Rams Offseason

Time to review one of the most disappointing teams year after year in the Saint Louis Rams…oops I mean Los Angeles Rams. Yes that is right they are back and I am still getting used to it. Hopefully a new city can turn this team around and make them a playoff team rather than a 7-9 team like we are year after year. Also hopefully the new city will bring free agents in who would obviously rather live in LA then live in St. Louis, sorry people from St. Louis. Us fans are all ready for a playoff appearance as we have not seen a playoff game since 2004 and the closest we have had to one is the Seahawks game in 2012 where if we won we were in the playoffs and once again disappointment occurred and we lost. This year will be different if we follow these offseason steps (I would have included get rid of Fisher but that is not happening so it’s not worth it.) In this breakdown I am going to keep things realistic. Do I want Alshon Jeffrey? Absolutely! But he is not leaving the Bears (he should be a Ram already damnit Brian Quick). Do I want Goff? Absolutely again who wouldn’t but he is going to be gone by the time we draft. This is meant to have a realistic offseason and what I would do and I think a lot of us fans agree with.

The current team outlook is positive. We have a great defense which we need to keep together, the best punter in the league (shoutout to Hek), an O-line that needs some help but we have a couple of young building blocks, and Tavon Austin who is probably the most unique player in the league. Oh yah also that RB that has a million nicknames already in Todd Gurley.

Current Salary Cap: $119.6 Million

Expected 2016 Salary Cap: $153.4 Million

Expected Salary Cap Room: $33.8

I will continue to track salary cap space but I will just be basing the Free Agent signings off of averaging out their deals so this is not the exact number. This is a pure prediction so who knows, but going off of the players past contracts these numbers seem somewhat realistic. Some might be high, some might be low, I am not an expert in salary cap numbers but I thought I would give it a shot to track it so people can see this is a realistic offseason.

Current Roster

The Rams current roster is in an interesting situation. All of those RG3 picks are starting to have their contracts expire and they need to be resigned. We are once again going to be one of the youngest if not the youngest roster in the league like we always are. The most important part of this offseason is keeping this defense intact.

Cut

Roger Saffold

Saffold has been one of our best lineman the past few years for a line that has been terrible. There has always been one thing holding him back and that is injuries. The Raiders actually signed Saffold but he didn’t pass the physical so the Rams resigned him. Turns out the Raiders were onto something there. At the beginning of last year when he was healthy he still struggled and it is just simply time for him to leave the Rams and try it out somewhere else. If we hold onto him until June and then cut him we save $4.65 million and he is simply not worth what he is getting paid. See you later Saffold I wish you luck somewhere else.

Chris Long

This one is a hard one for all Rams fans to grasp. Long has been the heart and soul of the defense since he was drafted in the first round number 2 overall back in 2008. He was a stud and deserved to get paid what he got paid. But now over the last two years injuries have hurt his production and he is just costing too much money for how he is playing. In an interview he even admitted that he has not been playing as well as his paycheck says he should be. With Quinn, Donald, and Brockers holding down the D-line we just need a solid player at the other DE spot and it the D-line will still be a strong point for the team. We have Longacre who looks promising as well as resigning Hayes and Sims who can hold down the fort fine. I am all for him taking a pay cut but I have no idea what that would look like so for the sake of straight up keeping or cutting Long, sorry Rams fans it hurts me to say it but cut Long and save $11.75M. Go to a more promising team and get some playoff games in.

Jared Cook

This one I don’t need to explain much. Fisher loves Jared Cook even though he is absolutely awful and Air Bud could play the TE position then Cook can. Cook is a promising athlete but he has had more than enough chances and has been terrible every time. It is time to call it quits and get rid of the most disliked player among the fans. Cut Cook and save $7M. Man does that feel good to say!

Total new Cap Space: 56.2M

Re-sign-We have a lot of work to do here

Trumaine Johnson

Step one has to be to re-sign Trumaine Johnson. He is a play maker and one of the best corners in the league even though people won’t recognize that. He had 7 interceptions last year and he became the TD machine that Janoris Jenkins used to be for us on defense. He was also third in the league in QBR against with 54.1. He is a number one corner and is the most important player to resign. Luckily for us he has had only one great year so he will be cheaper than his skills should cost. Do anything possible to keep him as he is a special talent.

Re-sign 5 year $40M

New Cap: $48M

William Hayes

Hayes has been one of Fisher’s favorite players since Hayes joined the league. He played under Fisher on the Titans and he has played under Fisher on the Rams as well. He is a great backup DE who when forced to start has shown he is more than capable of starting and doing his job at solid level. With Long gone it would be very important to keep Hayes in a Rams uniform. Luckily for us he already said he wants to come back and Fisher is the only coach he wants to play under. Thanks to them being a cute couple we won’t need to pay him as much as he should get paid. We could sign him for a very similar deal as his last deal.

