Random Ramsdom: Did Rams hide a serious injury back in 2021?

Los Angeles Rams News and Links for 4/16/23

Rams managed to hide Odell Beckham Jr.’s lack of ACL in 2021 (YahooSports)

“Beckham explained that, when he signed with the Rams, team physician Neal ElAttrache told Beckham that he had no ACL.

“That whole season I was playing without it,” Beckham said. “It was a crazy thing. I signed with the L.A. Rams, and I remember ElAttrache comes down there and he’s like, ‘I’ve just got to inform you that you don’t have an ACL. You know, we can redo your surgery right now.’ And this was Week Nine of the season.

“And I just told him, I was like, ‘I’ve been through way too much to come here and sign. There was way too much talk on my name. You know, the past year, like I came here to win a championship.’ And I told him I’d die on the sword.”

Rams LB Ernest Jones’ & S Quentin Lake’s adventures in Mexico: food, football, soccer, Rams fans & caves (TheRams.com)

Photo by Jane Gershovich/Getty Images

“Watch as Los Angeles Rams linebacker Ernest Jones & safety Quentin Lake explore Monterrey, Mexico through trying the local cuisine, connecting with Rams fans, teaching football clinics, watching their first women’s football game & more!”

Rams’ Cooper Kupp, Aaron Donald, Matthew Stafford ESPN Stat Projections – Good Players, Bad Team? (SportsIllustrated)

“ESPN recently issued projections for the stats of each player currently on the Rams’ roster … and reached the following conclusion for the three stars.

Stafford: 364 of 547 (66.5 percent) for 3,959 yards, 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions across 15 games (with a “to be determined” backup making two starts).

Kupp: 122 receptions for 1,377 yards and seven touchdowns in 15 games.

Donald: 74 tackles and nine and a half sacks while playing 976 snaps.

The model has the Rams’ win total set at 6.2 wins, the second-worst mark in the league, while holding a projected point differential of negative 68.

In essence, ESPN anticipates strong campaigns from Kupp and Donald but another lofty turnover year from Stafford – along with some injury trouble.”

Is it time to revisit tasking Tutu Atwell as the LA Rams return specialist? (RamblinFan)

Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images

“The LA Rams need to learn how to MacGyver their current roster to fill the role needs that have been vacated with the mass exodus of veteran players. One of the roles that should hold great concern for the LA Rams is the role on the Special Team’s unit is that of return specialist. While I truly enjoyed the contribution of KR/PR/WR Brandon Powell and the way he seemed to float through the coverage to find an open lane to daylight, he is no longer with the team.

I abhor any attempt to place wide receiver Cooper Kupp into any kick or punt return role, despite the fact that he has excellent hands.

But is it time to revisit casting fleet-footed wide receiver into a punt return/kickoff return role for the 2023 NFL season? I think the Rams cannot afford not to right now.

With so many young players boarding the LA Rams bus this year, the entire Rams team will be heavily dependent on the proficiency of those rookies to make veteran-savvy decisions on the football field. As we know from the experience of the team in trying to coach up Tutu Atwell into a punt returner in 2021, sometimes the results fall short of expectations.”