Teams Los Angeles Rams - The Rammers

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http://www.101sports.com/2015/05/04/nfl-com-has-a-los-angeles-rams-page-internet-freaks-out/

NFL.com Has a “Los Angeles Rams” Page – Internet Freaks Out


St. Louis Rams fans looking to read between the lines may have fuel for their fires.


The website Field of Schemes noticed the NFL’s official website, nfl.com, contained a now-deleted page designed to house the “Los Angles Rams”.


Twitter, predictably, is having a field day with the news, though many have pointed out the league has pages dedicated to several former teams who’ve since moved.
 
http://www.turfshowtimes.com/2015/5/12/8595197/2015-nfl-power-rankings

#11 - St. Louis Rams


If Nick Foles is even OK, if rookie Todd Gurley is even 85%, promising group should be good enough to end playoff absence.


That's....serious praise. It's also not asking for much to "end playoff absence." I get these power rankings. They're trying to project the un-projectable, which is admirable, but they're really going for it here.


Pittsburgh at 15. Cincinnati at 16. Dallas at 18. Detroit at 19. Those four all made the playoffs last year.


On the other side, Buffalo at 9. Miami at 10. And yes, the Rams at 11 jumping Arizona at 12.


And if somehow seeing the Rams a top 12 team doesn't buoy your confidence, I dare you to not find a shred of enjoyment at the 49ers being down at #28.


In any case, take it in. We're not going to see many power rankings this favorable for the Rams for quite some time. As has always been the case, they're going to have to earn their way into a top 10 spot...unless USA Today wants to go big.

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NFL Relocation and the Rams: Going Rogue Would Be Senseless if Carson Chosen

Shane Gray posted on May 26, 2015 07:33

Following last week's NFL Spring meetings, CBS Sports Insider Jason La Canfora cited several high-ranking ownership sources in reporting the co-spearheaded Carson stadium
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proposal of the San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders has overtaken the Inglewood based venue plan of St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke.

In a Sunday ESPN SportsCenter update, John Clayton added more weight to La Canfora's report when stating that "a lot of owners... are getting on board supporting (Chargers owner) Dean Spanos and (Raiders owner) Mark Davis moving...". In addition, Clayton added that Carson seems to have the current backing of no less than three of the six members of the NFL's Committee on L.A. Stadium Opportunities: John Mara, Jerry Richardson and Committee Chairman Art Rooney.

While there are admittedly many other respected media members who continue to suggest that Inglewood has the edge -- and I would not necessarily disagree with them just yet -- most would acknowledge that, at the very least, Carson has gained significant ground on its aforementioned L.A.-area stadium competitor.

Either way, both of the L.A. plans -- along with home market proposals in St. Louis, San Diego and Oakland -- have time to either progress or regress during the next few crucial months as this relocation conundrum quickly heads towards the home stretch and make it or break it time.

Last week, I wrote about the NFL's relocation bylaws as related to the Rams and presented pressing questions relative to a prospective Rams case for moving in the event that they ultimately file to do so. If you missed it, I would strongly suggest you take a moment to read through it here.

Obviously, depending on how things play out over the next several months, various permutations could come into play that position the bylaws to become very important to this stadium process.

However, in the event that the Chargers and Raiders continue to press for a Carson solution and the league ultimately votes to approve it rather than Inglewood, will the league'srelocation rules really even matter at that stage?

Simply put, if Carson gets the green light and Inglewood gets the stop sign from the league's owners, would anyone sincerely expect Kroenke to create major waves and fight the league's authority in hopes of becoming part of a trifecta of NFL franchises in L.A.?

Even if standing upon the debatable assumption that Kroenke could successfully go rogue if Carson were voted up and Inglewood voted down -- if both apply to move -- he would at best then earn the right to be one of three teams in the market while putting his current cross-ownership exemption in peril.

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In short, attempting to move after a Carson approval would seemingly make little sense, at least on the surface.

