Rams offseason grade, so far...

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Grade the offseason, to this point;

  • A

    Votes: 8 10.0%
  • B

    Votes: 26 32.5%
  • C

    Votes: 36 45.0%
  • D

    Votes: 8 10.0%
  • F

    Votes: 2 2.5%

  • Total voters
    80

CGI_Ram

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Okay... We are about 2 weeks in...

How would you grade the start to the offseason, so far, pre-draft?
 

kurtfaulk

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.

i gave it an A.

knew jj and mcleod were leaving even before FA began because it would have been foolish to match the money they would get offered. cut some deadwood that were hogging cap money. kept the other guys they wanted to keep. brought in a couple of nice depth signings with coples a chance of being barron mark2.

.
 

OldSchool

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Went with B, it would have been nice to resign JJ and McLeod but we kept the majority of our free agents. JJ, and Tru for that matter, have bigger price tags than they're worth but that's a product of so much cap space for so many teams. McLeod was actually pretty reasonable.

I never expected them to go big on other teams free agents and frankly prefer it that way. Draft well and sign your own, though in reality you won't be able to sign them all. But when we cut JL, Long and Cook the emphasis was continually on resigning our own. They never talked about going big on free agents so I expected about what happened.

I'd like them to finish up with signing one of the FS, Nelson, Hill or Johnson. And take a stab at Boldin. If they get those done it'll allow them more freedom to trade up for a QB and make the off season a success in my eyes.
 

CGI_Ram

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  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #4
I voted B.

I approve:
  1. Cutting Long due to contract
  2. Cutting JL, Cook due to performance
  3. Retaining Hayes, Harkey, Sims, Barnes, Quick
  4. Coples could be a good fit
I am undecided:
  1. Decision to tag Johnson over Jenkins
  2. Wanted Barron back, but that's big $
  3. That was a fairly steep contract for Sensabaugh which is clearly based on his potential
I am disappointed:
  1. Jenkins was all about the money
  2. Losing McCleod
  3. I hate to see Long go. Would have like him back at less $
  4. We're not losing Cunningham, are we?
 

ReddingRam

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Went with B, it would have been nice to resign JJ and McLeod but we kept the majority of our free agents. JJ, and Tru for that matter, have bigger price tags than they're worth but that's a product of so much cap space for so many teams. McLeod was actually pretty reasonable.

I never expected them to go big on other teams free agents and frankly prefer it that way. Draft well and sign your own, though in reality you won't be able to sign them all. But when we cut JL, Long and Cook the emphasis was continually on resigning our own. They never talked about going big on free agents so I expected about what happened.

I'd like them to finish up with signing one of the FS, Nelson, Hill or Johnson. And take a stab at Boldin. If they get those done it'll allow them more freedom to trade up for a QB and make the off season a success in my eyes.
Will Hill is facing a suspension .. .so I wouldn't go there.
 

CGI_Ram

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Alright... Someone voted "D".

You can't do that without explaining...

tribunal-2.gif
 

-X-

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I give it a 90. That's an A in some classes, and a B in others. In no universe could I justify paying Jenkins $62M to do what he does. Unless of course he gave back $5M for every unsuccessful gamble he took that resulted in a TD for someone else. I think Fisher/Williams are counting on their D-line to generate enough pressure for Sensabaugh to utilize his speed/agility to break on the ball and not have to trail the WR as much. Which is why I'm stoked about the Coples signing and Willie Mays Hayes retention. We didn't lose our ability to generate pressure by cutting Chris.

A little underwhelmed by our need to upgrade TE and WR so far, but pickings are kinda slim - especially when you consider the money these guys want for being nothing more than lateral moves to what we already have. Uber stoked that Cook is gone, because I couldn't afford to have those emotional highs and lows (mostly lows) any longer with him out there. I still think we need a seam buster (which is what Cook was supposed to be), so hopefully they address that in the draft.

Not at ALL worried about the safety position.
Agree with Fisher that we need competition at kicker.
Little concerned about the hit our special teams unit took by losing Bates and (possibly) Cunningham, but UDFAs are our specialty.

So, yeah. A 90.
 

Ramfansince79

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My vote was for an A:
Couple of good additions
Smartly resigned some of our guys at reasonable contracts (hoping Cunningham comes back)
Couple of sad but necessary salary cuts
Avoided paying crazy money to anyone.

I honestly feel we have a really well managed team, and I haven't felt that way for a loooooooong time.

We're so close to going on a run I'm "little kid" excited.
 

ReddingRam

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Ya know ... I would like to see them get Rueben Randle... as long as the contract is fairly cheap. He isn't a #1 by any means, but I think he would upgrade the WR corps (for the right price) Then get a Doctson, Boyd or Michael Thomas in Rd. 2 along with maybe a Hunter Henry at TE. I think we would be set.
 

StealYoGurley

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B- kept our own important contributors didn't get too expensive. We lost some key guys on defense, but we got younger and more athletic on all three phases of the defense. Rams have alot of young DBs and DLs they like so it will be interesting to see how those positions shake out playing time wise.

On offense there were'nt alot of reasonable additions out there beside the Ladarius Green deal, but who knows if he wanted to be here.

The most important part of the offseason the draft is coming up so hopefully we knock that out of the park again
 

RaminExile

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We've got worse so I gave it a C (for at least making some tough decisions on cap casualties). Losing McLeod was a shame. Hopefully Joyner can fill it. Hopefully Ogletree can hold up inside. Barron was expensive but he's important.
 

