Kroenke Family Donates $1 Million to Red Cross for Harvey, Los Angeles Rams Weekly, Game 1 vs the Indy Colts, Aaron Donald, Eric Dickerson, Rams Food Truck Route, Derek Carrier, Final Roster Moves, Power Rankings...

I have been away for the last week and a half and I am so excited to be able to write up this week's Rams Weekly while also seeing what's been up over the last few weeks. I feel like I was buying time to get to the first game as uninjured as possible during the final game.

I am excited because we get to not only play our first game tomorrow at 4PM my time, it is also the main game here in my area. I can work through to game time making up so much work after being away for so long, and I get to watch it by myself at home. 

But anyway, I cannot believe the team has not signed Aaron Donald. It is a complete blemish on the front office. I am not liking it at all. I thought bad front office decisions and judgements went by the wayside after Jeff Fisher left. 

The dude (Aaron Donald) has 28 sacks in three (3) years under his belt. He was involved in 163 tackles (116 tackles & 48 Assist Tackles) over that three (3) year career. 

I have no clue where the team is at money and cap wise, but a good owner would be forthcoming considering those numbers and considering he proved himself to be a consistent top notch D-Lineman over a three year span of time which is hard find this day and age. He does not need to be the top paid player at that position. He needs to be paid at a much higher level than whatever his rookie salary gave him. Which I assume was standard for that part of that industry and/or that position.

Regardless of that blunder, I will be on top of every play, however, I cannot say that I like it. Besides, that is an area that is suspect for the team. Unless someone steps up big time and I mean on that level of Donald's play, the D will be good but they will not dominate. With Aaron Donald on that line, the Defense would dominate. 

Especially with Wade Phillips as the head of the D.

Tavon Austin will be playing this week making him the most expensive 2nd string WR and player for that matter considering his 42 million dollar contract. He should give up some of that to make room (Aaron) Donald.

I stand correct about (Tavon) Austin. If you consider the depth chart, he is listed as a starting WR. 

The Defense looks solid, but the back ups may be a bit thin. 

Ironically with regard to the Offense part of that depth chart, we are stacked now at TE. We have three viable starters at that position. 

We are also stacked at WR. We have like 6 amazing WR's. 

QB is sound and now that we have three because of the recent signing of Brandon Allen whomever he is and then front line is set. It looks solid. However, there is no room for injury. We are thin there too. 

We will have the top Special Teams crew in the league again this year. The Offense will thrive so much compared to last year and so it comes down to this D. And, being short handed without (Aaron) Donald and also remember that Dominique Easley suffered that year ending knee injury in practice during pre-season.

We should win this week. 

We should get Aaron Donald signed sooner than later because remember this too, it won't be instant gratification there once signed and once he is playing his first game. He will need time to acclimate after showing up for practice and games. 

It it's been a long two weeks. Let's see what's been going on with the team:
First and foremost, Kroenke Family Donates $1 Million to Red Cross.  

STAN, ANN, WHITNEY and JOSH KROENKE - on behalf of their sports organizations and business entities - are donating $1 million to Red Cross relief efforts in response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey. 

"Our family’s thoughts are with all those affected by Hurricane Harvey,” said Ann Walton Kroenke.

"The Red Cross is working around the clock in very challenging conditions in Texas to help people impacted by Hurricane Harvey," said Gail McGovern, President and CEO of the American Red Cross.  "We couldn’t do it without the generosity of our amazing donors – such as Stan, Ann, Whitney and Josh Kroenke.  With their commitment, the Red Cross can be there to deliver shelter, food and the necessary supplies to ensure people are cared for, and to help during the recovery process.  We’re extremely grateful for their meaningful support of our humanitarian mission."

Eric Dickerson Officially Retires A Ram
He’s already a Pro Football Hall of Famer and record-setting NFL running back. But as of Tuesday, Eric Dickerson is officially a Ram once again. 
“As an organization, it is rare that you get to sign a Hall of Famer to your roster,” general manager Les Snead said. “And that’s exactly what we did this morning.” 

Dickerson signed his one-day contract on Tuesday in order to continue his retirement as a member of the organization where he spent his first four seasons — and the that’s always been his home.

“It’s an honor for me to be sitting here. It’s like getting drafted all over again,” Dickerson said. “It was an honor to play for the Los Angeles Rams. We were truly a running football team. We ran the ball, we ran it well, and we had some great guys on this football team. I can say that I’m really happy for this moment because even when I left the Rams, I was always a Ram.”

