$314 million dollars

[Angry Ram]

Is what the Dolphins have signed in FA, including Ndamukong Suh. Who knows how much was guaranteed. And even that doesn't include the various filler FA deals.

They have gone 7-9, 8-8, 8-8, and probably around the same record again this season.

FREE AGENCY IS OVERRATED. One player won't get the team over the non-existent hump.

Why is it, every year there is a team that's "won" free agency is rarely (if ever) relevant come December/January?

Our Rams are just as guilty for FA splurging and splashing: Jared Cook, Jo-Lonn Dunbar, Kendall Langford, William Hayes, Cortland Finnegan, Scott Wells, Jake Long. And what's even more damning is that only 2 players remain from this group.

And gone 7-9, 7-9, 6-10.

Tell me then, why would "being more aggressive" be any different this year from any other team?

 

[fancents86]

Dunbar was a badass his first season with us and I think Hayes and Langford are good players. Cook wasn't such a bad pick up, but I'd rather have Kendrick's and Cooks contracts swapped.

 

[TheDYVKX]

I have no problem with not being aggressive. We've cut 4 of our 5 biggest free agents (Fisher era) in Finnegan, Long, Langford and Wells. Out of those 5, Cook is left, and he's been a little disappointing himself. Langford wasn't so bad, but his contract could have been better for us. I'm not sure on going all in on the top free agents. Just doesn't work.

 

[Angry Ram]

Dunbar was a badass his first season with us and I think Hayes and Langford are good players. Cook wasn't such a bad pick up, but I'd rather have Kendrick's and Cooks contracts swapped.

They aren't bad, but haven't magically made us into contenders.

 

[ztoben]

They aren't bad, but haven't magically made us into contenders.

They aren't even close to the caliber of player who would take a team to instant contenders, and no one ever said they were.

Also, the broncos have turned into contenders basically all through FA signings.

Suh is possibly also in the category of game changing FA signings, I guess time will tell.

 

[DaveFan'51]

Our Rams are just as guilty for FA splurging and splashing: Jared Cook, Jo-Lonn Dunbar, Kendall Langford, William Hayes, Cortland Finnegan, Scott Wells, Jake Long. And what's even more damning is that only 2 players remain from this group.

I count 3 remaining, Cook, Dunbar, and Hayes.

 

[Corbin]

Dunbar was a badass his first season with us and I think Hayes and Langford are good players. Cook wasn't such a bad pick up, but I'd rather have Kendrick's and Cooks contracts swapped.

LoL I still love picturing him hitting Alex Smith and knocking him out. Although it did bring Crapperhead into the spotlight...

 

[Dagonet]

I'm thinking that $ number would represent the Rams better.

I'm surprised no one has got the joke yet..

 

[thirteen28]

I count 3 remaining, Cook, Dunbar, and Hayes.

Dunbar and Hayes were both mid-tier signings on reasonable contracts. Dunbar was pretty good his first year and has never sucked up a lot of salary cap space. Hayes doesn't consume an excess anount of cap space either, and he has been worth every penny of it relative to the role he was brought in to play.

As far as the big splashy names, Demoff did those contracts in a way that we were able to get out of them relatively unscathed when things went south. Generally I agree with the approach to build through the draft, FA should be to augment your roster and temporarily plug holes with mid-tier guys. But sometimes you do have to roll the dice, but with Demoff writing contracts the Rams have been able to hedge their bets.

 

[shaunpinney]

Jo-Lonn started well, but trailed off. Finnegan the same, brought on find aggression to a lacklustre team. Hayes was a very good back up and Langford has been great in horns, he's just bee upgraded thats all. I was never a fan of the Cook contract and I think he's getting more than he should, but someone said the other day that he's the most productive TE the Rams have EVER had, and thats with backup QBs for most of the time, so I'm having to lump that one. Both Long and Wells have been injury magnets, but yu can't predict injuries and if we're going on how injuries prone they have been well, lets just look at our drafted QB before we throw stones....

I think picking up tried and tested guys in FA on short contracts is a good way to do it until you can upgrade them from the draft, it's just good business sense...

I agree with @fancents86 swap Kendricks and Cooks contracts and I'd be happy

 

[Angry Ram]

They aren't even close to the caliber of player who would take a team to instant contenders, and no one ever said they were.

Also, the broncos have turned into contenders basically all through FA signings.

Suh is possibly also in the category of game changing FA signings, I guess time will tell.

Ummn no. Peyton Manning was the sole FA that worked out. They were the better team in 2013.

Most of theiir players (Demaryius/Julius Thomas, Knowshown Moreno, Ryan Clady, etc) were "home grown" players.

Besides, when they did go on that spending spree with DeMarcus Ware, TJ Ward, Emmanuel Sanders, Aqib Talib, etc one could argue they took a step back. Especially after they played the Rams.

They really need to win the SB this year, or it's over for that team.

I count 3 remaining, Cook, Dunbar, and Hayes.

