On Facebook
On Flipboard
On Twitter
The Los Angeles Rams entered the NFL Draft with one of the best rosters in the National Football League. However, even their talented roster still had holes that needed to be addressed in the draft. Still, the Rams traded their first round pick to acquire an additional one next season.
Los Angeles put together another solid draft class of talented players. They did so without overeaching on players and while adding another first round pick in next year's draft. It is hard not to like what the Rams did this offseason, and in the draft.
The Rams addressed several other needs in the draft, including at tight end and along their defensive line. Still, Rams head coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead quietly may have added a quality piece to their defense at an affordable cost.
Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic believes the Rams selecting linebacker Chris Paul Jr with the 172nd overall pick in the draft was the draft pick with the best value for the Rams.
Rodrigue noted the fact that Paul could solidify a significant need for the Rams.
"Yes, the Rams traded up for Paul at inside linebacker, a position they have devalued over the last several years, but he should be on an eventual starter’s track when he arrives in Los Angeles,"
Rodrigue said.
They waited for a personality and effort fit (alongside consistent tackling ability) and didn’t reach on the position despite entering the draft knowing it was a need. Paul is the first inside linebacker drafted by the Rams since they picked Ernest Jones in the third round in 2021."
After an impressive offseason, the Rams are undoubtedly on the right track. Still, it will take more than just a talented roster for the Rams to have the type of success they hope to have this upcoming season. Plenty of teams have looked good on paper to start the season, only to falter.
Los Angeles is on the cusp of a solid regular season. It will be up to Sean McVay and company to get the job done.
Please let us know your thoughts on this season and Paul's outlook when you go out and find our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.
Go on and also make sure you follow along on X (Twitter) @RamsInsideronSI right now and you will find all of our stories on Paul's outlook this season!
More must-reads:
- Brian Schottenheimer vows to put 'elephant in his garage' if Cowboys beat Cardinals
- Bengals' Joe Flacco gives promising injury update ahead of Bears game
- The 'NFL passer rating leaders' quiz
Breaking News
Trending News
TODAY'S BEST
Dolphins quickly become NFL's most hopeless situation
There are a lot of teams in the NFL that are already out of the playoff race this season and facing long roads back to contention. There might not be a single franchise that is facing a grimmer, bleaker situation than the Miami Dolphins. The franchise has not won a playoff game in 26 years, the longest ongoing drought in the NFL, and it is going to continue this season. They have mostly been mediocre in recent years only qualified for the playoffs just four times in the past 23 years. They have had no recent success, are having no current success, and do not seem likely to have success anytime soon in the future. Whatever momentum and shine they may have had from last week's big win over the Atlanta Falcons was completely erased on Thursday night in an embarrassing performance against the Baltimore Ravens in a 28-6 defeat. There were zero positives to take away from it, and it is hard to see where a quick fix comes from. The Ravens beat the Dolphins, and the Dolphins beat themselves Coming out of halftime on Thursday night, Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said they were playing against two teams in the first half, referencing the fact they had several self-inflicted mistakes that helped cost them points, stall drives and give points to Baltimore. They had long drives on offense get bogged down by penalties, forcing them to settle for field goal attempts. They fumbled deep in their own territory to set the Ravens up for their first touchdown of the game, and then turned the ball over two other times later in the game. That is a losing recipe against almost any team in football, and especially against a team that is quarterbacked by Lamar Jackson. But that's only part of the problem for Miami, and it's largely only related to this game. The big picture problem is far more concerning. Tua Tagovailoa is not the answer Tagovailoa is far from the only problem in Miami right now. It's just not a good roster overall. But he also does not seem to be part of the solution, especially with a $53M salary cap number. The Dolphins are paying him like one of the NFL's elite quarterbacks — and one of its elite players — and they are not getting anything close to that level of play. He threw his league-leading 11th interception of the season on Thursday, and just looked like a quarterback that had no answers for anything. He lacks elite arm strength, and everything regarding the Dolphins offense is built around timing, their ability for the first read of their offense to get open, and his ability to hit it. When things do not work perfectly, the offense has zero chance to function. It has not worked. Tagovailoa's regression as a quarterback, combined with a gigantic contract that might quickly becoming one of the NFL's biggest albatross deals, is a big reason why this situation feels so grim. It is one thing to not have a quarterback. It is another thing entirely to invest in the wrong quarterback and be stuck with them and have almost no way out from it. Eventually head coach Mike McDaniel and probably general manager Chris Grier are going to be dismissed, and it will not be unfair given the roster and team they have built. Whoever comes in to replace them is going to have a mostly bare cupboard to restock with one of the NFL's worst contracts at its most important position. At least if you are the New York Jets or New Orleans Saints you can start over this offseason with a new quarterback. It seems almost impossible for the Dolphins to do that.
