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All indications seem to point to the possibility that JL can finally purge the heartburn of losing London Fletcher. The way he flies around the field, plays the run, and just overall gets this defense in gear makes me think I may be able to finally be relieved of my torture. Watch how soon he becomes the heart and soul of my defense.
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Re: Is Laurinaitis finally the answer?
So far so good anyway. We're gonna find out Sunday if he's a real playmaker
or not.
I'm hoping for a JL -1, AC -0
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Re: Is Laurinaitis finally the answer?
Laurinaitis definitely looks comfortable on the field, does his homework and comes prepared to play. He might not break out in a spectacular way, but I think he's going to be effective and steady, with the occasional big play. He's the pure definition of football player.Comment
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Re: Is Laurinaitis finally the answer?
I have been thinking the same thing. He was my favorite pick in this year's draft right off the bat and since then he's shown himself to be very NFL-ready for a rookie and willing to study and put in the effort to improve. I think our defense is going to struggle overall for another year or two until Spagnuolo can build it up with more of his players but I don't think it's going to be because of Laurinaitis. I'm very optimistic when it comes to his potential.Comment
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Re: Is Laurinaitis finally the answer?
So far,so good,indeed,imo. But how fast he becomes a really noticeable force depends on the support he gets from the rest of "your" (LOL) defense, doesn't it,Tx?
Spoon wasn't bad in '07 but he didn't get much help from the DTs,safeties, and fellow LBs,did he?Comment
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Re: Is Laurinaitis finally the answer?
To me, what will separate J.L. from being a solid NFL linebacker versus a great NFL linebacker will be the fire and passion he displays on the field. There is no doubt that J.L. is a student of the game. He'll be prepared every week, and he'll get the unit in position, and he'll make a bunch of tackles ...
However, how will he respond when the defense needs to make a big play? How will he respond when the unit is not performing well? How will he respond on 3rd and inches in critical situations?
I want to see J.L. show some emotion, and I don't mean in a crazy manner. Just show some fire, display the desire that he has inside to everybody on the unit, make the rest of the defense want to be better ...
Few rookies get the type of opportunity that J.L. has. Between him and Long, we could have a pair of young studs that solidify this defense for years. Or they can be just a couple pieces that simply make it a little better....
The ball is in their hands, or at least I hope it will be!Comment
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Re: Is Laurinaitis finally the answer?
I agree with two additions: Atogwe and Bartell should probably be added to JL and Long as key pieces.Originally posted by RamsInfiniti View PostSemper Fi!Comment
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Re: Is Laurinaitis finally the answer?
I dont think you have to show emotion on the field to play with passion and intensity. However, i do think that like the play of all mlb's, including ray lewis, his effectiveness will be impacted in material part by the play of the dlinemen in front of him. If they can keep the bodies off Laurinatis, we will have a star on our hands. If the guards can get their bodies on laurinatis, we will continue to have issues. Lewis was nowhere near as effective when the ravens had the setbacks on the dline and he is of course one of the greatest guys ever at the position. Alas, i think we are highly suspect at the defensive tackle position, as we have been since pickett left.
ramming speed to all
general counsel
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Re: Is Laurinaitis finally the answer?
May your words ring true and long lived, TX!!! :helmet:
I too am rooting for the man of Laurin, that he smash and smack opponents until they cry and plead ... "nomohritis"!
Really feel we now have a true MLB that in fact knows and understands fully how bad the Rams D needs a warrior right there. So much is expected of our defense; so much of it on the shoulders of this rookie MLB.
Have a GREAT, MONSTER, T E R R I F I C season JL!
PS: BTW, glad to see you back TX. Sorry I took over a week to salute you, señor.Comment
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Re: Is Laurinaitis finally the answer?
Maybe so. But I have full confidence that you will find something else to mope about, Eor.Originally posted by txramsfan View Post
Hey, you kids, get off my lawn!
The more things change, the more they stay the same.Comment
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Re: Is Laurinaitis finally the answer?
I already have a new project....Bell. He's gotta go if he doesn't improve.Originally posted by HUbison View PostMaybe so. But I have full confidence that you will find something else to mope about, Eor. Hey, you kids, get off my lawn!