Well Jo-Lonn was pretty irrelevant last year, and I don't think anything shows that he'll have a bigger role this season. He's either gone or best case a depth guy.

 

[iced]

Ummn no. Peyton Manning was the sole FA that worked out. They were the better team in 2013.

Most of theiir players (Demaryius/Julius Thomas, Knowshown Moreno, Ryan Clady, etc) were "home grown" players.

Besides, when they did go on that spending spree with DeMarcus Ware, TJ Ward, Emmanuel Sanders, Aqib Talib, etc one could argue they took a step back. Especially after they played the Rams.

They really need to win the SB this year, or it's over for that team.

you're forgetting emmanuel sanders as an FA signing that paid big time for the broncos

except for his momentary death in st.louis...

 

[RhodyRams]

I'm thinking that $ number would represent the Rams better.

I'm surprised no one has got the joke yet..

is that the area code for STL?

 

[mr.stlouis]

They aren't bad, but haven't magically made us into contenders.

Good QB and good OL goes a looong way. We haven't had solid play from either the last two years

 

[yrba1]

I'm all for smart free agent spending. We've done that thus far in Fisher's regime (with the exception of Cook & Finnegan's contract) One thing that's gonna give FAs second thought about coming here is the relocation rumors, other than that, all this team really needs in order to contend is Sam Bradford's health and experience from our home grown players.

 

[Boston Ram]

Free agency is not a fix all. Most teams who spend a ton in FA are bad teams because they have cap space because they don't have any good players to spend on. Its easy to be New England, Green Bay, Pittsburgh to name a few who do not spend wildly in FA. They are good already, so they sign there on players and go mid level to fill gaps.

For the teams that are not great like Miami, its a way to reload the roster and get some talent. There is also the fit factor in FA which is great in football than any other sport. It can be tough to evaluate certain players because their roles can change with new team. Maxwell for example, if he signs to be someones #1 corner, will he fail? How much of an impact does having Thomas and Chancelor behind him as well as Sherman on the other side. He is probably a better player in Seattle's scheme because he is asked to do less. If he signs with a crap team and is expected to be the #1 guy he likely fails.

To me "fit" is the most important thing when spending on FA's....seem most teams try to change FA signings and that is where the shortcomings develop.

 

[ztoben]

Ummn no. Peyton Manning was the sole FA that worked out. They were the better team in 2013.

Most of theiir players (Demaryius/Julius Thomas, Knowshown Moreno, Ryan Clady, etc) were "home grown" players.

Besides, when they did go on that spending spree with DeMarcus Ware, TJ Ward, Emmanuel Sanders, Aqib Talib, etc one could argue they took a step back.

I know it's not a measure for actual ability but you have to consider that talib, ward, ware, and manning made the pro bowl. They may have taken a step back, but I think that their FA players have performed quite well.

Sanders was incredible for them this year, though Welker definitely tailed off. Also terrance knighton has turned out to be an excellent FA pickup for them.

All pretty expensive FA signings.

There are players out there who are worth the money and can change your team. None of the players we have signed any time recently were those types of players. I though Jake Long might have been, but injuries really screwed that up.

 

[dieterbrock]

I know it's not a measure for actual ability but you have to consider that talib, ward, ware, and manning made the pro bowl. They may have taken a step back, but I think that their FA players have performed quite well.

Sanders was incredible for them this year, though Welker definitely tailed off. Also terrance knighton has turned out to be an excellent FA pickup for them.

All pretty expensive FA signings.

There are players out there who are worth the money and can change your team. None of the players we have signed any time recently were those types of players. I though Jake Long might have been, but injuries really screwed that up.

Yeah, there's no refuting that Denver was built quickly thru FA
Wes Welker was huge for them last year too

When teams have CAP room, they spend the money. They have to. If we had extra cap space like the Raiders or Jacksonville we'd spend too. So would New England, Pittsburgh etc.
The Rams are the youngest team in the league each year because for the most part they are pressed against the cap and have gutted the roster with 1st to 3rd year players. You'd think the youngest team in the league would have space but we just never seem to have it

 

[Angry Ram]

I know it's not a measure for actual ability but you have to consider that talib, ward, ware, and manning made the pro bowl. They may have taken a step back, but I think that their FA players have performed quite well.

Sanders was incredible for them this year, though Welker definitely tailed off. Also terrance knighton has turned out to be an excellent FA pickup for them.

All pretty expensive FA signings.

There are players out there who are worth the money and can change your team. None of the players we have signed any time recently were those types of players. I though Jake Long might have been, but injuries really screwed that up.

I'm not arguing they aren't good players.

I'm saying all that money, and nothing to show for it. Now as those FAs are getting older are up with their contracts, w/ seemingly no young guys to immediately take over, that team is closer to rebuild/reload/whatever you wanna call it mode.

 

[fearsomefour]

Dunbar was a badass his first season with us and I think Hayes and Langford are good players. Cook wasn't such a bad pick up, but I'd rather have Kendrick's and Cooks contracts swapped.

I would have liked to have traded Cook to Seattle for Unger and their number 1.