Bradford-Cook Connection Growing/STL PD

[Sarlacc83]

Pre-season fluffing? That never happens! You've uncovered a gem!

 

[Stephen SeaHawking]

Oh man, I love that Rams fans think their team is going to have this amazing passing attack next season. Can't wait for them to come up against the legion. Tavon Austin never gets off the line.

 

[Natethegreat]

As a Seahawk fan it cracks me up reading some of these posts about the Rams as if there is no way they have an improved up and coming team(sort of like us last year). As if they are incapable of improving as well or that its all that hard to see that improvement(sort of like us last year).
I don't buy the hype around the Cardinals at all but I think the Rams end up being a very very tough game for anyone next year and possibly even contenders late in the year for our division.

 

[SouthSoundHawk]

It's as if Rams fans forgot they have Sam Bradford at QB.

SAM.

BRADFORD.

A guy that has posted a 60% completion percentage as his career high...a career HIGH.

A guy that in three years has TD/INT ratios of 18/15, 6/6, and 21/13.

A guy that in three years has averaged a QBR of 42.3 and an overall rating of 77.3.

Yet, this is the guy that's going to somehow become the best QB in the division (because apparently they have the best WRs and the best TE).

Someone shoot me in the face. Someone shoot my face clean off my face, these STL threads are nothing but the saddest short stories that no one is taking seriously. You're QB and TE are starting to get chemistry? NEATO BURRITO, but that doesn't explain how/why Cook will be the best TE in the NFCW. It appears they have a lot of work to do, and it sounds like Cook is nothing more than the player Bradford dumps balls off too at this point.

Stop trying to convince yourself that STL is one of the top two teams in the NFL.

 

[ErikG803]

/reads preseason article with positive headline from local newspaper
/WOOOOOO
/YEAH
/F*K YEAH
/fist pumps
/YEAH
/Hey honey wait til those Seahawks fans get a load of this
/is still the Rams
:179419:

 

[SeahawksFanForever]

(Vernon Davis > Jared Cook) > Kam Chancellor

=)

 

[Scottemojo]

As a Seahawk fan it cracks me up reading some of these posts about the Rams as if there is no way they have an improved up and coming team(sort of like us last year). As if they are incapable of improving as well or that its all that hard to see that improvement(sort of like us last year).
I don't buy the hype around the Cardinals at all but I think the Rams end up being a very very tough game for anyone next year and possibly even contenders late in the year for our division.

True, the negatives are a bit silly, this Rams team is getting better fast. But don't you think a lot of the negative responses are not so much rooted in belief or knowledge as much as this particular Rams poster is an obnoxious ass and so no one really wants to agree with his trolling?

 

[Lady Talon]

As a Seahawk fan it cracks me up reading some of these posts about the Rams as if there is no way they have an improved up and coming team(sort of like us last year). As if they are incapable of improving as well or that its all that hard to see that improvement(sort of like us last year).
I don't buy the hype around the Cardinals at all but I think the Rams end up being a very very tough game for anyone next year and possibly even contenders late in the year for our division.

More because the poster is trolling, then the team itself.

 

[Thread Killer]

IMO, Sam Bradford hasn't gotten the credit he actually deserves given the situation he was placed in going to the Rams. You've got to admit, he's had few, if any weapons, around him for years while playing behind some of the worst OLines in the NFL. And their team is usually playing from behind as prior to last year their defenses have been horrible. This doesn't even take into account he and his entire offense having to learn a new scheme each year.

I can't think of any QB in the history of the NFL that has faced similar circumstances that has looked like a franchise QB. IMO, he should be given credit for not going the way of David Carr with all the abuse he's taken.

Shoot these past few seasons Doug Baldwin would be his #1 WR. :lol:

 

[mretrade]

Uhh Thread Killer, I would much rather have Amendola than Doug Baldwin

 

[Thread Killer]

Uhh Thread Killer, I would much rather have Amendola than Doug Baldwin

Not if he's only available for 12 of the last 32 games like Amendola.

 

[kearly]

Bradford had his best season last year, and the defense did something they probably won't repeat in 2013: sacking the QB 52 times. The secondary played better than anticipated. Yet with all those nice breaks, the Rams were the definition of NFL average last season. 7-8-1. +1.1% DVOA (0% is dead average). 8.1 estimated wins. You look at their roster, and they have one true pro-bowler in Chris Long, and then a long list of solid to good players like Michael Brockers, Cortland Finnegan, Janoris Jenkins, Roger Saffold, Jake Long, and maybe Robert Quinn. After that, it's a whole lot of league average.

