Memento's 2015 Offseason on LSD

[Memento]

Well, it's about damn time I created this sort of mock...but then again, aren't all of my other mocks like this?

FIRE:

Frank Cignetti, quarterbacks coach.

Our quarterbacks were terrible this year, and Cignetti has had a rotten attitude for a very long time (which I believe will get worse whether he gets the job or not). He hasn't helped Bradford progress, and I doubt that he'll do any better with anyone else.

HIRE:

Rob Boras, offensive coordinator.

I trust him much more than Cignetti. Boras has quietly helped our tight end group become one of the most well-rounded in the game. Lance Kendricks will likely get a huge contract somewhere else, Jared Cook has become a key weapon, and Cory Harkey is probably the most underrated player on the entire offense. Since our hire will come in-house, I want Boras to be that guy.

Lincoln Riley, quarterbacks coach.

Riley is the OC for ECU, and he helped mold Shane Carden into a legitimate NFL prospect.

Bryan Harsin, tight ends coach.

The head coach at Boise State and very well-versed with tight ends.

RESTRUCTURE:

Sam Bradford - two years, 16 million (8 million first year)

Bradford deserves another shot. There's going to be a much better quarterbacks class next year, and honestly, I'm not going to take a quarterback in this year's class. I know it's a hole, but I want to fix the O-line first. And Bradford does have talent.

RELEASE:

Jake Long
Scott Wells
Kendall Langford
Eugene Sims
Isaiah Pead
Jo-Lonn Dunbar

Nothing really shocking.

RE-SIGN:

Kenny Britt - three years
Cory Harkey - three years
Mike Person - one year

Might as well re-sign our number one receiver in Britt. Harkey deserves this contract, since he's replacing Kendricks in our offense. Person is depth.

CONVERT:

Lamarcus Joyner - cornerback to free safety
Mo Alexander - strong safety to linebacker

Joyner would replace McLeod as the starter at free safety, and he'd do a much better job. And if Daren Bates can play great at linebacker, then I'm absolutely certain that Mo can as well.

FREE AGENT SIGNINGS:

Rodney Hudson - center, four years
C.J. Mosley - defensive tackle, one year
Leger Douzable - defensive tackle, one year

Hudson is a no-brainer. With the Chiefs signing Justin Houston, there's no way they'll be able to keep Hudson as well. He immediately solves our center problem. Mosley and Douzable are decent run-stuffers on cheap contracts.

TRADES:

#10 overall, 2016 1st, and 2017 2nd to the Tennessee Titans for #2 overall.

Chris Long, Zac Stacy and 2015 7th to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for 2nd round pick, 4th round pick, and Mike Glennon.

We make the Titans an offer they can't refuse and take a shot at the moon. I truly appreciate the services of both Long and Stacy, but I want more high picks. Stacy lost his job, and Long is getting up in age. Plus, we need a backup for Sam, and Glennon fits the profile.

DRAFT:

#2 overall (Tennessee) - Leonard Williams, DE, USC.



The only reason why I didn't take a quarterback is because the only one I like - Mariota - is likely off the board. And I know that another d-lineman is hard to swallow. But Williams isn't just any lineman. He's the only player in this class whom I believe is bound for Canton, barring injury. Just look at his highlights. He's like no player I've ever seen.

2nd round (Tampa Bay) - Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia.



Gurley is honestly a steal right here. He's basically the genetic hybrid between Marshawn Lynch (without the issues that Lynch has) and Steven Jackson. Even with the ACL, I want this kid in horns because he's capable of anything on the field.

2nd round - Ty Sambrailo, OT, Colorado State.



Sambrailo has one of the biggest mean streaks I've seen in the college ranks, and while he isn't the strongest tackle, he's very reliable, has played left tackle and can easily switch to the right side, and having a mean streak like that is exactly what I want in an offensive lineman.

3rd round - Rashad Greene, WR, Florida State.



In my opinion, Greene is the fourth-best wide receiver in this class behind Cooper, White, and Parker. He's a smooth route-runner, is a legitimate deep threat, isn't afraid to go over the middle, and he has much better hands than most think. Greene replaces Givens as a deep threat and might even contribute some on kick returns.

