Rams beefed up O-Line 2014?

[F. Mulder]

They need at least 2 draft picks and one low-rent developing type FA IMO.

 

[BonifayRam]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000317115/article/2014-nfl-restricted-free-agents

St Louis Rams OG Shelley Smith is listed as a RESTRICTED FA not a UFA?

 

[Tron]

So I was going over many of our mocks on the site and others and off season moves and after watching the Super Bowl we have to work to compete within our division. IMO the first thing that needs to happen is us ensuring we can run the ball effectively and have enough pass pro to keep Sam upright and healthy. Here is what I came to a conclusion that would beef us up on the o-line with a high level of talent.

LT- Jake Long
LG- Barksdale
C- Jones/Alexis Mack
RG- Saffold
RT- Robinson/Matthews

Say what you want but I think that O-Line would help us get to where we need to be against our 3 division foes and dominate or at least stalemate 1 on 1 matchups constantly.

I'd like to hear what you, my fellow Rams on Demanders think.

Saffold/Mack are Pro Bowl caliber IMO
Long healthy is very solid
Barksdale has size but agile and has the speed to pull like Saffold
Robinson/Mathews is one that will be a lower contract with a bright future for years that can eventually move over to LT.

I could see Stacy behind this O-Line rush for 1300-1600 yards consistently each season and with Sam constantly having good pass pro to deliver the rock down field we might find himself at top 4-6 QB's in the league.

Regardless of anything I feel our O-Line should be our TOP PRIORITY this offseason.

Ok Zia, finally decided to chime in my opinion

I am hesitent on Mack, since we had already grabbed a pro bowl center a few years ago who declined mighty fast, though mack is younger right?

I can easily see them keeping Barks at RT. He did a good job, so don't think they would change that.

I am not saying we shouldnt draft a tackle, i just dont see it as big of a need right now when we have Long and Barks. If Saffold leaves that will create a big hole, and we would have two big holes t fill on the line(RG and LG).
I want Saffold back, That way we just need to draft a LG and a tackle and guard for depth. Free agency might help as well. Its a very hard thing right now till we know if Saffold stays or not. He controls a nice part of our draft and FA right now.

 

[blackbart]

Sorry Bonifay but whoever was playing LG against Seattle got their ass blown up almost every play. The entire O line sucked against Seattle look at Stacy's numbers, the did not compete.

 

[laramsoriginal]

Get Richie Incognito for cheap, resign Saffold, cut wells/dhal.

Bring in a veteran swing OT to provide depth then draft OG in the late 2nd and 4th round. I suspect the rams will have multiple 2nd and 3rd round picks after trading down 2-4 times

 

[BonifayRam]

Sorry Bonifay but whoever was playing LG against Seattle got their ass blown up almost every play. The entire O line sucked against Seattle look at Stacy's numbers, the did not compete.

Putting it mildly hey blackbart... blown up & destroyed sounds closer to what I saw ...most of that Seattle neutering event on the Rams was taking place on our big tough OL sadly to say that even on the left side where Chris Williams was starting @ OLG and Rodger Saffold @ OLT neither we doing any good down right smelly. That day we got a good look again @ Saffold @ OLT....guess my point there is Saffold is not that good @ OLT when compared to his work @ OG.

When OLT Rodger Saffold went down with a brain cloud from being cowbelled by a Seahawk Bull, CW shifted to OLT & Brandon Washington got the call for the first time to play in an NFL game...@ OLG. Meanwhile Shelley Smith looked so bad that our other OLG's Chris Williams & Brandon Washington looked like Tom Mack, Dennis Harrah & Adam Timmerman.

OG Shelley Smith seems to be mentioned half the time as being a RFA the other time as a UFA ...doesn't really matter I done with him.

 

[blackbart]

Putting it mildly hey blackbart... blown up & destroyed sounds closer to what I saw ...most of that Seattle neutering event on the Rams was taking place on our big tough OL sadly to say that even on the left side where Chris Williams was starting @ OLG and Rodger Saffold @ OLT neither we doing any good down right smelly. That day we got a good look again @ Saffold @ OLT....guess my point there is Saffold is not that good @ OLT when compared to his work @ OG.

When OLT Rodger Saffold went down with a brain cloud from being cowbelled by a Seahawk Bull, CW shifted to OLT & Brandon Washington got the call for the first time to play in an NFL game...@ OLG. Meanwhile Shelley Smith looked so bad that our other OLG's Chris Williams & Brandon Washington looked like Tom Mack, Dennis Harrah & Adam Timmerman.

OG Shelley Smith seems to be mentioned half the time as being a RFA the other time as a UFA ...doesn't really matter I done with him.