“I just want to say coach, thank you and Les, thank you very much for the opportunity to sign my one-day contract. I just want to know when I’m getting my signing bonus,” he added with a laugh.

Dickerson was drafted by the Rams out of Southern Methodist University as the No. 2 overall pick in the 1983 draft. In his first year with the team, he broke the NFL rookie record for most yards gained in a season at 1,808. He then followed up a prolific rookie campaign by setting the NFL’s single-season rushing record with 2,105 yards in 1984.

On Tuesday, Dickerson joined Snead and head coach Sean McVay to celebrate his return to the organization. In addition to signing his one day contract, Dickerson will also join the team in an executive role starting this season. 

“We’re going as an organization to hire Eric as our Vice President of Business Development,” Snead said, “really with the main goal of doing what he did for me a long time ago — bridging fans to our organization and then not only making them fans of the Rams, but making a difference in their [lives].”

“My thing is I want to really get into the community. Even when the Rams weren’t, I was the guy that went to the hospital, took stuff to the kids and tried to get them to know about football. Everyone doesn’t love football, but when the Rams came back, it made it that much easier,” Dickerson said of his new role. “I’ll be at games. Stuff with the new stadium – trying to get people to come to our new stadium, sell the luxury suites. But the most important thing is putting a good product on the field.”

Snead, who grew up in college-football-centric Alabama, shared a childhood memory of watching Dickerson in the 1983 Cotton Bowl Classic. The general manager said from that moment and through the 1983 draft, Dickerson was one of the players who truly converted him into a professional football enthusiast. As Snead put it, he “became an NFL fan in a college football country.” 

“What that did for me was turned me into a professional football fan,” he said. “[But] more than that, for a guy who was raised with a single mom, it gave me a passion for football – something that I could really, really focus on and ended up making a career of.”

Dickerson retired from the NFL almost 25 years ago, leaving the league as a member of the Falcons. And though he has always “had it in the back of his mind” to retire as a Ram, he felt doing it in Los Angeles, the city where he first played felt right. 

“Did I think this moment would come? No, I did not. I really didn’t,” Dickerson said. “I just felt like doing it here in Los Angeles was proper. Nothing against St. Louis. The Rams did great in St. Louis, but I never played [there]. Here I thought was the perfect spot, the perfect time.”

“When [Rams C.O.O. Kevin Demoff] said, ‘Yes,’ he said, ‘We’ll make it happen,’ I told him what date I wanted —  because you know my number’s 29. I want to do it on my number and I thought that was significant for me,” Dickerson said. “Am I excited about it? Very. I’m humbled by it [and] I thank God for it.”

In addition to his new role as the Vice President of Business Development, Dickerson will remain an NFL analyst on Fox Sports 1. When asked if he will continue to be one of the most vocal critics of this former team, Dickerson couldn’t help but laugh, saying he has “never been a guy to pull back.”

“Coach, I’m letting you know now, if you play well I’m going to say you’re playing well. If you’re not playing good, then you’re going to hear it from me,” he said. “I’m your biggest fan and your biggest critic, that is just me. I love this football team [and] I want my team to win just like I said last year.”

“But most definitely, I don’t want anyone to get it confused at all — I love my football team. I just want our team to be very successful — not just playing on the field, but also off the field — in the city, in the community, [for] people to get to know who the Los Angeles Rams really are. We’ve been gone for 22 years, we’re back in L.A. and we want to make a statement like, ‘Hey, we’re back and we’re going to let you know that we’re back.”

Rams Trade for Tight End Derek Carrier
Ahead of the NFL mandated 53-man roster cut being finalized this afternoon, the Rams have announced a roster move — trading a 2018 7th round draft pick to the Redskins for tight end Derek Carrier. The move reunites Carrier with head coach Sean McVay, who previously served as the offensive coordinator at Washington.

The tight end originally entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of Beloit College, signing with the Raiders in 2012. He has spent the last two seasons with the Redskins, where he had 19 receptions for 151 yards and one touchdown. During this year's preseason, Carrier caught two passes for 22 yards and one touchdown in Washington's exhibition contest against Cincinnati.

Rams Announce Roster Moves

The Los Angeles Rams made several roster moves to reduce their roster to 53 players on Saturday.

Additionally, Los Angeles acquired TE Derek Carrier from Washington in exchange for a 2018 7th-round pick.

