My Mock response to Jrry's second mock...

[Memento]

Well, @jrry32 had an excellent mock, so that means that I have to make a response, right? Here we go.

Fire: Everyone except Fassel, Waufle, Groh, Singletary, and Dennard Wilson.

(Pretty obvious choices to keep. I like Groh on offense because he's improved our wide receivers tremendously. I'd keep him as an offensive coordinator, actually. Singletary has done a great job with Ogletree, Waufle is an awesome D-line coach, and Wilson has done great work with our secondary. Fassel remains the special teams coach. We keep Snead and the front office as intact as we can.)

Hire:

David Shaw (HC)
Jim Leavitt (DC)

(Yes, I'm stealing from Jrry's mock, but hell, he made some good choices.)

Cut:

Rodger Saffold
Tim Barnes
Eugene Sims
William Hayes
Tre Mason

(I know that releasing Hayes isn't a popular opinion, but he's been injured and ineffective this year. Sims, Barnes, and Saffold are obvious. Tre Mason is no longer on the team; we've pretty much already cut him. This just makes it official.)

Re-sign:

Trumaine Johnson
Greg Zuerlein
Benny Cunningham
Dominique Easley
Ethan Westbrooks
Matt Longacre

(I made a mistake by not re-signing Tru in my last mock, but here he is in this one. Zuerlein has improved tremendously, and deserve to be re-signed. Cunningham is our second best back. I didn't realize that Easley was a restricted free agent, so here he is, along with Westbrooks and Longacre, leading the backups in the D-line.)

Release:

T.J. McDonald
Brian Quick
Kenny Britt
Case Keenum
Cam Thomas
Chase Reynolds

(Pretty obvious. I think that it's time for new blood in the wide receiver position, so Quick and Britt are let go. McDonald is talented, but Mo is younger and plays the same position. Keenum is replaced by Mannion, Reynolds is purely special teams and replaceable, and Thomas is JAG.)

Convert:

Lamarcus Joyner (CB - FS)

(Also taken from Jrry's mock, but I've done it a million times before as well. Joyner is a good choice for free safety because it was his best position at Florida State.)

Free Agency:

Alshon Jeffery
Ronald Leary

(Again taken from Jrry's mock. Jeffery is a number one receiver, while Leary is an upgrade at left guard.)

Trade:

Lance Kendricks to New York Jets for their 2017 fourth round pick.

(This is mine. I had Kendricks going for a third, but apparently it isn't realistic. I believe that the Jets absolutely need a tight end. They are starting Kellen Davis, who is a blocking tight end on the decline and Austin Seferian-Jenkins, who is inconsistent and has off-the-field problems. Kendricks is easily an upgrade over both of them and opens the door for Higbee and Hemingway to shine. A fourth round pick should be sufficient.

Draft:

2 - Ethan Pocic, C, LSU.

(Pocic is arguably the best center in the class. He's a taller center (6'6", 310 lbs.), but is a tenacious run-blocker who opens up holes for Leonard Fournette to go through. His pass-protection is also good.)

3 - Chidobe Awuzie, CB, Colorado.

(A shutdown corner at 5'11", 205 lbs., Awuzie is one of the main reasons why Colorado has been so successful this year. He's very sturdy against the run as well, and he'll start for us from day one.)

4 (Jets) - Amara Darboh, WR, Michigan.

(Darboh, a 6'1", 215 lbs. refugee from war-torn Sierra Leone, is an amazing receiver who has the potential of a great number two. He has an enormous catch radius and good athleticism for the position. He's not a deep threat, but he's not exactly slow either. Like Awuzie, I picture Darboh as a contributor from day one.)

4 - Tanoh Kpassagnon, DE, Villanova.

(Kpassagnon is the guy I want manning left defensive end for the next ten years. At 6'7", 288 lbs., you might think that he's more of a 3-4 five technique, but he has freakish athleticism and production. He's accepted an invite to the Senior Bowl, so his stock might go through the roof.)

4 (Comp.) Nico Siragusa, OG, San Diego State.

(Siragusa is not related to Tony Siragusa, but he's a mauler at 6'4", 330 lbs. He blocks for Donnel Pumphrey and has boosted his stock by being one of the better guards in the NCAA.)

5- Channing Stribling, CB/FS, Michigan.

(Michigan has an impressive backfield with Jourdan Lewis shutting down one side. Just don't count out the 6'1", 175 lbs. Stribling. He has a long wingspan that allows him to get to balls that other cornerbacks struggle with. He could move to free safety if he's not able to cover wide receivers as well as he did in college.)

6. Ahkello Witherspoon, CB/FS, Colorado.

(The other member of Colorado's impressive defensive backfield, Witherspoon is long and lean at 6'2", 195 lbs. He has a high Pro Football rating - if you're into that sort of stuff - and has been tried and tested by multiple quarterbacks. He'll compete with Stribling for the cornerback slot and possibly end up at free safety if he isn't quick enough to play cornerback in the league.)