Mariners Report Is Great News For Josh Naylor Pursuit
The Seattle Mariners have arguably the most important offseason in recent memory coming up over the next few months. Seattle has been right on the doorstep. The Mariners have won 88 or more games in three of the last four seasons, including 90 wins in both 2025 and 2022. The only season the Mariners won fewer than 88 games over the last four season was in 2024 when they won 85 games. The Mariners had a phenomenal 2025 season and just won the American League West for the first time since 2001. Seattle obviously came within one win of the World Series as well in the American League Championship Series, as well. All of this is to say that the Mariners' window for contention is open, but does hinge on this offseason. The Mariners brought guys to town, like Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suárez, who proved to be critical to he team's success down the stretch. Now, the Mariners need to figure out who to bring back -- and who to add -- and fortunately, they reportedly will have some money to spend, per MLB.com's Daniel Kramer. "(Josh Naylor) is ineligible for the $22.025 million qualifying offer -- which is a one-year deal calculated by averaging MLB’s 125 highest salaries -- because he was traded midseason," Kramer said. "The same can be said for Suárez, while Ferguson and Jackson won’t be considered, either. "The Mariners will have more money to spend than in any recent offseason -- in the $30 million to $35 million range for 2026 -- which should give them ample room to bring back Naylor and still address their other needs." There will be options for Seattle this offseason It would obviously make sense for the Mariners to bring back Naylor. This has been a popular talking point since before the Mariners were even knocked out of the playoffs. He played in 54 games and slashed .299/.341/.490 with nine home runs, 33 RBIs, 19 stolen bases, and 10 doubles in the regular season for Seattle. He clubbed three homers and batted .340 for the Mariners in the playoffs as well in 12 games. Even if Naylor isn't the guy, the fact that the Mariners reportedly have a little extra wiggle room for the payroll is a great sign. The Mariners' starting rotation is in good shape. They need to continue working on the offense around Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodríguez. Outside of Naylor and Suárez, some of the top sluggers heading to the open market are Pete Alonso, Kyle Schwarber, Cody Bellinger, Marcell Ozuna, and Gleyber Torres, among others. It sounds like the Mariners could afford to bring back Naylor, but regardless, there will be talent out there for the taking and Seattle needs to stay aggressive. More MLB: Mariners Can Afford To Cut Ties With 5-Year Veteran
This is starting to look like the Dallas Cowboys' 4-step plan to save the defense midseason
It's no secret the Dallas Cowboys need to fix their defense if they want to keep any glimmer of hope alive moving forward. This season, they've allowed a minimum 30 points in six out of eight games, and not necessarily against top-tier offenses. Quarterbacks like Russell Wilson, Bo Nix, Caleb Williams, and Bryce Young have played some of their best football against the Cowboys defense. Just about every running back has had monster performances, too. It's a unit that needs saving. However, it's one so flawed that one trade or two won't cut it. So what is the Cowboys' plan to save the defense? Based on their history, reports, recent comments, and reality at 3-4-1, below is my best guess at what their approach will be. Step 1: Make a trade for a player, probably a DE Here's what we know: The Cowboys made calls about star pass rushers Maxx Crosby and Trey Hendrickson before Week 8. We also know Dallas' pass rush has been close to non-existent when not blitzing. Adding a DE makes sense because it helps both the run and pass defense while boosting the team in a critical area: Third down. The Cowboys defense needs to get off the field. They boast the worst third down defense, being the only one giving a conversion rate over 50%. Adding people capable of rushing the passer consistently is the easiest way to lower that mark. However, I would expect the Cowboys' addition to be someone that meets Jerry Jones' criteria of having a contract beyond 2025. Miami Dolphins DE Bradley Chubb, for example, is under contract through 2027 but has no guaranteed money beyond this year. On Friday morning, Jones cited Jonathan Mingo's trade like an example of a player who can help in the present and the future despite him being a healthy scratch in Week 8. In other words, don't expect a major impact move here. Step 2: Get LB DeMarvion Overshown back in the lineup The closest the Cowboys are getting to Pro Bowl-caliber reinforcements is Overshown, who is expected to return from injury (knee) in Week 11 versus the Las Vegas Raiders. He will not solve all of the team's issues at the position but he will be a major upgrade on defense. The Cowboys' play at linebacker has been awful eight weeks into the season. Jack Sanborn started at middle linebacker before being switched