The Rams waive the following player(s):

DT Omarius Bryant | Western Kentucky
WR K.D. Cannon | Baylor
OL Parker Collins | Appalachian State
K Travis Coons | Washington
CB Carlos Davis | Mississippi
LB Kevin Davis | Colorado State*
OL Michael Dunn | Maryland
OL Jake Eldrenkamp | Washington
LB Josh Forrest | Kentucky*  
DB Tyquwan Glass | Fresno State
RB Aaron Green | Texas Christian
DB Isaiah Johnson | Georgia Tech 
DB Michael Jordan | Missouri Western
OL Alex Kozan | Auburn
OLB Willie Mays III | Tiffin
LB Cassanova McKinzy | Auburn
WR Paul McRoberts | Southeast Missouri State
OLB Andy Mulumba | Eastern Michigan
OL Pace Murphy | Northwestern State
LB Folarin Orimolade | Dartmouth
DB Aarion Penton | Missouri
NT Mike Purcell | Wyoming
FB Sam Rogers | Virginia Tech
WR Shakeir Ryan | Northwestern State
DT Casey Sayles | Ohio 
WR Brandon Shippen | Temple
WR Nelson Spruce | Colorado*     
OLB Carlos Thompson | Mississippi
RB Lenard Tillery | Southern* 
OLB Davis Tull | Chattanooga
G Cody Wichmann | Fresno State
TE Travis Wilson | Utah

*Waived/Injured
  
The Rams terminate the following player(s):

TE Cory Harkey | UCLA
QB Dan Orlovsky | Connecticut
  
The Rams place the following player(s) on Reserve/Injured:

TE Temarrick Hemingway | South Carolina State
  
The Rams place the following player(s) on Reserve/PUP:

RB Lance Dunbar | North Texas
  
The following Rams’ player(s) revert to Reserve/Suspended:

CB Troy Hill | Oregon
WR Mike Thomas | Southern Mississippi

After Cuts, Rams Finalize 53-Man Roster
After Cuts, Rams Finalize 53-Man Roster
To get their roster down from 90 to 53 players, the Rams had a lot of decisions to make. From waiving rookies to releasing veterans, it’s not easy to let go of so many men who made various contributions to the team over the last few months.

But after a difficult process, the Rams have an initial 53-man roster. And it’s initial because there will surely be moves made over the course of the next few weeks and months as Los Angeles does its best to field the best possible team.

“I felt really good about just the way that we were able to come to decisions on our entire team, both with our offensive and defensive staffs, with [general manager] Les [Snead] and his staff,” head coach Sean McVay said Saturday afternoon. “I feel like the communication on all levels has been very good where we’ve kind of all been on the same page. Certainly the decisions weren’t easy, but I feel like because you have some many people that are good at what they do, are able to give their insight with their previous experience, it makes it as seamless as possible.”

One of those tougher conversations came with tight end Cory Harkey, who was released on Saturday. Signed as an undrafted free agent out of UCLA in 2012, Harkey had been with the franchise ever since.

“It certainly wasn’t an easy discussion, but I wish nothing but the best for Cory,” McVay said. “And can’t say enough things about what he represents in terms of the toughness, the leadership, the character, all those good things that you want your players to embody, that’s what Cory Harkey is and that’s what he stands for.”

One factor in Harkey being cut was Los Angeles’ trade for Washington tight end Derek Carrier. McVay said Carrier brings some flexibility to the position, familiarity with the playbook, and an ability to contribute on special teams.

“He can do a lot of things that will complement that group,” McVay said. “When you lose a Temarrick Hemingway, who was going to be a big part of what we wanted to do, [Carrier] was a guy that we had potentially targeted knowing the depth that the Redskins had at that position. We feel fortunate to be able to acquire Derek. He is going to be a big help to us.”

Wide receiver Nelson Spruce is another player who could not crack the roster, and his health was a factor. Spruce played against Dallas to open the preseason, but wasn’t able to get back on the field for much more. He was waived with an injury designation on Saturday.

“It’s one of those situations when you talk to Nelson today, you say it’s unfortunate because he’s a good football player, he’s got great instincts, good, aggressive hands,” McVay said. “Unfortunately, the injuries really kept him out of chances to really compete for a roster spot and it’s unfortunate. We’re hopeful that Nelson will get a spot and get a chance to compete somewhere else.”