Re-sign 3 year $10M

New Cap: $45M

Eugene Sims

Sticking with the D-line another great backup in the past is Eugene Sims. He comes in and just does his job. He is far from elite but he is good enough he probably could start on other teams. Luckily once again he likes the locker room and he is fine with the backup role. Also with Long gone and Hayes in at starter Sims would be the next in line if someone went down and would play a lot anyways with the rotation that the Rams defense uses. Once again I could see a similar number as he got paid on his last contract.

Re-sign 3 year $7M

New Cap: $43.3M

Mark Barron

Barron is simply one hell of a player. He is a tackling machine, he hits hard, he can cover well for a LB because he was a safety, and I feel like every time he hits someone he is going to cause a fumble. He was key to keeping the defense solid once Ogletree went down. He clearly had the skills coming out of Alabama being a number 7 overall draft pick by the Buccaneers. Little did they know when they traded him to the Rams for a 4th and 6th rounder the Rams were getting a steal. Gregg Williams knows how to use him and he fits with the quick, hard hitting, and aggressive Rams defense mindset and he shouldn’t want to leave and the Rams don’t want him to leave. The Rams declined his extension because it was too costly since he was back on his rookie contract back when those were out of control. But he should be and will be back in a Rams uniform. He won’t be too expensive since he was awful before this year and he still is only good if the team knows how to use him.

Re-sign 3 year $15M

New Cap: $37.8M

Rodney McLeod

McLeod is far from a household name in the NFL but he is a solid safety. He won’t wow anybody and he won’t be a pro bowl player (although it seems like everyone is a pro bowl player now). But he is just an all-around solid safety. He is the better of the two Rams safeties at coverage and he can hit hard as well. A lot of people who don’t know the Rams well will probably just be like ehh let him walk, but he is a key part to the defense and he is someone that should hopefully stay a Ram. He has improved a lot and the last Rams safety we let walk who was improving every year is now a stud over on the Broncos number one ranked defense (I didn’t want to let Stewart go). If we lose him then we have to shop for another safety who will probably cost more and won’t be as good.

Re-sign 3 year $12M

New Cap: 33.8M

Cory Harkey

Once again another non household name but just an all-around nice player to have on the team. Harkey can play TE and FB, has okay hands (better then Cook) and is a great blocker. He is one of the players that doesn’t get the ball much and won’t get the game ball but he hustles and makes plays when he gets the chance. This is not a must as there are other players like him out there but he is still a nice piece of the offense and one of the couple of bright spots. He should not cost much and if he starts to cost too much then let him walk. He was an undrafted free agent who owes his career to the Rams. That always helps.

Re-sign 2 year $3M

New Cap: 32.5M

Benny Boy oh Benny Boy (Benny Cunningham)

Benny is one of my favorite Rams players. He is only the third down back and we saw less of him then normal now with Gurley, Mason, and Austin all getting carries as well. But Cunningham is the best receiving RB, he is the best blocking RB, he is a great kick returner, and he plays with more heart than I have ever seen on the football field. Jimmy McGinty thought Shane Falco had heart, clearly he hasn’t met Benny. He looks so little but I have seen him break tackles or carry someone for 4 or 5 yards to get that first down when the Rams are down 24 in the fourth quarter. He is the little engine that could. He should be the number two back and is talented all around. We would miss Benny in a lot of different areas if we let him walk. Those Keenum dump-offs to Mason would not result in as many first downs and Gurley can’t play every down unfortunately.

Re-sign 3 year $5M

New Cap: 30.5M

Now that the team is mostly re-signed besides one key player Janoris Jenkins. I have always been a fan of his but he is going to cost too much and he already announced he doesn’t want to be LA. He is an important part of the defense but with Johnson, Gaines, and Joyner I am confident with those starters and we just need to add some back end depth. If Free agency doesn’t workout and we have the cap space resign him as he instantly makes the defense that much better, but if he is asking too much or it comes down to him or a great center let Jenkins walk.

Free Agents

Free agency I have always been excited about as a Rams fan but this year with the amount of players we have to re-sign making a splash is not likely. I would love to say we get Jeffrey, Benjamin, Norman, and Cousins and boom we are looking like a super bowl team but that won’t happen.

