Colin Cowherd on Losing Watkins

[Elmgrovegnome]

Incidentally, @Elmgrovegnome , you never answered - why isn't one year of a player not worth a 2nd round pick? Why doesn't the value that the player produces in one year important? What if the Rams had traded a 2nd for AD's 2017 - would that have been worth it? Why doesn't the help Watkins gave to win the division matter, not to mention how it helped players develop?

Aaron Donald out produced Sammy by a mile and a half. It's not close. But even then if all it did was result in an early playoff exit, no it isn't worth it. It would be a mirage. If acquiring Aaron for one season puts your team in the playoffs only to lose the first game, then is gone the next season, and you don't make the playoffs the following season then it was a bad trade and a wasted pick.

I would never trade a first or second round pick for any player, for one season, unless I was convinced that acquiring him would land us in the Superbowl. Kind of like how Peyton Manning did it for Denver. I don't think any receiver outside the top players could possibly make that kind of impact. So maybe an Antonio Brown or Julio put a good team over the top but that is a big maybe. You know the way teams value positions. QB, OF, DE, are the most valued positions. Receiver sin even top three.

 

[BonifayRam]

The unknowns last season @ WR was big. Not sure the Rams or any of us really realized just how good Robert Woods is. Then we had a 3rd rd pick who we knew could catch but still he was a rookie.....Kupp played more like a 5 yr vet. then Gurley turned into some kind of ball catching demon something totally unexpected too. Thus Sammy was left to be the 4th preferred receiver of Goff. Totally expected when we traded for Sammy. These elements need to be included into the whole here as were summarized this Sammy trade.

The Rams offense finally took off & Sammy was in part played a role to get it off the ground. I do not see nor have I ever seen Sammy as the key ingredient to this offense to make it fly as the rest of our great members do. I do hate that we spent that 2nd rounder on him & it sure would be handy to have right now with the HOLES we have to fill but it will not cause us that much damage compared to what we have going on here.

Rams had to step back & make some changes when Sammy went off to make his $16 million a yr.(KC will regret that) Rams turned to a faster player with flaws to keep the speed element in play in this offense. Good I OK with this.I do expect a wr with deep speed to enter the picture either in the FA'cy or the Draft.

 

[dieterbrock]

He had a good game and an amazing catch down the sideline. Those two scores any other of our WR’s could have made or Gurley. He had the second most yards that game to Woods as well.

This is debatable sure, but only one game debatable.

Oh the “anyone could have made those scores” argument. Sigh.
No, give the man his due. In THAT GAME he was the 16 mill player KC paid for. Problem for the Rams was that he wasn’t that player often enough to warrant that cash.

 

[bubbaramfan]

Over half of SW receptions were over the middle and for 1st downs. Who is going to do that now for the Rams? Higbee? Reynolds? Kupp? Everrett? What Ram on the roster can they rely on to make receptions over the middle? It was a big part of close games they won last year. Maybe one of them emerges.

 

[kurtfaulk]

Higbee?

haha...no.

.

 

[den-the-coach]

Against the Falcons, they took Gurley coming out of the backfield out of the game and it hurt the offense. IMO, the question will loom, who will be the number one WR? Reynolds IMO, has the goods, but can he stay healthy and Mike Thomas is a big target with great speed, but again, his hands are questionable.

I do believe the defense will be much better in 2018, but hopefully, Gerald Everett can make an impact and I expect to see him more on the jet sweeps and as to bringing Austin back, the Rams wanted that speed and maybe this year the Rams can use Austin more as a WR and less as a RB.

 

[OldSchool]

Over half of SW receptions were over the middle and for 1st downs. Who is going to do that now for the Rams? Higbee? Reynolds? Kupp? Everrett? What Ram on the roster can they rely on to make receptions over the middle? It was a big part of close games they won last year. Maybe one of them emerges.

Reynolds, Thomas, Everett and Higbee will do it. McVay came in last year and said so many times people probably got tired of hearing it "I'll design plays and mold the offense around the players we have". Yet now people are freaking out that we lost one player. Seems people either don't remember McVay did that or they've lost faith in him. Maybe they think McVay's offense only worked because we had Sammy on the team.

 

[OldSchool]

Against the Falcons, they took Gurley coming out of the backfield out of the game and it hurt the offense. IMO, the question will loom, who will be the number one WR? Reynolds IMO, has the goods, but can he stay healthy and Mike Thomas is a big target with great speed, but again, his hands are questionable.

I do believe the defense will be much better in 2018, but hopefully, Gerald Everett can make an impact and I expect to see him more on the jet sweeps and as to bringing Austin back, the Rams wanted that speed and maybe this year the Rams can use Austin more as a WR and less as a RB.

We don't need a #1 WR, that's a concept derived from fantasy football. How many times did we hear Goff and company talk about on every play it was designed to have multiple options for him to go to? McVay will make the offense work with whatever players he has, trust the man to have a good season again.

 

[bubbaramfan]

I'm not "freaking out " OS, just pointing out the Rams have a hole to fill. Going over the middle for 10 15 yds is a big part of the game and the Rams have no one who they can depend on to do that consistently.

You say Reynolds Thomas, Everrett and Higbee will get it done. I've NEVER seen Reynolds or Thomas run a route over the middle. Not in TC and not in a game. They have a lot of work to do if McVay plans on using them on routes over the middle. Everrett needs work on crisper route running and getting separation. Higbee- separation and hanging onto the ball. Hemmigway is an unknown until TC and pre season.

