

[nighttrain]

I can see ab owners meeting that induces Tennessee to trade their first overall to the Rams, collusion you bet, but nobody will ever prove it
train

[Stranger]

I can see ab owners meeting that induces Tennessee to trade their first overall to the Rams, collusion you bet, but nobody will ever prove it
train

Yup, impossible to prove.

But I'd argue that Owners care more about long term profits than team wins in the short term. Now, Fans, on the other hand, care about wins now, and could care less about profits, either short or long term. So, from an owners perspective, I'd argue that a successful team in LA generates buzz, and dollars, for the entire league, and so I can see some quiet conversations happening that "help" the LA Rams achieve this success.