Random Ramsdom: Sean McVay seems excited as ever to lead team

Los Angeles Rams News and Links for 6/18/24

Head coach of the Los Angeles Rams Sean McVay seems as happy as ever to be preparing for another year at the helm. Rams fans and NFL fans most likely know in the past that McVay expressed some uncertainty when it came to how long he would be coaching the Rams. I recall it wasn’t that long ago that there were rumors he could take a break and go to the broadcast booth, however here we are in 2024 and McVay shows no signs of stepping away. In fact, McVay referred to this as “Year 1” which I do find interesting. That’s hopefully good news for the Rams.

No major revelation today and no big question but please comment on whatever you’d like and thank you for checking out Turf Show Times!

Rams’ Sean McVay says it ‘feels like it’s Year 1 again’ heading into his eighth season in Los Angeles (cbssports)

“You know what’s cool? Being around this group, and especially even last year, it feels like it’s Year 1 again,” McVay recently told the official team website, via NFL.com. ”And I really mean that.”

This is quite the swing from McVay considering where the coach’s headspace was at not too long ago. After the team’s Super Bowl LVI championship, speculation grew about McVay possibly stepping away from the game altogether. However, McVay ultimately stuck around and has been able to help orchestrate a turnaround in L.A. that has the Rams on the cusp of again pushing for a deep playoff run, particularly after a 2023 season where they got back to the postseason as a wild-card entry following a 10-7 regular season.

“I feel like these last couple of years, there’s really just been a real renewed purpose and perspective that reminds you what a blessing this is,” McVay, who became a father last year, said. “You kind of had lost that a little bit in the midst of the journey, especially things going well and then obviously, the challenging year in ‘22.”

Sean McVay rejuvenated by youth of Rams entering 2024: ‘Feels like it’s Year 1 again’ (nfl.com)

“So far, McVay is checking all of the boxes. And instead of feeling the pressure of needing to deliver, he can once again enjoy coaching a potential-packed team without constantly carrying the weight of expectation.

That can change, of course, if the wins don’t follow. But as we near the peak of optimism season, McVay is near the top of the leaderboard when it comes to bringing the juice.”

Can Rams Put Plan in Place To Replace Production Of Aaron Donald? (si.com)

“They have added multiple pieces to the puzzle rather than replacing him with one guy. But Gary Klein of The Los Angeles Times wonders if this plan will work, especially with the inexperience of the group.

“Second-year pro Kobie Turner is the main building block new defensive coordinator Chris Shula has to compensate for the loss of the pillar that was Donald. The Rams drafted Florida edge rusher Jared Verse in the first round and Seminoles tackle Braden Fiske in the second. The former teammates showed signs of their familiarity and nonverbal communication during workouts, coaches said. Nose tackle Bobby Brown III has lacked consistency but is in a contract year.”

If the players can step up and produce even somewhat where Donald was, it will be a success. Losing a future Hall-of-Famer can be tough on any team but Donald was the heart of this defense.”

Random Ramsdom Fandom: Jaydn Ott draft introduction (By Ferragamo15 on Jun 17, 2024)

“All For Ott

The 2024 draft class was relatively soft at running back. There was only 1 RB drafted in the first 2 rounds and frankly I thought he was overdrafted. Blake Corum was the 3rd RB off the board. Jaylen Wright, Bucky Irving, Will Shipley, Ray Davis, Isaac Guerendo and Braelon Allen were all drafted in the lower half of the 4th round. Audric Estime was a 5th round pick.

Valued almost as high as Wright, taken just 2 slots later, was Tory Taylor, a punter who will be a 27-year-old rookie. Ethan Evans will be 23-years-old this upcoming season, 4 years younger than Taylor. In a nutshell, that sums up how teams regarded the middle tier RBs in 2024, about the same as an older punter.

Cal running back Jadyn Ott is projected to be a middle round pick in next year’s draft. I decided to study him, because I liked his highlights and because he isn’t a well known player. Of the 2024 RBs, Ott is probably most similar to Jaylen Wright. Is Ott a sleeper? Is he better or worse than Wright? If he were a Ram, would he be more or less valuable than Ethan Evans?

Background

Name: Jaydn Ott. Turns 22-years-old in December of 2024. Unconventional spelling of his first name is as tricky as trying to tackle him on the football field.

School: California Berkeley. Majoring in legal studies.

Size: Listed 6 feet tall, 210 pounds. Draftscout 6 1/4’’ tall, 200 pounds, 4.48 seconds estimated 40 time. DraftBuzz 4.46 seconds estimated 40 time. Listed 205 pounds in 2022 and 200 pounds in 2023.

4-star recruit from Norco, CA in Riverside County. Black and Samoan heritage. Reserved and uncomfortable doing interviews. DJ Uiagalelei (FSU QB, formerly Clemson and Oregon State) and Solomon Tuliaupupu (USC DE) are both his cousins. Played FR and SR years in Norco. He said his family had to unexpectedly move to Las Vegas his SO year and he didn’t want to move, so he acted out and lost motivation. At football powerhouse Bishop Gorman in Vegas (one of his teammates was Rome Odunze), he split time with other RBs as a SO and only had 459 rushing yards, then was injured and didn’t play his JR year during an abbreviated covid season. Recruiting profile projected him to be a Day 3 draft pick. 114-1,140-17 rushing and 11-154 receiving as SR.”