I thought the Rams did a good job adding starters this offseason. The problem is, none of the players they added were likely to be home run acquisitions. Tavon Austin is a good player that I liked, but he's about as likely to crack 1000 yards in any season as Percy Harvin is, probably less so. I actually really like the Zac Stacy pick, but statistically the odds of him becoming a star out of the 5th round is pretty low. I just think he was a good gamble. McDonald is a Tim Ruskell special. Very nice player, but he's unlikely to ever be elite. Barrett Jones is John Moffitt 2.0, etc.

It's almost as if the Rams are attempting to build the NFL's deepest 8-8 team. Which I guess is fitting given how much affinity Jeff Fisher has with 8-8 seasons.

 

[Thread Killer]

That average team was 4-1-1 in our division in their 1st year under Jeff Fisher. And they are and were the youngest team in the NFL. I think it would be foolish to assume that these guys aren't going to be a better team in the 2nd year of his systems as that young talent further develops.

Tavon Austin? I believe he gets 1,000 all purpose yards EASILY. On top of that, he's going to draw so much attention from defenses that others will be freed more to make plays.

 

[HawksSoc]

And they are and were the youngest team in the NFL.

This is a misconception, from oldest to youngest they are 27th on O and tied for 31st on D, including the third oldest starting O line. Whereas the Browns are 32nd on 0 and tied 31st on D.

http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/77416/average-age-rankings-for-projected-starters

 

[Chukarhawk]

I have high expectations for Cook. I beleive he's Bradford's go-to-guy and this is good to hear.

Bradford-Cook connection growing/PD

• By Jim Thomas

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football ... 1116f.html



Bradford knows the feeling.

“I’m definitely excited about the potential of this offense and the things that we’re capable of doing,” he said. “Obviously we have a lot of speed and a lot of playmakers.


Who? cokk will never see the endzone against the hawks. ever.


The offense was at it’s best Sunday during a 2-minute drill that began deep in Rams territory with a “pretend” 1:40 left on the Dome scoreboard clock and one timeout. Working against the Rams’ starting defense, Bradford completed seven of eight passes — totals that don’t include a couple of spiked balls.




.... go to link for full article.

 

[RedAlice]

And they are and were the youngest team in the NFL.

This is a misconception, from oldest to youngest they are 27th on O and tied for 31st on D, including the third oldest starting O line. Whereas the Browns are 32nd on 0 and tied 31st on D.

http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/77416/average-age-rankings-for-projected-starters

Those numbers are for 2013 projected starters. Nice! We will only be the second youngest team this year. Also very nice to have J Long now.

A funny stat from your link: And yes, the defensive starters for Cleveland and St. Louis tied in average age at 25.263636, improbable as that seems when calculating ages to the day.

You were one of the youngest in 2012 as well:

Rams 25.30
Eagles 25.51
Browns 25.55
Dolphins 25..57
Seahawks 25.72
Vikings 25.72

Honestly, hardly seems like much difference at all. All of these teams are getting better by having young talent that develops with the team. Well, maybe not the Eagles.

Numbers from: http://www.profootballweekly.com/2012/1 ... gest-teams

 

[kearly]

That average team was 4-1-1 in our division in their 1st year under Jeff Fisher. And they are and were the youngest team in the NFL. I think it would be foolish to assume that these guys aren't going to be a better team in the 2nd year of his systems as that young talent further develops.

Tavon Austin? I believe he gets 1,000 all purpose yards EASILY. On top of that, he's going to draw so much attention from defenses that others will be freed more to make plays.

Yeah, but you went 3-7 outside the division and posted a near trainwreck point differential in those games. I respect the Rams for getting that tie in SF, but the home wins against the Seahawks and 49ers struck me as both visiting teams playing terrible football that week and fumbling those games away with incredibly clutch mistakes.

WRT Austin, I said receiving yards, not all-purpose yards (1000 all-purpose yards isn't at all impressive, btw). Austin will be worth maybe 3 extra yards per kickoff/punt and he'll get you probably 700-800 yards receiving on a low yards per target (slot/YAC WRs tend to be a lot less efficient, not that it's their fault, but guys like Welker, Cruz, and Nelson who put up huge numbers from the slot are very uncommon). Austin might get you some rushing yards as well, but I expect the Rams to take it pretty easy on that front until they know how well he can handle the risks of running the football in the NFL.

In college he'd have big games one week then quiet ones the next. He's a good player who adds value to your team, but if he's a star right away that would surprise most NFL observers. He's going to be a lot of fun to watch- I think he'll be a really nice player and you won't complain about the pick- just don't expect too much- especially since it's Bradford that's throwing to him.

I think the Rams are quickly reaching a point where it's getting harder and harder to add wins without replacing Bradford. But Bradford is not terrible, and neither are the Rams, which means he's probably going to be there a long time. Which is a recipe for years of mediocre seasons.

 

[candyman4881]

That average team was 4-1-1 in our division in their 1st year under Jeff Fisher. And they are and were the youngest team in the NFL. I think it would be foolish to assume that these guys aren't going to be a better team in the 2nd year of his systems as that young talent further develops.