At that point, it would be a saturated market, and a rogue move would equate to no $200 million G-4 loan (grant), no Super Bowls and a most dismal standing with the league and its collective ownership.

As mentioned above, Kroenke could kiss his current cross-ownership exemption goodbye, which could be problematic.

Speaking on the cross-ownership topic, the above-mentioned Clayton is the latest to mention the possibility of a scenario developing where Kroenke might be put in position by the league to have an opportunity to own the Denver Broncos, something that would consolidate the North American branch of his sports empire and solve his cross ownership issues. (Bernie Miklasz detailed a Kroenke-to-the-Broncos scenario here in February.) Clayton, in the same article linked above, mentioned the idea of the NFL ensuring that Kroenke get a very good deal in St. Louis in the case that Carson is chosen, but did not go into detail as to how that might be brought to fruition.

With all that said, we are still relatively early in the process.

In the end, will the respective ownership groups ultimately follow through with current plans in Carson and/or Inglewood? There is -- after all -- no absolute guarantee of that just yet, regardless of how likely that might appear to most at the moment. There are a plethora of factors that have not been ironed out yet that could influence whether or not Carson and/or Inglewood are pursued to finality.

If both Spanos/Davis and Kroenke eventually file to move, which plan will ultimately be approved? It is certainly too early, at this stage, to accurately predict which plan may prevail.

How many of the home markets will come through will stadium deals that the NFL is willing to endorse? In the end, will it be one? Will it be all three? Will all fail to cross the finish line? While there are indications that at least one of three home markets -- St. Louis -- will successfully wrap up a sound stadium plan prior to the end of the year, we do not yet definitively know the final outcome of any of the three home markets.

As things progress over the next few months, there will likely be many more twists and turns to come in St. Louis, San Diego, Oakland, Inglewood and Carson. There are all sorts of known and unknown variables that will play a role in ultimately determining the final destination for the Rams, Raiders and Chargers -- and several of the elements needed to finalize the process have yet to be solidified.

Stay tuned... there is certainly much, much more to come.
 

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Edward Jones Dome was built back in 95 for only $265 million. The CVC promised “Top Tier” status, which ensured Rams ownership that EJD would be top 25% in the league into perpetuity, as long as they held the lease. It was an insane clause that the CVC agreed to and really puts them at a huge disadvantage going forward. The Rams bent the CVC over and had them grab their ankles. Basically, they abused their leverage.

The CVC was so enamored with stealing the Rams away from LA, they agreed to the following absurd lease terms:

• Rams only pay $25K per game, or $250K for eight regular season games plus two preseason games.

• Rams get 100% of the ticket revenue.

• Rams get 100% of the game concessions as well as a percentage of non-game events.

• They also get 75% of the first $6 million in advertising revenue and 90% of revenue after that.

• Renovations to be agreed upon every 10 years to ensure “top tier” status.

On top of this, the CVC paid out $28 million in bond obligations still owed on Anaheim Stadium and another $20 million (of the $29 million) franchise relocation fee. They additionally covered all the teams moving expenses and built a $10 million training facility.

This deal was so lopsided, they attempted to sue using the Sherman Anti-Trust Act against the NFL
Click to expand...
 
Missouri legislators file suit against potential Rams stadium
Posted by Mike Florio on May 28, 2015, 6:31 AM EDT
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Well, not everyone wants to keep the Rams in St. Louis. At least not with public money.

Via the Associated Press, six legislators have filed a lawsuit challenging the plan of Missouri Governor Jay Nixon to replace the Edward Jones Dome with a new venue. They contend that the proposal would violate state law and improperly rely upon taxpayer funding.

Nixon intends to extend public payments on bonds for the team’s current facility without approval of the legislature.

“I want nothing more than for the Rams to stay,” Missouri Rep. Rob Vescovo told the AP. “But I don’t think the governor has the authority to bury us under the additional debt without proper vetting.”