Elsewhere on the roster, the Rams will enter the year with only two quarterbacks — Jared Goff and Sean Mannion. But McVay said Dan Orlovsky could be back on the roster before too long.

“The value that Dan had for those guys especially being aware of how young Jared and Sean both are, I thought Dan was a great example of kind of providing a mentorship role for them. Being around some great players and then him having the experience that he’s had,” McVay said. “Dan’s definitely a possible guy that we’ll bring back on this roster, so by no means does that mean that we couldn’t see him Week 2.”

There was good news for a few players — like undrafted free agents Justin Davis, John Mundt, and Dominique Hatfield. Davis, a running back out of USC, impressed McVay with his growth and improvement over the course of the preseason.

“Obviously, when the ball’s in his hands and he puts his foot in the ground and decides to get vertical — you see an explosion and I think he’s a nice change-of-pace back,” McVay said. “[I]f you’re looking for that change-of-pace back, very similar to the reason that we liked [RB] Lance Dunbar so much — that’s kind of what Justin has provided.”

“I think he’s a guy that we’re really looking forward to developing,” McVay added of Mundt. “I don’t necessarily know how things will shape out, but when you do go get a Derek Carrier, then it allows you to feel comfortable with that fourth tight end … where you’re going to be patient with a guy and allow him to develop, knowing that he had the ankle injury in the rookie minicamp – so he’s missed some time. But when he’s gotten out there and when you look at what he was able to do at Oregon, he’s got some ability.”

For McVay, going through roster reductions as a head coach for the first time seemed to have its moments. But overall, he seemed satisfied with the process as the club gets ready to take on the Colts next Sunday.

“I think certainly being in this role for the first time where you’re kind of the first one delivering that information, it definitely has a different feeling to it,” McVay said. “But, as long as you deal with these guys openly and honestly and when you’re dealing with good people like we were fortunate enough to do – an unfortunate and a tough day went as well as it could of I guess is the best way to put it.”

VIEW THE FULL UNOFFICIAL DEPTH CHART

Rams Power Rankings: Week 1

This is the week Rams’ fans have been waiting for — Week 1 of the regular season. The Rams will kick off the 2017 season with a home opener on Sunday against the Colts. And as the Rams get ready for the official kickoff to their game days, each week TheRams.com will be taking an aggregate look at where the team ranks in different outlets across the sports media landscape.

Here are the power rankings for the Rams coming out of the preseason and heading into Week 1: 

NFL.com, Elliot Harrison Rank: 29

ESPN.com Rank: 27

SBNation.com Rank: 25

Yahoo! Shutdown Corner Rank: 25 

USA Today Rank: 24

Bleacher Report Rank: 28

The Washington Post Rank: 27

Sports Illustrated, Peter King Rank: 29

CBS Sports, Pete Prisco Rank: 26

THIS WEEK's OPPONENT'S RANKS — INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

NFL.com — 27

ESPN.com — 18

SBNation.com — 27

Yahoo! Shutdown Corner — 28

USA Today — 27

Bleacher Report — 32

Washington Post — 24

Sports Illustrated — 24

CBS Sports — 25

Rams Food Truck to Kick off NFL Season Across Los Angeles

In anticipation of the start of the NFL season in Los Angeles, when the Rams host the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, September 10, the Rams Food Truck will drive across the Los Angeles region celebrating fans, food and football as part of the NFL’s Random Acts of Kickoff campaign.

This Rams-branded truck will be on the road from September 5-9 giving away Rams-themed donuts from Trejo’s Coffee and Donuts each morning, and football-themed Tacos during the afternoons and evenings. Fans who visit the Rams Food Truck will have the opportunity to receive team merchandise and one lucky fan at each location will be randomly selected to win a pair of tickets to the season opener on September 10.

The Rams Food Truck will kick off its journey in Hollywood with a celebration at Trejo’s Coffee and Donuts, owned by legendary actor and Rams fan Danny Trejo, at 9 AM on Tuesday, September 5.  The Truck will travel more than 250 miles across the region, stopping at iconic locations, companies, schools, civic organizations and beaches. Angelenos from the Valley to Orange County, from Downtown to the Westside, from Hollywood to the Arts District, from USC to Inglewood, all will have an opportunity to experience the Rams Food Truck (full route below).  Rams’ social platforms will provide updates and follow the journey of the Rams Food Truck.