However, to clarify a few things for Azul. When the GSOT was in its heyday, all anyone wanted to talk about was the offense. So I named myself the Unofficial Official Secretary of ClanRam Defense. So, yes it's MY defense but kind of take it like the character in Gladiator that claimed Ireland as his island.
LOLComment
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Re: Is Laurinaitis finally the answer?
Good. What with Hill permanently gone, Carriker temporarily gone, and the ghost of London seemingly gone, I was getting very nervous that too many things may be going right for you. Glad to see Bell is there to hold the rope for you.Originally posted by txramsfan View Post
That would be Braveheart, hoss.kind of take it like the character in Gladiator that claimed Ireland as his island.The more things change, the more they stay the same.Comment
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Re: Is Laurinaitis finally the answer?
I stand corrected on my utter ignorance of movie knowledge.
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Re: Is Laurinaitis finally the answer?
But you were very close. In fact, my gym has a "manly movie" hall of fame with various movie posters hanging on the walls. And next to each other right above one of our squat racks is Gladiator and Braveheart.Originally posted by txramsfan View PostI stand corrected on my utter ignorance of movie knowledge.
So, yea, you were actually very close.The more things change, the more they stay the same.Comment
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Re: Is Laurinaitis finally the answer?
I've loved the JL pick ever since I saw it this April, knowing that we finally got ourselves a true middle linebacker, and a three down player as well. I don't know if he has the fire that Inifinti thinks he needs to have, but I also don't know if he really needs to be a Ray Lewis to be who we need. I think above all, we just need a strong center to our defense who is a sure tackler and will make sure everyone's in position. We don't need a freak of nature who will break you bones on a routine hit(See Mendenhall, Rashard vs. Lewis, Ray), at least not yet.Originally posted by Irish DudeI believe!:ram:Comment
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Success in the Details for Laurinaitis
By Nick Wagoner/Senior Writer
Posted 2 hours ago
As the focal point of the Ohio State defense in his four years as a Buckeye, linebacker James Laurinaitis made plenty of big plays that would be cause for celebration.
But in Columbus, any type of signature move was frowned upon by the coaching staff.
“In college, the whole celebrating thing was kind of frowned upon,” Laurinaitis said. “Our linebacker coach wanted you to act like you had been there before.”
So Laurinaitis did just that, acting like he had been there before because in most cases, he had. That approach carried into his rookie season with the Rams where he led the team in tackles and made his share of big plays.
Never did Laurinaitis pound his chest or go off into a wild celebration. But before this season, cornerback Ron Bartell let Laurinaitis know that it’s OK to cut it loose after a big play.
As if Bartell’s encouragement wasn’t enough, Laurinaitis also took exception to a perceived slight in the Madden ’11 video game.
That game added a “swagger” rating feature this year where players are rated for the way they carry themselves. While the ratings seemed to be pretty arbitrary (former Rams safety David Roach was a 90), Laurinaitis was none too pleased to see that his rating matched his jersey number.
With that, Laurinaitis set about finding ways to get his swagger rating up and decided that incorporating pieces of his wrestling lineage into it would be a good way to do it.
“You realize in the NFL that it’s not really frowned upon,” Laurinaitis said. “It’s encouraged to get kind of creative with things. I really have to give credit to Ron Bartell as far as the sack celebrations. He told me a while ago I needed to step that up and recommended with the family lineage to do a lot of wrestling celebrations hence the Hulk Hogan, the Ric Flair, some of the things I have thrown in there.”
Now in his second season in the NFL, Laurinaitis has had plenty of opportunities to break out some of his new moves.
For the second consecutive year, Laurinaitis leads the team in tackles and is piecing together a Pro Bowl caliber season.
In 14 games, Laurinaitis has racked up 112 tackles, making him the first Ram since Pisa Tinoisamoa to reach the century mark in his first two seasons in the league. In addition to his tackling prowess, he’s added six passes defended, one interception and three sacks.
Being the perfectionist that he is, Laurinaitis is never satisfied with his performance but does acknowledge that he’s made a lot of progress from year 1 to year 2.
