Freethinker
Hall of Famer
The Rams have consistently been one of the most "White friendly" teams since Sean McVay has been the head coach. They were one of the best in 2023 demographically but also had success as a playoff team. This year should be just as good:
Total White Athletes on Roster (Starters in bold)
21 or 22* Whites total, with 9 starters. Grade: C+
QB - Matthew Stafford, Jimmy Garoppolo, Stenson Bennett
RB - Cody Schrader
WR - Copper Kupp
TE - Colby Parkinson, Davis Allen, Hunter Long
T - Rob Havenstein
G - Logan Bruss, Justin Dedich
C - Beaux Limmer, Dylan McMahon
DE - Braden Fiske
OLB - Michael Hoecht, Brennan Jackson* (off-White)
ILB - Christian Rozeboom, Troy Reeder, Jake Hummel
K - Joshua Karty
P - Ethan Evans
LS - Alex Ward
IR - Conor McDermott (OL)
PUP - Tyler Higbee (TE)
PS - Drake Stoops (WR), Sam Wiglusz (WR), AJ Arcuri (OL), Mike McAllister (OL), Miller Forristall (TE), Nikola Kalinic (TE), Zach VanValkenburg (OLB)
So this team remains amongst the cream of the crop. 19 or 20 Whites with good depth on the PS to ensure that number stays the same, or even improves if some of the sumos could be displaced. I was going to initially give a C- as I feel a C should be reserved for teams getting closer to the 50% number. However, Kupp is among the best receiver in football, they have a rare RB and a large contingent of defenders so it really feels like a Caste-busting squad.
Matt Stafford is 36 now and entering his 16th season. Matt started the 23 season sluggish (rust from injury?), but from around Thanksgiving onward was one of the top QBs in the NFL again. Another White QB who is aging like fine wine and proving that our guys are elite when it comes to longevity. His main target is the superb WR Cooper Kupp. Last season was up and down as he missed times with injuries and didn't look himself when he did play. Other than a few games where he flashed, it was sort of a lost season. Only 2 years removed from leading the NFL in catches, yards and TDs, Cooper looks to get back to the upper echelon of wideouts again. With a big week 1 and an injury to his main competition for targets, expect a big return to greatness for Kupp. Rookie RB and leading SEC rusher, Cody Schrader was signed off of waivers when he couldn't make a loaded 49ers squad. We've discussed him already at length and how he was screwed over in the draft, becoming yet another perfect example of the Caste System in action. Needing only opportunity, Cody sits at 4th string to start the year and was inactive for week 1. Starting TE Higbee is a solid player and begins the season on the PUP list. There are only White TEs on the roster and PS, so Colby Parkinson moves up the ladder and into a starting role for now. You may remember him from his days on Pete's Plantation, mostly filling the role of extra blocker. With the Rams, look for him to show he's more versatile and catch a good share of passes too. Looking at the line, its only 2/5ths White again and could use some improvement. Havenstein is the standout veteran, while Rimmer steps in as a rookie starter at center. Looking at the backup QB role, it will be interesting to see what happens when Jimmy G returns from his suspension. Will they keep 3 QBs? Or will they waive Stenson Bennett who didn't exactly have the best preseason and has dealt with some off the field issues. Time will tell.
On defense, the Rams have a good number of players by modern NFL standards. 3 starters again, but a different contingent of players than last season. Standout Florida State DT (3-4 DE) Braden Fiske steps in as a starter. A rare defender who skips the usually mandated apprenticeship. Expect him to be a disruptive force and active tackler, like nearly every White player is. Christian Rozeboom was a bit of a surprise starter last year at ILB and performed admirably. He returns and is paired with reliable vet Troy Reeder for a White tackling machine duo. I always felt that Reeder was super underrated, so I'm especially happy that he gets another chance to start games. Jake Hummel is a good player and back for another year of backup duties at ILB. Unfortunately, it isn't all roses for the Rams. Ascending OLB Michael Hoecht has lost his starting role after 2 very solid seasons to a rookie upsider. Will his replacement top 81 total tackles (7 for losses), 6 sacks and a forced fumble? Call me skeptical.
The PS for the Rams is another positive feature as it is nearly half White. 2 standout college WRs certainly peaks my interest, especially considering the team no longer employs Skrownek or Trammell. Stoops was a standout from Oklahoma, and I believe the nephew of the former Caste Coach. Sam Wiglusz was a walk-on at Ohio St who wisely transferred to University of Ohio to actually play and tore it up for numerous seasons. 3 additional offensive lineman could reverse the sumo trend if called upon. VanValkenburg is yet another NFL player from the White Iowa diaspora and has spent time on the active roster in recent years.
All in all, the Rams will be one of the more pleasant teams to watch this year. Up there with the Lions, Broncos, 49ers and maybe Vikings of the league. Shame they had to play the Lions in week one and take the early L but they played well and hopefully are bound for another season of playoffs.
