SB Nation St. Louis: All Posts by Ryan Van Bibber

Tony Romo is the most elite of all elite quarterbacks

2013-05-24T14:26:02Z

There's your poof. End of debate. Those fourth quarter passing numbers settle the issue for all of time! Tony Romo is better than Aaron Rodgers and Peyton Manning. He also tops Joe Flacco, but that was never really in doubt. Eli Manning too ... of course. I'll say it again just to be clear: Elite. (h/t Reddit)

Random Ramsdom, 5/24: Beware of explosions

2013-05-24T13:48:03Z

The Rams offense is going to be all about BOOM! explosive plays this year. BOOM! And with guys like Chris Givens BOOM! and Tavon Austin BOOM! BOOM! it really could be one helluva way to burn defenses. Sando does the math, revealing that the Rams already had some explosiveness to their game last season. BOOOOOOOOM!

Speaking of explosive players, Doug Cross has a great break down of Stedman Bailey and Austin, the former Mountaineers that figure heavily into the offensive plans going forward.

Steven Jackson, remember him? Well, it wouldn't be the St. Louis media market if we didn't spend an inordinate amount of time looking backwards. There was plenty of SJ39 talk at Thursday's OTAs. Something, something ... void to fill ... something, something.

There was a soccer game in St. Louis last night. A good one featuring bits and pieces of two teams from the English Premiere League's Chelsea and Manchester City franchises (what, Stan Kroenke can't get an Arsenal exhibition here?). Someone had to explain futbol to Bryan Burwell.

Rams OT Terrell Brown topped 400 pounds on the scales this week, Fisher said. He's the 6'10 guy from Mississippi that's been confusing the shit out of the easily confused Tony Softli. For your reference he's one of the biggest players in the league ... ever.

Cool. Same size as OT Terrell Brown RT @softlistl: Several league sources confirm Rams sign DT Thomas Brown 6'9 388, played at Mississippi.
— TurfShowTimes (@TurfShowTimes) May 22, 2013

Tim McGraw is the latest country singer to get a Rams jersey, this one presented by James Laurinaitis. If you're wondering just who in the hell Tim McGraw is: 1) married to Faith Hill (nice!), 2) he is not Brad Paisley, the accidental racist, 3) his song "Indian Outlaw" was kind of racist though.

#Rams LB James Laurinaitis presents @thetimmcgraw with a jersey just before going on stage: twitter.com/STLouisRams/st…
— St. Louis Rams (@STLouisRams) May 23, 2013

Second time's a charm for the Rams?

2013-05-24T03:53:45Z

The St. Louis Rams have a secret weapon this season. No, it's not a 6'10 tackle or a double secret mystery appendix in the playbook focused mostly on Johnny Hekker trick plays. It's continuity. The Rams are going to get better, the thinking goes, because the players finally have some stability from year to year.

"I guess I could describe it to you this way," Jeff Fisher said on Thursday, "last year at this time, the entire team was hearing things for the time. This year at this time, the rookie class is hearing things for the first time. Everything else is a second go around for everybody, which is good."

It's easy to forget that it was only a year ago the Rams overhauled the team's leadership cadre. Taking it from the first reports of their hiring, Fisher and GM Les Snead haven't even been in St. Louis for a year and a half.

A handful of high profile free agent moves, two drafts, impecable hair and a reputation for ballsy moves on the field and in the war room, Fisher and Snead have remade the Rams in their own image.

This year, the roster more fully exudes the approach of their coach and GM. That identity translates to the playbook too, so the thinking goes. To listen to the players speak about their second spring after the rebranding at Rams Park, it's doing wonders already.

"Amazing," is how Sam Bradford, the most obvious beneficiary described it. "Like I said, it just feels so much better knowing the details of this offense."

"It just feels so much better knowing the details of this offense."-Sam Bradford

I am legally required to remind you here that this is the first time in his NFL career that Bradford, entering his fourth season, has played under the same offensive coordinator, in this case Brian Schottenheimer. Bradford made progress in his third season. He set career bests in passing yards and touchdowns and threw the fewest number of interceptions, 13, in his career. Perhaps most notable of all, his yards per attempt number jumped to 6.7 yards.

"Now obviously we had the opportunity to go back and watch all our cutups from last year," Bradford said. "All the concepts that we had success with, all the concepts that we struggled with. We talked about the areas that we need to be improved, the things that we need to do ..."

Bradford's been working on it for most of the spring, except for a brief interlude to proselytize the Red River Rivalry to South Americans.

"On the non-OTA days, he's been working since the rookies got here with them when it's permissible for him to work," Fisher said about Bradford. "He's taking advantage of the opportunities, not only with Tavon and Stedman, but in addition to that he's worked a lot with Jared Cook this far."

Bradford talked about his leadership role as well.

"There's a void right now," Bradford told reporters and disc jockeys on hand. "I think it's part of my duty going into my fourth year to step up and help fill that void."

