StLunatic88 Posted January 26, 2021 Share Posted January 26, 2021 Roster Moves I don’t see us bringing back really anyone who we don’t already have some rights to next year. Maybe if they really like a Derek Rivers, but I think Morris would rather give vet minimum contracts to guys he knows better than what he’s coming into with no previous relationship. So that means we tender D. Williams, Howard and Shelton, maybe Mundt as well but don’t need to. Williams needs a 1st Round tender, so its not going to be cheap to keep him. I think exploring a longer term deal with him would be very wise, as it could lower his cap number this year by a few million, plus we don’t need to keep losing everyone from this secondary year after year. But I’m not projecting that at this time. I am a proponent that we will end up seeing a Flat Cap from 2020, using borrowed future money to stabilize the 2021 Cap. But even at a $198.2m Cap, plus our $5.6m roll over, we are still over the Cap by a few million (different sites disagree, but I believe its only around $4m) So there will be Roster moves and Restructures needed to get anything done this offseason. The one real Cut I see happening is Brian Allen. Its not a ton of savings, but we don’t need to be paying a backup OL who is never going to see the field nearly a million dollars. Plus I believe that there’s a good chance that Anchrum could be being groomed to be a Center for us, not what we all thought originally, but as I went back to watch him at Clemson plus what his Oline coach had to say about him, I think its a real possibility, at half the cost of Allen As for Restructures, I think we are looking at a bunch of these to make another run in ‘21-‘22 and most of these vets who just got paid will gladly do so because they still get the same dollars, it just ties them into the team with more guaranteed money on the cap the next few years. Donald is the biggest one, as well as Kupp and Woods, and even a little bit of kick in from Whit and Hekker help us take care of what we need to set aside for the Draft picks. And as little as some may want to hear this, If we want to make more than one decent move this offseason, Goff will be part of this as well. I would have him kick in less than his whole 2021 salary and turn it into a Signing Bonus, but a good chunk of it, because when we move on from him, were already going to have to eat a lot of money, so a few more million isn’t going to change that decision in 2022 or 2023, but it would be very beneficial this year as well as he could be our guy for the next 3 years anyway if he looks more like his 2018 self. And if we end up with extra cap space at the end of the year as Les likes to have, then that would be more roll over and go right back into taking care of any extra cap hit with Goffs release once that comes. All in all, I think we can clear enough money to go into the offseason with about $30m to spend. Free Agents DeSean Jackson - WR To me this feels like a no brainer match. Now it is dependent on him getting cut by the Eagles, but that seems like an inevitability at this point with their situation. He’s a California guy, he expressed interest in being a Ram the last time he was a free agent but we weren’t really in the market for a WR at the time. This time he is exactly what we need, although he will be 35 at the back end of next season, you could see in his last game this year that the deep threat is still there. He is always ready to take the top off the defense. And with him being a bit more fragile these days, sliding in as the #3/4 option with Van, could really help him stay healthy. It would likely be a deal similar to what Sanders got from the Saints, effectively a 1 year deal unless he is stellar and completely healthy all year. He brings back that element of the offense that is sorely missing, allowing defenses to barely defend anything deep on us Steven Means - EDGE Not the name that most will be excited to see, and I’m not jumping for joy putting him here (I’d rather mock us ending up with Von Miller, but I don’t think anyone is touching him right now till some things get resolved) but as a guy who bounced around most of his career, he turned into a steady hand for Morris this year on the Falcons. No eye popping numbers, but he would be someone we can count on with how unreliable Terrell Lewis’ heath looks like it will be. Again, I don’t imagine Ill see any “great find” comments, but I think this is a realistic pickup to bolster the OLB rotation, as I do think they expect big things from Lewis, but need to guard against injury. Allen Bailey - DL Bit of an odd addition here you may think, as we have a pretty stellar DL. And I agree, but I also think we are going to see both even and odd fronts this year with Morris in charge. To do that Bailey could be a huge piece, he is a guy who can also line up in both fronts like some of our DL already has. Not to mention I think there will be parts in the season that they limit Donald some (even against his will) and having another