Merlin's "Make you wanna slap yo momma" Offseason Fun Bag

[Merlin]

This is how I'd do it. Buckle up because this is gonna be a wild one...

COACHING STAFF

1. Shock everyone by hiring Martz. Fire falls from the sky, ice caps melt, the seas boil over, and the Rams finally have a clue about which QB to take in the draft, and which veteran to pair with him as a placeholder. Staff is adjusted based on Martz's whims, which I'm sure is a requirement of getting him to sign on. Rams now have two coordinators that are among the best at their craft that other teams will not be looking to poach. Win!

2. Boras gets a pay bump and keeps Associate Head Coach tag. If it's him or Martz I get a new TE coach but hopefully he is willing to learn from him.

FREE AGENCY / OFFSEASON

* Sign WR Kearse. Not too pricey, still young (25), good size (6'1") and they won't be able to keep him.
* Franchise tag: CB Jenkins. I hate it, but they gotta do it to ensure they have enough DBs.
* Sign Welker. Shouldn't cost too much, let him compete through camp.
* Sign Barron. He's a key for this defense, gotta bring him back.
* Sign Hayes. Great team guy, worth bringing back if price is right.
* Cut Laurinaitis, Long, Saffold, Cook. Maybe keep if they agree to restructure however.


DRAFT
1. ***Trade-Up*** Rams move up into top 5 and get QB Goff by packaging Tavon Austin with their pick in the teens. This is a steep price, but Tavon is entering his FA season and it is critical to get this team its QB of the future and doing so without mortgaging future first round picks would be my goal.

2. WR Boyd. He's my target in round 2 if he's there, because I'd have a round 1 grade on him. Gonna be good quality at WR here regardless.

2. TE Henry. Routinely mocked in round 2. I think goes early round 2 latest but like Boyd a big target for me.

3. S Mills. Very sound in coverage, mature and well versed in different roles in the defensive backfield, replaces McLeod.

4. C Boehm. We don't have a round 5 pick, and gotta get a center by this point. Fish of course will be all over Tuerk due to his fascination for tall OL, but Boehm stuffs up the middle and is powerful.

6. CB Peterson. Physical corner who lacks day 1/2 speed.

7. DT Harris. Big boy with good feet who should be available late.

 

[Athos]

Trading Tavon will set the offense back.

 

[Merlin]

Trading Tavon will set the offense back.

Yes, it would, IF you do nothing other than trade him.

But if you use him to move up for what is really holding this team back--QB--and then fill this WR corps with players who can make a quick impact alongside the other pieces maybe not. Seahawks don't have anyone near what Tavon Austin is, but they're going to the playoffs. Lotta reasons for that, but primarily those reasons are QB and OL. Rams OL is going to grow because they have talent there now, but not so much at QB.

 

[jrry32]

What's the trade up? Packaging Tavon isn't enough. It's likely going to cost a 1st, 2nd, and future 1st to trade up from the mid teens to the top 5. If not more. I'm not so keen on trading Tavon. Don't think we'd get proper value for him from most teams. And he's a unique and talented weapon. But I'd kill to have Goff. So if we HAD to give up Tavon to get Goff, I'd probably do it.

Like your draft picks. Who is going to be the Mike with Laurinaitis cut?

I'm not sure about Kearse. Never has stood out to me in the way Golden Taint did with Seattle. Seems like an inconsistent deep threat type. Feel like he might get overpaid because he's coming from Seattle and has decent numbers. But if he's reasonably priced, I won't complain.

I'd love to have Mike Martz. He'd whip whatever QB we drafted into shape. The one thing I have to say, though, is that if we bring in Martz...we gotta shore up the OL. Can't get our QB killed.

Good mock. I like it.

 

[Merlin]

What's the trade up? Packaging Tavon isn't enough. It's likely going to cost a 1st, 2nd, and future 1st to trade up from the mid teens to the top 5. If not more. I'm not so keen on trading Tavon. Don't think we'd get proper value for him from most teams. And he's a unique and talented weapon. But I'd kill to have Goff. So if we HAD to give up Tavon to get Goff, I'd probably do it.

Like your draft picks. Who is going to be the Mike with Laurinaitis cut?

I'm not sure about Kearse. Never has stood out to me in the way Golden Taint did with Seattle. Seems like an inconsistent deep threat type. Feel like he might get overpaid because he's coming from Seattle and has decent numbers. But if he's reasonably priced, I won't complain.

I'd love to have Mike Martz. He'd whip whatever QB we drafted into shape. The one thing I have to say, though, is that if we bring in Martz...we gotta shore up the OL. Can't get our QB killed.

Good mock. I like it.

Tavon's value is a tough thing to get a finger on. But I suspect he would have immense value for a couple reasons, those being that other organizations don't think the Rams know what they're doing offensively, and that guys like him who can score from anywhere are coveted. I'm not anti-Tavon, I love the dude, but he's the best trade piece we have and he's got FA looming on the near horizon. If I had to throw in a 2nd rounder I would, but prefer to give up next year's since we will need to get a WR in round 2 to help make up for moving him.

Thing with Kearse is he's young. If he goes for big money I'd back off, but it would be nice to get a guy who is starting to figure it out and then pair him with an OC who really knows the passing game. There are gonna be some good vets on the market, though, that can help that unit.

JL is definitely the toughest part of it. Ideally he'll restructure for the team to be able to keep one of those CBs and Barron, but if not I'd replace him with Williams running creative packages. In an ideal world (where the Rams offense would take off) it won't matter tbh, since teams will be playing catch-up and facing packages full of the Rams young safeties and Williams disguising things.

Appreciate the feedback.

 

[FRO]

I have no problem with trading Tavon. He is a great playmaker, but isn't much of a WR. I think having a consistent WR may be better than a guy that makes a couple of nice plays a game.

 

[LACHAMP46]

Slap yo momma....LOL....Love the thoughts Merl...

Go get your QB, whatever the cost.....

 

[jrry32]

I have no problem with trading Tavon. He is a great playmaker, but isn't much of a WR. I think having a consistent WR may be better than a guy that makes a couple of nice plays a game.

Hard to tell what type of WR he is when we don't have much of a QB. And that guy that makes "a couple nice plays a game" has helped keep our offense afloat in a number of games where the horrible QB play completely destroyed the offense.

 

[nighttrain]

Hard to tell what type of WR he is when we don't have much of a QB. And that guy that makes "a couple nice plays a game" has helped keep our offense afloat in a number of games where the horrible QB play completely destroyed the offense.

Why we need to do whatever it takes to get Goff. We've had the corner on bad QB;s since it seems forever
train

 

[jrry32]

Why we need to do whatever it takes to get Goff. We've had the corner on bad QB;s since it seems forever
train

I sort of agree. But like I said, I'm not sure Austin is a necessary piece of that deal.

 

[dieterbrock]

I love it.
I'd think it takes a heck of a lot more than Austin. I think at best we would be looking at both 2 rounders and next year 1st in addition to an asset

On Martz though, seems his magic is made with QB that arent 1st rounders. If Martz came back, I think he could work a Carson Wentz or heck, a small school spread QB that nobody talks about in Brandon Doughty