Tavon Austin? I believe he gets 1,000 all purpose yards EASILY. On top of that, he's going to draw so much attention from defenses that others will be freed more to make plays.

Yeah, but you went 3-7 outside the division and posted a near trainwreck point differential in those games. I respect the Rams for getting that tie in SF, but the home wins against the Seahawks and 49ers struck me as both visiting teams playing terrible football that week and fumbling those games away with incredibly clutch mistakes.

WRT Austin, I said receiving yards, not all-purpose yards (1000 all-purpose yards isn't at all impressive, btw). Austin will be worth maybe 3 extra yards per kickoff/punt and he'll get you probably 700-800 yards receiving on a low yards per target (slot/YAC WRs tend to be a lot less efficient, not that it's their fault, but guys like Welker, Cruz, and Nelson who put up huge numbers from the slot are very uncommon). Austin might get you some rushing yards as well, but I expect the Rams to take it pretty easy on that front until they know how well he can handle the risks of running the football in the NFL.

In college he'd have big games one week then quiet ones the next. He's a good player who adds value to your team, but if he's a star right away that would surprise most NFL observers. He's going to be a lot of fun to watch- I think he'll be a really nice player and you won't complain about the pick- just don't expect too much- especially since it's Bradford that's throwing to him.

I think the Rams are quickly reaching a point where it's getting harder and harder to add wins without replacing Bradford. But Bradford is not terrible, and neither are the Rams, which means he's probably going to be there a long time. Which is a recipe for years of mediocre seasons.

You also have to realize that the Rams were 2-14 the year before, and that 35 players on the final 53 man roster for the final game for the Rams in 2011 are no longer in football. This is also the first time in 5 years that the Rams have had the same Offensive Coordinator for the second year in a row. Everyone wants to talk about how that affects a QB, and it does, but that is looking small picture - this also affects the WR routes, RB play, O-Line blocking scheme, etc etc.

I know it would be easy to write off the Rams due to their out of division record, however given the perspective that this is a young and improving team, I would expect the team to take the next step this year, barring any injuries, which could be true for a lot of teams in the NFL.

 

[Thread Killer]

That average team was 4-1-1 in our division in their 1st year under Jeff Fisher. And they are and were the youngest team in the NFL. I think it would be foolish to assume that these guys aren't going to be a better team in the 2nd year of his systems as that young talent further develops.

Tavon Austin? I believe he gets 1,000 all purpose yards EASILY. On top of that, he's going to draw so much attention from defenses that others will be freed more to make plays.

Yeah, but you went 3-7 outside the division and posted a near trainwreck point differential in those games. I respect the Rams for getting that tie in SF, but the home wins against the Seahawks and 49ers struck me as both visiting teams playing terrible football that week and fumbling those games away with incredibly clutch mistakes.

WRT Austin, I said receiving yards, not all-purpose yards (1000 all-purpose yards isn't at all impressive, btw). Austin will be worth maybe 3 extra yards per kickoff/punt and he'll get you probably 700-800 yards receiving on a low yards per target (slot/YAC WRs tend to be a lot less efficient, not that it's their fault, but guys like Welker, Cruz, and Nelson who put up huge numbers from the slot are very uncommon). Austin might get you some rushing yards as well, but I expect the Rams to take it pretty easy on that front until they know how well he can handle the risks of running the football in the NFL.

In college he'd have big games one week then quiet ones the next. He's a good player who adds value to your team, but if he's a star right away that would surprise most NFL observers. He's going to be a lot of fun to watch- I think he'll be a really nice player and you won't complain about the pick- just don't expect too much- especially since it's Bradford that's throwing to him.

I think the Rams are quickly reaching a point where it's getting harder and harder to add wins without replacing Bradford. But Bradford is not terrible, and neither are the Rams, which means he's probably going to be there a long time. Which is a recipe for years of mediocre seasons.

Perhaps you meant to post receiving yards regarding Austin, but you didn't. Anyway, my guess is that Austin cracks 1,000 yards with a combination receiving and rushing. Yes, from what I've read they plan to use him in the backfield some. Special teams will surely seal the deal. An extra 3 yards average per return? That would be great. Especially, if this average included a few big returns that helped shorten the field which rarely happened for that team.

The 3-7 record non-divisional games included an opening day road loss in Detroit on a game winning drive with seconds on the clock and a 3 point road loss to the Dolphins where the kicker missed 3 FGs. The 35 point loss in New England overseas greatly skews the overall point differential.

Home wins vs. the Seahawks and 49ers because of poor efforts by the visitors? Ok. But, with the away games being so close perhaps the Rams helped force those so-called poor efforts.