There are some important new faces in the fold now, currently being indoctrinated to the Rams culture and the playbook. Bradford, now well versed in the system, is also taking on the role of tutor. Tavon Austin told TST last week that the Rams quarterback had already been watching film on him. He knew because Bradford told him that when he first arrived at Rams Park, the day after the 2013 NFL Draft.

Bradford was asked about Austin on Thursday.

"He's fast," the now veteran quarterback said. "He's quick. He's smart. He gets open. He's done a great job so far. We've thrown a lot at him. The first two installs, these two OTAs, it's amazing how much quicker you can go the second year in the system. Everyone's not seeing something for the first time and these rookies are being asked to keep up with the veterans."

"They can turn a five-yard hitch route into an 80-yard touchdown."-Bradford

Continuity was obviously the talking point of the day at practice. If the offense is as dialed in as the message, it could be very effective. But there will be some differences. For starters, the offensive line should be better than the one than previous iterations that left the quarterback vulnerable. The biggest change is that dynamism, and it's not just Austin's speed.

"There's a lot more speed on the field," Bradford said. "I think if you look at our offense in the past, we've really had to grind out touchdown drives because we haven't been able to create those explosive plays. You take some of the guys that we have on the field now and they can turn a five-yard hitch route into an 80-yard touchdown.

"I think that's extremely exciting."

Everyone's a little football starved, fans and players. The first whiff of spring OTAs brings out the optimist in everyone. Routes are sharp. Nobody's being tackled. The pads are still locked away in the equipment room. It's football distilled down to its essence.

It makes it easy to forget that things start changing in August when the pads come on and in September when games start to count.

But this is a good place to be. The Rams know what they want, and, more importantly, they know what they have to do to get there.

"You never go into a year thinking, ‘Man, if we could go 8-8, that would be awesome,' because if you do, you might as well not even play the game," Bradford said. "When we started this offseason - what is it, six weeks ago now? - we came in with the mindset that we are putting in the work each day to build the pieces to win the Super Bowl. That's what our goal is."

Follow @TurfShowTimes

Blame Pat Shurmur?

2013-05-23T20:08:26Z

Ok, so it's maybe not a "make or break" year, but 2013 is a big one for the St. Louis Rams and quarterback Sam Bradford. Entering his fourth season in the league, everyone is still waiting for him to reach the potential that made him a sure fire first overall pick in 2010. Greg Rosenthal of NFL.com has a very thorough, rational assessment of Bradford's career so far and what's next. I want to go back to the beginning, the season it all started.

On the surface, Bradford's first season in the league was a success. He won the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award. Quarterbacks have a natural advantage among voters there, but they don't just hand it out to any Tom, Dick or Harry who completes a few passes.

He also had some solid numbers to go with the award-winning campaign. Bradford completed 60 percent of his passes - still a career high - and threw for 3,500+ yards, 18 touchdowns and 15 interceptions.

But the numbers have been challenged before, most famously and most soundly in this piece from August 2011. (The best part might be Peter King's effusive praise of Rick Mirer). There are several factors at play here, including an improved Rams defense and a weaker schedule in 2010. Bradford's numbers suffer largely, the argument goes, from a high number of pass attempts and Pat Shurmur's dink and dunk passing game. Together, those combined to inflate the rookie's stats for completions and accuracy.

My intention here isn't to quibble with Bradford's numbers. Reading Rosenthal's piece this morning and thinking about Bradford struggles to look like a first overall pick planted an inescapable bug in my ear:

Maybe Pat Shurmur's approach with Bradford in 2010 did more harm than good for the kid's development.

That goes against conventional wisdom. In the past, I've said, as have many others, that Shurmur's conservative approach was ideal for easing the rookie into the NFL. I'm not so sure.

The Rams offense of 2010 was really not particularly effective. They averaged just 18.1 points per game, going 1-5 against playoff teams that year. For Bradford, it was a dramatically different system than the spread offense he ran at Oklahoma.

Obviously, the spread offenses weren't a possibility for the Rams. Shurmur had little to work with at receiver and offensive line wasn't very good. That put a severe limitation on what the Rams could do. Hmm, we've heard that before, no?

Regardless, Shurmur's system wasn't a natural fit for Bradford (btw, I think it hurt Weeden in Cleveland last year too). But it was a fairly easy fit because it didn't ask him to do a whole lot. Unfortunately, that took away some of his main assets, including his downfield accuracy.

Last year's rookie quarterbacks, and Cam Newton the year before, were wildly successful. Obviously those guys possess world class talent, but they also had coaches who adapted their offensive systems to the rookie signal caller's strengths. Hell, even Mike Shanahan was willing to Xerox plays right out of the Baylor playbook for RGIII. And it worked.

The Rams under Spagnuolo had a big problem with adaptation. Their faith in the system was dogmatic, just ask Mike Karney. Adhering to dogma is a great for life in a monastery, but it's a terrible way to win football games.

