Can Cross handle Myles Garrett?

Trackhawk said:

Just… no. Garret is the second best run stopping end in the league (Max Crosby is the best). It’s overshadowed by his pass rush, but he’s the complete package.

The Rams can go toe to toe with us on offense (assuming Stafford doesn’t fall off a cliff and Puka somehow gets his head on straight). Their weakness was their secondary, and boy did they address that in a big way, with the addition of McDuffie. Now they add Garrett, who makes it an easier job for their secondary.

The Rams did exactly what they needed to do to match up against us. Let’s hope Fleury has some magic up his sleeve. We are going to need it.

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depends who you believe I suppose. Here Verse is 2nd and Garrett isn't in top 10

Of course now, all the rumors of a Aaron Donold coming out of retirement.

Trackhawk said:

Just… no. Garret is the second best run stopping end in the league (Max Crosby is the best). It’s overshadowed by his pass rush, but he’s the complete package.

The Rams can go toe to toe with us on offense (assuming Stafford doesn’t fall off a cliff and Puka somehow gets his head on straight). Their weakness was their secondary, and boy did they address that in a big way, with the addition of McDuffie. Now they add Garrett, who makes it an easier job for their secondary.

The Rams did exactly what they needed to do to match up against us. Let’s hope Fleury has some magic up his sleeve. We are going to need it.

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This. I’m all for the homerism. I am. But, the Rams got A LOT better this off-season.

While I’d love to have a guy like Verse, he’s not really that close to Garrett. No one is. Simple facts.

Can’t act like this didn’t make the Rams better…that McDuffie is a JAG. And if AD decides to come back….idc if he’s been out the league for a bit now…he’s the best to ever do it at his position imo.

The Rams are throwing everything into this next season. Future talk/projections aside, they’re going all in right now.

I think MM is up for the challenge.

Whatever... These sort of things tend to carry less impact on the field than expected. Garrett will make his plays here and there and those plays will come at a cost, both in USD and talent at other places. The Rams are good but in the big picture the Seahawks chances of beating them hasn't changed. Games aren't won in paper.

Smellyman said:

depends who you believe I suppose. Here Verse is 2nd and Garrett isn't in top 10

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Fair enough. We can argue whether he is second or sixth or whatever. I will say the leaving him out of the top ten is just ridiculous, and makes the analysis suspect. Fact of the matter is, he is not a liability at stopping the run, he's not even a JAG at stopping the run. There is a reason he plays virtually every down. If anyone wants to seek solace by running the ball at him, they are in for a disappointment.

I have a next door neighbor that is a loyal Rams' fan (bastage is still using my wireless) last night he came by to talk tractor use and I said "Garrett in LA huh?" He just made the "Wanker Sign" and said "All I care about right now is Stafford staying healthy until we can find a future slinger. Garrett is just hopping on for the ride and that is great but it looks like desperation and I wanted depth, now can I use your tractor before iy gets dark?" or something close to that. I love that guy, he has gone with us to Seahawks/Rams a few times and been a great sport.

Sure,Cross can "handle" Garrett but he won't be the only one blocking MG. Seattle's run blocking really developed over the season and I expect that to continue, pounding the ball on teams with exceptional pass rush.

By the time Seattle plays LA both teams might look a lot different. When I look at the NFC it still comes down to Seattle and LA though, a healthy SF and Philly are part of that conversation but the rest are just hopeful. The entire NFCN is capable but each team needs a lot of help on one side or another. Chicago and Dallas are both fun to watch on offense but look like they are whatever defense is playing against Bo Jackson on Tecmo Bowl.

Scout said:

Teams trade for highly skilled vet edge rushers when they think they are close to being super bowl champs. Seahawks are not there yet. Pass.

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I think the Hawks did wind up winning the Superbowl

Interesting pressure rates. Rams ahead of Browns? Hawks ahead of both? Maybe the Rams downgraded.
link

The gap between Garrett and Verse is probably equivalent to roughly:
5-8 more sacks
More pressures
More double-team attraction
Better performance in critical downs

That matters enormously in playoff games but it is not the difference between having a good pass rush and having one. The Rams already had one.

