[ramsman34]

Depending on if you believe the Rams have a lot of talented players on this team or not and controlling for significant injuries, does anyone really think this team won’t be very competitive and get better as the season progresses?

I believe that completely. Now, the players need to prove they are in fact talented. If they are not, coaching won’t matter and this team won’t be very good.

It’s that simple to me.

[/zn/]

Depending on if you believe the Rams have a lot of talented players on this team or not and controlling for significant injuries, does anyone really think this team won’t be very competitive and get better as the season progresses?

That's what I expect to see happen. But I can't put a "wins" number on it. I just expect them to be better than the national pessimistic accounts predict they will be, and I expect them to cohere and be better as the season progresses. I am thinking it's in the 8-11 wins range. But it's hard to say at this point.

The position that has me the most concerned is LB.

On offense, a healthy (or even just a relatively healthy) OL will make a huge difference, as it always does.

They have enough weapons to compete on offense and in fact there's all sorts of buzz about guys stepping up this year who were relatively quiet before.

...

[ramsww]

That's what I expect to see happen. But I can't put a "wins" number on it. I just expect them to be better than the national pessimistic accounts predict they will be, and I expect them to cohere and be better as the season progresses. I am thinking it's in the 8-11 wins range. But it's hard to say at this point.

The position that has me the most concerned is LB.

On offense, a healthy (or even just a relatively healthy) OL will make a huge difference, as it always does.

They have enough weapons to compete on offense and in fact there's all sorts of buzz about guys stepping up this year who were relatively quiet before.

...

I’m in total agreement with this other than the win totals. Getting 11 wins this year would make McVay a lock for COY but I’d love to see it.

All I’ve been saying is it’s far beyond retooling after they blew up the D leaving only AD and Jones who didn’t start ‘til late 2022.

Name ONE position group O or D without MAJOR ? marks. I’ll just start with the Oline. Have they really made so many meaningful changes? Bruss is 3rd string. They added Avila but never came close to replacing Whit and that healthy OLine got crushed early and often. Where did they get actually better?

Before y’all go nuts, I said I agree the Rams will tighten up the ranks and play much better as the year goes on but…

QB - Can Stafford stay healthy? YES
RB - Is this really Cam’s year? YES
WR - If Kupp injury lingers….? F$&k
TE - 2 healthy TEs on roster? No big
DL - Will AD get any help? YES
LB - OMG…where are they? xx F$&k
CB - Can untested CBs make leap? NO
S - Untested and slow? xxx F$&k’d

These are the Qs the league has and why we’re rated so low. I expect the Rams to have a shot at winning every game but my assessment doesn’t matter. As a betting man I’d go with 7 wins on paper hoping for 11. If all goes well we play a lot of paper tigers this year and make the playoffs…despite the odds!

[PARAM]

That's what I expect to see happen. But I can't put a "wins" number on it. I just expect them to be better than the national pessimistic accounts predict they will be, and I expect them to cohere and be better as the season progresses. I am thinking it's in the 8-11 wins range. But it's hard to say at this point.

The position that has me the most concerned is LB.

On offense, a healthy (or even just a relatively healthy) OL will make a huge difference, as it always does.

They have enough weapons to compete on offense and in fact there's all sorts of buzz about guys stepping up this year who were relatively quiet before.

...

At ILB, we don't seem to have much beyond EJ. He's got plenty of experience starting 7 in 2021 and 11 last year. Will one of the UDFA's step up? The DBs are suspect....according to the experts.....but they may be better than expected. Durant is supposedly taking over Ramsey's Star roll. Kendricks saw a lot of action so there's a lot of video to coach him on. Hodges-Tomlinson seems to be the type of player who just finds a way to succeed, despite the physical drawbacks. If Fuller remains healthy, we have an experienced popper back there to run things. And any one of the three safeties drafted the last two years could step up.

O line is the biggest question on offense. Also can VJ stay healthy? Will Tutu contribute like he did in the 2nd half of last year? Will one of the two free agents or Nacua blow us away? There's far more confidence in the offense than the D and rightfully so with McVay being an expert there. Just like a new season brings all kinds of excitement, a huge turnover and so many youngsters does the same. We just don't know so it's going to be interesting and hopefully a lot of fun to watch. I like your 8 to 11 spread.

[PARAM]

I’m in total agreement with this other than the win totals. Getting 11 wins this year would make McVay a lock for COY but I’d love to see it.

All I’ve been saying is it’s far beyond retooling after they blew up the D leaving only AD and Jones who didn’t start ‘til late 2022.

Name ONE position group O or D without MAJOR ? marks. I’ll just start with the Oline. Have they really made so many meaningful changes? Bruss is 3rd string. They added Avila but never came close to replacing Whit and that healthy OLine got crushed early and often. Where did they get actually better?

