Jeff Fisher Extension Done?
Jeff Fisher may already have a contract extension in place with the Rams but is declining to confirm it. Asked about rumors of a potential extension being signed, Fisher did not confirm or deny rumors connecting him to another Rams pact, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
We heard earlier today Fisher and GM Les Snead were still likely to receive contract extensions despite the pair’s lack of substantial success with the franchise. The Rams have won seven games in three of Fisher’s four seasons and are coming off a 28-0 nationally televised defeat in their return as the Los Angeles Rams. While Fisher’s fared better than Scott Linehan or Steve Spagnuolo, who combined to coach four seasons with either three or fewer victories between 2007-11, many fans may not be thrilled an extension is coming. Florio posits the extension, if it has in fact been agreed to, will likely be announced after the Rams score a key victory this season.
- The Raiders‘ potential trek to Las Vegas will still rely on owners getting behind a Mark Davis-backed venture, something that shouldn’t be considered a sure thing, Ray Ratto of CSNBayArea.com writes. Ratto writes the Jaguars and Chargers are the two logical candidates for the NFL to place in Vegas if the stadium deal is agreed upon. Neither has been seriously connected to a Nevada move. However, Ratto notes Jerry Jones‘ power among the owners shouldn’t be dismissed. Despite working against the Raiders in February to push the Rams to Los Angeles, Jones has voiced support for a Raiders-to-Vegas venture and could be expected to whip votes if this measure reaches a vote.
Latest On Rams’ Jeff Fisher, Les Snead
Extensions for Rams GM Les Snead and Jeff Fisher have yet to be finalized, but they are still expected to get done despite how poorly things went for L.A. in Week 1, ESPN.com’s Alden Gonzalez tweets. A previous report indicated that the contracts are on hold after the brutal loss against San Francisco. On Thursday, the Rams formally announced their new deal with defensive tackle Michael Brockers, so it stands to reason that extensions for Fisher and Snead might not be far off. 
We’ve been hearing about new deals for Fisher and Snead all offseason long but, so far, nothing has been finalized. While some have questioned whether they deserve extensions given the lack of success they have had in recent years, Stan Kroenke & Co. believe that the organization is headed in the right direction. The franchise also probably wants to maintain some continuity as it breaks into a new market.
Under Fisher, the Rams have gone 27-37-1 and haven’t done better than seven wins in any season. The Rams haven’t reached the postseason in more than ten years.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Rams Sign DT Michael Brockers To Extension
The Rams announced that they have officially signed defensive tackle Michael Brockers to a three-year contract extension. The agreement was first reported by Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (on Twitter) earlier this week. The deal is worth upwards of $33M with more than $16MM in guarantees, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. 
Los Angeles reportedly waited to announce the extension because of the team’s disappointing loss to the 49ers to start the season. The Rams likely would have made everything official on Tuesday, but the timing seemed off after the 28-0 drumming on Sunday night.
Brockers, 25, recorded 3.0 sacks and 44 tackles for Los Angeles last season. While the Rams have issues to address in other facets of the game (particularly on the other side of the ball), they have invested heavily in their defensive line and it shows. Brockers would have drawn tons of interest on the open market next spring and the Rams did not want to risk losing him.
Prior to this deal, Brockers was slated to make $6.146MM before potentially reaching free agency after the season.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
PFR’s Impact Rookies Series
All summer long, longtime scouting consultant Dave-Te Thomas of The NFL Draft Report has been breaking down the draft class of every team in the league and identifying the players that can immediately make a difference. The Impact Rookies series, which wrapped up today with a look at the Seahawks, provides unique insight to this year’s NFL freshman class from a veteran guru who worked closely with several teams around the league leading up to the draft.
Here is the full rundown of the Impact Rookies series:
AFC East
AFC North
AFC South
AFC West
NFC East
NFC North
NFC South
NFC West
Latest On Potential Jeff Fisher Extension
Thanks to the Rams’ season-opening debacle on Monday, head coach Jeff Fisher‘s future with the team looks less certain. Fisher and owner Stan Kroenke met after the Rams’ 28-0 loss to the 49ers, according to Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole, who adds that the contract extension Fisher was supposed to receive isn’t in play at the moment (video link).