Ballhawk

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They've improved none of the positions of the team except the salary cap so I gave them a C, as in wait and "C".
 

Roman Snow

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I gave it an A. Most disappointed in losing McLeod and Long. I understand Long and thought he looked glacier slow last year. But still just wished he were here for success. JL too.

But they were holding our defense back. That is the sad truth. Our defense will be better this year. (hopefully with a healthy Ogletree, McDonald and Quinn.)

Losing guys sometimes is normal in the NFL. You just get the sense Snead and Fisher are in control.

After the initial disappointment I'm actually HAPPY Jenkins is gone.

Intrigued by the Sensabaugh and Coples signings. Anxious for an Offensive draft.

Edit: oh yeah. This grade drops if we don't re-sign Bennie. He is valuable to this team.
 
Last edited:

SaneRamsFan

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I give them an A for freeagency. I agree with not over paying for jenkins or anyone else for that matter. But fa is only one phase of the offseason. Arizona just improved significantly and it had nothing to do with fa. And they already have an offense we don't. Overall snead and fishef still get a d- unless they figure out a way to aquire an offense. We were 31 last year remember.
 

OldSchool

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Alright... Someone voted "D".

You can't do that without explaining...

tribunal-2.gif
Honestly we've seen their reasoning for weeks in every thread. We're horrible because we didn't over pay JJ. We didn't go out and over spend on their prized personal free agents. JL in their minds is a HoF player and we didn't replace him. We didn't sign the big WR/QB/TE/LT. No thought to the fact that all those signings would be financially impossible it just didn't go the way they want so the Rams failed.
 

nantucket9

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C grade as of this date.
Like some moves, don't like others - but the Rams have not addressed arguably the worst starting situations QB in the league (certainly one of the worst) and our WR situation isn't any better.
The focus has to shift. All positions are not created equal. No QB, no successful franchise. Period. The Ram talent people know that, but no answers yet this offseason. No high profile QB in LA spells big trouble and third rate status.
I expect a big draft day trade by the Rams so they can select Goff or Wentz.
 

OldSchool

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C grade as of this date.
Like some moves, don't like others - but the Rams have not addressed arguably the worst starting situations QB in the league (certainly one of the worst) and our WR situation isn't any better.
The focus has to shift. All positions are not created equal. No QB, no successful franchise. Period. The Ram talent people know that, but no answers yet this offseason. No high profile QB in LA spells big trouble and third rate status.
I expect a big draft day trade by the Rams so they can select Goff or Wentz.
Just curious and keep in mind I agree with you we need to do something at QB but what free agent or trade option is out there that is actually an upgrade? We all know QB needs to be upgraded but very few people actually suggest an upgrade and explain why that person would be an upgrade.
 

Lunchbox

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I voted C but would actually give them a B-.

I liked that they didn't overpay for Jenkins, thought they did overpay for Tru but didn't have much choice given that Jenkins seemed determined to go to the highest bidder. Hope to sign Tru to a more reasonable longer term contract.

Hated to lose McLeod but think we can fill the void in-house or find a replacement in FA or the draft. Also liked that we were able to re-sign most of our own FA. Would still like to see them re-sign Cunningham for depth especially with the uncertainty surrounding Mason and Watts. This move alone would change my vote to a solid B.

Hated losing Long as well but liked the Coples signing. Young, low risk, possible high reward type player. An athletic depth signing for the secondary and taking a look at Randle (wouldn't mind seeing him in horns) may help set them up to do whatever they want with the draft. Glad they didn't reach for a QB in FA as I don't think any of them would be enough of an improvement to justify the cost.

QB and a couple of receiving options, maybe a LB or C in the draft and I think we're in pretty good shape moving forward.
 

Warner4Prez

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I voted a D, here's my logic.

Cut JL and Long to save cap space. I've moved beyond the personal reaction and onto the logical one.

Removing Laurinaitis, we've anointed Ogletree the new MLB. He has no experience in the NFL at that position. We lost additional LB depth in Bates as well. In my eyes, it's an overall net loss.

We cut Long to save money and improve the position. They re-signed Hayes, who is just as old and has been a rotational guy the last 3 years. They also supplemented it with Coples, who has been underwhelming in his career up to this point. Now I like the deal, but I like it based on a HOPE that they can turn him into something he hasn't been so far in his career.

With all the additional cap overhead, they let JJ walk, McLeod walk and didn't get a long term deal with Tru finished. So we're looking at another possible glaringly hole this time next year again.

On offense, the only WR action we've seen is a prove it deal for Quick. In 4 years, he has proven that he just can't get it done. I want to see him succeed, but I don't know that he's going to blow the doors off with Keenum at QB.

We also are staring at a conundrum with our RB 2. Not sure what the NFL will have to say about Mason's adventures in South Beach, but it won't be pretty. We let Cunningham slip through the cracks in the meantime.

No one likes Cook, that's fine. But as I said before, Kendricks isn't a stellar option as your #1 TE and behind him you have a couple guys that are blocker/h-back players, not necessarily pass catchers. Cook being gone is just another hole to patch.

I can't ding them too bad on the QB position, it is what it is at this point in time. Tendering Keenum at a 1st round value seems a bit extreme. I know they like him, but if they were to tender him at say a 3rd round value, they'd maybe be in a position to score a pick or at least match and keep him.

All of this isn't to say I think the team is hurting. On the contrary, I think they'll be in a great place with a new QB and a hopeful WR (please trade for Gordon), but with the potential to make a few moves and really make up ground with Seattle and Arizona, it's been pretty underwhelming.