6 (Comp.) - Josh Augusta, NT, Missouri.

(A 6'4", 345 lbs. mammoth of a man, Augusta is also extremely athletic for a man his size. He'd be a perfect backup nose tackle, spelling Brockers whenever needed.)

7 - Deatrich Wise Jr., DE, Arkansas.

(At 6'5", 271 lbs., Wise is a perfect fit for right defensive end. He's long and athletic, and should provide excellent depth.)

Thought are more than welcome.

 

[OldSchool]

I like it just like I like Jrry's mock, though I admittedly don't know the players as much as you two do. One thing I noticed and I've made the comment to others in random threads is Singletary isn't actually a coach with the Rams right now. He was brought in as a special instructor during camp. I'm not sure I could see him come in full time as less than a DC or assistant DC but I'd fully support him in a full time role with our defense.

 

[spamlord]

Well, @jrry32 had an excellent mock, so that means that I have to make a response, right? Here we go.

Fire: Everyone except Fassel, Waufle, Groh, Singletary, and Dennard Wilson.

(Pretty obvious choices to keep. I like Groh on offense because he's improved our wide receivers tremendously. I'd keep him as an offensive coordinator, actually. Singletary has done a great job with Ogletree, Waufle is an awesome D-line coach, and Wilson has done great work with our secondary. Fassel remains the special teams coach. We keep Snead and the front office as intact as we can.)

Hire:

David Shaw (HC)
Jim Leavitt (DC)

(Yes, I'm stealing from Jrry's mock, but hell, he made some good choices.)

Cut:

Rodger Saffold
Tim Barnes
Eugene Sims
William Hayes
Tre Mason

(I know that releasing Hayes isn't a popular opinion, but he's been injured and ineffective this year. Sims, Barnes, and Saffold are obvious. Tre Mason is no longer on the team; we've pretty much already cut him. This just makes it official.)

Re-sign:

Trumaine Johnson
Greg Zuerlein
Benny Cunningham
Dominique Easley
Ethan Westbrooks
Matt Longacre

(I made a mistake by not re-signing Tru in my last mock, but here he is in this one. Zuerlein has improved tremendously, and deserve to be re-signed. Cunningham is our second best back. I didn't realize that Easley was a restricted free agent, so here he is, along with Westbrooks and Longacre, leading the backups in the D-line.)

Release:

T.J. McDonald
Brian Quick
Kenny Britt
Case Keenum
Cam Thomas
Chase Reynolds

(Pretty obvious. I think that it's time for new blood in the wide receiver position, so Quick and Britt are let go. McDonald is talented, but Mo is younger and plays the same position. Keenum is replaced by Mannion, Reynolds is purely special teams and replaceable, and Thomas is JAG.)

Convert:

Lamarcus Joyner (CB - FS)

(Also taken from Jrry's mock, but I've done it a million times before as well. Joyner is a good choice for free safety because it was his best position at Florida State.)

Free Agency:

Alshon Jeffery
Ronald Leary

(Again taken from Jrry's mock. Jeffery is a number one receiver, while Leary is an upgrade at left guard.)

Trade:

Lance Kendricks to New York Jets for their 2017 fourth round pick.

(This is mine. I had Kendricks going for a third, but apparently it isn't realistic. I believe that the Jets absolutely need a tight end. They are starting Kellen Davis, who is a blocking tight end on the decline and Austin Seferian-Jenkins, who is inconsistent and has off-the-field problems. Kendricks is easily an upgrade over both of them and opens the door for Higbee and Hemingway to shine. A fourth round pick should be sufficient.

Draft:

2 - Ethan Pocic, C, LSU.

(Pocic is arguably the best center in the class. He's a taller center (6'6", 310 lbs.), but is a tenacious run-blocker who opens up holes for Leonard Fournette to go through. His pass-protection is also good.)

3 - Chidobe Awuzie, CB, Colorado.

(A shutdown corner at 5'11", 205 lbs., Awuzie is one of the main reasons why Colorado has been so successful this year. He's very sturdy against the run as well, and he'll start for us from day one.)

4 (Jets) - Amara Darboh, WR, Michigan.

(Darboh, a 6'1", 215 lbs. refugee from war-torn Sierra Leone, is an amazing receiver who has the potential of a great number two. He has an enormous catch radius and good athleticism for the position. He's not a deep threat, but he's not exactly slow either. Like Awuzie, I picture Darboh as a contributor from day one.)

4 - Tanoh Kpassagnon, DE, Villanova.

(Kpassagnon is the guy I want manning left defensive end for the next ten years. At 6'7", 288 lbs., you might think that he's more of a 3-4 five technique, but he has freakish athleticism and production. He's accepted an invite to the Senior Bowl, so his stock might go through the roof.)

4 (Comp.) Nico Siragusa, OG, San Diego State.