The national reaction is overstating how much this changes the balance of power between the Rams and Seahawks.

1. Garrett Replaces a Strength, Not a Weakness
The Rams already had one of the NFL's best defensive fronts.
Before the trade they already featured:
Jared Verse
Byron Young
Kobie Turner
Braden Fiske

Now Garrett replaces Verse as the alpha player. That's an upgrade, but it isn't solving a deficiency. It's improving an area that was already elite. If the Rams had been replacing an average edge rusher with Garrett, I'd view the impact very differently.

2. Seattle Beat the Rams Their Last 2 Meetings
Finished 14-3
Won the NFC West
Earned the #1 seed
Beat the Rams in the NFC Championship Game
Won both playoff games by controlling strong opponents on both sides of the ball.

The Rams weren't some inferior team that suddenly caught Seattle. The Rams were already a championship-caliber roster and Seattle still finished ahead of them.

3. One Player Rarely Moves the Needle as Much as Fans Think
Garrett may be worth an extra sack, pressure, or turnover in a given matchup, but football isn't basketball.
A prime Garrett doesn't impact every defensive snap the way an elite NBA superstar impacts every possession.
Seattle's strength last year was roster-wide quality. They were statistically among the league's best teams on both offense and defense, finishing with the NFL's top scoring defense.

Our team construction is generally more sustainable than concentrating value into a few aging stars.

4. The Age Curves Favor Seattle into the Future
The Rams' core now includes:
Myles Garrett (30)
Matthew Stafford (late 30s)

Seattle's core is largely entering or already in its prime years. The Rams are maximizing a 1-3 year championship window.
Seattle has a 5-7 year window that is agile and manageable.

Final Perspective & Bottom Line
Before the trade, I think Seattle remained ahead of the Rams.
After the trade, I still have Seattle slightly ahead of the Rams, the gap narrowed, but I don't think it flipped.

The Rams improved their ceiling. The Seahawks still have the better combination of youth, depth, continuity, and long-term roster health. The trade makes the Rams more dangerous, but it doesn't erase the fact that Seattle was the team that won 14 games, won the division, and ultimately knocked them out of the playoffs.

Bottom Line: Seattle's Culture > Rams Ceiling

I concur. Good stuff.

Nice breakdown. One of Schneider's strengths is that he doesn't get into FA arms wars against our opponents. That's where one ends up wasting resources in pursuit of marginal improvements.

Admire your optimism.

I see it the same way. They just traded their best young player that plays the same position as what they added. Garrett is a 1st ballot HOFer but they added to what was a strength not a weakness. Cross can handle Garrett. I'm not worried or think this moves the needle much.

Isn't one of Garret's main strength is his run defense? I think the Rams considered this as well,, they are probably tired of getting gashed on the run.

These “super teams” with aging stars rarely work in alot of sports. Football is definitely one that pendulum does not lean in favor of.

Over the course of the long 17 game season, age, comes into play alot.

Garrett, getting older.

Adams, getting older.

Stafford, getting older.

Since Garrett, is an athletic freak, I don’t doubt his ability to stay healthy, but Adams and Stafford staying healthy is an X factor.

Adams, gets injured throughout the year and if Stafford takes one big hit, it might be game over for the offense, entirely.

Seattle, has the youth on its side and a good ratio mix of vets and young talent with the built in culture to defeat these bandwagon Rams.

And the last I checked, Seattle, special teams are still superior to the Rams.

Go Seahawks!

He's 30, and he's extremely durable.

Good points, but Rams may have been motivated, at least in part, to simply keep Garrett away from the Seahawks, what with all the 2027 draft capital Seattle has with which to build an attractive trade offer with the Browns.

If we can beat the Eagles with their line we can figure out the Rams.

Bobblehead said:

Isn't one of Garret's main strength is his run defense? I think the Rams considered this as well,, they are probably tired of getting gashed on the run.

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Garrett and Verse are both excellent run defenders. Not as good as Crosby, but still top 5 in the league at their position.