The five-day event is part of the NFL’s Random Acts of Kickoff campaign in which all 32 clubs are hosting fan experiences, ranging from surprise player and celebrity appearances, to team rallies with free merchandise and game tickets, to events supporting non-profit organizations in the community.  Visit NFL.com/Kickoff or follow #KICKOFF2017 and #RANDOMACTSOFKICKOFF on social media to view activations from each NFL team.

Rams Food Truck Route*

Tuesday, September 5: Hollywood, Griffith Park, Studio City

·       9 – 11 AM - Trejo’s Coffee and Donuts (6785 Santa Monica Blvd at Highland Avenue, Los Angeles) – Danny Trejo, Rams Alumni, Rams Cheerleaders and Rampage will be in attendance.

·       12 – 2 PM - LA Zoo (5333 Zoo Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90027) 

·       3 – 5 PM - Studio City (Ventura Blvd, Studio City, CA 91604 and Laurel Canyon Blvd, Studio City, CA 91604)

Wednesday, September 6: Orange County, Inglewood

·       11 AM – 1 PM - Blizzard Entertainment HQ (Irvine, CA – This location is not open to the public.)

·       2:30 – 3:30 PM - Inglewood Unified School District (401 S Inglewood Avenue, Inglewood, CA 90301)

Thursday, September 7: San Fernando Valley and Conejo Valley

·       9 – 11 AM - North Hollywood Metro Station (5273 Lankershim Blvd, North Hollywood, CA 90601)

·       12 – 2 PM - Plaza del Valle (8610 Van Nuys Blvd, Panorama City, CA 91402)

·       3 – 5 PM - The Promenade at Westlake (100 Promenade Way, Thousand Oaks, CA 91362)

Friday, September 8: Downtown LA and The Arts District

·       9 – 11 AM - The Park DTLA (261 S Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012)

·       12 – 2 PM - Angel City Brewery (216 Alameda Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012)

·       3 – 5 PM - Union Station (800 N Alameda Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012)



Saturday, September 9: The West Side: Santa Monica, Venice

·       9 – 11 AM - Chez Jay Restaurant (1657 Ocean Ave., Santa Monica, CA 90401)

·       12 – 2 PM - Windward Plaza at Venice Beach (Windward Avenue, Venice, CA 90291)

·       3 – 5 PM - The Brig on Abbot Kinney (1515 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice, CA 90291)

*Route subject to change. Follow Rams social channels for up-to-date schedule.

How to Watch: Season Opener Against the Colts

The Rams regular season opener is finally here. The team will kickoff the regular season at home at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Sunday afternoon against the Colts. The game will be available on CBS. Below is the full broadcast information for Sunday’s season opener. Kickoff is set for 1:05 p.m. 

BROADCAST INFO
TELEVISION: CBS available in certain markets across the United States, including the Los Angeles area (Check your local listings). Play-by-play provided by: Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts. Sideline Reporting from: Evan Washburn.  

RADIO:  ESPN National Radio (Play-by-play provided by: Marc Kestecher with Color Analysis by: Herm Edwards). The game will also be available on English radio ESPN 710 AM, 100.3 The Sound FM (Play-by-play provided by: J.B. Long, Maurice Jones-Drew and D’Marco Farr). Plus, tune into 1330 AM for ESPN Deportes' live Spanish broadcast of the game with Troy Santiago and Ricardo Lopez on the call.


SOCIAL MEDIA: Follow the Rams on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat for live updates and behind-the-scenes content before, during, and after the game.

ONLINE: The game will not be available live via  NFL Game Pass*. However, fans will still be able to watch replays of every game including the Rams' season opener, and so much more! Click here to sign up for your FREE 7-day trial and start getting unprecedented access to every game, all year long.

 *For domestic subscribers NFL Game Pass does not include live regular season, playoff, or Super Bowl game broadcasts, as well as some preseason games broadcasts. Access to these games is available within NFL Game Pass on an on-demand basis in the NFL Game Pass archives. International subscribers are able to watch both preseason and regular season games as they happen with certain restrictions. Audio feeds may be subject to availability. 2009-2011 games are temporarily unavailable. For a full description of features, requirement, limitations, and other information, visit our FAQ at NFL.com/help/GamePass.
A satirical look at more than 75 years of Football's Rams history, combined with discussions of American Exceptionalism and almost 50 years of personal experience in the life of a Rams Fan. The history parallels and intertwines life to form a humorous, yet serious look at American HistoryWorld History, an American Football team, and Political Science.