Is Jake Long’s Career Over After Re-Tearing His ACL? --Audio

[RamBill]

Is Jake Long’s career over after re-tearing his ACL? ESPN.com Rams Insider Nick Wagoner tells The Fast Lane.

Listen to Wagoner to Talk Jake Long and Rams

 

[Zaphod]

Ouch. And I was rather hoping for a full recovery from him.

 

[oldramfan]

It is with us

 

[RamBill]

Barrett Jones:“Part of Being a Backup Is Always Being Ready"
Casey Phillips chats with Barrett Jones following the road loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Watch Jones' Comments

 

[Thordaddy]

I wouldn't bring him back any sooner than year after next then only on a prove it contract, he's been hurt more than Sam.

 

[Rams and Gators]

I wouldn't bring him back any sooner than year after next then only on a prove it contract, he's been hurt more than Sam.

I want him out there in a meaningless pre season game protecting Sam, don't care if he's ready or not.

Signed:
Jeff Fisher

 

[jap]

They drafted GRob to be the LT of the future . . . or, lately with Big Jake's injury, the LT of the here & now. BonnifayRam suggested earlier moving Jake to RT, which would be nice as that would provide us with bull elephant tackles at the corners of the OL. That would imply letting go of Barksdale who is in a contract year.

With this latest injury, it may be better overall to cut ties with Jake altogether and try to hold on to Joe if he stays reasonably healthy after this season. We would still need a solid swing tackle to spell either one of them if one of the starting tackles went down. Hell, we need! a swing guard to take over if Beetlejuice or whoever emerges as his starting partner at guard goes down!

 

[Yamahopper]

Yeah maybe as a LT it is. It kinda looked like that leg was bothering him all year.
He got paid twice, really time for him to think of quality of life after football.

 

[Selassie I]

Not sure about his NFL career... but I would think that his playing days in STL are now over. I can't imagine Wells playing for us beyond this year either.

Time to move forward.


* Good thing that the coaching staff gave GRob some reps at tackle before the season started.

 

[fearsomefour]

I think the only way he finds work is as a back up LT on a team pursuing a title at the vet minimum. Denver, that sort of team.
He should not need any more forever, but, if he loves the game to take that role someone would sign him on the cheap as very good depth.

 

[BonifayRam]

They drafted GRob to be the LT of the future . . . or, lately with Big Jake's injury, the LT of the here & now. BonnifayRam suggested earlier moving Jake to RT, which would be nice as that would provide us with bull elephant tackles at the corners of the OL. That would imply letting go of Barksdale who is in a contract year.

With this latest injury, it may be better overall to cut ties with Jake altogether and try to hold on to Joe if he stays reasonably healthy after this season. We would still need a solid swing tackle to spell either one of them if one of the starting tackles went down. Hell, we need! a swing guard to take over if Beetlejuice or whoever emerges as his starting partner at guard goes down!

I would say with the Rams with this existing contract .....YES.

It would seem to me after looking at the $$ numbers (others are better at that than me) if the Rams keep Jake to play ORT in 2015 ...if Barksdale departs Rams would have to pay him 9.5 plus his roster bonus meaning 10.5 mil....for a sharp in declining 20 yr old OT & then pay him that much $$$ to play right OT???? Not going to happen. Release Jake Long take the 2.5 mil cap hit in dead money is the best thing for this team.

ORT Joe Barksdale sure has issues with all 34 defenses with those quicker speeder pass rushers. Not sure JB will get any better what we saw against KC, Eagles & the 9ers was the real JB. Having TE Cook line up next to JB to assist does very little may even hurt him more just not good. Said it last week that JB is best at run blocking from that ORT post speed pass rushers will beat him often. JB is fine when we are not being forced to pass but as we know now our defense is just bad so points are easy against us this JB is pass blocking a lot........recipe for a loss. If JB wants big time $$$ long term contract he better learn to block those speeders better. I would be looking hard @ either OT Brandon Scherff or OT Cedric Ogbuehi with our top 5 draft pick myself.

 

[Pancake]

He already couldn't handle the position before this latest injury. If he's smart he'll walk away before he's a complete Frankenstein from all the surgeries. He's a good example of a player who has a choice to walk away but he keeps coming back and doing more damage to himself. I wonder if he'll be a part of litigation 20 years from now blaming the NFL for his condition.

 

[thirteen28]

I just can't see his career continuing with the Rams, and I think it's very dicey if it continues at all. He's had plenty of upper body injuries, and now he's had an ACL tear two years in a row, and he plays in a position where he has contact every snap when he's on the field. The Rams shouldn't even consider bringing him back on his current contract if they consider bringing back at all ... and I wouldn't even consider that.

Honestly, I think given his health issues and the fact that he's banked enough cash that he can be financially set for life, he ought to just hang them up.

EDITED to add that we could use some of the cap room saved on Long to lock up Barksdale to a long term deal, which I consider an absolute must at this point.

 

[mr.stlouis]

It's over as a premium LT.

How big was drafting GRob now, huh? Now we can still draft a QB instead of a LT.

 

[thirteen28]

It's over as a premium LT.

How big was drafting GRob now, huh? Now we can still draft a QB instead of a LT.

Huge. So glad we took him and not Sammy Watkins. Nothing against Watkins, but we'd have a gapingly huge hole at LT without GRob in the house.

 

[mr.stlouis]

Huge. So glad we took him and not Sammy Watkins. Nothing against Watkins, but we'd have a gapingly huge hole at LT without GRob in the house.

Exactly. We'd never get him the ball.

 

[Athos]

As a LT? Most certainly. He should either retire and move inside. He likes run protecting more anyway, doesn't he?

Glad we have GRob......but we need to draft two STUDLY OGs next year.

 

[Boffo97]

Huge. So glad we took him and not Sammy Watkins. Nothing against Watkins, but we'd have a gapingly huge hole at LT without GRob in the house.

I think there'd have been a lot less argument for Watkins if we didn't have Long.

I know some will disagree here, but to me, it was an admission back then that the Long signing was a mistake. At least we'll only have less than $3 million of dead money for him next year.

 

[Jumava1968]

I was giving J. Long the benefit of the doubt due to his injury but it's clear now his playing days with the Rams are over.Maybe we can pickup a solid guard thru free agency with the money saved from cutting him.Its frustrating to see the problems we have on the OL now,that used to be one of our strengths year in and year out.

 

[thirteen28]

I think there'd have been a lot less argument for Watkins if we didn't have Long.

I know some will disagree here, but to me, it was an admission back then that the Long signing was a mistake. At least we'll only have less than $3 million of dead money for him next year.

Are you sure we'll even have that much in dead money? I though the 3 mil was a roster bonus for him being on the active roster at year end, but I'm maybe thinking of something he was due last year. Either way, a lot of Jake Long money is coming off our cap number next year.