14 minutes ago, mikemack8 said:

I'm not reading but I can only assume that they found a way to literally suck the Rams' collective D's through an article somehow?

Not really

Los Angeles Rams: C+

Biggest move: Trading for Edge Myles Garrett

Move I liked: Signing CB Jaylen Watson

Move I disliked: Drafting QB Ty Simpson

The Rams have a limited contention window with reigning MVP Matthew Stafford entering his age-38 season. So pretty much all but one decision they made this offseason seems to have been directed at maximizing the team's chances to win the Super Bowl at its home stadium in February. And the Rams certainly succeeded in that regard.

We have to start with their biggest swing -- trading for Garrett, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year fresh off breaking the single-season sack record. Los Angeles dealt edge rusher Jared Verse along with first-, second- and third-round picks to acquire the Browns' superstar. Verse alone offers more surplus value -- the difference between what he is being paid vs. what he would be paid on the open market -- than Garrett over the next two years. Even though Garrett will make below-market money from the Rams, Verse is also a very good edge (this cannot be overlooked!) who is making next to nothing.

Surplus value doesn't tell the whole story, however. It makes sense to prioritize the present as Super Bowl favorites with a waning quarterback window. But what kind of present value tariff is worth it? Should the Rams sacrifice two percentage points of future Super Bowl probability later for one point today? Three? It's an open question, but Garrett for Verse straight up would have been reasonable and a win-win, even with the surplus value loss. But the addition of three picks, including a first-rounder, is too rich for me.

There's one X factor that I didn't originally consider, though. If this deal results in Aaron Donald coming out of retirement, then Garrett's worth to Los Angeles specifically would increase even further. Overall, I was quite harsh on the Rams when I originally graded this trade and have somewhat softened my stance since. But I still feel it was not the best choice the Rams could have made.

Incredibly, that was not the Rams' only splash trade this offseason. They also dealt first-, third-, fifth- and sixth-round picks to the Chiefs in exchange for cornerback Trent McDuffie, whom they promptly extended at $31 million per year. I think McDuffie is fantastic, but this type of trade -- giving up premium draft capital for the right to pay a player market price -- rarely makes sense. It's an even tougher sell for a cornerback, given how variable the position is from year to year. But the contention windows argument also applies here, and McDuffie has been very good for years.

It also was one of two moves the Rams made at cornerback, their biggest weakness from last season. They also signed Watson in free agency on a $17 million-per-year contract. I thought this was a very good signing to address a need, and the Rams didn't have to give away any more draft picks.

On offense, the team extended Stafford, guaranteeing him $50 million in 2027 and ensuring the reigning MVP would stick around. But they swerved drastically from their Super Bowl window-maximizing approach when they drafted Simpson with the No. 13 pick.

Selecting a player who won't play without a Stafford injury is the opposite of maximizing their current window. And it looks even stranger after the Garrett trade. It's not because backup quarterbacks don't matter -- they do -- but a veteran backup could have been had for much less capital.

Not to mention that Simpson was a reach at No. 13; the Rams could have traded back and still had a good chance to select him later. The argument that it wasn't the Rams' original pick (it was the result of the Falcons trading up to draft James Pearce Jr. in 2025) and therefore was "extra" is irrational -- it's still worth the same! It was a big missed opportunity to add a non-quarterback (like a third wide receiver) who could have helped in 2026.

While I have been critical of some of their moves, I appreciate the Rams' aggression and willingness to pursue a championship. Their strategy undoubtedly has increased their probability of success, which is worth commending. How much it affects their probability to win championships after 2026 is worth debating, but there's no question that the Rams are mighty dangerous right now.

2 hours ago, mikemack8 said:

Speak American or GTFO

You have no idea how much fun I have working for an American company and sneaking in UK spellings and slang into presentations etc and seeing if anyone notices. I consider it an art form, and no doubt, an annoyance to some.

56 minutes ago, paco said:

You call cigarettes f**s

We do, you can eat ****ots for tea, have a post meal **** and then go visit your neighbours Ginnel to wet your whistle and talk about it how good it was.

2 minutes ago, UK Eagle said:

We do, you can eat ****ots for tea, have a post meal **** and then go visit your neighbours Ginnel to wet your whistle and talk about it how good it was.

20 hours ago, Aerolithe_Lion said:

Right now it looks like our projected 2027 picks are:

1

2

3

4

5

5

6

6

7

I think we’ll make a training camp trade for a S that’ll be something like a 5 and a 7

Not sure we have 6ths anymore. I think it’s two 5’s and two 7’s. They changed the comp pick estimates

5 hours ago, NYEagle said:

I honestly believe these players have nothing more than the mental capacity of a staple gun and when given the opportunity for generational wealth, they have no clue what to do with it. Arnold just threw his life away, threw millions of dollars away for what?

You know what they say, you can take the boy out of the 'hood, you (sometimes) can't take the 'hood out of the boy.

1 hour ago, paco said:

ESPN handed out it's offseason grades. Eagles got the only A

New York Giants: B+

Dallas Cowboys: C+

Washington Commanders: C+

Analytics is doing a lot of heavy lifting for that A. I don’t care what the metric shows, Woolen is not better than Mitchell

2 hours ago, Chest Rockwell said:

Man, the smartest thing a young rich athlete can do with his money is to wisley buy businesses asap. Get rid of the threat of wasting it on dumb dangerous toys or dumb dangerous friends.

I'd say find a TRUSTWORTHY financial advisor. Set aside a certain % for daily living & funzies, more for post NFL life.