“I think I’m more accountable,” Laurinaitis said. “I’m better in the decision making on the field, getting guys lined up, knowing the game plan, know the details. It’s just part of...-12-23-2010, 04:20 PM -
By Nick Wagoner
Senior Writer
As he prepared himself for his first NFL minicamp, second-round draft choice James Laurinaitis heard all of the questions about getting thrown into the fire immediately.
Rare is the second-round choice who has more pressure on him from the start than the player picked in the first round. But in this situation, one could make the case that the expectations for what Laurinaitis can do for the defense are at least on par with the level of impact expected of first-round tackle Jason Smith with the offense.
“This is the NFL,” Laurinaitis said. “There’s not time to kind of wait for the rookies to catch on. You better catch on or you’ll be left behind. I think pace-wise, you better just try to learn and keep up. I think the most important thing I’m going to try to do is just compete and run around and show that I have a great work ethic and that I’m going to try 100 percent no matter what and the mental stuff will come. That’s the way it is for everyone.”
Laurinaitis is no stranger to the pressure of performing right away. At Ohio State, he got his first real playing time opportunity as a freshman when future first-round pick Bobby Carpenter suffered a broken leg on the first play from scrimmage against rival Michigan.
Thrown right into the mix against the Buckeyes’ most hated opponent, Laurinaitis embraced the opportunity and never looked back during one of the most distinguished careers a linebacker has ever had at the collegiate level.
From that day on, Laurinaitis did nothing but produce for Ohio State. While he wasn’t the most athletic player at his position, few linebackers have the read and react skills of Laurinaitis.
Those instincts to read keys and waste no motion getting to the ball helped Laurinaitis become a three-time All American and one of the most accomplished players in school history.
In three seasons as a starter, Laurinaitis posted 366 tackles, nine interceptions, 24.5 tackles for loss and 13 sacks.
In 2006, Laurinaitis won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy as the nation’s best defensive player. In 2007, he won the Dick Butkus award as the nation’s best linebacker.
“The production – the guy has been like this his entire career at Ohio State,” Rams general manager Billy Devaney said. “He’s been a tackling machine.”
Not too shabby for a kid from Minnesota, who was once touted as a potential second or third round pick in the NHL Draft. Still, some questioned whether Laurinaitis made the right decision in returning to Ohio State for his senior season after he had accomplished so much for the Buckeyes.
Entering this year’s draft, Laurinaitis was considered one of the two best middle linebackers available. Southern California middle linebacker Rey Maualuga was the other highly regarded middle ‘backer.
Much to...-05-02-2009, 05:15 PM -
Second-year linebacker says he's comfortable
BY STEVE KORTE - News-Democrat
ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis Rams middle linebacker James Laurinaitis has time to sweat the details a little more in his second season in the NFL.
"It's not going to be such a whirlwind like last year with trying to learn the whole defense," Laurinaitis said. "I know it a lot better, but there is always little details. You can always learn more. What I was learning in defensive strategy last year I can now flip to, 'What is the offense trying to do us?'"
Laurinaitis, a second-round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft out of Ohio State, set a Rams record for most tackles by a rookie with a 144 last season.
He is only the second rookie in team history to lead the Rams in tackles. The other was Pisa Tinoisamoa, with 123 tackles in 2003.
"He's been a great addition," Rams defensive coordinator Ken Flajole said. "My hat's off to Billy (Devaney) and (Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo) on drafting him, and actually getting him where we got him because he's a first-round guy, as far as we're concerned.
"We put a lot of management skills on him. We expect a lot from him. He knows it, and the thing I just love about the guy is that he works at it. He'll be better this year than he was a year ago. We need him to be. He is a pro when it comes to his preparation and attention to detail. Hopefully, he'll have a long and illustrious career here."
Laurinaitis' father, Joe, a former professional wrestler, said his son has always done his homework prior to playing games.
"In high school, he had a three-ring binder almost as thick as the Rams' playbook, and he would evaluate and chart every play that he watched the other team run on film," Joe Laurinaitis said.
Joe Laurinaitis is in St. Louis dog-sitting for his son.
"I have two Rotweilers, and I don't want them to be in the house all the time, so he's letting them out," James Laurinaitis said. "My mom and my sister will come down at a later date."
