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Per Jim Thomas Twitter:
Finally. Rams agree to terms with lb na*il diggs. Expected to sign contract weds.
Finally. Rams agree to terms with lb na*il diggs. Expected to sign contract weds.
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Re: Rams Agree to terms with Diggs
It's about time. This should turn out to be a solid signing. -
Re: Rams Agree to terms with Diggs
Rams agree to contract with free agent linebacker Na'il Diggs
By Howard Balzer
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
It took longer than expected, but linebacker Na’il Diggs finally agreed to terms with the Rams late Tuesday on what is believed to be either a two- or three-year contract. Diggs visited the Rams in the week after being released by the Carolina Panthers on March 5.
The question now is whether Diggs will play on the strong or weak side. He has played both during his 10-year career, but since signing with the Panthers as a free agent in 2006, he has played mostly on the strong side.
Diggs played 31 games and started 27 in Carolina over the last two seasons. In his career, which started as a fourth-round pick of the Green Bay Packers in 2000, the 6-foot-4, 240-pound Diggs started 127 of the 146 regular-season games he played.
Last season, David Vobora was the primary starter for the Rams on the strong side, although he missed five starts, four while on suspension. Paris Lenon, who left this offseason as an unrestricted free agent and signed with Arizona, started one game on the strong side and the final nine games on the weak side. Before being traded to Philadelphia, Will Witherspoon was the weak-side starter for six games.
In five games, the Rams started just two linebackers, employing five defensive backs in four games and six in the game against Indianapolis.
Diggs becomes the third Ohio State linebacker on the Rams’ roster, joining middle linebacker James Laurinaitis and Larry Grant. Rams defensive coordinator Ken Flajole coached Diggs in Carolina.
Diggs is the fourth free agent signed by the Rams this offseason that will be least 32 years old when the season starts. Diggs turns 32 in July, defensive tackle Fred Robbins turned 33 in March, while quarterback A.J. Feeley and center/guard Hank Fraley will be 33 in May and September, respectively.Last edited by RamsSB99; -04-07-2010, 04:48 AM.Comment
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Re: Rams Agree to terms with Diggs
Diggs is good depth for LB corp but nothing more. Vobora is better at strong-side linebacker and I'd hate to see him moved. I'm hoping the Rams pick up a WLB in the first 4 rounds, Diggs then start the first few games of the season while the rookie is eased in.Comment
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Re: Rams Agree to terms with Diggs
Problem with getting a WLB: Voborra is not a natural SLB, although he's being a trooper about it.
Voborra is playing over his natural weight class. I'm in favor of letting him slim down and move over to WLB. Then we pick up someone like AJ Edds who is said to be the most natural 4-3 SLB in this draft, and let Edds rotate with Diggs until he develops. Edds is a big mid west corn fed LB at 246 lbs, 6'4, and specializes in coverage. Fits perfectly with what Spags likes and should be able to step right in.Last edited by Guest; -04-07-2010, 09:59 AM.Comment
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Re: Rams Agree to terms with Diggs
Good! Nice addition -- glad to hear that. :helmet:Comment
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Re: Rams Agree to terms with Diggs
I think Vobora playing SLB last year was a result of Witherspoon playing on the weak side and not having any true SLB's on the roster. It wouldn't surprise me at all to see Diggs play on the strong side and slide Vobora over to the weak side where he may be more naturally suited.Comment
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Looks as if the Rams are close to signing recently cut OLB Niall Diggs.
After reading through some Panther forum sites, the majority of fans actually think highly of Diggs.
I hope this move comes off, as we need help all over the roster. Experience a plus also.
GO RAMS-03-17-2010, 01:35 PM -
According to 101 ESPN, Linebacker Na'll Diggs is close to signing a two year deal with the Rams. Deal liely to be finished sometime over the weekend.
Diggs recorded 68 tackles last season playing weakside linebacker for Carolina.-04-02-2010, 11:07 AM -
Well its not a surprise. The LB picture is starting to clear up. Who goes next? Excluding Pete Fleps. I say Kehl or Diles.
-08-29-2011, 09:56 AM -
Veteran free agent linebacker Na’il Diggs is on the verge of signing a two-year contract with the St. Louis Rams, according to an NFL source with knowledge of the situation.
Diggs is a former Green Bay Packers fourth-round draft pick who played at Ohio State.
He spent last season with the Carolina Panthers.
The 6-foot-4, 240-pounder played weakside linebacker for the Panthers, starting 10 games and playing in all but one of 16 games.
Last season, he recorded 68 tackles with one forced fumble and one pass deflection.
For his career, Diggs has registered 566 tackles, 11 1/2 sacks, five interceptions and three forced fumbles.-04-02-2010, 03:25 PM -
Rams scramble at linebacker
BY JIM THOMAS
Thursday, December 9, 2010
The Rams have had a revolving door at the weakside linebacker position since the Carolina game on Halloween. Beginning with that 20-10 victory over the Panthers, four Rams players started at the position over a five-game span.
Bryan Kehl started against Carolina, followed by Chris Chamberlain the next two games, then back to Larry Grant (who had started the first seven games of the season), and then David Vobora this past Sunday in Arizona.
That chaos was partly an indication of good competition but mainly a reflection of the fact that coach Steve Spagnuolo and defensive coordinator Ken Flajole were searching for answers at the position.
Now there could be double the chaos. Following the season-ending torn pectoral muscle suffered by strongside linebacker Na'il Diggs against Arizona, the Rams must find starters at both outside linebacker positions. Only the middle linebacker spot, manned by James Laurinaitis, remains a rock of stability.
In Diggs, the Rams are not only losing a starter, they're losing experience. Lots of it. Diggs, who's scheduled to undergo surgery Friday, is a veteran of 139 NFL starts.
"It's real hard to recover from losing a guy like Diggs," Grant said. " 'Diggsy' meant a lot to us in our linebacker room. He was basically our heart and soul. Him being the crafty vet that he is, he knows all the right things to tell us to get us ready for the game.
"During pregame and preparing for the game, when everybody needs something to talk about or needs some help doing anything, they just go to 'Diggsy' because he always had the answer."
In Chamberlain, Grant, Kehl, and Vobora — plus David Nixon, who was promoted from the practice squad to fill Diggs' roster spot — the Rams have five outside linebackers with a combined 24 NFL starts.
All are young in the league, and none has much pedigree. Kehl was a fourth-round draft pick, but Chamberlain, Grant and Vobora were seventh-rounders, and Nixon was undrafted. Nixon entered the league in 2009; the four others came in in 2008.
They must grow up in a hurry. The Rams are 6-6, in the middle of a playoff race, and travel to New Orleans this week to face the defending Super Bowl champions and their high-octane offense.
"We don't have any time to feel sorry for ourselves or anything," Vobora said. "We've got to keep going and pick it up where (Diggs) left off and not miss a beat. So that's what I'm concentrating on."
So are the rest of the outside linebackers.
"We're all competitors," Grant said. "And we know that every day we come out here you've got to compete if you want to play. With Diggs going down everybody knows if you want to be out there on the field,...-12-09-2010, 08:26 PM
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