4th round (Tampa Bay) - Jamil Douglas, OG, Arizona State.



I know that it's a while to wait for a starting left guard, but Douglas is definitely a second-round talent who only falls because of character issues. He was the starting left tackle for the Sun Devils, and he's very athletic, strong for his size, and plays to the whistle on every down.

5th round - Sean Hickey, OT/OG, Syracuse.



Hickey may be a ZBS fit only, but he's athletic and reliable, and he would be a good backup.

 

[jrry32]

Well, in the interest of honesty:
Good
Every pick but the first one
Free Agency

Bad
You don't trade two firsts and a second for a DT when we're set at that position(and yes, I do think Williams is a phenomenal talent...although I'd take Aaron Donald over him). I think putting Williams at 4-3 DE would be a misuse of his talent. And I think our defense would miss Chris Long
You also don't pass on a future franchise QB for a DT...but I know you don't like Winston
Disappointed we didn't go after an OG sooner

Unrealistic
Harsin and Riley aren't leaving their jobs for a downgrade
We're not getting a 2nd, 4th, and Glennon for basically Long and Stacy

 

[Boffo97]

Frank Cignetti, quarterbacks coach.

Our quarterbacks were terrible this year, and Cignetti has had a rotten attitude for a very long time (which I believe will get worse whether he gets the job or not). He hasn't helped Bradford progress, and I doubt that he'll do any better with anyone else.

Maybe I haven't been paying attention, but this is pretty much the first bad thing I've ever heard about Cignetti.

 

[den-the-coach]

Marijuana, marijuana, LSD, LSD.
Scientists make it, teachers take it.
Why can¹t we? Why can¹t we?

 

[RamFan503]

Williams is a violent tackler. I'd love to see him in horns.

 

[Athos]

LSD, or crack cocaine, dawg?

No way I trade up for D. Sorry, I just don't. If you trade to #2 overall, you take Winston any day and every day.

I'm in no mood for this team to be QB-less...again.

 

[Memento]

Well, in the interest of honesty:
Good
Every pick but the first one
Free Agency

Bad
You don't trade two firsts and a second for a DT when we're set at that position(and yes, I do think Williams is a phenomenal talent...although I'd take Aaron Donald over him). I think putting Williams at 4-3 DE would be a misuse of his talent. And I think our defense would miss Chris Long
You also don't pass on a future franchise QB for a DT...but I know you don't like Winston
Disappointed we didn't go after an OG sooner

Unrealistic
Harsin and Riley aren't leaving their jobs for a downgrade
We're not getting a 2nd, 4th, and Glennon for basically Long and Stacy

At right defensive end? Yeah, it would. At left defensive end? I think Williams would be amazing. He's been compared to Watt, but I also think that with his length and burst off the edge, he'd be a perennial All-Pro at left defensive end. He'd be to our defensive line like Reggie White was to the Packers and Vikings. I believe that he has that kind of potential. As for Long...even though he's a great player and a better leader for sure, I keep thinking about his age, contract, and injuries.

I realize that not getting a top OG like Cann or Tomlinson is disappointing. Believe me, I'd take either one of them if I could. But Douglas could end up being a steal on the level of E.J. Gaines. I truly believe he could start from day one.

I didn't think that Harsin or Riley would be available...but it's really hard to find good assistant coaches, and I literally looked everywhere I could. And I don't even want to think about Cignetti as a quarterbacks coach under Boras or - worse still - our offensive coordinator, so I really think that we need to find a quarterbacks coach as well.

As for the Tampa Bay trade...I could probably add a 2016 third round pick to sweeten the pot.

Maybe I haven't been paying attention, but this is pretty much the first bad thing I've ever heard about Cignetti.

Look up what his players and fellow coaches said about him at Rutgers. It's not pretty.

Marijuana, marijuana, LSD, LSD.
Scientists make it, teachers take it.
Why can¹t we? Why can¹t we?

I'd never get into synthetic weed. Way too dangerous. LSD has to be safer, right?

Williams is a violent tackler. I'd love to see him in horns.