(Siragusa is not related to Tony Siragusa, but he's a mauler at 6'4", 330 lbs. He blocks for Donnel Pumphrey and has boosted his stock by being one of the better guards in the NCAA.)

5- Channing Stribling, CB/FS, Michigan.

(Michigan has an impressive backfield with Jourdan Lewis shutting down one side. Just don't count out the 6'1", 175 lbs. Stribling. He has a long wingspan that allows him to get to balls that other cornerbacks struggle with. He could move to free safety if he's not able to cover wide receivers as well as he did in college.)

6. Ahkello Witherspoon, CB/FS, Colorado.

(The other member of Colorado's impressive defensive backfield, Witherspoon is long and lean at 6'2", 195 lbs. He has a high Pro Football rating - if you're into that sort of stuff - and has been tried and tested by multiple quarterbacks. He'll compete with Stribling for the cornerback slot and possibly end up at free safety if he isn't quick enough to play cornerback in the league.)

6 (Comp.) - Josh Augusta, NT, Missouri.

(A 6'4", 345 lbs. mammoth of a man, Augusta is also extremely athletic for a man his size. He'd be a perfect backup nose tackle, spelling Brockers whenever needed.)

7 - Deatrich Wise Jr., DE, Arkansas.

(At 6'5", 271 lbs., Wise is a perfect fit for right defensive end. He's long and athletic, and should provide excellent depth.)

Thought are more than welcome.

I'm early in my analysis, but I have Siragusa as my #1 Guard prospect coming into the year.

 

[Fatbot]

Nice work. But since I voiced my opposition to Shaw in jrry's mock I will do so here as well.

Your Hayes comment is interesting to me since I pretty much voiced that exact opposition to his signing. Now it's kind of too late, and maybe a waste to cut him and burn $3m of dead money? He's been better than I expected when healthy.

I was a big fan of converting Joyner from the beginning but again it might be a too late situation. Plus he is always 2 inches shy of making a play on the ball instead of actually making the big play, not something I want to see in the deep secondary. I like TJ, he's not perfect but I think he's somewhat underrated and that might be able to help the Rams pull off a home town discount with him.

Don't know what to do at WR, but Jefferey.. too risky it seems.

 

[jrry32]

I like it. A lot of good things. Here are my complaints:
1. Kendricks being traded. I'm just not sure he has much trade value around the league. But a 4th is more reasonable than a 3rd. Based on how much teams love draft picks, I don't know that we'd get more than a 5th.
2. We didn't really replace William Hayes. Which would mean starting a raw rookie or one of his backups. I don't think I'd cut him. There's very little to be gain from it both in terms of cap room and replacing him. I'd give him another year. He's a leader in the clubhouse.
3. Might be too many CBs haha.
4. I don't think I'd cut Barnes. He's a solid backup for a year. Plus, we can bring along the rookie Center as slowly or quickly as needed.

What I like:
1. The FAs.
2. I think Pocic is a smart play for us if he's there in the 2nd. He'll need to put some weight on in the pros, but he's already a good all-around Center. He also made the line calls in a pro style offense under Cam Cameron.
3. I like you grabbing both Colorado CBs. I've only watched a little of both, but my impressions of both were positive. Awuzie is a ballsy kid with good cover skills. Should be a solid DB in the NFL. Witherspoon impressed me in the very little I saw. Witherspoon might end up going much higher if his film is as good as what I've seen. I might actually end up liking him better than Awuzie if his film is as good as what I've seen thus far. But again, it's not enough to have a real opinion yet.
4. Darboh has looked good in the games I've watched. Although, I am partial to Cooper Kupp.
5. Stribling is an interesting pick. He's a linear athlete who will have to play outside the hashes in the pros. But he has very good ball-skills and a lot of length. I think he's a guy Seattle will target. But he makes a lot of sense in Leavitt's scheme because Leavitt likes to press his corners.

All-around good job.

 

[LACHAMP46]

I like everything but this

Release:

T.J. McDonald
Brian Quick
Kenny Britt

and not sure about moving Joyner to FS....He's just now getting the hang of nickle-back....and don't really like him there.

Best thing was the emphasis on corners....and some explosive DE's....

I'd like a Center...still haven't seen enough of Pocic.....and some guards....maybe a LT out there so we can move G-Rob to RT.

 

[den-the-coach]

Originally I felt moving Joyner to FS would test his durability, however, he's on the field quite a bit now and I have always thought that was his best position. David Shaw has been my guy for the last couple of years because he a heck of a football coach and the Rams have gone with an Offensive Coordinator (Scott Linehan), Defensive Coordinator (Steve Spagnuolo) and a former Head Coach in Jeff Fisher, so the only option left is a College Head Football Coach and are 50/50 in this area with John Robinson, who did an excellent job IMO and Rich Brooks not so much, unless you factor in Sid Gillman who came to the Rams from the University of Cincinnati from 1955-1959.