Bernie: Huh? What free agents?

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MerlinJones

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So what are you trying to say? Yes, 2 days into the league year the Rams' roster doesn't have a lot of depth but there are still a lot of free agents and the draft so...

I'm not really pushing the panic button on FA. Quite frankly this regime doesn't have a great track record with high priced FA so far, so I don't really have an issue that they didn't spend ridiculous money on anyone.

It sounds like the one guy we know they offered (Schwartz) didn't want to come to St. Louis. There's not much you can do about that. I agree with Alan that the OL that are still out there aren't too good, even by "depth" standards.

It does seem like people think that because Rodger Saffold is back that we have no major line issues going forward. I just don't think anything has changed from last season in this regard.
 
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moklerman

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It wasn't limited to that but that was the only part of your post I disagreed with so...
Now? None. Before signing Saffold, Schwartz. Mack wasn't on my radar because of my perceived lack of need at the position. Although he'd be a big luxury upgrade.
That's cool, the context of what was being talking about was along the lines of the Rams not doing enough in FA overall so it threw me when you mentioned a specific area/position.

It's exciting getting a big name FA and I've been pleased with what this regime has done for the most part in that area but I also like that they aren't over-doing it. I'd hate to be like the Redskins, trying to buy success and continually coming up short. Overpaying aging FA's that often aren't the difference between winning and losing.
 

moklerman

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According to NFL.Com, this is the list of FA G to start free agency this year. Schwartz may have passed on the Rams but is he significantly better/worse than many of the names on this list? I haven't seen all of these guys sign yet so I'm confident that Boudreaux/Fisher can find a guy in there somewhere who can perform well enough. If they can find a guy that can just stay healthy, that'll be an upgrade over recent years.

Guards


Leroy Harris, Detroit Lions
Jon Asamoah, Kansas City Chiefs
Zane Beadles, Denver Broncos
Kevin Boothe, New York Giants
Eben Britton, Chicago Bears
Bruce Campbell, Carolina Panthers
Willie Colon, New York Jets
Oniel Cousins, Cleveland Browns
Vladimir Ducasse, New York Jets
Mike Gibson, Arizona Cardinals
Geoff Hangartner, Carolina Panthers
Leroy Harris, Detroit Lions
Richie Incognito, Miami Dolphins
John Jerry, Miami Dolphins
Charlie Johnson, Minnesota Vikings
Davin Joseph, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Shawn Lauvao, Cleveland Browns
Jamon Meredith, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Paul McQuistan, Seattle Seahawks
Uche Nwaweri, Jacksonville Jaguars
Rich Ohrnberger, San Diego Chargers
Seth Olsen, Minnesota Vikings
Mike Pollak, Cincinnati Bengals
Geoff Schwartz, Kansas City Chiefs
Chris Scott, Carolina Panthers
Jason Spitz, Seattle Seahawks
Wade Smith, Houston Texans
Brian Waters, Dallas Cowboys
Travelle Wharton, Carolina Panthers
Garry Williams, Carolina Panthers
Brandon Carter, Dallas Cowboys
Greg Van Roten, Green Bay Packers
David Arkin, Miami Dolphins
Harvey Dahl, St. Louis Rams
 

Alan

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I hope we're done signing FA guards. There aren't any there that make sense to me and I've got a feeling that if worse comes to worse and our O-line suffers a huge amount of ^&%$&^%$, many of those guys will be available after the season starts.

I'm still open to picking up players at other positions though. If it makes sense. Is that DT still coming in for a visit? I forget his name and I'm to lazy to look for it. :whistle:
Antonio Brown?
 
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jjab360

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I hope we're done signing FA guards. There aren't any there that make sense to me and I've got a feeling that if worse comes to worse and our O-line suffers a huge amount of ^&%$&^%$, many of those guys will be available after the season starts.

I'm still open to picking up players at other positions though. If it makes sense. Is that DT still coming in for a visit? I forget his name and I'm to lazy to look for it. :whistle:
There's a ton on that list that make sense to me. We might have got Saffold back, but he's a big injury risk and we still lost Dahl, Williams, and probably Smith. We need depth. Bad.
 

Alan

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Possibly jjab but I'm hoping to take care of depth in the later rounds of the draft. They're much cheaper and have some upside.
 

jjab360

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I didn't miss that they hired Gregg Williams, but thanks for checking.
So you consider coaches FA signings?

