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Next few months will be critical for Rams; here's a blueprint for success
General Manager Les Snead can set up the Rams for the next several years with some shrewd moves in the next few months, Ryan Kartje writes.
By RYAN KARTJE / STAFF WRITER
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/rams-706325-one-year.html
The 40-yard dash wardrobe malfunctions and hand-size arguments that defined this year’s NFL Scouting Combine have come to a close. The 2016 salary cap is set (at $155 million). Tuesday afternoon, the franchise tag deadline will pass. In just one week, the NFL’s free agency window will open, with the newly minted – and deeply pocketed – Los Angeles Rams poised to be one of the silly season’s most serious players.
For Southern California’s new NFL franchise, these next few months will go a long way in determining the team’s direction over the next few years. But with a few pragmatic moves, some smart draft selections, and a couple of well-reasoned risks in free agency, the Rams could turn a hectic few months and a whopping $59 million in cap space into a foundation-building offseason.
Here, in eight steps, is how General Manager Les Snead and the Rams front office can pull it off:
1. Use the franchise tag on cornerback Trumaine Johnson, but don’t overpay for his fellow secondary mate, Janoris Jenkins: Today is the deadline for NFL teams to use their annual franchise tag, and reports from the Combine suggest the Rams will use the tag on one of their top-line corners, locking him up for one year with a salary among the top five at the position. For 2016, it would cost the Rams $13.952 million.
Both Jenkins and Johnson ranked among the best in the NFL at a premium position in 2015, but Johnson was the more impressive of the pair. For his career, Johnson’s passer rating allowed (67.1) is better than that of Carolina’s Josh Norman (72.1), and last season, Johnson made a ton of plays on the ball, reeling in seven interceptions. At 6-foot-2 and just 26 years old, his size and age are assets, too.
Snead has repeated his intentions to retain both corners. But after Jenkins reportedly turned down a five-year, $45 million offer at the Combine, took to Twitter to complain about the Rams’ “total disrespect,” and then fired his agent, well ... it appears talks aren’t going well.
Word is Jenkins wants somewhere around $12 million per year, which would put him in the top six or seven highest-paid at the position. For someone as prone to big plays as Jenkins, that’s a lot of dough. He’s worth the Rams’ efforts to try to re-sign him, but with injured corner E.J. Gaines returning, Johnson in the fold, and an improved LaMarcus Joyner at nickel, it’s not a contract for which the Rams should get caught overpaying.
2. Add a wide receiver with one of your first three draft picks: As bad as the Rams’ quarterback carousel has been over the past decade, the receiver situation has arguably been worse. The Rams haven’t had a 1,000-yard receiver since Torry Holt in 2007.
Most agree Ole Miss wideout Laquon Treadwell is the one wideout worthy of a mid-first-round selection. As a big, possession receiver in the mold of Dez Bryant, he could be an ideal fit with the Rams at 15th overall. If they opt for a quarterback in the first round or Treadwell is off the board, either of the team's two second-round picks could be used on a receiver. Ohio State’s Braxton Miller or Michael Thomas or TCU’s Josh Doctson could be quality fits in that case.
3. With their fifth-year options impending, sign Tavon Austin and Alec Ogletree to contract extensions: At an affordable rate, the Rams will almost certainly exercise Ogletree’s option, as they did with Michael Brockers last season. The team has expressed its hope for signing him to a long-term deal before 2017.
Austin, meanwhile, is a little more messy. Since he was a top-10 pick, exercising Austin’s fifth-year option would mean the Rams were on the hook for nearly $11 million in 2017. That’s more than most would pay for a wideout with a season high of 473 receiving yards. But if the Rams can sign Austin, who is still only 24, to a long-term extension, they could bypass that oversized 2017 cap bill.
4. Let Tim Barnes walk, and draft a center: Barnes was one of Pro Football Focus’ worst-rated centers last season (24th overall), and while he won’t cost much to retain, he doesn’t add much to a line that could use more talent. This year’s draft is also full of potential Day One starters who could be had with one of the Rams’ second picks in Round 2 or in Round 3. Michigan State’s Jack Allen, Notre Dame’s Nick Martin, and Alabama’s Ryan Kelly could all be upgrades.
