Bernie Bytes: Rams Need Better Play From Laurinaitis

[live4ramin]

it seems to me James L is preoccupied with helping out the secondary.

Someday we'll have safetys and OLB's and JL can stay in the box and punnish people.

[Rambos]

Bernie can say what he wants.. he seems to always try and stir it up when things are going well. He tried to go on a rant on Monday acting as if the Rams blew a game they should have won. When in fact most fans thought we could get are butts handed to us.

He took a shot at Bradford last week saying he needs to do more.

Now he's taking shots at JL one of the most consistent player we have had. I'm going to stick with what the coaches and the Rams FO think of JL as they have locked him up.


McGinnis' praise for Laurinaitis comes as no surprise. Laurinaitis was well established as a rising young player. But how would he fit in coach Jeff Fisher's specific defense? McGinnis, the assistant head coach and a long-time Fisher associate, answered the question emphatically:

He's perfect. He’s the perfect middle linebacker for this defense. The ultimate linebacker for this defense when it started evolving was Mike Singletary. I was with Mike Singletary for seven years. The quarterback of the defense is the middle linebacker and in this system, he has to be so in tune -- I mean, he has to be right in the defensive coaches' skin. He has to understand it and know it from a lot of different angles.

"We could not have asked for a more perfect middle linebacker to install this system than James Laurinaitis. I remember watching him come out. I interviewed him at the combine when he came out and I loved him then and I love him even more now because he’s exactly what you need."

We still have other holes to fill lets focus on them and not the guy who is leading this team in tackles once again.

[Curly Horns]

Bernie can say what he wants.. he seems to always try and stir it up when things are going well. He tried to go on a rant on Monday acting as if the Rams blew a game they should have won. When in fact most fans thought we could get are butts handed to us.

He took a shot at Bradford last week saying he needs to do more.

Now he's taking shots at JL one of the most consistent player we have had. I'm going to stick with what the coaches and the Rams FO think of JL as they have locked him up.


McGinnis' praise for Laurinaitis comes as no surprise. Laurinaitis was well established as a rising young player. But how would he fit in coach Jeff Fisher's specific defense? McGinnis, the assistant head coach and a long-time Fisher associate, answered the question emphatically:

He's perfect. He’s the perfect middle linebacker for this defense. The ultimate linebacker for this defense when it started evolving was Mike Singletary. I was with Mike Singletary for seven years. The quarterback of the defense is the middle linebacker and in this system, he has to be so in tune -- I mean, he has to be right in the defensive coaches' skin. He has to understand it and know it from a lot of different angles.

"We could not have asked for a more perfect middle linebacker to install this system than James Laurinaitis. I remember watching him come out. I interviewed him at the combine when he came out and I loved him then and I love him even more now because he’s exactly what you need."

We still have other holes to fill lets focus on them and not the guy who is leading this team in tackles once again.

Well, I guess that settles it.

There is no possible way that JL could play better because according to McGinnis JL is Perfect.

[Rambos]

Well, I guess that settles it.

There is no possible way that JL could play better because according to McGinnis JL is Perfect.

That's not what he is saying or what I'm saying. I'm saying I will take the evaluation of JL by a vet coach that says he's a perfect fit for Fishers system. Over a radio sports talk personality that make his money by stirring it up.

Nice try though

[Curly Horns]

That's not what he is saying or what I'm saying. I'm saying I will take the evaluation of JL by a vet coach that says he's a perfect fit for Fishers system. Over a radio sports talk personality that make his money by stirring it up.

Nice try though

Ok, fair enough. Now let's see if we are getting somewhere with that.

So, you agree that he could play better?

[Rambos]

Ok, fair enough. Now let's see if we are getting somewhere with that.

So, you agree that he could play better?

I think every player can play better... I don't need a guy like Bernie to chime in when he feels like it. Here is a guy that will miss Rams games until the Cardinals are done playing baseball.

[Curly Horns]

I think every player can play better... I don't need a guy like Bernie to chime in when he feels like it. Here is a guy that will miss Rams games until the Cardinals are done playing baseball.

So, even though you agree in general, it all boils down to who it is that chimes in, as to whether or not you are generally agreeable about the topic?

Just a week ago McGinnis was quoted as saying that the recent performance level of the defense was totally unacceptable and that everyone involved needed to do a better job.

[NJ Ramsfan1]

I agree with Ferter here, and I don't think Bernie's assertion is totally unfair. Laurinaitis is not having a terrible year by any stretch, but he is not making the impact plays one might expect from him given what he's accomplished the past three years. Many have felt the best is yet to come from JL, and that he could become a real impact player along the lines of a Brian Urlacher. But when I see him getting sucked in and back-up QB Colin Kaepernick outrunning him to the goal line, I can understand Bernie's statement. Nobody's saying James Laurinaitis sucks- he simply needs to do more than rack up tackles on dives and traps.

[AvengerRam]

But when I see him getting sucked in and back-up QB Colin Kaepernick outrunning him to the goal line, I can understand Bernie's statement.

Kaepernick ran a 4.53 at the Combine, so he's not exactly slow.

[Rambos]

So, even though you agree in general, it all boils down to who it is that chimes in, as to whether or not you are generally agreeable about the topic?

Just a week ago McGinnis was quoted as saying that the recent performance level of the defense was totally unacceptable and that everyone involved needed to do a better job.

I think any player on any roster can play better. No one is playing prefect football on any team.

If a guy like Rick Venturi who coached the game in the NFL wrote or said a certain player needs to step it up. I would be inclined to take that criticism to heart. Knowing he has coached the game and is watching the games. He also breaks down the game film as he does on every game to give insight on the Rams.

