EJ4 is the leader we've been missing

FearTheHawk

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Man I'm telling you all right now Ernest Jones is going to unlock this D. We have a lot of good players across the defense and we've got leaders in J Love on the back end and Leo on the D Line but where is that glue? Where is the guy that holds everyone together and keeps guys in it when it gets tough?

Watch this mic'd up video from when EJ was with the Rams. The dude is an absolute leader and he's exactly what this D needs and what Mike needs. He may not be as talented but this is our Roquan. This is the guy that connects everything together. People look at stats and grades but they needs to see the impact this guy can have in the locker room too. Huge fan of this trade.

I also just saw in an interview that EJ's biggest inspiration is B Wags so take that for what you will.
 
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SweepSanFran

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man i like this trade even more after watching this video. I was stumped as to why the Lambs would have traded him away earlier this year. I figured he would have been so integral to their success after the retirement of Aaron. The biggest thing that caught my eye in the video was how quickly he diagnosed the Eagles D and called the TD when they didn't have enough guys on that side. This guy is locked in to the entire game and will make our guys way better. Cant wait to see what he does with a second shot at the Bills in back to back weeks. Hopefully he sees what's coming and wrecks their game.
 

Aircrew

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Man I'm telling you all right now Ernest Jones is going to unlock this D. We have a lot of good players across the defense and we've got leaders in J Love on the back end and Leo on the D Line but where is that glue? Where is the guy that holds everyone together and keeps guys in it when it gets tough?

Watch this mic'd up video from when EJ was with the Rams. The dude is an absolute leader and he's exactly what this D needs and what Mike needs. He may not be as talented but this is our Roquan. This is the guy that connects everything together. People look at stats and grades but they needs to see the impact this guy can have in the locker room too. Huge fan of this trade.

I also just saw in an interview that EJ's biggest inspiration is B Wags so take that for what you will.
I think you may be right.

Funny, ever since the trade was announced I was wondering if bringing in Jones had more than one purpose for Big Mac's defense. That video, which was great, really shows some positive leadership qualities. I'm optimistic, if he's a leader, his addition to the D will be felt at every level.
 

onanygivensunday

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Very much liked what I saw. I also like the fact that Mac isn't afraid to jettison a player that we picked up in FA... and by the looks of it, JS agrees.

EJ4 looks to be a great addition to the team. Having leaders at all three levels of the D is invaluable.
 

bigskydoc

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I’ve posted in a couple of other threads that, based on my observation last season, he seemed to be the defacto captain of the Rams defense, despite AD being the official captain.

I was pretty surprised that they let him go.

My biggest concern is the possibility that he was let go due to being too vocal on the field and in practice, and unwilling to stay in his lane.

He was very vocal about being paid what he is worth, and perhaps that caused friction with LA and Ten.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯

He’s a hell of a player, and leader. I hope it was just an environment thing that caused The Rams to let him go. Same with Tennessee, though his release there isn’t nearly as puzzling.
 

bileever

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I'm very excited about the addition. Ernest Jones could be the missing piece.

Coming out of college, he wasn't highly regarded and he was thought of as being too slow (4.72) and not very athletic, but with a high football IQ. In retrospect, that opinion that he isn't athletic wasn't right, you can tell from the tape as well as his other measurables, like his vertical (38.5" - 93rd percentile) and broad jump (126" - 97th percentile) that he is very athletic.

The Rams drafted Jones in the 3rd round and started him in 2021, but felt ambivalent enough about him that they signed Bobby Wagner to take his spot in 2022 and moved Jones to the outside. He floundered there due to having more coverage responsibilities, which is not his strength. So when Jones bounced back and had a pretty good year in 2023, the Rams were unconvinced that he was their long-term answer at the mike position.

The speculation is that McVay and Snead didn't like Jones despite the fact that Jones was team captain and the leader of a surprisingly good defense last year. The most obvious reasons that articles have brought up is that he had knee issues last year and in training camp this year. And apparently, Jones and the Rams were far apart in talks about a long-term contract.


In this article, it says that McVay, who is usually good with the media, got very testy when asked about the Jones trade to the Titans this summer, and would only say that it was "best for the team." McVay also said that the Rams were good at LB with Troy Reeder and Christian Rozeboom. Those guys are ranked 61st and 73rd on PFF.

Andrew Whitworth also trashed Jones on Twitter, and also added as a reason for trading Jones the current NFL wisdom that you shouldn't pay linebackers. It's the same reason the Bears traded Roquan Smith. But the reality is that good players are hard to find at that position, and you can't stop the run without good linebackers.
 

Wsumatt1982

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Everything I read about this guy makes that 4th rounder feel like less of an overpayment.
It doesn't hurt that is regarded as generally a weak class so that 4th hurts even less. But to get a guy that is only 24 so same age as most draft picks. 4 years NFL experience and a proven leader and talent. He is one of the top 10 middle linebackers and entering his prime. I think this is huge for basically just a 4th. Reports say we have every intention to extend him so even better. I'm definitely in agreement with you.
 

toffee

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I’ve posted in a couple of other threads that, based on my observation last season, he seemed to be the defacto captain of the Rams defense, despite AD being the official captain.

I was pretty surprised that they let him go.

My biggest concern is the possibility that he was let go due to being too vocal on the field and in practice, and unwilling to stay in his lane.

He was very vocal about being paid what he is worth, and perhaps that caused friction with LA and Ten.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯

He’s a hell of a player, and leader. I hope it was just an environment thing that caused The Rams to let him go. Same with Tennessee, though his release there isn’t nearly as puzzling.
You may nailed it. I felt like he was the opposite of Bobby, yelling and shouting wise.
 
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Timberhawk

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Thanks for the video. I had no clue who he was but once the video started I said, “Oh snap he’s number 53 on the Rams! I remember hating that dude he seemed to always give us fits. Sweet we got number 53!!” Probably be a good time to learn his name. 🤦‍♂️
 

HawkRiderFan

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This is really getting in the weeds but at the end of that loss in LA last year when lots of questions were raised about that draw play vs passing to make it a shorter kick, wasn't it Jones who made the play on ZC to limit the play? I seem to remember hearing after from the Hawks that it was the right call but Jones (I think) either was unblocked or slipped his block.
 
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