I think I am right there with you, if Saffold is retained he cannot be considered an option at tackle. I would jettison most of the guys we have in hopes of building with younger players. I think we have a chance with Washington, Barnes, and Jones with the addition of one of the top tackles and a 3rd or 4th round G to get started with a rebuild of this unit. It seems that CW has earned a new contract, hopefully for depth. I guess we can only sit and watch and cheer for whatever Snead and Fisher decide and hope it all works out

 

[laramsoriginal]

yeah I'm tired of taking old recycled offense of lineman in hopes of them finding the fountain of youth. Time to draft some OL early

 

[BonifayRam]

I think I am right there with you, if Saffold is retained he cannot be considered an option at tackle. I would jettison most of the guys we have in hopes of building with younger players. I think we have a chance with Washington, Barnes, and Jones with the addition of one of the top tackles and a 3rd or 4th round G to get started with a rebuild of this unit. It seems that CW has earned a new contract, hopefully for depth. I guess we can only sit and watch and cheer for whatever Snead and Fisher decide and hope it all works out

In discussing that last miserable game that just happen to leave me beating my head against the wall again about our wonderful well set OL.... You know that may have a slight small dinky silver lining contain within...... When Saffold starts his UFA tour here in about a month I wonder if these other NFL teams go back & look @ the film on Saffold @ OLT? For instance if they want to see what he has done @ OLT recently they have only three games to look @ in 2013 where Saffold played OLT. The 2nd 9ers & Bucs games when Saffold came in for the injured Jake Long & the final game with the Seahawks. I not really sure they will get too excited over what they will see. In fact they may not like it in any fashion. The SF & Seattle games were very pathetic weak performances. These NFL teams would have to go back into Saffold's pass body of work @ OLT to get more of an ideal of what they are purchasing as a OLT. But the most recent final sight @ RS is him being carted off due to injury! When those teams looking to purchase a OLT go back a few seasons in 2012 & 2011 I wonder what they will see? Mostly those injury events & IR'd event over and over again @ OLT then put them together with the final observations of 2013?

If they are looking @ Saffold for the ORT position (Usually pays much less in $$) the these teams have a small body of work to review...RS got through the first game but was injured in the 2nd quarter of the second game. RS returned to play part time & on rotation @ ORT in games 7,8 & 9 where Barksdale beat RS out of his starting ORT position. That's not a good body of work to win a good big $$$ contracts on. So @ ORT Saffold is injured again & then when Saffold returns he is beat out of his starting post by a WWC? Not good.

In conclusion that why i was thinking of that slight small dinky silver lining in this Rodger Saffold situation. Rams sure need him @ OG that position he shines very bright!

In reference to your comment on ORG Barrett Jones, OC Tim Barnes & OLG Brandon Washington those three could be the Rams starting interior OL in 2014.

 

[blackbart]

In discussing that last miserable game that just happen to leave me beating my head against the wall again about our wonderful well set OL.... You know that may have a slight small dinky silver lining contain within...... When Saffold starts his UFA tour here in about a month I wonder if these other NFL teams go back & look @ the film on Saffold @ OLT? For instance if they want to see what he has done @ OLT recently they have only three games to look @ in 2013 where Saffold played OLT. The 2nd 9ers & Bucs games when Saffold came in for the injured Jake Long & the final game with the Seahawks. I not really sure they will get too excited over what they will see. In fact they may not like it in any fashion. The SF & Seattle games were very pathetic weak performances. These NFL teams would have to go back into Saffold's pass body of work @ OLT to get more of an ideal of what they are purchasing as a OLT. But the most recent final sight @ RS is him being carted off due to injury! When those teams looking to purchase a OLT go back a few seasons in 2012 & 2011 I wonder what they will see? Mostly those injury events & IR'd event over and over again @ OLT then put them together with the final observations of 2013?

If they are looking @ Saffold for the ORT position (Usually pays much less in $$) the these teams have a small body of work to review...RS got through the first game but was injured in the 2nd quarter of the second game. RS returned to play part time & on rotation @ ORT in games 7,8 & 9 where Barksdale beat RS out of his starting ORT position. That's not a good body of work to win a good big $$$ contracts on. So @ ORT Saffold is injured again & then when Saffold returns he is beat out of his starting post by a WWC? Not good.

In conclusion that why i was thinking of that slight small dinky silver lining in this Rodger Saffold situation. Rams sure need him @ OG that position he shines very bright!

In reference to your comment on ORG Barrett Jones, OC Tim Barnes & OLG Brandon Washington those three could be the Rams starting interior OL in 2014.

Yeah I have a hard time believing there is a team out there desperate enough to hire Saffold to play LT he has been average at best and injured way too often there for me and I certainly don't want to see him playing there for the Rams. I'm good with offering him $4M and some incentives for staying on the field to play ORG. If he does not take that C-YA. I am looking forward to seeing Jones, I think his injured foot was just too much to overcome last year and the Rams saw that early and came up with a plan to get him ready for 2014.

Matthews/Robinson and then Gabe Jackson could go a long way toward getting some good fresh blood for the future of this unit

 

[tonyl711]

just don't see the need to draft Oline in the first, the tackles are set, yeah I know Long worries some, but if you take an OT in the second coach B should be able to have him ready to start a few games if needed. OG is where we are hurting IMO, especially if scaffold goes, draft that second round OT, then an OG in the 3rd and let them battle it out for OG spot. would like to see a reasonable priced OG in FA too.