"All I've been doing is pooper-scooping his lawn for him," Joe Laurinaitis said. "What's wrong with this picture?"
Joe Laurinaitis also has been attending the Rams' training camp practices.
"He loves watching," James Laurinaitis said. "He loves being a dad. If he could get on the sidelines, he'd be right next to coach watching every single thing."
Joe Laurinaitis was training for a tryout with the New Jersey Generals of the USFL when he was given the chance to pursue a professional wrestling career. He would take the stage name of "Animal" and become half of the famous "Road Warriors" tag team.
"At that time, I was already benching over 500 (pounds)...-08-03-2010, 10:00 AM -
Rookie Laurinaitis is built Ram-tough
Posted: August 6th, 2009
Steve Wyche
Just got done talking to Rams rookie linebacker James Laurinaitis. What an impressive guy. The second-round pick will eventually start at middle linebacker but right now, he’s working behind veteran Chris Draft.
Laurinaitis definitely looks the part of a middle linebacker. At 6-foot-2 and 244 pounds, he’s the bigger, more physical-type new coach Steve Spagnuolo and GM Billy Devaney wanted when they made over the roster in the offseason.
Laurinaitis, who will call the plays on defense, told me how he took extensive notes after his first minicamp and studied tape in the weeks leading up to OTAs so when he got back, he knew all the calls and audibles. Laurinaitis also said he watched a ton of video of Giants middle linebacker Antonio Pierce, who played in Spagnuolo’s system in New York.
The Rams are making their rookies earn starting jobs but Laurinaitis has put himself on track to be manning the middle in the near future.
– Steve Wyche-08-06-2009, 12:32 PM -
Laurinaitis Happy to be on Time
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
By Nick Wagoner
Senior Writer
Before James Laurinaitis parted ways with his teammates and the coaching staff at the end of the offseason program, coach Steve Spagnuolo had some words of wisdom he shared in an effort to help his rookie linebacker.
“Before I left coach Spagnuolo said ‘Hey, I don’t like talking about all that contractual stuff but just make sure you get in camp on time,’” Laurinaitis said.
On Wednesday afternoon, the day rookies, quarterbacks and selected veterans were to report to training camp, Laurinaitis followed through on his head coach’s request, signing a four-year contract with the Rams.
Laurinaitis drove back to St. Louis from his home in Minnesota on Monday and had remained hopeful a deal would be struck in time for him to report and check into the team hotel before the first scheduled meeting on Wednesday night.
“You don’t want anyone to think of you as that guy holding out,” Laurinaitis. “You don’t want that label on you and I am just glad it’s all over with. A lot of guys do mean it when they say they want to be in camp on time. You are missing a lot of football, a lot of good teaching if you hold out.”
In the case of Laurinaitis, getting to camp on time is more imperative than the average draft pick. While he would miss out on repetitions and chances to learn the defense if he missed part of camp, he could potentially have missed out on a goal far more important.
After the Rams used their second-round choice on Laurinaitis in April’s NFL Draft, it became clear that the end game would involve Laurinaitis getting an opportunity to, and eventually earning, the starting middle linebacker job.
For most of the OTAs and minicamp practices, Laurinaitis did not work with the top unit because coach Steve Spagnuolo believes in making rookies earn their positions. With that, Laurinaitis enters this camp with plenty to prove.
Of course, putting the pads on for the first time will provide just the opportunity he seeks in his quest to land the starting spot in the middle of the defense.
“I’m very excited,” Laurinaitis said. “A lot of guys look good in shorts. When you are a linebacker, wearing shorts all the time is hard because your whole position is kind of based on physicality and going out there and showing what you can do. I will get plenty of that here soon.”
The adjustment to an NFL training camp doesn’t figure to be easy for Laurinaitis, who adhered to NCAA rules at Ohio State with the 2-1-2 format require in college.
Going back to a lot of two-a-day practices will be a change for Laurinaitis, who hasn’t had a lot of them in a short time since he was in high school.
But Laurinaitis spent his summer vacation finding ways to make that...-07-31-2009, 09:23 PM
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