And what about the learning process? Here's his introduction to the NFL, a round hole for a square peg. Check out something else Rosenthal said in his piece:

Perhaps Bradford's biggest issue is the toughest to evaluate for an outsider. Greg Cosell of NFL Films would call it "seeing the field clearly." On plays Bradford got the right protection and what he wanted out of the coverage, he often hesitated. This led to dump-off passes when the play design called for more.

Is that some sort of weird cognitive scar put there by Pat Shurmur's offense? Not that Schottenheimer didn't do a fair amount of dinking and dunking himself.

If how a quarterback sees the field is difficult to evaluate, then understanding how he learns, adapts and grows in the game is damn near impossible. Take this post for what it is: postulating out loud, a discussion starter.

The good news here is that it's history. Bradford finally has offensive continuity and the kinds of players to work with, guys that capable of stretching the hell out the field. He's confident heading into his second season under Fisher, and that's what matters most.

Still, it's hard not to wonder if his rookie year was more of a hurdle than a boost.

Jamaal Charles wants to be a punter

2013-05-23T18:39:30Z

Jamaal Charles wants to be a punter

What's it like to be a punter in the NFL? No meetings, extra naps ... Jamaal Charles showed the world just how good the punters have it.

RGIII injury: Redskins quarterback spotted throwing

2013-05-23T16:35:37Z

You can learn a lot from a grainy cell phone video. Last year, a moving speck throwing a football at Duke was enough to tease the world about Peyton Manning's looming return from his neck injury. This year, it's Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III throwing the ball at the team's Thursday OTA session.

Here's some video from Albert Breer of the NFL Network:

See that little speck getting snaps, dropping back and throwing the ball? That's RGIII himself. And he actually looks pretty good doing it ... at OTAs ... in shorts ... with no contact. He is not participating with the full squad. Those are the Redskins' other walking wounded, including Pierre Garcon and Fred Davis, he's throwing to in the video above.

Grainy Cellphone Pics/Video from 60 yards out of RGIII Throwing Footballs...it's OTAs season!!! sbn.to/13NEIYx
— HogsHaven.com (@HogsHaven) May 23, 2013

If TwitPics and cell phone videos aren't enough for you, ESPN featured live look-ins on Washington's practice. The network even had close ups of RGIII stretching, which also might reveal their plans for a potential Tebow-less NFL.

The Redskins are keeping their quarterback's recovery under pretty tight wraps, so consider this a rare moment of transparency, either staged or accidental. It's only been four months since he had surgery to rebuild the joints in his knee.

Anyway, I'm not a qualified medical authority (unless hypochondria counts), but it sure looks as though the quarterback is on the road to recovery. Will he be able to join the team when training camp starts at the end of July? Right now, the party line is that the they don't know. Redskins GM Bruce Allen told the Washington Post earlier this week that they wouldn't be able to fully make that determination until July when he gets a pre-camp physical.

More from SB Nation:

• The great Super Bowl stadium swindle

• Hakeem Nicks reportedly wants a new deal

• How will 49ers respond to Crabtree's injury?

• Landry Jones on Christianity and gay athletes

• NFL rookies review 'Star Trek Into Darkness'

• NFL rookies step outside the playbook

Sam Bradford PSA for Oklahoma tornado victims

2013-05-23T15:39:01Z

The Rams quarterback and Oklahoma City native explains how St. Louis can help the tornado-stricken community.

Danny Amendola hits the big time

2013-05-23T15:03:15Z

Danny Amendola. For four years in St. Louis he was just another gritty, white slot receiver in the eyes of the NFL media. After fleeing for New England, he's a gritty, white slot receiver with lots more national attention.

He's even getting endorsement deals with Foot Locker!

I do suspect companies are more eager to land pitchmen from teams like the Patriots versus the Rams. Of course, if the Rams had continued through the last decade on the same pace the Patriots did, being in St. Louis wouldn't be a hindrance to landing endorsement deals.

As far as lazy media narratives go, Amendola may never escape that. Tom Brady was defending his new little buddy from Wes Welker comparisons this week as the Patriots picked up their offseason workouts.

From CSN New England:

"They're [playing] similar positions. They're about the same height. They've both got very good ability," Brady started. "It's hard, Wes was so productive for so long, I think it's unfair to compare anyone to Wes and what he was able to accomplish in his time here. Danny is really, he's just been fun to work with. I think he's come in with an open mind and an understanding of the way that we as Patriots, the way we need to play."

Yeah, you can't compare them ... similar position, height, undrafted, Texas Tech, but beyond that they're mostly different players. Brady does point out the main difference: Welker's put up some big numbers in career so far. He's also had the luxury of playing with one of the game's best quarterbacks on one of the league's best teams ... and he gets to do that again in Denver.

Reading that and having seen enough of Amendola's talent to tantalize, you wonder what kind of numbers he would have put up in St. Louis had he A) stayed healthy and B) been a part of a more complete team.

I guess we'll find out what he's capable of now. I certainly wish him the best.

Forgive me if I'm more interested in what kind of numbers Tavon Austin will post.