End who can take good snaps with him off the field and keep the Defense rolling is good to have. As he is a guy Morris knows well, getting one of his last contracts, and probably looking to win, I think this is a solid pick up. (Also because I’m not sure the best fix for our ILB situation, more good play up front can help there) Ryan Anderson - LB Anderson is a guy who I have been calling out as being played out of position for his entire NFL career, and it got even worse this year when he was asked to put his hand on the ground. The guy is a LB, who already struggled to get the edge around good tackles in college, it wasn’t getting better in the NFL. To me he is an ILB, if he comes in slimmed down a bit, he has always had great gap discipline and good as rushing from the inside. He was always decent in coverage, and while I think he may end up being the same type of player as Kiser is for us (if he has lost a step in coverage) then he is still better than any other ILB options we have right now. And mostly I’m willing to take this flier, because of how bad of a season he just had completely out of place, he should come in very cheap trying to rehab his value to go get one more contract. Mitch Trubisky - QB With only 7/8 true QB openings in the league its going to be hard for all of these outsed guys, most not getting the type of gig they want. As the other teams would all be looking for a clear “upgrade” on their current situation, and most of these guys don’t qualify. Of the true openings, between 3-5 of them will be filled by rookies in some way, and of course Stafford going to another one (anyone else traded would create an opening that was just filled elsewhere) so that leaves a lot of guys (Jacoby, Mitch, Fitz, Jameis, Dalton, Minshew and others) fighting for like 2/3 true starting spots. They aren’t all going to get a great situation, and someone is going to be left out there for us to take a chance on for relatively cheap. I think this is a great situation for both, Mitch is still football young, and has all the athletic ability and decent enough arm talent for the alternate reality offense tht McVay wants to try out. And if Mitch comes to work with Sean for a year, he may be best setting himself up for a good option the following year to get a real starting shot and make some good money. Not to mention, he is the type of guy who would actually be allowed to challenge Goff (sorry guys Wolford just doesn’t have it). This would likely be more of a post-draft pickup, as he and the others would be looking how the draft plays out. Forrest Lamp - OL From here on out these guys are mostly Camp Bodies with upside, none of them really guaranteed to make the roster, but we will have had some connection to these guys at some point, and I feel they are worth a look. Lamp has been nothing but disappointing, from injuries to actual performance, but I guess I just refuse to believe that nothings there. Maybe they just aren’t using him right? He is mostly a Guard only option, but he may push Edwards or whoever in a competition. Ty Nsekhe - OL Ty has linked to us a bit last time he was a Free Agent due to the McVay/WAS connection. he hasn’t been great for Buffalo since signing there, but as a Vet Minimum guy who has been a very good Swing Tackle before and even held up a LT in the past, feels like he is worth bringing in for Camp competition. Ryan Groy - OL Not just linked to us, but we tendered him a contract once, but again, has kind of flared out in the past few seasons. I think he’s a guy to bring in to compete for the last backup spot, probably doesn’t win, but as was said, everywhere is up for competition this offseason Charles Harris - EDGE Harris is a Mizzou boy that Ive always loved, he may just not have it for the NFL, but got a little bit of run with the Falcons this year, and there’s no reason to ever stop trying to find Edge guys who can contribute. Jalen Collins - CB If you know anything about Collins’ suspension issues you might ask why, but I say Why not? We always need to be bringing in secondary guys, can never have enough. He played in the XFL last year, and Morris was part of the staff that drafted him, so lets see if he’s got one more (or I guess a first) run in him? NFL Draft TRADE: LAR trades Joe Noteboom to LAC for a 5th Round Pick (~157) Liked jrry’s idea, seems like a good fit with a team who needs to find multiple lineman on the cheep, we recoup something as he wont likely ever be a starter here. TRADE: LAR send # 57 + 3rd Comp Pick (101) + 2022 4th to DET for #41 R2/41 Wyatt Davis - OG Ohio St Davis is a day 1 plug and play starter at OG. He would go a long way in solving a lot of our issues, especially sliding Corbett over to Center for next season. Now I’m not going to say he is an All-Pro Guard out the gate or he would be a much higher pick (and there’s a chance he is come Draft weekend) but he still has some technique to work on and needs to reign in some of his game as well. But he is the exact blend of athleticism and power that we are