Before y’all go nuts, I said I agree the Rams will tighten up the ranks and play much better as the year goes on but…

QB - Can Stafford stay healthy? YES
RB - Is this really Cam’s year? YES
WR - If Kupp injury lingers….? F$&k
TE - 2 healthy TEs on roster? No big
DL - Will AD get any help? YES
LB - OMG…where are they? xx F$&k
CB - Can untested CBs make leap? NO
S - Untested and slow? xxx F$&k’d

These are the Qs the league has and why we’re rated so low. I expect the Rams to have a shot at winning every game but my assessment doesn’t matter. As a betting man I’d go with 7 wins on paper hoping for 11. If all goes well we play a lot of paper tigers this year and make the playoffs…despite the odds!

Two questions and a comment:
When was the O line "healthy"?
On what are you basing those assessments?

You keep referring to "rating" and "questions the league has". Ratings are a way to "stack the teams". You could also stack them by how often they covered the spread. Or if you're really ambitious, uniform design or stadium size. The current ratings are last year's numbers and don't really mean much. Just ask the 1999 or 2017 Rams.

Questions? The league doesn't have any questions. Fans and media do. And an overwhelming majority of them don't have any inside information. It's either click bait, rambling based on very little (or inaccurate, ie, "Jones didn't start until late last season") or good old fashioned guess work. As far as where the Rams are "rated" it's irrelevant. That doesn't earn them a win or give them a loss in any upcoming game. It's for purely entertainment purposes during the lull that is the off season. Latch onto that if you want to but it's totally meaningless.

The unequivocal gods-honest truth is NOBODY KNOWS.

[snackdaddy]

Health is the key for the Rams. Their depth is pretty much guys with little to no experience. They have to be relatively healthy. Are we optimistic they can stay healthy enough? After last year who can blame anyone for being skeptical.

Are we optimistic or pessimistic about their chances of being a playoff contender? I would put myself somewhere in between. I'm concerned about the experience, or lack of, in the defense. And concerned about the offense as far as health.

If the offense stays mostly healthy that changes a lot of things. We figure Akers to be better. The way Robinson played last year our WR2 position should be improved with Jefferson. A healthy line should get better as they play together and develop continuity.

Personally, I just think too many things need to come together to have a competitive season. Mainly health. Injuries happen to all teams. I just think the depth is too thin to overcome them this year. I look to 2024 as the year we should be more competitive. I could be wrong about this year. I just don't trust the depth.

[ramsman34]

After watching practice today I am pretty confident the OL will be solid, if unspectacular. Scheme and play calling will help them as will the run game on which MCV seems very focused. The secondary is going to get beat sometimes, all of them do. But they weren’t lost or out of position at all today, they just made fewer plays than the O. AD on the field helps them a ton.

Not concerned at ILB, if Jones stays healthy. He’s a baddass. We will be in nickel and big nickel often which will reduce the reps at the other ILB position - likely Roseboom, IMO.

Edge is a complete crapshoot. I think they will try to add a vet if the preseason shows that they don’t have enough there.

[snackdaddy]

There are a few edge vets still out there. Clowney, Quinn and Ingram. Clowney seems to be more of a mercenary. He'll go to the highest bidder. We probably shouldn't get involved with that if other teams are interested in him. Wouldn't mind bringing back Quinn for one last go. He's 33 but could be used as a situational pass rusher. Just a couple years ago he had 18.5 sacks. I don't see how one year later he dropped so far. I have to think he was battling injuries. He did have arthroscopic surgery for a knee last December. Makes me think it was the cause of his decline last year.

[ramsww]

Ratings are what get you National TV games, MNF, TNF, swing games. If the Rams do well they’ll be in the playoffs. Whomever sets the TV schedules, (powers that be) grant the number of nationally televised games you get. I only recall one MNF game on our schedule. THAT perception IS reality. Doesn’t matter to you? fine

[PARAM]

Ratings are what get you National TV games, MNF, TNF, swing games. If the Rams do well they’ll be in the playoffs. Whomever sets the TV schedules, (powers that be) grant the number of nationally televised games you get. I only recall one MNF game on our schedule. THAT perception IS reality. Doesn’t matter to you? fine

Wow, the things that are important to you. Ratings. Prime Time. Perception of the league (imaginary).

I pay for NFL Ticket. I could give a rats ass how many prime time games the Rams get. The more Prime Time Games they play, the more I pay per game to watch the Rams. In fact, it's better the less prime time games they play because when they lose in prime time fans get over-angry, maybe because they talk shit and then they have to reap what they sew (and may not be so receptive). We read things like, "great, we get beat in prime time, so everybody in the country saw it." Or, "Awesome, embarress us on national TV!!!" Think of it this way.....less prime time equals less stress on some fans.

For 2023, they have 1 Monday Night Game and a Thursday Night Game. BooHoo!! Not too shabby for a 5-12 team, eh? If they're having a good year (not that you think they will), they'll get flexed into another Prime Time Game.