Stefen Wisniewski, C, Jaguars

I think this was an underrated signing for the Jags last year as I was begging the Rams to pick him up. He was a solid center for the Raiders whom I unfortunately have to watch weekly being from the Bay Area and he was sitting there as a free agent for a long time. He is a smart player with an attitude which is exactly what we want at center. With Tim Barnes gone we need to find a replacement. We will find one in the draft but signing Stefen to a two year deal will give the rookie time to develop for a position that is hard to jump into as a rookie. Wisniewski was ranked as the 15th best Center last year and he will certainly make the O-line instantly better. His cap hit was 2.5M last year which is nothing for a good center. He is not a flashy pick but he will make the offense a lot better. Sign 2 year $5M

New Cap: $28M

Russell Okung, LT, Seahawks

This would solidify the offensive line. Also stealing him from the Seahawks would feel even better than taking anyone else. But besides that he is a great player who can block like no other. Watching him on the Seahawks for so long he was such a solid part of their offensive line forever. He would be able to protect our QB and still is a good run blocker. Grabbing him would allow us to move sir hold a lot in Greg Robinson to Guard. Having a line in Havenstein, Brown, Wisniewski , Robinson, and Okung would look pretty solid with a lot of depth behind them. Sign 4 year $40M

New Cap: $18M

According to Overthecap.com the draft picks for the Rams will equal approximately $8M dollars towards the cap

New Cap: $10M

Robert Griffin III, QB, Redskins

I know this one will be very controversial among all of Rams nation but I personally like it. Yes RGIII is injury prone but we saw that with a quick passing offense and a decently mobile QB in Keenum that our QB doesn’t get hit much (lowest sacks allowed). Foles got hit a lot but it is because he is not mobile and he held onto the ball too long. RGIII has proved that he can win and that was with a worse defense and a worse RB then he would have on the Rams. He has the potential and a new start with a new offense that can be built around his style of play. Get him a legit number 1 WR and I truly believe he could become the Rams QB for at least the next 4 or 5 years. I know it is scary and it is far from certain but he has the talent and he is smart he just needs to get his confidence back. Everyone looks at his rookie year as his only good year but in his other 21 games he still has a QBR of 88.13 which on a team like the Rams could turn us into a 10 or 11 win team. Also that does not account for his rushing stats as well as how hard it would be to have defenses account for Gurley, Austin, and RGIII all having an ability to run the ball. Also he is a big name player that would be a nice fit in LA. Once again I know I will get a bunch of slack for this but I would be happy with this signing.

Sign 1 year: $6M

Remaining Cap: $4M

Re-sign Case Keenum

I just wanted to scare everyone and see if people would worry for a minute that we are not bring back our starting QB (still hurts to say) going in to the offseason. I hope he is not our starter but he is a solid backup that won’t cost much as he has not done much. He is not a great QB but if the team is firing on all cylinders he can win which is all you can ask for out of a backup. Sign 1 year $2M

Remaining Cap: $2M

Draft

Now the draft this year will be quite an interesting one for the Rams. They clearly need help on offense and that is where most of their focus should go but at the same time late round picks to the D-line if we lose one of Long, Sims, or Hayes as well as some added DB depth could go a long way with Gaines and McDonald coming back from injury and losing Jenkins. Also the QB position might be something to address as well as a getting a number 1 WR. In my perfect world we trade up and get Goff or Wentz or we trade back and get another second and grab a WR but I won’t address trades in this so the result is:

Round 1 (15 overall): Laquon Treadwell, WR, Ole Miss

Round 1 will be an interesting one for the Rams. They basically have two options WR or QB. Any other position would be a shock. I know in the past going for best player available has paid off for Fisher and Snead (Gurley and Donald) but this year they basically have those two options. I like Wentz and I like Goff they are both great QB’s that I think would be able to come in and if RGIII doesn’t work out lead the team right away and if RGIII does work out then sit behind someone who has been studying the game and make a difference in year two. I am not a fan of Lynch. He might be good but he is too inaccurate and he would be too much of a project. This Rams team is stacked they need a win now mentality. Unfortunately in my mock Wentz and Goff are gone by the time we hit 15 but I have Treadwell there so we draft Laquon Treadwell, Ole Miss. Treadwell is the best WR in the draft. He has great hands, he can go up and get the ball, and he is a solid route runner. The one complaint with him is his speed. There are reports that he would run a mid 4.7 40 yard dash right now if he ran it. That is why he is not a top 10 pick. But with Austin and Britt the Rams have speed, we need that go to WR who can break some tackles and go up and catch a jump ball. This could be the Rams number 1 WR for a long time.

Round 2 (43 Overall): Josh Doctson, WR, TCU

I know people are going to be like really??? Another WR when we just spent our first on Treadwell. Yes another WR. Quick is gone, Bailey might never play football again, Welker doesn’t know if he is playing futbol or football anymore, Givens we traded, Marquez is a special teams player who does not belong on a depth chart at WR (sorry I like the guy but he is not talented at WR). We have Austin and Britt basically as our WR’s going into the offseason and Austin is barely even a WR. If we add the 6-3 Doctson from TCU all the sudden Treadwell, Britt, Austin, and Doctson that is starting to look like a group of WR’s that a team would want. Doctson is a nice deep ball threat. He is not a burner but he still finds ways to get separation deep down the field. He could be another good red zone target for whoever our QB is as well. Adding this weapon to what was already added could make this offense scary and with Doctson, Treadwell, and Austin we have the WR’s of the future.