Sam Bradford gets a bad rap for a kid that has had so much going against him since he's entered the league. I think he's looked pretty good given his circumstances. But, then again I can't think of any other successful QB that has had 3 different offenses during his first 3 seasons while playing behind horrible OLines (on a bum wheel his sophomore season), very little talent surrounding them, and 2-3 years of gawd awful defenses. And you know what? I don't believe that you or anyone else can either.

Some call it excuses, but circumstances matter.

IMO, if Wilson and Kaepernick were to switch places with Bradford and not have:
- an above average to good OLine,
- top rated defenses keeping their teams in games,
- stud RBs averaging 4.7 & 5.0 yards per carry keeping defenders honest
(Note: While a big name, Jackson only averaged 4.0 with Bradford),
- legitimate pro bowl caliber targets WRs like Crabtree, Davis, Rice, etc..
(Note: Rams best WR and Bradford's go to guy Amendola was a slot guy who thanks to injuries only started 9 of the last 32 games. And his next best WR is now in Miami competing for the #3 role)

..then my guess is that they wouldn't look as good to the masses either.

 

[Marvin49]

That average team was 4-1-1 in our division in their 1st year under Jeff Fisher. And they are and were the youngest team in the NFL. I think it would be foolish to assume that these guys aren't going to be a better team in the 2nd year of his systems as that young talent further develops.

Tavon Austin? I believe he gets 1,000 all purpose yards EASILY. On top of that, he's going to draw so much attention from defenses that others will be freed more to make plays.

Yeah, but you went 3-7 outside the division and posted a near trainwreck point differential in those games. I respect the Rams for getting that tie in SF, but the home wins against the Seahawks and 49ers struck me as both visiting teams playing terrible football that week and fumbling those games away with incredibly clutch mistakes.

WRT Austin, I said receiving yards, not all-purpose yards (1000 all-purpose yards isn't at all impressive, btw). Austin will be worth maybe 3 extra yards per kickoff/punt and he'll get you probably 700-800 yards receiving on a low yards per target (slot/YAC WRs tend to be a lot less efficient, not that it's their fault, but guys like Welker, Cruz, and Nelson who put up huge numbers from the slot are very uncommon). Austin might get you some rushing yards as well, but I expect the Rams to take it pretty easy on that front until they know how well he can handle the risks of running the football in the NFL.

In college he'd have big games one week then quiet ones the next. He's a good player who adds value to your team, but if he's a star right away that would surprise most NFL observers. He's going to be a lot of fun to watch- I think he'll be a really nice player and you won't complain about the pick- just don't expect too much- especially since it's Bradford that's throwing to him.

I think the Rams are quickly reaching a point where it's getting harder and harder to add wins without replacing Bradford. But Bradford is not terrible, and neither are the Rams, which means he's probably going to be there a long time. Which is a recipe for years of mediocre seasons.

Perhaps you meant to post receiving yards regarding Austin, but you didn't. Anyway, my guess is that Austin cracks 1,000 yards with a combination receiving and rushing. Yes, from what I've read they plan to use him in the backfield some. Special teams will surely seal the deal. An extra 3 yards average per return? That would be great. Especially, if this average included a few big returns that helped shorten the field which rarely happened for that team.

The 3-7 record non-divisional games included an opening day road loss in Detroit on a game winning drive with seconds on the clock and a 3 point road loss to the Dolphins where the kicker missed 3 FGs. The 35 point loss in New England overseas greatly skews the overall point differential.

Home wins vs. the Seahawks and 49ers because of poor efforts by the visitors? Ok. But, with the away games being so close perhaps the Rams helped force those so-called poor efforts.

Sam Bradford gets a bad rap for a kid that has had so much going against him since he's entered the league. I think he's looked pretty good given his circumstances. But, then again I can't think of any other successful QB that has had 3 different offenses during his first 3 seasons while playing behind horrible OLines (on a bum wheel his sophomore season), very little talent surrounding them, and 2-3 years of gawd awful defenses. And you know what? I don't believe that you or anyone else can either.

Some call it excuses, but circumstances matter.

IMO, if Wilson and Kaepernick were to switch places with Bradford and not have:
- an above average to good OLine,
- top rated defenses keeping their teams in games,
- stud RBs averaging 4.7 & 5.0 yards per carry keeping defenders honest
(Note: While a big name, Jackson only averaged 4.0 with Bradford),
- legitimate pro bowl caliber targets WRs like Crabtree, Davis, Rice, etc..
(Note: Rams best WR and Bradford's go to guy Amendola was a slot guy who thanks to injuries only started 9 of the last 32 games. And his next best WR is now in Miami competing for the #3 role)

..then my guess is that they wouldn't look as good to the masses either.

Right....because the Rams forced the refs to screw up the safety call on Kaep and the Rams forced Kaep to pitch high and forced Ted Ginn to make no effort on that ball. Those 2 plays accounted for 10 of the 13 points the Rams scored in regulation.