Rodger is a good player and I'm glad he's a Ram again, but the fact still remains that he's had trouble staying on the field. Our personnel situation is no different than last season, except that we currently have less depth.
Why not? It's the most important position isn't it?
 

fearsomefour

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Another Bernie article full of complaint and contradiction.
Saying, basically, it's smart to build through the draft then complaining about the draft. Saying its wise not to overspend for FA them complaining they do nothing regarding high priced FA.
True that the "big three" count $43 million toward the cap this year. JL goes down to $4 next year. Perhaps he prefer the Rams restructure (creating future cap hell) so they can sign an oft injured S for $9M a year a CB for $10M a year or a OG with 19 career starts over 6 years for multi millions. You can't win with Bernie.
If Quick is cut and has a solid season he will complain the Rams don't know talent, if he never develops it was a disaster of a pick. If Quick takes off this year he will complain that it took too long. If he turns into Micheal Irvin and the Rams offer him a nice pay raise he will complain about over paying because you have to build through the draft.
 

jjab360

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Possibly jjab but I'm hoping to take care of depth in the later rounds of the draft. They're much cheaper and have some upside.
I think a combination is probably the best option, but Fisher and Boudreau have made their money finding castoffs that guys like you (;)) would never even notice and turning them into good starter/depth material. With rookies you have to start from the basics, with vets you just have to fix the little things and bam a former bust from the O-line desperate Raiders is now one of the better RTs in the NFL.
 

Alan

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jjab360 with some very valid points:
With rookies you have to start from the basics, with vets you just have to fix the little things
Like adjusting their leg brace and making sure that little rubber thing on the bottom of their walking cane hasn't slipped off? (y)
 

MerlinJones

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Why not? It's the most important position isn't it?

I've yet to see a coach put on the pads and go out to execute his own game plan on the field.

Gregg Williams was a good hire for the Rams, I think it will help the defense but he isn't a free agent signing. He's a coaching hire.
 

MerlinJones

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Hell yes we've closed the gap, what do you think Az,SF or Seattle's records would've been without their starting QB for nine games ?
Or would've been had they faced us with Sam in all the games?
We've closed the gap Sam is 5-2-1 against them under Fisher ,does anyone have a better % record against the division than Sam over the last two years ?

As for Bernie,no he isn't well liked he writes to pee pee the Ramstalk board off, he's a shock jock who rails on those who won't kiss his ring and kisses the ass of those who will, Very little journalistic integrity to the man.
He consistently hangs the record of the Shaw run Rams on this owner and coach,which he knows full well is an unfair assignment of culpability but continues to rail like the most emotional least informed fan on a message board.
What he gets paid to do is done better by 20 or more posters on this board at no cost,he basically steals his pay IMO,his work reflects, no work.

So.. Are you saying that if Bradford had been healthy then the Rams would have contended for the west?
 

Angry Ram

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Bernie said:
Snead and Fisher have made progress in their Rams’ redevelopment. My fussing aside, I don’t really care how they add good players. Just get it done; winning is all that matters. But if the Rams take a step back in 2014, it’s inexcusable.

Then stop bitching about it and let the guys in charge do their damn jobs.

Oh btw, the Rams don't need DeMarcus Ware b/c they already have Robert Quinn.

The Rams don't need Aqib Talib b/c there is no guarantee he'll play at the level he did, and even if he does won't be in the league as long as Janoris and Trumaine will be now.

And it's hard to believe, but the Broncos had a bigger hole at safety than the Rams do. As all their guys are older or coming off IR. The Rams had TJ McDonald. And there's other FAs still available should they chose and there's this thing called the draft coming in a couple months.

Broncos are in win now mode, and all these contracts will bite them in their ass when Peyton retires.
 

bwdenverram

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I'm really not a fan of any of the PD's writers. They all come off as asses.
Bernie being the king of them.
 

Alan

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A55VA6 giving me unwanted visuals:
I have this love/hate thing with Bernie that I can't describe lol
I feel fairly confident that none of us, except possibly Les, really want to hear a detailed description. Especially if whips, chains and/or handcuffs are involved. :sick: (n)
 

Boffo97

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I actually really liked Bernie's stuff back in 1999 (check out the book Eleven Men Believed if you haven't already).

Lately, it's getting to the point where "Bernie won't write about the Rams anymore" is a huge positive on the checklist of good and bad things about the Rams possibly moving.
 

Thordaddy

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So.. Are you saying that if Bradford had been healthy then the Rams would have contended for the west?
I'm sayin IF Bradford had been healthy and the other teams had lost their QB's for 9 games we'd have won the West