A guy like Tony Softli who was a personnel guy and is at every Rams practice and is on the sideline of the games. When he says our guard position is a mess, I tend to give that more weight then a sports radio host, who is not at practice and Rams football is not his number one priority.

I think I said this in another thread... JL is missing some key tackles... I don't need a guy like Bernie to point that out for me.

Just a week ago McGinnis was quoted as saying that the recent performance level of the defense was totally unacceptable and that everyone involved needed to do a better job.

Again I think everyone one a 3.5 win football team needs to do better. McGinnis is not just calling out JL saying HE needs to do more. He's saying everyone needs to do better. He's not trying to stir it up to sell advertising.

[Curly Horns]

I think any player on any roster can play better. No one is playing prefect football on any team.

I think I said this in another thread... JL is missing some key tackles... I don't need a guy like Bernie to point that out for me.

Again I think everyone one a 3.5 win football team needs to do better. McGinnis is not just calling out JL saying HE needs to do more. He's saying everyone needs to do better. He's not trying to stir it up to sell advertising.

OK, I do understand that you don't like BM and you don't care for him pointing anything out because you suspect his motives.

The point to me is that you agree that JL needs to do better. And yet you try to mask that by posting McGinnis quotes, from long ago, about JL being the perfect fit for this defense. What the hell did that have to do with current performance? And what the hell is McGinnis trying to sell with that talk? Coaches are always talking their guys up, that's what they do, that's what they sell. What's more, what the hell are you trying to sell by posting it?

Darn near everyone that posts here, at one time or another, has a point they're trying to make or a pot of some sort that they're trying to stir.

It seems to me that in the end you either agree that he needs to do better or you don't. End of story!

[Rambos]

OK, I do understand that you don't like BM and you don't care for him pointing anything out because you suspect his motives.

The point to me is that you agree that JL needs to do better. And yet you try to mask that by posting McGinnis quotes, from long ago, about JL being the perfect fit for this defense. What the hell did that have to do with current performance? And what the hell is McGinnis trying to sell with that talk? Coaches are always talking their guys up, that's what they do, that's what they sell. What's more, what the hell are you trying to sell by posting it?

Darn near everyone that posts here, at one time or another, has a point they're trying to make or a pot of some sort that they're trying to stir.

It seems to me that in the end you either agree that he needs to do better or you don't. End of story!

OK, I do understand that you don't like BM and you don't care for him pointing anything out because you suspect his motives.

You would be wrong, it's not that I don't like Bernie or Rome, DP... any anyone else you want to add to that list. They have access to the people that can provide insight to my team. That's it, I don't need any of them to break it down for me, just get the guys that can on the air.

The point to me is that you agree that JL needs to do better. And yet you try to mask that by posting McGinnis quotes, from long ago, about JL being the perfect fit for this defense.

You are missing my point and that is I don't need Bernie to rant about how one of our players needs to play better when he does not even know what they want from JL during each game plan. How would he know if he graded out OK or not. Maybe JL spent most of his time in coverage and that's what was asked of him. I will listen to our coaches assessment of any of our players over a radio talk show host. And yes I'm aware they tend to be on the positive side... that's fine I can see through that as well. The fact that coach said this in preseason about JL and then the Rams locked him up long term must mean he meant it.....you'd think.

I like the mask it line, like I'm doing something wrong by posting what our staff has said about a player. That one makes me laugh out loud! The fact that it's so old also kills me.... preseason. JL is playing so bad that I'm spinning it so people think he's playing better then he is. He like Bradford, like SJ, like the rest of this team are a three .5 win team they all can play better. That being said JL is tied for fourth in the NFL in TACKLES! He may go to the pro bowl this year.

what the hell are you trying to sell by posting it?

I unlike Bernie am not getting paid. When I post on this site it's creates webpages that have Google ads on them and someone other then myself is getting paid (or is trying to generate enough to pay for us to have this chat). I'm not trying to "sell" anything. If I owned this site and I posted stuff that I know would create a fire storm then YOU could say I'm trying to sell something. If you don't think a sports writers needs to sale papers then, I'm here to tell you he does.

The reason I posted it was to show what a coach has said about JL vs what a sports writer has said about JL. No more no less...

Darn near everyone that posts here, at one time or another, has a point they're trying to make or a pot of some sort that they're trying to stir.

I would say for me it's conversation, not for money like Bernie. There is a difference IMO.

It seems to me that in the end you either agree that he needs to do better or you don't. End of story

In the end I agree all the Ram players need to do better. I think if you asked each one if they could play better they would say yes! I don't need Bernie to point that out for me.

[Curly Horns]

In the end I agree all the Ram players need to do better.

Thanks for breaking that down for us - while in your efforts to sell conversation.

I do appreciate it. (And I am serious)

Without you and the other ClanRam members doing the same, this site would be pretty sterile.

[Rambos]

Thanks for breaking that down for us - while in your efforts to sell conversation.

I do appreciate it. (And I am serious)

Without you and the other ClanRam members doing the same, this site would be pretty sterile.

likewise if we all agreed all the time what fun would that be...

[Ram Dragoon]

Actually the Rams D-line has been for the most part solid...its depth however hasn't been as solid. Its great when all your Ram starters are healthy and on the field--but rotation players and re-placements haven't helped the Rams. I only question the Rams secondary on D....better play seriously needs to come out of them.

If Nothing else this artical shows Bradford to be a rather good QB, with a potentual of being an elite one. Surround Bradford with a decent o-line and give him some weapons then evaluate him. After all its been mostly the S. Jackson show for the pass few years.