Constructing the Rams

[CGI_Ram]

Okay...

So the Rams have rebuilt this team through the draft, thanks to the RG3 deal.

Brockers, Quick, Pead, Jenkins, Givens, Richardson, Zuerlein, Hekker, Rok, Trumaine Johnson, Austin, Ogletree, Bailey, McDonald, Stacy... That's an impressive list of talent on-boarding in just 2 years!

But; we've also dipped into free agency at a pretty expensive rate; Finnegan, Wells, Langford, Long, and Cook.

Have we spent too much - particularly - on big name free agents?

Or...

Is the balance about right?

Here are the average salaries of the big name free agents;

Kendall Langford $6,000,000 - expires 2016
Scott Wells $6,000,000 - expires 2016
Jared Cook $7,020,000 - expires 2018
Jake Long $8,500,000 - expires 2017
Cortland Finnegan $10,000,000 expires - 2017

 

[fearsomefour]

A lot of that depends what happens with the cap expanding and how flexable some of the other deals are in terms of being able to redo them. I do see $30.5M dropping off the cap over two years there. This is why being able to draft with a mind to the future is so important. Not wasting picks with flights of fancy (Trung Candidate, Eric Crouch ect) and trying to build depth through the draft is so important. Easier said than done. The pick of Barrett Jones has the potential to be HUGE for that very reason. I think I would draft an Olineman and Dlineman and a Dback every year in the first 4 rounds somewhere.

 

[BonifayRam]

Okay...So the Rams have rebuilt this team through the draft, thanks to the RG3 deal.....
Have we spent too much - particularly - on big name free agents?
Or...
Is the balance about right?

Well for now its running OK but after 2014 there will be some major contract trimming taking place. As I look @ this roster today I find it to be in excellent manageable position through 2015 season. Kudos to Demoff, Snead & Fisher is proper!

A UFA 2016 Sam Bradford is the biggy! $$$$$$$contract$$$$$$$$ will cause some early dumping of many of the high end cost players some very important. Its going to hurt and it will be pure trauma for most of Ram fans.

Projected releases & unsigned Rams @ the end of 2013 will be my favorite Ol'er OL'er Dahl, LB'er Dunbar & OT Saffold. The end of the 2014 season gets real serious player like Finnegan (9 mil), Langford (5 mil), Wells who may have earned 18.5 mil for the 2012 & 2013 seasons cost comes down dramatically in 2014 to only 5.5 mil but I see him gone too, plus extensions of Rams like Darian Stewart, Chris Williams, Eugene Sims, Shelley Smith, Mike McNeil, josh Hull & Tim Barnes must be decided on.

The most important unknown for me is Rodger Saffold & what happens in 2013 on the field health wise & performance will be the determining factors on a high cost extension that will be very hard to do if he does a repeat of his 2011 & 2012 seasons.

A lot of that depends what happens with the cap expanding and how flexable some of the other deals are in terms of being able to redo them. I do see $30.5M dropping off the cap over two years there. This is why being able to draft with a mind to the future is so important. Not wasting picks with flights of fancy (Trung Candidate, Eric Crouch ect) and trying to build depth through the draft is so important. Easier said than done. The pick of Barrett Jones has the potential to be HUGE for that very reason. I think I would draft an Olineman and Dlineman and a Dback every year in the first 4 rounds somewhere.

Excellent points here! This is where the drafting selections and how well these picks work out is unbelievably important to the future of this franchise in the cap salary end of things. When you use top selections for a certain post & he fails to perform it results in a high cost in your bottom line. TSUNAMI reach far out and later cause damage not seen by many Ram fans.

 

[Ramhusker]

My head might explode if I start trying to figure out cap numbers in 2015 and 2016. I think we have a pretty good mix at the moment and look to be in good shape to sign our #1s next year. Good thing is every team has to deal with the cap and I really don't know how any team keeps all of their talent from year to year.

 

[albefree69]

The only good thing (if you can call it good) about redoing Sam's salary is that he's already making quite a bit. Imagine the shock to the system when the Seahags have to redo Wilson's salary.

 

[…..]

Bonifay- easy on the coffee!

lol

I'm expecting Sam Bradford to take a pay cut....his contract alread IS the biggie.

 

[kurtfaulk]

Bonifay- easy on the coffee!

lol

I'm expecting Sam Bradford to take a pay cut....his contract alread IS the biggie.

Surely you jest?

.

 

[Simba]

I am not sure about Wells.In this interesting topic there isn't Barret Jones (I know it's not possible to write everybody), but I think the ex-Bama, will be our future.The next Rams-C could be Jones, knowing the injuries problem of the former GB.His salary couldn't be our problem ...

 

[…..]

Bonifay- easy on the coffee!

lol

I'm expecting Sam Bradford to take a pay cut....his contract alread IS the biggie.

Surely you jest?

.

Um.......NO

Sam will make $17,610,00, - $16,580,000 and $17,160,000 over the last three years of his contract.

Are you suggesting we pay him $21,000,000 ???

Sam is already the 6th highest paid QB in 2013...yet he's ranked as the 22nd best QB? (or there abouts)

In 2015 he will be the 8th highest paid player in the NFL.

Looking to increase his salary would cripple our options. So yes....I am expecting him to take a pay cut. Perhaps to 15M

I dont care how loyal we are to Sam the Ram...if I am owner I dont give a raise in this situation. Giving top QB money to a bottom ranked QB does not make much business sense to me.