He is, but he also has the power and motor of Watt, the length of Campbell, and the burst and speed off the edge like Peppers. Add that to his passion for the game, instincts, and his pass-rushing repertoire and dominance in the run game, and this is someone that I've never seen the likes of in all my (limited) years of watching college football.

LSD, or crack cocaine, dawg?

No way I trade up for D. Sorry, I just don't. If you trade to #2 overall, you take Winston any day and every day.

I'm in no mood for this team to be QB-less...again.

I'm sorry, but stimulants are off-limits for me.

On a serious note, I can't take Winston for ethical reasons (I don't want anyone who was even accused of sexual assault on my team, which means that I wouldn't even take Peyton Manning in a trade.) And aside from that, the quarterback class of 2016 is incredibly deep to the point where you can easily find a great starter in the second round (Cardale Jones, Kevin Hogan, Trevone Boykin, etc.)

I know that the quarterback situation isn't ideal. I just don't believe in drafting a mediocre-at-best player just because of need.

 

[Boffo97]

Look up what his players and fellow coaches said about him at Rutgers. It's not pretty.

Why would what was said about him in a previous job be a reason for firing him here?

As for whether or not the QBs look better... obviously he's an improvement over 2011 when McDaniels decided we didn't need a QB coach and Bradford was looking pretty good in preseason before getting hurt.

 

[Memento]

Why would what was said about him in a previous job be a reason for firing him here?

As for whether or not the QBs look better... obviously he's an improvement over 2011 when McDaniels decided we didn't need a QB coach and Bradford was looking pretty good in preseason before getting hurt.

Because he took his attitude here. He apparently has a Napoleon complex with less social skills than Blake Williams. If he becomes the offensive coordinator, he'll try to exert even more power over everyone. If Boras gets the job, what's to say that Cignetti won't try to undermine him? And Bradford has the natural talent to look good when he's healthy, even without a quarterbacks coach. But Cignetti, in my honest opinion, was a downgrade from a lot of the QB coaches that Bradford has had.

 

[BonifayRam]

Glad I never did LSD. I would not want five Rams first round draft selections all invested in the DL. I would like to make a first down in a game once in a while.

 

[Memento]

Glad I never did LSD. I would not want five Rams first round draft selections all invested in the DL. I would like to make a first down in a game once in a while.

But there would only be four first round picks on the defensive line, as Long has been traded in this scenario. And if guys like Clemens, Hill, and Davis could get first downs, I'm certainly that Bradford or Glennon could do that, especially with weapons like Britt, Quick, Austin, Bailey, Cook, Harkey, Gurley, Mason, and Cunningham and a much-improved offensive line.

 

[BonifayRam]

But there would only be four first round picks on the defensive line, as Long has been traded in this scenario. And if guys like Clemens, Hill, and Davis could get first downs, I'm certainly that Bradford or Glennon could do that, especially with weapons like Britt, Quick, Austin, Bailey, Cook, Harkey, Gurley, Mason, and Cunningham and a much-improved offensive line.

Hey Good Late Morning Memento. My thoughts here is this Rams team is just loaded in defensive talent starting with the HC, the asst HC, the DC & the defensive coaches are as good as you will find in the NFL today......our issues currently is on the offensive side. Fisher & his extensive experienced Big D leaders should be able to field a very good defense to be competitive on most Sundays with much less talent than they have collected now. Snead must get better talent in here on the offensive side of the ball. You can add a dozen first round selections & all pro's to the defense & you still will have what we have had the last 3 yrs with Fisher....."A Loser".

 

[Memento]

Hey Good Late Morning Memento. My thoughts here is this Rams team is just loaded in defensive talent starting with the HC, the asst HC, the DC & the defensive coaches are as good as you will find in the NFL today......our issues currently is on the offensive side. Fisher & his extensive experienced Big D leaders should be able to field a very good defense to be competitive on most Sundays with much less talent than they have collected now. Snead must get better talent in here on the offensive side of the ball. You can add a dozen first round selections & all pro's to the defense & you still will have what we have had the last 3 yrs with Fisher....."A Loser".

