Is AD's contract killing our chances? and other random thoughts...

[NERamsFan]

Serous question, does anyone think AD's contracting is screwing with our free agency game plan? I don't think so, and I think Demoff has learned his lesson with prior free agents, but damn it sucks to see talent get gobbled up. These contracts are NUTS!! I'm glad we're playing it tight to keep our budget open for our core players in the future.

This team had made a lot of changes, maybe too many? A lot of player turn-over and coaching turnover... Plus that whole second round thing for Watkins..

No right or wrong just random thoughts, wonder how everyone else is feeling?

Been a crazy 24 hours after slow start!!! So much changeover

 

[Zodi]

What's the last big-name, big money free agent the Steelers, Packers, Patriots, etc.. signed?

Teams get caught up in free agency all the time. Andy Reid's dream team. The Redskins for the last twenty years. The Dolphins with Suh. Players like Haynesworth. It's like clockwork. They rarely work out.

Draft well, develop your own players, keep them, and sign mid-level free agents. That seems to be the winning way. If losing a guy like Watkins means we lock up guys like Donald, Joyner, Gurley, Goff, etc for the future, I'm all for it. I'm glad we didn't give Watkins as much money as the Chiefs did. I might be in the minority, but I think we can find a similar level of production in house or with a mid-level FA.

 

[Psycho_X]

In a way yes but in the same way that Goff and Gurley are too. Got to prepare for the future cap as well as today's. Of course, signing are own isn't a sure thing anymore it seems. So far I'm not upset by anything that has transpired. Watkins is a bummer but expected. If we come out of free agency with a couple of LB'ers, at least one being a starter, I'll be happy. And I'm sure if we don't find an OLB'er Connor Barwin will be back for another year. The draft will be very important for filling holes though.

 

[yrba1]

Not worried, same tone every year: Doom and gloom over not making splash moves in FA then those teams have cap repercussions that involve cutting other blue chip players around their roster. I'm more concerned about not closing in on deals with homegrown players like Donald, Joyner, Gurley, and Goff.

 

[HellRam]

What's the last big-name, big money free agent the Steelers, Packers, Patriots, etc.. signed?

Teams get caught up in free agency all the time. Andy Reid's dream team. The Redskins for the last twenty years. The Dolphins with Suh. Players like Haynesworth. It's like clockwork. They rarely work out.

Draft well, develop your own players, keep them, and sign mid-level free agents. That seems to be the winning way. If losing a guy like Watkins means we lock up guys like Donald, Joyner, Gurley, Goff, etc for the future, I'm all for it. I'm glad we didn't give Watkins as much money as the Chiefs did. I might be in the minority, but I think we can find a similar level of production in house or with a mid-level FA.

Personally I think the whole build through the draft way is fading a bit. Obviously you need to draft well. But if you are only building through the draft you rarely have a complete team. The Steelers do it the best and they haven't won a ship in the near past. Take Rodgers off the Packers and they have a very poor team. Which is why their management is changing how they do things.

Look at the last few teams to win the big game. Eagles, Broncos and even the Patriots have gone the way of signing players to build a complete team. Along with drafting well of course.

 

[Angry Ram]

Serous question, does anyone think AD's contracting is screwing with our free agency game plan? I don't think so, and I think Demoff has learned his lesson with prior free agents,

Nah. They were pretty good last year. Robert Woods, Andrew Whitworth, Jon Sullivan, NRC. Dom Easley and Kayvon Webster got hurt. 4/6 ain't bad.

but damn it sucks to see talent get gobbled up.

Ehh, most of the headlines are for QBs. And the Rams don't need one.

Trumaine going was a given, Malcom Butler = meh. But Marcus Peters and Aqib Talb, tho.

Allen Robinson...dude has a bum knee. There was that guard that signed with the Jaguars, ehh Rams don't really need a superstar guard.

This team had made a lot of changes, maybe too many? A lot of player turn-over and coaching turnover... Plus that whole second round thing for Watkins..

The only thing that hurts about Sammy IS that 2nd rounder. Him going, sucks. I wanted him to stay but whatever. The Rams will survive.

No right or wrong just random thoughts, wonder how everyone else is feeling?

I'm just laughing. Every year its the same thing. The teams that win headlines in March and April don't usually win in December and January.