looking for in our scheme, he should be what weve been looking for to replace Saffold. I liked what I saw in the National Title Game (although limited) against Barmore. Wyatt didn’t dominate him, and even got beat a few times off the snap, but recovered well and did enough to keep Fields clean, and he really showed out as a Run Blocker. If he slips into the first 10 Picks of the 2nd round (which is where I have him slotted right now, I think all the OTs go in the first) then we should be making a strong move up for him. And with our new connection in Detroit, who is rebuilding, this seems like a very good exchange here. R3/88 Walker Little - OL Stanford Some will be quite surprised here, but when going down my board, this is the type of gamble we need to take. 2 years ago, Little was talked about as a sure fire 1st rounder, some thought he might have the goods to be one of the top OL taken in a draft. Well a year lost to injury and then sitting out this year can really cause a tumble. Now there is obvious risk here as he will not have any game action since the knee injury, and at the time he was still wing projected there mostly on potential, not actual production. The 1st Round grade was mostly built on what we should see from Little. And while there’s a chance he could still work his way back into the Top 75, he’s got a lot to prove to get there. I just see too many OTs that passed him by while he’s been gone for 2 years. As a prospect he has great size and frame to get even bigger and should be able to stay athletic (assume the knee is ok) but he still has a lot to work on, its mostly all raw skill, not much technique at this point, he has a tendency to get beat inside, and while he is a capable run blocker he ends up on the ground way too much. These are all mostly fixable things, and I think a year as the swing tackle learning from Whit and Rob would do wonders for him. C3/103 Austin Watkins WR UAB Yep, thats Sammy’s cousin. And he has real deep threat ability. Now the biggest question off the bat is competition level, at UAB he isn’t going up against the nations top DBs. But he can get down the field efficiently, he runs some routes really well and lags in others. But he is so good at contested balls, going up to get them, and just dominating DBs for the ball. Love that he is already a hands catcher, and while theres a lot to like about him, there’s not much else that you will fall in love with him. That might be the little “level of competition” voice in the back of my head at all times, but he could be a real contributor quickly in the vertical passing game C4/139 Jonathan Cooper EDGE Ohio St Had my eye on Cooper all year, but he really showed out in the CFP. He’s not going to measure all that well in testing but its more the workpail like performances on the field that impress me. His speed to power transition is very impressive, not many lineman handled it well this year. He also has great hands, and he is a very smart player out there. He isn’t going to wow you off the edge, but he always seems to end up around the ball. Is he a 3-down LB? Not right now, but I think he could be as he has the football IQ and the right deceptive to be that one day. Feel like he could be the last piece to a good enough Edge rotation for 2021. Plus he is great friends with Fuller. R5/157 Dazz Newsome WR North Carolina Yes, I’m triple dipping at WR. While Woods is as steady as can be, Kupp is also great but he tends to get nicked up, and I’m a big Van guy he is really more of the same as the other two. We continue to add more dynamic options, and outside of those 3, every other WR on the roster needs to be replaced. Newsome is more the replacement for Webster than he is any immediate impact ion the offense. He isn’t the nations top returner or anything, but he knows what he is doing out there. Another guy that wont be showing out in any of the measurable drills, but he has some really good wiggle to him with solid quickness and good enough speed that could make him a reliable return man. R6/201 Quintin Morris TE Bowling Green Sometimes I watch Morris and I see an absolute Stud, then others I wonder why I’m even watching. But then I reevaluate his QB and I feel much better about him. That really limits his good tape, especially for a guy who isn’t a dominant Blocker or crisp route runner. He is a very good effort blocker, but needs to be taught that aspect of his game still. And he really isn’t asked to run many routes, only a few simple ones, but mostly go find the open space and settle there. He is superbly athletic, and has good size that he knows how to use really well. Its like a Gerald Everett type of pick, and a fraction of the investment. R7/251 Ben Mason FB Michigan Well he’s a FB, so its really impossible to tell where he will go on Day 3, because if some team who loves him has their last pick in the 5th they could grab him, or he could go completely underrated because its such a small position pool in the NFL. It was suggested by a few now, but I think that a true FB/H-back could be a nice wrinkle in this offense, especially if we are committing to the run more. And of all the FB prospects, I think he has the most upside in the passing game as well. We need to start getting creative again. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrry32 Posted January 27, 2021 Share Posted January 27, 2021 (edited) D-Jax makes sense. We just can't count on him to stay healthy. I have him in the mock I am working on. My issue with FA is that so many UFAs will screw up our comp pick, I think. I also don't see us being that aggressive with the OL, as much as I like Lamp. At most, we'll be keeping 10 OLs on the roster next year. If you look at the guys we have, we're at 8 already (Whit, Edwards, Hav, Corbett, Evans, Anchrum, Brewer, and Noteboom). Even if we trade Joe, I don't see us adding more than three OLs to the group in the off-season (between FA and the Draft). But I'm probably higher on Brewer than most. Two other things: (1) I am not a Walker Little fan, and (2) we don't have a 2022 4th (traded for Cooks). Cooper and Davis are great picks, though. Edited January 27, 2021 by jrry32 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeotheLion Posted January 27, 2021 Share Posted January 27, 2021 Wyatt Davis' dad played Alvin Mack in The Program. That's pretty good pedigree. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrry32 Posted January 27, 2021 Share Posted January 27, 2021 7 minutes ago, LeotheLion said: Wyatt Davis' dad played Alvin Mack in The Program. That's pretty good pedigree. He's also the grandson of Hall of Fame DE Willie Davis. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeotheLion Posted January 27, 2021 Share Posted January 27, 2021 11 minutes ago, jrry32 said: He's also the grandson of Hall of Fame DE Willie Davis. I suppose while that is less cool it might be more relevant 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocky_rams Posted January 27, 2021 Share Posted January 27, 2021 Would be really happy with all this. Except D Jax. Dude is too injury prone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeotheLion Posted January 27, 2021 Share Posted January 27, 2021 This wouldn't prevent the Rams going with all the WRs but part me thinks they do like Trishton Jackson. I'd expect he'd at least be in contention for winning a roster spot again. I did like his college tape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NYRamsFan88 Posted January 27, 2021 Share Posted January 27, 2021 (edited) I can’t be mad with this. I like the strong emphasis on offensive line help. Let’s face it Rams fans, outside of Whit, we’re pretty freakin soft, and it showed not only through the o-line itself but the QB, RBs. Then there were the things we couldn’t do because we had no deep threat. Edited January 27, 2021 by NYRamsFan88 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StLunatic88 Posted January 27, 2021 Author Share Posted January 27, 2021 (edited) 14 hours ago, jrry32 said: My issue with FA is that so many UFAs will screw up our comp pick I understand that, but I think we will be leaning on this less and less. Djax wouldn’t hit it, and everyone else I have there (other than maybe Trubisky) would only be a couple million or so, and those would be counter acted by our same low level contracts (Brown, Reynolds, etc). And even Mitch, being a post draft signing, would likely be past the Comp pick deadline (like Suh was against us) 14 hours ago, jrry32 said: I also don't see us being that aggressive with the OL, As you mentioned, I’m not as high on Brewer, plus trading Joe and cutting Allen, we would need to fill some spots. And the only true additions I have are Wyatt and Little (who I don’t blame you for being low on) the 3 other guys are more camp bodies to compete with Brewer and the like. Probably only one of them makes the cut. And if rosters are anything like this year, guys like Ty and Groy might be p-squad guys. 14 hours ago, jrry32 said: 2) we don't have a 2022 4th (traded for Cooks). Cooper and Davis are great picks, though. Ah, yea I knew we traded something in 22, but I still think we could make a deal work with Detroit Edited January 27, 2021 by StLunatic88 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StLunatic88 Posted January 27, 2021 Author Share Posted January 27, 2021 12 hours ago, rocky_rams said: Would be really happy with all this. Except D Jax. Dude is too injury prone He’s definitely injury prone at this point in his career. But when it comes to what deep threats we can afford, who would be ok not being a top 2 option, and really wants to be here, Jackson is the most logical choice. Plus he wouldn’t hurt the Comp picks 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NVRamsFan Posted January 28, 2021 Share Posted January 28, 2021 Excellent work, not a fan of all of it but that’s true with all of these including my own. Ty for the work putting this together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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