Total White Athletes on Roster (Starters in bold)
21 or 22* Whites total, with 9 starters. Grade: C+
QB - Matthew Stafford, Jimmy Garoppolo, Stenson Bennett
RB - Cody Schrader
WR - Copper Kupp
TE - Colby Parkinson, Davis Allen, Hunter Long
T - Rob Havenstein
G - Logan Bruss, Justin Dedich
C - Beaux Limmer, Dylan McMahon
DE - Braden Fiske
OLB - Michael Hoecht, Brennan Jackson* (off-White)
ILB - Christian Rozeboom, Troy Reeder, Jake Hummel
K - Joshua Karty
P - Ethan Evans
LS - Alex Ward
IR - Conor McDermott (OL)
PUP - Tyler Higbee (TE)
PS - Drake Stoops (WR), Sam Wiglusz (WR), AJ Arcuri (OL), Mike McAllister (OL), Miller Forristall (TE), Nikola Kalinic (TE), Zach VanValkenburg (OLB)
So this team remains amongst the cream of the crop. 19 or 20 Whites with good depth on the PS to ensure that number stays the same, or even improves if some of the sumos could be displaced. I was going to initially give a C- as I feel a C should be reserved for teams getting closer to the 50% number. However, Kupp is among the best receiver in football, they have a rare RB and a large contingent of defenders so it really feels like a Caste-busting squad.
Matt Stafford is 36 now and entering his 16th season. Matt started the 23 season sluggish (rust from injury?), but from around Thanksgiving onward was one of the top QBs in the NFL again. Another White QB who is aging like fine wine and proving that our guys are elite when it comes to longevity. His main target is the superb WR Cooper Kupp. Last season was up and down as he missed times with injuries and didn't look himself when he did play. Other than a few games where he flashed, it was sort of a lost season. Only 2 years removed from leading the NFL in catches, yards and TDs, Cooper looks to get back to the upper echelon of wideouts again. With a big week 1 and an injury to his main competition for targets, expect a big return to greatness for Kupp. Rookie RB and leading SEC rusher, Cody Schrader was signed off of waivers when he couldn't make a loaded 49ers squad. We've discussed him already at length and how he was screwed over in the draft, becoming yet another perfect example of the Caste System in action. Needing only opportunity, Cody sits at 4th string to start the year and was inactive for week 1. Starting TE Higbee is a solid player and begins the season on the PUP list. There are only White TEs on the roster and PS, so Colby Parkinson moves up the ladder and into a starting role for now. You may remember him from his days on Pete's Plantation, mostly filling the role of extra blocker. With the Rams, look for him to show he's more versatile and catch a good share of passes too. Looking at the line, its only 2/5ths White again and could use some improvement. Havenstein is the standout veteran, while Rimmer steps in as a rookie starter at center. Looking at the backup QB role, it will be interesting to see what happens when Jimmy G returns from his suspension. Will they keep 3 QBs? Or will they waive Stenson Bennett who didn't exactly have the best preseason and has dealt with some off the field issues. Time will tell.
On defense, the Rams have a good number of players by modern NFL standards. 3 starters again, but a different contingent of players than last season. Standout Florida State DT (3-4 DE) Braden Fiske steps in as a starter. A rare defender who skips the usually mandated apprenticeship. Expect him to be a disruptive force and active tackler, like nearly every White player is. Christian Rozeboom was a bit of a surprise starter last year at ILB and performed admirably. He returns and is paired with reliable vet Troy Reeder for a White tackling machine duo. I always felt that Reeder was super underrated, so I'm especially happy that he gets another chance to start games. Jake Hummel is a good player and back for another year of backup duties at ILB. Unfortunately, it isn't all roses for the Rams. Ascending OLB Michael Hoecht has lost his starting role after 2 very solid seasons to a rookie upsider. Will his replacement top 81 total tackles (7 for losses), 6 sacks and a forced fumble? Call me skeptical.
The PS for the Rams is another positive feature as it is nearly half White. 2 standout college WRs certainly peaks my interest, especially considering the team no longer employs Skrownek or Trammell. Stoops was a standout from Oklahoma, and I believe the nephew of the former Caste Coach. Sam Wiglusz was a walk-on at Ohio St who wisely transferred to University of Ohio to actually play and tore it up for numerous seasons. 3 additional offensive lineman could reverse the sumo trend if called upon. VanValkenburg is yet another NFL player from the White Iowa diaspora and has spent time on the active roster in recent years.
All in all, the Rams will be one of the more pleasant teams to watch this year. Up there with the Lions, Broncos, 49ers and maybe Vikings of the league. Shame they had to play the Lions in week one and take the early L but they played well and hopefully are bound for another season of playoffs.
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