A separate lawsuit filed last month by the body that runs the Edward Jones Dome challenges state law requiring a public vote before city funds can be used. So now there are two legal hurdles that must be cleared before St. Louis can keep the Rams — or before St. Louis can attract another team to play there, like the city did after the Cardinals left for Arizona in the 1980s.
 
Pretty good initiative there by the Rams....

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Rams’ picks are all unsigned, with financial counseling coming first
Posted by Michael David Smith on May 30, 2015, 8:24 AM EDT
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AP
Most of this year’s NFL draft picks have already signed their contracts. But none of the Rams’ picks have.

That’s because the Rams’ policy is to give each player financial counseling before anyone signs a contract.

In each of the last two years, the Rams have signed all their picks en masse, after gathering the rookie class together and giving the players a course on financial management. Players are instructed on what the team calls “Financial Planning 101,” with information about how to invest and how not to go broke.

The Rams’ rookies will get signing bonuses of anywhere from $70,000 for seventh-round pick Martin Ifedi, all the way up to more than $8 million for first-round pick Todd Gurley. The Rams want to give those players the money they need to use that money wisely.

The Collective Bargaining Agreement agreed upon in 2011 makes rookie contracts so straightforward that there’s little to negotiate, and little reason not to sign immediately. Except for the reason the Rams have found: Making sure players have some information about how to invest their money before they receive it.
 
Chris Long, William Hayes go undercover to experience homelessness
Posted by Mike Florio on June 1, 2015, 9:01 AM EDT
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The Rams defensive line has been donating $1,000 for each sack to a local homeless shelter. Two Rams defensive linemen decided that wasn’t enough.

Chris Long and William Hayes (pictured) chose to become homeless for a day (and a night), in order to better understand what the homeless experience. Hayes came up with the idea, and Long decided Hayes wasn’t going to do it alone.

The project resulted in an feature on ESPN’s SportsCenter and companion item posted at ESPN.com.

“We don’t understand,” Long said. “We weren’t hoping to understand. We were just hoping to gain a little perspective and put kind of a feeling with the cause that we had been [donating to] from a distance the last couple of years.”

As explained by Elizabeth Merrill of ESPN.com, Hayes didn’t want cameras present for the project, because Hayes didn’t want to create the impression that Hayes and Long were looking for positive publicity. Eventually, Hayes relented in order to help raise awareness to the problem.

It’s good they did. Take a few minutes to see the end result, either on ESPN or at ESPN.com.
 
http://www.turfshowtimes.com/2015/6/3/8725053/st-louis-rams-los-angeles-stadium-contract-change

Per the St. Louis Business Journal in a move that's as telling as you let it be, the St. Louis Rams have re-structured some of their annual contracts to vendors and employees to end in February of 2016 rather than May as was customary with February 15, 2016, standing out as the deadline to submit a relocation bid to the league office.


In the article, one vendor, Perficient, picked up on the change and asked why. They were told it was to coincide with the end of the playing season.


That certainly seems strange.


The league calendar starts March 10. And of course with the combine in late February, the blitz of free agency in early March and the pathway to the 2016 NFL Draft all coming in the space of two months, there's plenty of justification to maintain services through May.


Brian Feldt, the story's author, did contact the Rams for his piece, but the Rams "did not respond to multiple requests for comment."


Perhaps most striking is that the suggestion the contract modification makes is now affecting employees.


A Rams employee who works on an annual contract said it was also changed, and now expires at the end of February 2016.


"To me, right away, it made sense," said the employee, who asked not to be named for fear of reprisals. "As a business, they have to notify the league in February if they are moving, so why would they want to pay people beyond February? They didn’t say that was why, but I put two and two together."


2015 is going to be an interesting year for the St. Louis Rams.
 
Brian Quick hints the Rams will have a more creative offense in 2015.