Various reports since the winter have stated that Fisher and general manager Les Snead, both of whom are in contract years, are likely to sign new deals. Fisher took over the Rams’ sideline in 2012 and is among the NFL’s highest-paid coaches at $7MM, but the former Titans boss hasn’t produced positive results with his current organization. Under Fisher, the Rams have gone 27-37-1 in four-plus years and haven’t exceeded seven wins in an individual campaign, thereby stretching their streak of non-playoff seasons to 12. The way the Rams looked Monday, the newly minted Los Angeles team is on its way to No. 13.
One major problem for the Rams in Week 1 was the performance of quarterback Case Keenum, who completed 17 of 35 passes for 130 yards and two interceptions against a San Francisco club that went 5-11 a year ago. Fisher will go forth with Keenum for the time being, but other coaches on the Rams’ staff feel first overall pick Jared Goff gives them a better chance to win, per Cole (video link).
Keenum beat out both Goff and Sean Mannion for the starting role over the summer, making Goff the first QB to go No. 1 and not start his team’s opener since the Raiders’ JaMarcus Russell in 2007. Worsening matters, Goff didn’t show enough progress during training camp and the preseason to even earn a spot on the Rams’ active roster Monday, but the ex-Cal standout could suit up as a reserve against the Seahawks in their LA opener this week.
To acquire the pick with which he chose Goff, Snead surrendered several valuable selections – including first-rounders in 2016 and 2017 and multiple second-rounders – to the Titans. If Goff doesn’t take the field this year and at least show flashes of a player who was worth that type of haul, then, it stands to reason Snead could join Fisher on the the hot seat. The Rams looked like the worst team in the league in Week 1, and that’s particularly troubling for a franchise that’s not in possession of its own first-rounder in next year’s draft.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Rams, Michael Brockers Agree To Extension
The Rams and defensive tackle Michael Brockers have agreed to a contract extension, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (on Twitter). Prior to this deal, Brockers was scheduled to earn a salary of $6.146MM (per the terms of his fifth-year option) before potentially hitting the open market after the season. Brockers’ extension is for three years and will take him through 2019, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com tweets.
[RELATED – Offseason In Review: Los Angeles Rams]
Brockers, 25, has been a starter for the Rams ever since he was selected with the No. 14 overall pick in the 2012 draft. For his career, Brockers has racked up 155 tackles and 14.5 sacks. Last year, the defensive tackle logged 3.0 sacks and 44 tackles.
This offseason, the Rams were unwilling to shell out big bucks to retain top cornerback Janoris Jenkins. With other pending free agents to take care of, it wasn’t clear whether Los Angeles would offer the necessary money to lock down Brockers. However, the Rams managed to get a deal done and they’ll now hold on to one of the most important pieces of their fearsome defensive line. Along with fellow interior lineman Aaron Donald and bookends William Hayes and Robert Quinn, Brockers helps to form one of the most talented defensive line units in the league.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Impact Rookies: Los Angeles Rams
The old adage that defense wins championships may or may not be true, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find a title-winning team that didn’t build heavily through the draft. Rookie classes, naturally, are evaluated on the perceived upside of the NFL newcomers, but which rookies are ready to contribute right out of the gate? And, how do they fit in with their new team schematically?
To help us forecast the immediate future of these NFL neophytes, we enlisted the help of draft guru Dave-Te Thomas who has served as a scouting personnel consultant to NFL teams for multiple decades.
Even Stevie Wonder could see that the biggest problem for Los Angeles/St. Louis was their quest to find Kurt Warner’s replacement. They finally feel they found that answer in-state, drafting Jared Goff after a trade for the rifle-armed passer. The front office then used four of their next five selection to add weapons to the receiving corps for their new signal caller. Still, all that attention led to two glaring omissions – help for both lines.