Good late morning to you as well, Bonifay. I know that we're loaded with defensive talent. But Long has a huge contract, has had ankle problems the past two years, and he's almost thirty. And Leonard Williams is a once-in-a-generation talent, even more freakish than Clowney was, and the type of player that I think you take even though he's not at a position of need.

And I've added offensive talent in this draft. I've beefed up the O-line with Hudson, Sambrailo, Douglas, and Hickey, added a game changer in Gurley, and a legit deep threat/kick returner in Greene. And I've added Mike Glennon as a backup quarterback.

 

[jrry32]

At right defensive end? Yeah, it would. At left defensive end? I think Williams would be amazing. He's been compared to Watt, but I also think that with his length and burst off the edge, he'd be a perennial All-Pro at left defensive end. He'd be to our defensive line like Reggie White was to the Packers and Vikings. I believe that he has that kind of potential. As for Long...even though he's a great player and a better leader for sure, I keep thinking about his age, contract, and injuries.

Yea, I don't see a great LDE in the 4-3. I think you're taking a guy that can be a possibly elite 3T and capping his value. I could see him being a good LDE but like Kevin Williams from Minnesota, I think his best value to a team is at the 3T spot.

And personally, I'd be very disappointed if we acted this prematurely to replace Long and gave up that sort of value. If we want to draft Long's FUTURE replacement, take Odighizuwa in the 2nd. We cannot afford to give up that sort of compensation for another DL. You're creating a need and then giving up two 1sts and a 2nd to fill it. I just can't get behind that.

You don't give up that sort of compensation for a DL when you're set at the position.

 

[Memento]

Yea, I don't see a great LDE in the 4-3. I think you're taking a guy that can be a possibly elite 3T and capping his value. I could see him being a good LDE but like Kevin Williams from Minnesota, I think his best value to a team is at the 3T spot.

And personally, I'd be very disappointed if we acted this prematurely to replace Long and gave up that sort of value. If we want to draft Long's FUTURE replacement, take Odighizuwa in the 2nd. We cannot afford to give up that sort of compensation for another DL. You're creating a need and then giving up two 1sts and a 2nd to fill it. I just can't get behind that.

You don't give up that sort of compensation for a DL when you're set at the position.

I apologize, but I have to disagree with you. Leonard Williams is the best defensive lineman I've ever seen come out and even more of a physical freak than Clowney. He's played every position against talented Pac-12 - and Notre Dame - offensive linemen (Peat, Douglas, Zack Martin, Su'a-Filo, Decastro, Kyle Long, Bakhtiari, Yankey, Fleming, Poutasi, Fisher, Grasu, Kyle Murphy, Stephane Nembot, Andre Yruretagoyena, Simon Goines, Ronnie Stanley, Matt Hegarty, Jordan Rigsbee, Dexter Charles, Christian Westerman, Joshua Garnett, Isaac Seumalo, Nick Martin, Jake Brendel, Caleb Benenoch, Alex Redmond, and Graham Shuler, just to name the ones I know he played against), and he's given all of them fits. I fully believe he's the rare prospect that could be dominant both inside and outside.

I can't get behind Odighizuwa in the second. He reminds me of a better William Hayes. Hayes is a good backup and spot starter, and while Odighizuwa is more talented, he's had major injury issues in the past. As for giving up compensation, I'm not doing this for any defensive lineman. I'm doing it for a guy who I believe will make it to the Hall, barring major injury. Big Cat is the only guy I see in this draft who has that kind of potential, and I can't pass it up.

So while I definitely see your point about creating a need, I wouldn't do it unless I thought that the guy I'm paying for is going to be a perennial All-Pro/potential Hall-of-Famer. I wouldn't even do it for Mariota or Winston, even though I think they're both potential franchise quarterbacks. I'm willing to bet all of my ROD dollars and any bit of credibility I have that Leonard Williams will be a Hall-of-Famer - at 4-3 left defensive end and three-technique and 3-4 end.

Again, I do respect your scouting abilities and overall football knowledge, even if we do disagree a ton. I honestly do.

 

[jrry32]

No need to apologize. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. You could very well be right. I just don't rank him as highly as you do and I don't think it would be the right idea to use that much draft pick compensation on one player...unless it's a franchise QB.