for Kenneth Murray and later benched by rookie Shemar James. Meanwhile, James' high-end athleticism has been dragged down by his inexperience at times. There's upside to him but he's not a gameday-ready linebacker. And Murray? He's played 99% of the Cowboys' defensive snaps this season but his play might be the worst. His athleticism allows him to make plays here and there but for the most part, he looks lost versus the run. The question is where the Cowboys will play Overshown when he's back and who will stay with him. To me, it seems like Overshown will play at WILL while Murray remains the MIKE. Step 3: Hope for continued improvement from DE Donovan Ezeiruaku Sure, the Cowboys might trade for a defensive lineman but Ezeiruaku is looking like their biggest hope at DE. He has been increasingly productive and appears to be figuring things out at the NFL level. Ezeiruaku has the fourth most QB hits in the NFL despite ranking 59th in pass rushing snaps, per PFF. Matt Eberflus' defense would benefit from less rotation at DE and more play from Ezeiruaku, Jadeveon Clowney, and James Houston. Plus a potential addition via trade. At this point, however, I would rather see them reduce playing time from Sam Williams and Dante Fowler Jr. Step 4: In-house cornerback shake up Cornerback also needs to improve and an easy way to shake things up is to throw third-round rookie Shavon Revel Jr. right onto the field as soon as healthy. At this point, we've seen enough from Kaiir Elam, who has struggled in Eberflus' zone-heavy scheme. Mostly, Elam's biggest problem has been run defense. If I had to guess, while we wait for Trevon Diggs' return, Revel Jr. will start outside as soon as he's healthy. I'd expect DaRon Bland to join him while Dallas plays Reddy Steward at nickel. This story was originally published in A to Z Sports Dallas Cowboys, as This is starting to look like the Dallas Cowboys' 4-step plan to save the defense midseason. window.addEventListener('message', function (event) {if (event.data.totalpoll event.data.totalpoll.action === 'resizeHeight') {document.querySelector('#totalpoll-iframe-375').height = event.data.totalpoll.value;}}, false);document.querySelector('#totalpoll-iframe-375').contentWindow.postMessage({totalpoll: {action: 'requestHeight'}}, '*');
Bengals' Joe Flacco gives promising injury update ahead of Bears game
A report earlier this week noted that Cincinnati Bengals starting quarterback Joe Flacco might miss Sunday's home game against the Chicago Bears (4-3). He suffered an AC joint sprain in his throwing shoulder during Cincinnati's Week 8 loss to the New York Jets. Flacco later practiced in full on Thursday, and he sounded confident about his availability while speaking with reporters on Friday. How is Joe Flacco feeling ahead of Bengals-Bears clash? "I've never really talked about injuries before, so I don't know what to say, but yeah, I feel good," Flacco explained, per Russ Heltman of Sports Illustrated. The Bengals are expected to be without Week 1 QB1 Joe Burrow until at least "mid-December" after he had surgery to repair the toe injury he suffered in Week 2. Temporary fill-in Jake Browning played poorly across three starts, all of which he lost, and the Bengals subsequently acquired Flacco from the Cleveland Browns on Oct. 7. Flacco likely would've led Cincinnati to consecutive wins if he and his offense hadn't been let down by the Bengals' defense during the Oct. 26 game against the Jets. On Friday, he indicated that the idea of skipping the Bears game to recover during Cincinnati's Week 10 bye never crossed his mind. "I didn't really give it much thought," Flacco said. "You're the quarterback, you know, and then you take it from there. So I think my initial instinct is always whatever we can do to get there and then adjust." Joe Flacco felt "obligation" to try to keep Bengals in playoff hunt Whispers suggest the Bengals might part ways with veteran pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson before the Nov. 4 trade deadline if they drop to 3-6 this weekend and get "exorbitant draft-pick compensation" in exchange for him. Understandably, Flacco had other things on his mind. "There's always a sense of obligation to go out there and be there for your team," Flacco added. "I missed my second son's birth (Sept. 2013) because I thought it was important for the quarterback to be out there. I didn't know I was going to miss it, like, it just so happened that he came on that day, but I do feel a sense of obligation being out there for the guys that you play with." Shortly after Flacco wrapped up his remarks, ESPN BET had the 3-5 Bengals as 2.5-point home underdogs against the Bears.
Customize Your Newsletter
+
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!
PRIVACY POLICY EDITORIAL POLICY CONTACT US
ABOUT YARDBARKER TERMS OF SERVICE
Use of this website (including any and all parts and
components) constitutes your acceptance of these
Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
This site is for entertainment purposes only.
There is no gambling offered on this site.
Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.
