[ramsww]

This is what I’m talking about when I say respect, perception, reality. Worst in the NFL? Worse than Denver? Worse than AZ? Worse than the Texans or the Bears? We’ll see. Doesn’t mean anything but it will still register. Preseason may reveal more than in past years. Stafford will light it up in Sept providing Kupp and the Oline is healthy. F$&k ESPN.

[RedAlice]

Link?

[PARAM]

Ahh. Another ranking.

This is what I’m talking about when I say respect, perception, reality. Worst in the NFL? Worse than Denver? Worse than AZ? Worse than the Texans or the Bears? We’ll see. Doesn’t mean anything but it will still register. Preseason may reveal more than in past years. Stafford will light it up in Sept providing Kupp and the Oline is healthy. F$&k ESPN.

You're right it doesn't mean anything.

This particular helping of sports journalism from a fantasy expert, no less.......and ESPN, the Worldwide Leader in downsizing. On the bright side, they ranked us as having only the 2nd worst off season, so there that. So does that mean our roster was good going into the off season but now that we only drafted 14 guys, signed a vet CB, S and a couple of WRs we got waay worse? I like the way they said, Clay evaluated every position of importance. To fantasy managers?

[Elvis]

It’s Mike Clay. If the Rams aren’t the worst team in the NFL this year, credit to the coaching staff…

[ramsww]

All this can go out the window when the games count if the Rams can show something but this would indicate 1-16 or 2-15. Adding JJ, Witherspoon, and Robinson were value moves that will payoff early if they stay healthy.

I also sense a sincere effort from our top 3 (to not merely collect a paycheck) and stand by what I see as a plan to turn this around in one year with the D total rebuild. One roadblock? The Oline was average at best when it was healthy and all we’ve added is Avila while switching our starting LT to Guard. Our G rook last year is now a 3rd string T. That in itself is asking a lot of this Oline.

Still, I have to laugh at ESPN but that’s what comes from 5-12.

[ramsww]

Link?

…just a headline story at:

theramswire.usatoday.com

[snackdaddy]

Well, how many defensive starters do we have from the 2021 team? The 2022 team? Donald and Jones? And we are coming off a 5 win season.
That kind of predicting for our team is to be expected. You're only as good as your least season.

The offense should not be anywhere near the worst roster. They could be one of the better ones if they avoid catastrophic injuries. The defense might be a different story.

[/zn/]

Here is an example from that article about how national sports writers often do not know individual teams as well as well-informed fans of that team:

At safety, the writer says, the Rams will

rely on rookies and recent Day 3 fliers for a majority of their defensive snaps.

No. It's not "rookies plural" at safety. None of the rookie safeties get much in the way of mention from camp observers (including above all reporters). It's 2nd through 4th year players like Fuller and Lake. As we know and the writer evidently does not, Fuller was a previous starter and missed 2022 with injuries.

In terms of "Day 3 fliers"? Wow that's ignorant. Not the "day 3" part, it's the "fliers" part. The Rams have a good record with Day 3 picks at safety, including recent starters like Fuller and Scott. In fact the Rams have a "method" when it comes to picking safeties on Day 3 (ie. there are things they specifically look for) and not only has it worked so far, as it turns out the Day 3 guys have looked better than their Day 2 guys (Rapp and Burgess).

Will Lake or Yeast replace Scott? Could very well be--early indications are solid.

Now does the guy have a point about this untested defense, which is replacing anywhere from 7 to 8 starters? Yes you can't know how good that defense will be yet, though it's not true that it's mostly green rookies (it's a lot of 2nd through 4th year players with playing experience). But in general, overall, you can't argue too much when someone downgrades the defense this early.

But that comment about safeties was just ignorant.

.

[Rams1PlateSince1976]

I thought espn laid off its reporters. Maybe they just laid off the ones who weren't crack reporters. Maybe they were they were the ones who left their crack at the white house after partying with hunter.

[Hacksaw]

The BSPN roster is even worse.