Round 2 (45 Overall): Hunter Henry, TE, Arkansas

This Pick I had a lot of trouble with. We added two WR’s so far, do we maybe find that QB of the future here in Cook or Hackenberg? Do we hope one of those fall to the third? What if they don’t then do we just ignore the QB position? Do we add to that beloved D-line that Fisher loves? This is a lot of tough questions but I am going to say it. Ignore the QB position in the draft. Outside of the top two I don’t see anyone being a good QB in the NFL or at least much better then Keenum or RGIII. If they are better then it will take too much time. So with the 45th pick guess what we add another offensive weapon. With Cook being gone (thank you lord) and Kendricks being a solid player but not the receiving threat we hoped he would be we need a go to TE. That is where is Henry comes in. Henry was clearly the best TE last year in college football. He can block, catch, get off the line of scrimmage, and is surprisingly quick. With Kendricks and Henry that could lead to some nice dual threat TE sets. After this pick the Rams would go from one of the worst set of playmakers to into the top 10. I know people will say but that doesn’t matter without a good QB that can be true, but also a nice set of playmakers can make an average QB look like a good one.

Round 3 (76 overall): Max Tuerk, C, USC

Now that the playmakers are set and every position of need besides QB is filled it is time to add depth where it is needed. That is once again the main focus of our last draft the Offensive line. Tuerk was a projected first round talent going into the season before an injury hurt his draft stock. He is big at 6-5, 285 but is also fast enough to pull and get upfield for blocking. He is not quite the mauler that Fisher loves but he is still a good run blocker. His pass blocking skills are also very good. He is just an all-around solid lineman. He has great footwork and he is a smart enough player to play center at the next level. He also played almost every spot on the line at some point so backing up Stefen, if another lineman went down Tuerk could step in there which adds to the overall all around line depth. He very well could be the center of the future and it is rare to get this smart of a player this far down in the draft who also has the strength and speed that Tuerk has.

Round 4 (107 overall): Deiondre Hall, CB, Northern Iowa

Here is a late round pick that I am hoping we pick up. With Jenkins walking away in this scenario adding another CB to the mix definitely could not hurt. Hall had a phenomenal senior season with 6 interceptions. He is a good size at 6-2, 190 lbs which is important for our next CB. With Tru, Joyner, and Gaines as our top three if we face two big WR’s we could use a little more size. Also Tru has been injury prone in his career so adding another large CB who is still quick with a 4.53 40 time would be nice. With a poor offense we need CB’s who are playmakers and 6 interceptions even against poor competition is still impressive. This late in the draft he is not a guarantee but there is a lot of potential here.

Round 6 (171 overall): AJ Stamps, S, Kansas

It is rare that in the 6th round we will find anyone who is a great player but you never know. We found Gaines and everyone knows about Tom Brady. Stamps probably won’t be that but he has a chance. We need some depth at the safety position and Stamps could be that. His coverage is not great, but he is a good tackler, who still had 5 interceptions and 13 passes broken up in his two years at Kansas. He was at Junior College before that so there is hope that he has not even gotten close to hitting his ceiling after only playing in real college football for two years. He is decently fast with a 4.56 40 time so with some help on fundamentals and placement he could definitely improve on his coverage down the line. Worst case he seems to have the build and the tackling ability to contribute on special teams.

Starting Roster:

QB: RG3

RB: Todd the God Gurley

TE: Hunter Henry

WR: Tavon Austin, Josh Doctson, Laquon Treadwell, Kenny Britt

OL: Russell Okung, Greg Robinson, Stefen Wisniewski, Jamon Brown, Rob Havenstein

DE: William Hayes, Robert Quinn

DT: Aaron Donald, Michael Brockers

LB: Alec Ogletree, James Laurinaitis, Mark Barron/Akeem Ayers

CB: Trumaine Johnson, EJ Gaines

S: TJ McDonald, Rodney McLeod

Overall, the defense does not look quite as good as last year. But the money we saved on letting Long and Jenkins walk allowed our offensive line to look great which will help an average QB with good weapons now look great. There is no reason why this offense would not be a top 15 offense and the defense will be a top 10 defense still. If they followed these steps in the offseason the Rams will be an 11 win team and in the playoffs. There are a lot of questions going into the offseason and obviously these salary cap numbers are complete estimates. But they are all reasonable especially with the relationship Fisher has with his players. I know most of these won’t happen which is unfortunate because it is impossible to predict what Fisher and Snead will do in the offseason, but if I were sitting there as Snead this is the closest Super Bowl roster I think I could create at this time. GO RAMS and everyone pray that we don’t draft Elliott in the first round.