[RELATED – Offseason In Review: Los Angeles Rams]
Goff is expected to be brought along slowly this year and based on his exhibition performances to date, it seems like a wise idea to have him observe, rather than being thrown to the wolves. The Rams offensive line is mediocre, if even that, and will be breaking in two new guards this season, along with trying to figure out the tight end and wide receiver crowd. The No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft may prove to be a solid quarterback down the line, but you won’t see him listed as an “Impact Rookie.” In fact, there’s only one member of the Rams rookie class that we can envision making a mark this year.
Fourth Round – Tyler Higbee, TE (Western Kentucky, No. 110 overall)
At one point this summer, Higbee was running with the first team and it looked like he might be Los Angeles’ primary tight end. Instead, Higbee is No. 2 on the TE depth chart behind Lance Kendricks. In the Rams’ season opener, Higbee caught one pass for two yards. That’s hardly superstar production, but he did draw four targets while Kendricks saw only three. 
If the Rams can figure out their offensive line issues, then Higbee could have a chance to break out a bit in his frosh campaign. There is no doubt that Higbee is an NFL caliber tight end. The big question is – will he mature enough to stay out of trouble off the field?
For a tight end, Higbee displays good quickness and timed speed. He has above average agility, flexibility, and burst and displays the ability to adjust on the run. The WKU product stays on his feet with good balance, flexibility and change of direction agility. He makes good adjustments on the run, doing a nice job of spotting coverage while running routes. He has the speed to get open after the catch and shows good hustle getting out on the edge to cut block.
Higbee might not be bulky, but he does not step away from b fourthlocking assignments down field. He needs to be more physical in his in-line blocking approach, though. He is a well-coordinated athlete with good speed and quick feet for his position. He shows good balance in his routes and has enough speed to threaten the defenses on deep patterns, but is more comfortable on controlled routes. Higbee runs with a normal stride and builds quickly to top speed. He is not really explosive, but has the balance and body control to make proper adjustments on the move.
Higbee has soft hands and is very good with hand placement on the ball. He will catch in his hands, extend and pluck outside the framework and look natural doing both. The thing you notice on film is his ball concentration skills. Once he gets the ball within his grasp, it will result in a clean catch. When in stride, he catches the ball smoothly, showing the hand/eye coordination to make proper body adjustments and will extend some to catch out of the body’s framework.
As a fourth-round pick, Higbee may make some GMs regret passing him up. But, he’ll need the offense around him to get it together.
Dave-Te Thomas owns and operates The NFL Draft Report, a service providing insight to league scouting departments for over 40 years. All year round, you can read Thomas’ in-depth reviews of both blue chip prospects and diamonds in the rough by visiting the NFL Draft Report blog.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Offseason In Review: Los Angeles Rams
The Rams had the top pick in this past year’s draft. They added a number of veteran defensive free agents. They signed their top wideout to a lucrative extension.
Still, despite all of these headlines, the biggest “move” by the Rams was their relocation to Los Angeles. After 20 years (and a Super Bowl championship) in St. Louis, the organization is returning to the City of Angels.
Following a 2015 season that featured a 7-9 record and plenty of promise from Offensive Rookie of the Year Todd Gurley, the assumption would be that the team would take another step forward in 2016. The Rams will undoubtedly be in a bigger spotlight, but did the front office do enough to bring a contender to Los Angeles?
Notable signings:
- Mark Barron, LB: Five years, $45MM. $15MM guaranteed.
- Trumaine Johnson, CB: One year, $13,952MM. Fully guaranteed. Accepted franchise tag.
- William Hayes, DE: Three years, $17.5MM. $10MM guaranteed.
- Coty Sensabaugh, CB: Three years, $14.5MM. $5.5MM guaranteed.
- Tim Barnes, C: Two years, $5.5MM. $3.25MM guaranteed.
- Eugene Sims, DE: Three years, $10MM. $3MM guaranteed.