 

[Akrasian]

I'm just laughing. Every year its the same thing. The teams that win headlines in March and April don't usually win in December and January.

And a decent number of those big splash signings will be cap casualties in 2-3 years.

 

[Picked4td]

I feel like this offseason thus far is about as perfect as it could be. Aside from losing coaches but no hard feeling about that

 

[Corbin]

F FA. Free agency is only good for adding a piece to make a push but your going to be wrecking your cap currently and in the future.

Trading is better because you get players/draft picks back, relieve your cap, and get comp picks for players that don't fit etc. for letting them sign elsewhere.

 

[OldSchool]

Don't think he's killing our chances at anything, besides I'd rather have him than any free agents this year.

 

[Loyal]

the only thing killing us is not getting his contract done...

 

[blackbart]

I love AD have 2 of his jerseys, one home one away.

I don't know what to expect his contract to be after the last few days the money is just insane.

I'm not positive paying a guy at his position a high percentage of the overall budget is a good idea But, he's one hell of a player and I'd rather see him in horns than on some other team.

 

[Sleepy1711]

Please sign the beast already!

 

[Legatron4]

What kind of trade market would AD have? Just curious.

 

[Psycho_X]

What kind of trade market would AD have? Just curious.

I'd think a couple of ones at the very least. I'd expect nothing less than the best trade ever for a non-QB. He's a sure thing hall of fame player in his mid 20s. But I'd rather keep him for three years forcing him with 5th year option and franchise tags in a worst case scenario and then losing him out right than trading him now. We'd get the best of his career at that point. But would much rather just get him signed for 5 to 6 years and not worry about hold outs and all of that other nonsense.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Good teams don't need to sign a bunch of pricey free agents. They already have great players, and at most need supporting pieces. Once teams are good, managing the cap becomes more difficult. They have too many key players that they can't part with. That is part of the salary cap that makes it so challenging to stay on top. That is why teams cheated, to get around the problem that the salary cap created. San Francisco was paying players cash under the table to stack their roster and stay on top. New England cheated on the field several times because they could not dominate legitimately, under cap rules. It's a level playing field.


Watch the Rams dominate Seattle in their second game. Aaron Donald took that game over. He made everyone on the defense better. Every sack or big play was created by him. He is worth his future cap hit. He was a big reason the Rams were 11-5. He is a bigger reason than anyone on the defense. Demoff, Snead, and McVay have a plan. They don't need to be in the news for signing over priced free agents. Trading for Peters and Talib means that they have done more to improve their team than any other team in the league. They greatly improved the secondary, and solved a potential salary cap crisis. Now they are assured of being able to keep Donald, and bringing him together with Peters and Talib they just skyrocketed this defense to the top of the league. After the draft this defense will be on par with, the Eagles, Vikings, and Jaguars. No team has done more IMO. Not the Vikings with Cousins, nor the Eagles with Bennett and Gnata.

 

[Wisconsinram]

I'd think a couple of ones at the very least. I'd expect nothing less than the best trade ever for a non-QB. He's a sure thing hall of fame player in his mid 20s. But I'd rather keep him for three years forcing him with 5th year option and franchise tags in a worst case scenario and then losing him out right than trading him now. We'd get the best of his career at that point. But would much rather just get him signed for 5 to 6 years and not worry about hold outs and all of that other nonsense.

I agree, Psycho X. It would be best to get him signed to a fair-market deal for 6 years. Short of that, we tag him twice and get three.

With the way the contracts are getting out-of-hand, I am preparing myself for the hard decisions that will lie ahead. I just don't see being able to resign AD, Goff, and Gurley to massive, long-term contracts (as they will/may deserve if they continue) and still being able to field a SB-competitive team. I am no cap expert, but it just seems unreasonable and perhaps unprecedented. AD and Gurley can rightfully demand top pay for their respective positions and Goff is going to get 25+ mil if he simply replicates what he did last year. How can a team afford to fill holes with those starting points?

I want to keep them all, but identifying a long-term plan and making the tough decisions early, while there is still trade value, appears as prudent as ever.

Wisconsinram

 

[shaunpinney]

What kind of trade market would AD have? Just curious.

I think the official consensus is...

HUGE