Lets see how Sams ranking improves now that we have surrounded him with new toys and trinkets....but as the situation currently stands, thats how I feel about it.

 

[albefree69]

Dog had me at "Bonifay- easy on the coffee!"...and then lost me:
So yes....I am expecting him to take a pay cut. Perhaps to 15M

I dont care how loyal we are to Sam the Ram...if I am owner I dont give a raise in this situation. Giving top QB money to a bottom ranked QB does not make much business sense to me.

Lets see how Sams ranking improves now that we have surrounded him with new toys and trinkets....but as the situation currently stands, thats how I feel about it.

:cmon:
Can't see that Dog. If Sam doesn't improve like we all know he will, the Rams won't resign him at the end of his contract. Pay $15 million to a place holder? I think we'll have already drafted someone else to replace him. This year will be crucial to his future with the Rams IMO.

I'm confident that we'll be resigning him and hopefully with a nice raise.

 

[-X-]

Honestly, I don't see why "we" should be worried about it. We have some pretty smart people in the house right now who aren't going to be rolled by a 25 year old QB, if that's the concern. His deal was slightly reworked to give them the latitude to extend him to a cap-friendly salary after this year if they want to. And if he's NOT everything everybody thinks he's cracked up to be, then the last 2 years of his deal (14-15) aren't guaranteed anyway. He'll have already been paid his guaranteed money by the end of this year, so what's the problem?

In short, if Fisher likes what he sees, and Schottenheimer puts his stamp of approval on Sam, then he'll be around for as long as they want him to be. And since Kevin Demoff is going to be directly involved in the structuring of his deal, then why would anyone think we'd shoot ourselves in the foot or in any way financially cripple the Franchise?

Y'all worry too much. Let the kid play :ww:

 

[kurtfaulk]

Bonifay- easy on the coffee!

lol

I'm expecting Sam Bradford to take a pay cut....his contract alread IS the biggie.

Surely you jest?

.

Um.......NO

Sam will make $17,610,00, - $16,580,000 and $17,160,000 over the last three years of his contract.

Are you suggesting we pay him $21,000,000 ???

Sam is already the 6th highest paid QB in 2013...yet he's ranked as the 22nd best QB? (or there abouts)

In 2015 he will be the 8th highest paid player in the NFL.

Looking to increase his salary would cripple our options. So yes....I am expecting him to take a pay cut. Perhaps to 15M

I dont care how loyal we are to Sam the Ram...if I am owner I dont give a raise in this situation. Giving top QB money to a bottom ranked QB does not make much business sense to me.

Lets see how Sams ranking improves now that we have surrounded him with new toys and trinkets....but as the situation currently stands, thats how I feel about it.

when fisher and snead took control of the rams the first thing they did was restructure sam's contract and brought all the guaranteed money forward so it would run out this season. basically they gave Bradford a two year window to show them what kind of qb he is and will be in the future.

if he isn't what they thought he would be they can cut him or trade him with little cap consequence.

however, it's obvious they think he is a franchise qb. he will not be taking a pay cut. if they don't extend him they will surely change his salary next season into a some sort of bonus so the cap hit won't be so large.

.

 

[kurtfaulk]

Honestly, I don't see why "we" should be worried about it. We have some pretty smart people in the house right now who aren't going to be rolled by a 25 year old QB, if that's the concern. His deal was slightly reworked to give them the latitude to extend him to a cap-friendly salary after this year if they want to. And if he's NOT everything everybody thinks he's cracked up to be, then the last 2 years of his deal (14-15) aren't guaranteed anyway. He'll have already been paid his guaranteed money by the end of this year, so what's the problem?

In short, if Fisher likes what he sees, and Schottenheimer puts his stamp of approval on Sam, then he'll be around for as long as they want him to be. And since Kevin Demoff is going to be directly involved in the structuring of his deal, then why would anyone think we'd shoot ourselves in the foot or in any way financially cripple the Franchise?

Y'all worry too much. Let the kid play :ww:

exactly.

not sure why people are worried about his salary.

.

 

[albefree69]

kurtfaulk visiting Earth from another planet:
not sure why people are worried about his salary.

Cause it's something to talk about in lean times? :lol:

Sam's salary vs golf balls hmmm...so many choices.

 

[fearsomefour]

Funny with contracts in sports, very rarely is someones salary matched up with their performance. Almost always a guy is paid on his potential (1st round pick) or is paid for what he has done in the past....the league is full of overpaid youngins who havent done much or overpaid vets you cant do what they used to any more. Such is life. Not worried about Bradfords contract, as Dude stated, we actually have front office people with a plan now.

 

[RamFan503]

kurtfaulk visiting Earth from another planet:
not sure why people are worried about his salary.

Cause it's something to talk about in lean times? :lol:

Sam's salary vs golf balls hmmm...so many choices.

Hey!!! :box: :7up:

 

[albefree69]

RamFan503 taking umbrage over disrespecting his balls:
Hey!!! :box: :7up:

You've got me all wrong. That's a darn good dilemma to be in. That was no Hobson's choice and Sam's salary barely won the day in my mind. :whome?: eek:

 

[…..]

I forgot about the restructure.

besides...I was just thinking out loud....It aint MY money.

 

[CGI_Ram]

Having an expensive quarterback isn't ideal, but not having a quarterback is a bigger problem.

All the good teams have to pay for their quarterbacks.