- Cory Harkey, TE: Three years, $5.7MM. $2.5MM guaranteed.
- Brian Quick, WR: One year, $1.75MM. $1.5MM guaranteed.
- Cody Davis, S: Two years, $2,916,666. $805K guaranteed.
- Greg Zuerlein, K: One year, $1.25MM. $675K guaranteed.
- Chase Reynolds, RB: One year, $875K. $200K guaranteed.
- Case Keenum, QB: One year, $3.635MM. Signed first-round RFA tender.
- Benny Cunningham, RB: One year, $1.671MM. Signed original-round RFA tender.
- Cam Thomas, DT: One year, minimum salary benefit.
- Dominique Easley, DT: One year, $600K.
The Rams were clearly encouraged by their step forward in 2015, so the front office spent their offseason re-signing many of their key free agents.
Mark Barron, a former first-round pick, may be the most notable signing. After having revived his career in St. Louis last season, the 26-year-old inked a five-year contract to remain with the organization. Barron set career-highs in tackles (76) and forced fumbles (three) in 2015, and he’ll presumably remain as the team’s starting outside linebacker, providing some experience to a youthful unit.
Cornerback Trumaine Johnson will also remain with the team. The 26-year-old ultimately accepted his franchise tender, keeping him in Los Angeles for at least one more season. The starting cornerback had his most productive season in 2015, establishing career-highs in tackles (58), interceptions (seven), and passes defended (17). The defensive back will be joined by Coty Sensabaugh, who joined the Rams this offseason following four seasons with the Titans. The 27-year-old started 15 games last season, compiling 42 tackles and a pair of interceptions.
Elsewhere on defense, defensive lineman William Hayes will be sticking around for three more seasons. The 31-year-old has split his eight-year career between the Titans and Rams, and the veteran finished with at least four sacks in each of his four seasons in St. Louis. Veteran lineman Eugene Sims will also be returning to the organization, and the front office brought in a former first-rounder in lineman Dominique Easley to round out the defensive line.
On the other side of the ball, the team’s big re-signing was center Tim Barnes, who has appeared in 61 of a possible 64 games since going undrafted in 2012. The 28-year-old 
should be the veteran leader of the Rams’ offensive line, as the other four starters are all 24-years-old or younger.
Barnes will be blocking for quarterback Case Keenum, who signed his restricted free agent tender with the squad. The 28-year-old has 15 career starts through four NFL seasons, and the coaching staff felt comfortable making the journeyman their starter, even over first-overall pick Jared Goff. In five games last season, Keenum completed 61-percent of his passes for 828 yards, four scores, and one interception.
The organization held on to wideout Brian Quick, who has yet to breakout after being selected in the second round of the 2012 draft. The 27-year-old had his least productive season in 2015, hauling in only 10 catches for 102 yards. The Rams also retained a pair of running backs in Benny Cunningham and Chase Reynolds.
Continue reading about the Rams’ offseason…
Rams Release Garrett Reynolds
The Rams have released offensive lineman Garrett Reynolds from injured reserve, reports Dov Kleiman of RantSports (Twitter link). Reynolds landed on IR when the Rams worked their roster down to 53 players in time for last Saturday’s deadline.
Reynolds, who has played six NFL seasons, joined the Rams on a two-year, $2.2MM pact in March 2015. In his lone season with the club, he logged 15 appearances, tied a career high with 10 starts, and earned a solid grade (80.6) from Pro Football Focus. Reynolds capped off his short Rams career when he suffered an undisclosed injury in their Sept. 1 preseason finale.
The 29-year-old Reynolds spent the first four seasons of his career in Atlanta, which took him in the fifth round of the 2009 draft, and started in 23 of 42 appearances. Between his stints with the Falcons and Rams, he saw action in 10 games and made four starts as a member of the Lions in 2014.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Rams Sign CB Steve Williams
- Former San Diego cornerback Steve Williams has signed with the Rams, per Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. Williams also drew interest from several other teams, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com hears (Twitter link).