Just sayin, Rams have no WR or TE reliable running routes over the middle.

 

[LACHAMP46]

that’s why you have a guy like Sammy. I don’t know if Trufant was on Sammy but Woods had a big game and Sammy had 1 catch.

Sammy was open...early....

Someone who saw the all-22 said he was open the whole game....while I find that hard to believe...I do think he was open in that game...more than he was used...especially early.

We have less to fear than they do

We shall see...

 

[OldSchool]

I'm not "freaking out " OS, just pointing out the Rams have a hole to fill. Going over the middle for 10 15 yds is a big part of the game and the Rams have no one who they can depend on to do that consistently.

You say Reynolds Thomas, Everrett and Higbee will get it done. I've NEVER seen Reynolds or Thomas run a route over the middle. Not in TC and not in a game. They have a lot of work to do if McVay plans on using them on routes over the middle. Everrett needs work on crisper route running and getting separation. Higbee- separation and hanging onto the ball. Hemmigway is an unknown until TC and pre season.

Just sayin, Rams have no WR or TE reliable running routes over the middle.

So when McVay said Reynolds will be able to fill that role he was lying? Again let McVay do his thing! Every day there are a couple threads about what the Rams have screwed up and what they need to do. Where not 48 hours into free agency and Rams fans can’t help stop complaining. Last year we were all happy Reynolds was drafted, now he can’t do anything.

 

[bubbaramfan]

Didn't say Reynolds "can't do anything", I do say he's not the guy to depend on going over the middle. He didn't do it in college and he hasn't done it for the Rams. McVays says he can. I hope he waves that magic wand of his over Reynolds head more than once.

I have serious doubts Reynolds can become that "go to" guy over the middle. I don't think he's physical enough to take the punishment DB's hand out to WR's going over the middle. Stretch the field and go deep? Yeah. I'm sure McVay will cover it before the season starts.

 

[Boston Ram]

Rams will get a 3rd back for Watkins and that played into the deal, the Rams knew if they could not sign Watkins they would get a compensatory pick. The Bills get a 2nd round pick and the Rams get a 3rd and had Watkins for a year and the Bills had Gaines for a year, I'm okay with it and don't understand why others are not.

Would I like to see the Rams signing their own like Joyner & Donald to long term deals? Well, of course, but I shall await until free agency is over and the draft before making my final assessment on the off season.

Because fans hate to lose potential star players like Watkins. We were all so excited to actually have an offensive player this dynamic. I agree with most that we got spanked on this trade, but I also think this trade had purpose too. This was a deal that generated excitement, got fans interested again in a new city. Brought some attention to the team. I do feel like when the trade was made it was for the "now". Im sure they foreseen signing him to a long term deal, but it was more about bringing in the player and rejuvenating a fan base and team. Add that to a new dynamic head coach it was a good move for the "then".

 

[den-the-coach]

McVay will make the offense work with whatever players he has, trust the man to have a good season again.

I concur, but it's nice to have a WR teams double cover, just like it's nice to have a CB with a reputation that teams avoid throwing at. Overall I'm hoping that McVay will be able to adapt and I'm counting on the Tight Ends like Everett to offer more this season.

 

[wolfdogg]

Do we know what the rams offered watkins? Any ideas?

 

[So Ram]

Aaron Donald out produced Sammy by a mile and a half. It's not close. But even then if all it did was result in an early playoff exit, no it isn't worth it. It would be a mirage. If acquiring Aaron for one season puts your team in the playoffs only to lose the first game, then is gone the next season, and you don't make the playoffs the following season then it was a bad trade and a wasted pick.

I would never trade a first or second round pick for any player, for one season, unless I was convinced that acquiring him would land us in the Superbowl. Kind of like how Peyton Manning did it for Denver. I don't think any receiver outside the top players could possibly make that kind of impact. So maybe an Antonio Brown or Julio put a good team over the top but that is a big maybe. You know the way teams value positions. QB, OF, DE, are the most valued positions. Receiver sin even top three.

I remember Marshall Faulk !! Who played with Manning . He had one year.

Then taking a WR at like 6 . How many times has that happened? WR are usually not drafted that high.

Snead should have traded back with Buffalo so they could take Sammy. That was a mess up.

 

[So Ram]

Do we know what the rams offered watkins? Any ideas?

The Rams offered him FA. He is so young that you knew he was gone.

Watkins has a ton of talent, but why put the team in the same position next year. His salary
Is to much. He was also crying about not getting the ball.

 

[Ram65]

Just read the entire thread. I say the debate was about as even as you can get. It just depends on one's perspective. Rams are moving on from Sammy Watkins after a turnaround season. Who would of thought he would get 16 Million a year for 3 years?

 

[OldSchool]

I concur, but it's nice to have a WR teams double cover, just like it's nice to have a CB with a reputation that teams avoid throwing at. Overall I'm hoping that McVay will be able to adapt and I'm counting on the Tight Ends like Everett to offer more this season.

You don't think teams will worry about doubling Woods or Kupp? Only Sammy on the team last year was capable of being double covered? I think us fans are awfully short sighted. And I think Reynolds is being criminally under rated and kicked to the curb before he even gets a chance.

 

[lockdnram21]

It was also said that sammy was worried about targets here... didn't feel he was getting the ball enough which I think was true... he was open a lot and we dinked and dunked