@UK Eagle

Love the Delaware reference in your post. 😊

That’s where I live. My State rarely gets any shout outs. LOL

6 hours ago, Vileborg said:

Two women in his crew flipped, snitched and dimed him out.

Putting his plans in text messages wasn't helpful either.

3 hours ago, UK Eagle said:

A field is where you plant crops and where livestock live. A pitch is where sports are played... 😉

Over here, chips are your fries and crisps are your chips. Why? Its logical.

The term "crisps" comes from the Old English word crisp (meaning curled or brittle). In the UK and Ireland, the word was officially adopted by the commercial snack company Smith's in 1920. They chose the word to describe the brittle, snappy texture while avoiding confusion with hot, thick-cut "chips AKA Chippy Chips"

Further, a muffin can either be a bread roll or a sweet muffin. A chip butty is chip shop chips in a large bread roll. Unless you are in parts of Lancashire and its a Chip Barm or Chip Muffin in parts of Manchester, which is .adjacent to Lancashire .

Ergo, she was right to think that way, but forgot she was in a different country.

Yet bangers are sausages.

21 minutes ago, LeanMeanGM said:

Analytics is doing a lot of heavy lifting for that A. I don’t care what the metric shows, Woolen is not better than Mitchell

Zip it, nerd.

1 hour ago, HazletonEagle said:

nice!

I got them for the Colts.

Im in line for rams now, but at this point there are 23000 people ahead of me in the queue. lol. Id say this one isnt happening.

What's the scalper scene in Philly? Realistic? My last two homes (Tampa,Denver) both pretty easy to get tickets on the street from scalpers.

1 hour ago, garingovt2000 said:

The Sixers will do what in FA?

1 hour ago, Chest Rockwell said:

Add underwhelming bench players.

Think our best case scenario looks something like John Collins, Dean Wade and Mamukelashvili.

15 minutes ago, Freshmilk said:

What's the scalper scene in Philly? Realistic? My last two homes (Tampa,Denver) both pretty easy to get tickets on the street from scalpers.

I never see that anymore because it's pretty much all electronic.

28 minutes ago, HazletonEagle said:

Think our best case scenario looks something like John Collins, Dean Wade and Mamukelashvili.

Yep- I have:

3 and D forward-    Dean Wade 

—————————————

Versatile-           John Collins

—————————————

Big man-           Jock Landale

—————————————

1 hour ago, NCiggles said:

Putting his plans in text messages wasn't helpful either.

Yet bangers are sausages.

@hputenis Got this confused and thought.....he was to bang sausages!

38 minutes ago, Talonblood said:

Yep- I have:

3 and D forward-    Dean Wade 

—————————————

Versatile-           John Collins

—————————————

Big man-           Jock Landale

—————————————

Sadly, Collins will surely be picking a different team inerested him, like Orlando . And we will settle for Dean WaDe being the big splash. Lol

I'm good though. Just want change. Dont care to see Oubre or Grimes back.

Sadiq Bey would be a nice get. And fall back option Aichuwa. Aichuwa isnt really a shooter but the versatile D and rebounding would be a plus.

2 hours ago, UK Eagle said:

You have no idea how much fun I have working for an American company and sneaking in UK spellings and slang into presentations etc and seeing if anyone notices. I consider it an art form, and no doubt, an annoyance to some.

We do, you can eat ****ots for tea, have a post meal **** and then go visit your neighbours Ginnel to wet your whistle and talk about it how good it was.

I can deal with different words but the persistent use of incorrect grammar is annoying. "Germany is eliminated" not "Germany are eliminated". Germany is A country not multiple countries so singular, not plural.

LeBron James to the Warriors will be fun. That team is too old but it will still be cool to see. Hopefully they can be healthy by the post season.

42 minutes ago, Talonblood said:

Yep- I have:

3 and D forward-    Dean Wade 

—————————————

Versatile-           John Collins

—————————————

Big man-           Jock Landale

—————————————

Landale stayed in Atlanta for 1/14. Booo...

41 minutes ago, NYEagle said:

@hputenis Got this confused and thought.....he was to bang sausages!

It's more like the sausages bang him, but yes

6 hours ago, paco said:

So you’re saying we can get him cheap.

If you don't mind getting him past his expiration date. Maybe WELL past but I doubt his sentence will be that long.

5 hours ago, Chest Rockwell said:

Man, the smartest thing a young rich athlete can do with his money is to wisley buy businesses asap. Get rid of the threat of wasting it on dumb dangerous toys or dumb dangerous friends.

Gronk, for how aloof he came across as, actually had one of the smarter strategies that I’ve seen an athlete use when it comes to their money. He lived off his endorsements and didn’t touch his NFL salary. Just invested it.

I would not pay him 60m+

7 minutes ago, Mike030270 said:

I would not pay him 60m+

It’s the ultimate sports predicament: someone will. Watch him leave for Miami while Houston starts over from scratch.

Was Hurts worth 52 or Love worth 55 or Lawrence worth 55 or Dak worth 60 or Purdy or Tua? Only one of those teams ended up regretting it, and it was one we predicted will due to injury fallout.

While I agree with your sentiment in a vacuum, I think Houston has to pay him

4 hours ago, LacesOut said:

@UK Eagle

Love the Delaware reference in your post. 😊

That’s where I live. My State rarely gets any shout outs. LOL

In DC comics, New York exists. Therefore, Gotham is in Jersey and Metropolis is in Delaware