[R4L]

When people say they mortgaged the future with the big contracts, I don't agree. The cap is increasing every year and could easily see its biggest increase when the new CBA kicks in. But whey someone says they mortgaged the future with the trades, its possible unless the guys they traded for are that good. We know Cooks is good. Time will tell if Ramsey makes that much of a difference. The Goff trade was looking good until this year. Now we don't know.

I meant as in trading away the first round picks.

[Hacksaw]

We could possibly trade up into the 1st if there was a reason too. the positions we need to fill can come in cheaper lower rounds.

[snackdaddy]

I meant as in trading away the first round picks.

Me too. I've heard talk about mortgaging the future with both the big contracts and trading away first round picks. I don't agree with the big contracts, because they probably won't look so bad in a couple years. But you could be right about the picks. It all depends on how Goff, Cooks and Ramsey does in the future. Because we gave 4 first round picks for those guys. I know people say it was two for Goff, but really it was one because we just swapped our first round for theirs. We did give up the 2nd and 3rd round in 2016.

Question is, if we never traded for any of these guys where would we have been the past couple years? And would we be in better shape now? I don't know.

[R4L]

I know people say it was two for Goff, but really it was one because we just swapped our first round for theirs. We did give up the 2nd and 3rd round in 2016.

Good catch.

[Ramzheart]

I thought that's what McVay did when he was hired? He looked at Goff's strength's and designed the offense from there. In my opinion he just needs to tweak it.
I totally agree with the op, I think he is leaving his QB in a bind way to often with no outs and it is making his efficiency suffer!
Would he have been able to make a few more plays had he been able to scramble, perhaps but it didn't help Rodgers too much against the niners! Why is that, because they want to throw it downfield too!

[snackdaddy]

I thought that's what McVay did when he was hired? He looked at Goff's strength's and designed the offense from there. In my opinion he just needs to tweak it.

McVay did a great job designing the offense to fit around Goff. Snead did a good job acquiring players to fit that offense. But now we have line problems and defenses have figured them out. McVay hasn't been able to adapt and make the necessary changes.

Goff is a highly skilled precision passer when the offense is working. I know people say anyone coulda done what he did the first half of 2018 with McVay and that offense. But I disagree. Not many can match that precision passing ability in a clean pocket. But when things aren't clean with the protection and routes, that is where it gets dicey with him.

I hope McVay can figure out a way to adapt to what defenses are doing now. He's got 5 games left to work on it. If he can't improve the offense in those 5 games, there will be a lot of questions during the offseason. Questions about whether Goff is the right guy and if McVay isn't a one trick pony.

[Drew31]

It's funny how perceptions morph from year to year, game to game. As Avenger Ram said, "it's hard to maintain a consistent contender". For a lot of reasons. Injuries? Sure EVERYBODY has them but to whom? Schedule? Sure, win and the following year you play teams that were also big winners. Scheme? Yup, give a talented coaching staff an off season to dissect your approach and your approach better be a little different if you are going to succeed.

Dudes and dudettes, we are experiencing a down year but there's no reason to go to extremes and suddenly believe Goff can't play, McVay can't coach and the Rams can't compete. The Rams will again come to the forefront and then Goff will be a stud QB, McVay will be an offensive mastermind and the Rams will be winners again. My god, after going to the postseason 5 times in 27 years, we've been there 2 straight and though it's not looking good presently, we're still in the hunt. Whatever happens will determine just how caustic our attitudes become. In the meantime I'm going to appreciate the effort just the same as I believe this year is just a blip.

100%. If this year is how down years are going to look for Rams going forward, then I will be a lot happier in future than I was for the last 20+ years.