5. Re-sign safety Rodney McLeod and outside linebacker Mark Barron to reasonable long-term deals, but don’t overpay: McLeod and Barron are both young and athletic, with banner seasons in 2015 that have made them offseason priorities. With speed at such a premium, Barron, a converted safety, could develop into an important centerpiece of the Rams defense, and McLeod, at just 26, looks as though he’s just entering his prime, after finishing 10th in Pro Football Focus’ safety ratings last season.
Snead will offer both long-term deals, but if either is looking to break the bank, the Rams may have to choose. Given the depth at safety – and lack thereof at hybrid weakside linebacker – Barron is the more important player to sign. But if all goes well, both will be back.
6. Sign Chargers tight end Ladarius Green: With the third-most cap room of any team, the Rams have to add some toys to their arsenal, right? After the Rams get through their re-signing blitz, any extra money should be spent on offense. With Green, the Rams could have their tight end of the future at a pretty sweet bargain – probably $3 million or so less than they spent on Jared Cook last season.
Green was seriously underrated in San Diego as the backup to soon-to-be Hall of Famer Antonio Gates, and with the opportunity, he could mold into an athletic freak in the middle of the Rams’ offense. That’s what the Rams desperately need.
7. Bring back William Hayes on a two-year contract, bid adieu to Nick Fairley and Eugene Sims, and draft a defensive lineman in the top three rounds: Chris Long’s departure already shook up the Rams’ defensive line, but with three more linemen set to be unrestricted free agents, the composition of the Rams’ front is about to change even further.
Robert Quinn’s return from injury should provide a huge boost, and after Hayes’ solid 2015 season, he should be brought back on a reasonable contract. At 31, teams aren’t busting down the door for his service.
Sims could also be brought back, but should attract more suitors. The Rams have almost no hope of keeping Fairley, with some team certain to pay him like a three-down starter. And with those losses in mind, you can count on the Rams to invest a pick or two in their already strong defensive front.
8. Figure out the quarterback situation: Well, that’s another column entirely.
General Manager Les Snead can set up the Rams for the next several years with some shrewd moves in the next few months, Ryan Kartje writes.
By RYAN KARTJE / STAFF WRITER
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/rams-706325-one-year.html
The 40-yard dash wardrobe malfunctions and hand-size arguments that defined this year’s NFL Scouting Combine have come to a close. The 2016 salary cap is set (at $155 million). Tuesday afternoon, the franchise tag deadline will pass. In just one week, the NFL’s free agency window will open, with the newly minted – and deeply pocketed – Los Angeles Rams poised to be one of the silly season’s most serious players.
For Southern California’s new NFL franchise, these next few months will go a long way in determining the team’s direction over the next few years. But with a few pragmatic moves, some smart draft selections, and a couple of well-reasoned risks in free agency, the Rams could turn a hectic few months and a whopping $59 million in cap space into a foundation-building offseason.
Here, in eight steps, is how General Manager Les Snead and the Rams front office can pull it off:
1. Use the franchise tag on cornerback Trumaine Johnson, but don’t overpay for his fellow secondary mate, Janoris Jenkins: Today is the deadline for NFL teams to use their annual franchise tag, and reports from the Combine suggest the Rams will use the tag on one of their top-line corners, locking him up for one year with a salary among the top five at the position. For 2016, it would cost the Rams $13.952 million.
Both Jenkins and Johnson ranked among the best in the NFL at a premium position in 2015, but Johnson was the more impressive of the pair. For his career, Johnson’s passer rating allowed (67.1) is better than that of Carolina’s Josh Norman (72.1), and last season, Johnson made a ton of plays on the ball, reeling in seven interceptions. At 6-foot-2 and just 26 years old, his size and age are assets, too.
Snead has repeated his intentions to retain both corners. But after Jenkins reportedly turned down a five-year, $45 million offer at the Combine, took to Twitter to complain about the Rams’ “total disrespect,” and then fired his agent, well ... it appears talks aren’t going well.