"Oh man, we have some stuff," Quick said of new OC Frank Cignetti. "It’s going to take some time, but it’s coming. (Cignetti) has a lot up his sleeve." Ex-OC Brian Schottenheimer was brutally vanilla, something Quick is tacitly acknowledging. One of Cignetti's most-important tasks is finding something for the Rams to do with the No. 8 overall pick of the 2013 draft, Tavon Austin. Schottenheimer never came close to figuring out Austin's ideal role.

Source: ESPN.com
 
Hot on the heels of the Rams initiative to educate their rookies on financial planning etc, comes this...
Impressive GM you guys have got.

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Rams putting players through social media training
Posted by Darin Gantt on June 16, 2015, 6:42 AM EDT
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The Rams wait to sign their draft picks to contracts until they can put them through financial training seminars.

Now, they’re trying to prevent other costly mistakes on social media.

According to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Rams are partnering with a group called Social Media Sports Management (SM2) to train players on how not to be idiots on Twitter and Facebook.

Examples of bad decisions are many, with 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s taunting of flood victims to advance his brand just the first one that pops to mind.

But the Rams want to help their players avoid such mistakes, and the program includes a video telling players to “Don’t Be That Guy.”

“With the evolution of social media, it is important for our players, coaches, and staff to understand the consequences of using social media irresponsibly,” coach Jeff Fisher said, in a statement from the company.

The group includes former linebacker Will Witherspoon, along with longtime coach Dave McGinnis and agent Bob Lattinville among its group of media trainers.

The Rams are the first team to use the company’s services, but all 32 could use some kind of training in the topic.

Of course, it’s usually simple common sense, as in, “pretend your mom is about to read this before you hit send, and if it’s still a good idea, go ahead.”
 
http://bleacherreport.com/tb/dgXAd?..._medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=st-louis-rams

Nick Foles ready to lead dynamic Rams offense


This Given Sunday

Yardbarker

JUL 01, 2015 10:46a ET



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foxsports.com

Nick Foles is set to lead the retooled offense of the St. Louis Rams.


By Evan Massey


The St. Louis Rams have been slowly rebuilding their team over the last couple of seasons, and they are very happy with where they are at heading into the 2015 season. They were able to add two very important pieces to their offense this offseason, and to say that the Rams have a chance to be dynamic would be an understatement.


Nick Foles was acquired by the Rams this past offseason from the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for Sam Bradford. It was a move that excited the Rams’ fan base, and rightfully so. While Foles may never be a top-10 NFL quarterback, he is more than capable of leading an offense and being the type of quarterback that can help St. Louis reach the dynamic potential that their offense has.


Last season was a bit rough for Foles, as he threw for 2,163 yards, 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. It wasn’t the year that Eagles fans were hoping for after his stellar play during his first season as the Eagles’ full-time starter in 2013. During the 2013 season, Foles threw for 2,891 yards, 27 touchdowns and just two interceptions.


There weren’t many quarterbacks that were better than Foles in 2013, and he was immediately thought of as a budding star. What happened between the 2013 and 2014 season isn’t known, but the Rams are hoping that it was just a down season and that he will bounce back. Foles still has the talent to become one of the better quarterbacks in the league, especially with the weapons that he will have this season.


Foles wasn’t the only big pickup that the Rams were able to bring onto their offense. Todd Gurley was also selected with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft.


Gurley is going to be the workhorse running back that the Rams have been needing since Steven Jackson fell from being one of the best running backs in the league. He is coming off of a torn ACL that he suffered his junior season with the Georgia Bulldogs, and is still recovering from it. That has made the Rams a bit concerned about his status for the 2015 season, but he is definitely making progress towards being available for the first game of the season.


During his junior season with the Bulldogs last season, Gurley ended up rushing for 911 yards and nine touchdowns on 123 carries. He put up those numbers in just six games, which shows how much Georgia’s offense depended on him. St. Louis is going to be asking him to put up big numbers on the ground as well to balance things out with the passing game and make it easier on Foles.