Word is Jenkins wants somewhere around $12 million per year, which would put him in the top six or seven highest-paid at the position. For someone as prone to big plays as Jenkins, that’s a lot of dough. He’s worth the Rams’ efforts to try to re-sign him, but with injured corner E.J. Gaines returning, Johnson in the fold, and an improved LaMarcus Joyner at nickel, it’s not a contract for which the Rams should get caught overpaying.
2. Add a wide receiver with one of your first three draft picks: As bad as the Rams’ quarterback carousel has been over the past decade, the receiver situation has arguably been worse. The Rams haven’t had a 1,000-yard receiver since Torry Holt in 2007.
Most agree Ole Miss wideout Laquon Treadwell is the one wideout worthy of a mid-first-round selection. As a big, possession receiver in the mold of Dez Bryant, he could be an ideal fit with the Rams at 15th overall. If they opt for a quarterback in the first round or Treadwell is off the board, either of the team's two second-round picks could be used on a receiver. Ohio State’s Braxton Miller or Michael Thomas or TCU’s Josh Doctson could be quality fits in that case.
3. With their fifth-year options impending, sign Tavon Austin and Alec Ogletree to contract extensions: At an affordable rate, the Rams will almost certainly exercise Ogletree’s option, as they did with Michael Brockers last season. The team has expressed its hope for signing him to a long-term deal before 2017.
Austin, meanwhile, is a little more messy. Since he was a top-10 pick, exercising Austin’s fifth-year option would mean the Rams were on the hook for nearly $11 million in 2017. That’s more than most would pay for a wideout with a season high of 473 receiving yards. But if the Rams can sign Austin, who is still only 24, to a long-term extension, they could bypass that oversized 2017 cap bill.
4. Let Tim Barnes walk, and draft a center: Barnes was one of Pro Football Focus’ worst-rated centers last season (24th overall), and while he won’t cost much to retain, he doesn’t add much to a line that could use more talent. This year’s draft is also full of potential Day One starters who could be had with one of the Rams’ second picks in Round 2 or in Round 3. Michigan State’s Jack Allen, Notre Dame’s Nick Martin, and Alabama’s Ryan Kelly could all be upgrades.
5. Re-sign safety Rodney McLeod and outside linebacker Mark Barron to reasonable long-term deals, but don’t overpay: McLeod and Barron are both young and athletic, with banner seasons in 2015 that have made them offseason priorities. With speed at such a premium, Barron, a converted safety, could develop into an important centerpiece of the Rams defense, and McLeod, at just 26, looks as though he’s just entering his prime, after finishing 10th in Pro Football Focus’ safety ratings last season.
Snead will offer both long-term deals, but if either is looking to break the bank, the Rams may have to choose. Given the depth at safety – and lack thereof at hybrid weakside linebacker – Barron is the more important player to sign. But if all goes well, both will be back.
6. Sign Chargers tight end Ladarius Green: With the third-most cap room of any team, the Rams have to add some toys to their arsenal, right? After the Rams get through their re-signing blitz, any extra money should be spent on offense. With Green, the Rams could have their tight end of the future at a pretty sweet bargain – probably $3 million or so less than they spent on Jared Cook last season.
Green was seriously underrated in San Diego as the backup to soon-to-be Hall of Famer Antonio Gates, and with the opportunity, he could mold into an athletic freak in the middle of the Rams’ offense. That’s what the Rams desperately need.
7. Bring back William Hayes on a two-year contract, bid adieu to Nick Fairley and Eugene Sims, and draft a defensive lineman in the top three rounds: Chris Long’s departure already shook up the Rams’ defensive line, but with three more linemen set to be unrestricted free agents, the composition of the Rams’ front is about to change even further.
Robert Quinn’s return from injury should provide a huge boost, and after Hayes’ solid 2015 season, he should be brought back on a reasonable contract. At 31, teams aren’t busting down the door for his service.
Sims could also be brought back, but should attract more suitors. The Rams have almost no hope of keeping Fairley, with some team certain to pay him like a three-down starter. And with those losses in mind, you can count on the Rams to invest a pick or two in their already strong defensive front.
8. Figure out the quarterback situation: Well, that’s another column entirely.