Looking at the targets that Foles will have to throw to this season, there are quite a few dynamic receivers that come up as well. Tavon Austin is one of the names that pops out. There is no question that he has the speed and ability to become something special, and perhaps Jeff Fisher can help him turn things around now that Foles is on board as the new quarterback.


Kenny Britt, Stedman Bailey, Brian Quick and Chris Givens are all going to be solid targets for Foles as well at the wide receiver position. They are all capable of doing different things on the field that make them a very dangerous group together. Adding Jared Cook into the mix at the tight end position is even more dangerous for opposing defenses, and gives Foles the type of big and athletic target that every quarterback loves to have.


St. Louis has been steadily rebuilding their offense, and they believe that they have finally found the quarterback to lead them forward. Foles is ready to take the pressure and prove himself to the NFL once again, and it will be very exciting to watch this Rams team take the next step. It has been a long time since they were viewed as legitimate contenders, but they are making major strides to get back to that point with the offseason moves that they have made.
 
Rams selected Clemson OT Isaiah Battle with a fifth-round pick in the 2015 supplemental draft.

St. Louis is very aware of its offensive-line need. GM Les Snead used four draft picks on linemen in April/May, and has now forfeited a 2016 fifth-round pick for the opportunity to add Battle, on whom many draft prognosticators placed a third-round grade. Battle offers ideal tackle dimensions at 6-foot-6, 312 with 35 3/8-inch arms, though he is a fairly mediocre athlete. We'd bet against Battle making a year-one impact. An intensive evaluation of Battle's game via Rotoworld prospects guru Josh Norris can be read at the link below.

Source: Josh Norris on Isaiah Battle
 

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Rams signed QB Nick Foles to a two-year contract extension.

Foles has yet to prove himself outside of Chip Kelly's system, but the Rams didn't want to risk letting him play out his contract year. His new deal will keep him locked up through 2017. Foles is an upgrade to the Rams pass offense, but will only be asked to manage games. The Rams will pay Foles just under $14 million annually, putting him in mid-range of NFL starters.

Source: Andrew Siciliano on Twitter
 
GG said:
Rams signed QB Nick Foles to a two-year contract extension.

Foles has yet to prove himself outside of Chip Kelly's system, but the Rams didn't want to risk letting him play out his contract year. His new deal will keep him locked up through 2017. Foles is an upgrade to the Rams pass offense, but will only be asked to manage games. The Rams will pay Foles just under $14 million annually, putting him in mid-range of NFL starters.

Source: Andrew Siciliano on Twitter
Click to expand...

I don't mind this, time will tell on Foles however there seems to be a great deal of optimism from the coaching staff but they tell the fans what they want to hear more often than not.
 
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports the Rams anticipate Todd Gurley (ACL) missing the "first couple games" of the season.

Gurley has already been ruled out for the preseason and recently admitted his status was in doubt for Week 1; essentially the equivalent of a player ruling himself out. "Gurley isn't ready yet," wrote RapSheet. "I'm told the Rams don't even believe he'll be ready for the season." RapSheet describes Gurley's surgically repaired ACL as "strong," but says "the area around it isn't there yet." Tre Mason should get a few starts to open the year, though they'll come against Seattle and Washington, both of which fielded top-12 run defenses last year.
Related: Tre Mason

Source: NFL.com
 
Rams CB E.J. Gaines will miss the 2015 season after undergoing surgery to repair a Lisfranc injury in his foot.

Diagnoses of Gaines' injury seemed all over the board, with some suggesting he merely had plantar fasciitis, a condition some players can play through depending on their pain tolerance. Instead, Gaines was shown to have a Lisfranc fracture. It's a big blow to the Rams' secondary. Gaines was a steal as a sixth-round pick in last year's draft, bypassing Janoris Jankins as the Rams' most reliable corner. The Rams will lean on Trumaine Johnson and slot corner/free safety Lamarcus Joyner to help patch the void.

Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
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