Scott Wells out for the remainder of the season

[A55VA6]

Tim Barnes will start vs Cardinals.

 

[duckhunter]

Well Barnes and Jones need some time.

It's refuse (politically correct term) time of the year.

 

[mr.stlouis]

I have a hard time thinking he's on the team next year. Not taking anything away from him but he can't stay healthy. I think his contact is up.

 

[Alan]

The same could be said about Dahl.

 

[PowayRamFan]

+1. Let's get a young line together and let them become a unit. Wouldn't it be great to start the same 5 guys in the same spots game after game for a change?

 

[PowayRamFan]

One other thing, I am excited to see what Barnes can do for us. A four game tryout should give us an idea of what he can do before the offseason.

Here's your chance big boy, make the most of it please.

 

[Alan]

PowayRamFan finding the bright side:
One other thing, I am excited to see what Barnes can do for us. A four game tryout should give us an idea of what he can do before the offseason.

Here's your chance big boy, make the most of it please.

+1! Excellent opportunity for both the Rams and for Barnes.

 

[Ky Ram]

I see your logic but you have to pay the price for top talent. We might hit on a draft pick, or we might miss. The more I see of Dahl the more I believe he's worth what we pay him. All the weapons in the world aren't worth Jack if the qb is always on his back.
Wells I agree needs to go. Even at his best this year he wasn't above average imo.

 

[Ramhusker]

Well, both Wells and Dahl are high quality talent but both seem to be hitting their injury peaks. It's a tough call. You really don't need to try and start two rookies on the OL. It's not a recipe for immediate success. I'm thinking you may have to let one go but both? Risky Risky business!

 

[Alan]

Or if your old RG is injured again. That is a huge issue in my mind. He's getting injured regularly now. Last year when I talked about Dahl being prone to injury due to his age. I was assured by many that he hadn't missed a game to injury in like forever. What's his injury history look like now?

On the other hand if he's clearly and I mean very clearly the best player I might just take a chance on him playing significant time and being there at the end of the season for the playoffs. If we don't pick up someone decent in the draft we'll have to keep him especially considering the Saffold part of the equation.

 

[fearsomefour]

Tim Barnes will start vs Cardinals.

Sucks for Wells, he was playing pretty well. Barnes looked solid vs. SF. It will be interesting to see how he does with a full week of starter reps. I liked Barnes in the preseason. He was solid in pass and ok in run. He didnt get a lot of push in the running game. Wells has been solid getting to the second level the last several weeks, will be interesting to see how Barnes does, Im pulling for him.

 

[BonifayRam]

The 25 yr old UDFA Tim Barnes will surprise a lot of Ram fans here. Not that he is better than the Scott Wells 6-2 300 pounder but he will be every bit as good. With Tim Barnes you get a 6-4 310 plus pound centerpiece. Barnes has been a Ram now since 2011. Barnes is a pure type center who has played OG in pre season when directed but he is a pure center. Barnes saw his first NFL game action as a starting center last week.

Barnes cap cost this season is $480,000K. Wells is $6,500,000 million. 2014 Wells will cost $6,500,000 million once again. Barnes is a ERFA & will be a easy Snead resign for around 500K to 600K range. If the remaining of this season Tim Barnes proves worthy of consideration as a good Ram starter ....Snead & Fisher could move on Scott Wells and his $5.5 million salary as candidates to be released in March. Thus setting up a the 4yr pro Tim Barnes & 2nd season Barrett Jones (who will earn around 600K) as our 2014 centers. That's some sizable savings! Any thoughts on this??

 

[blackbart]

The 25 yr old UDFA Tim Barnes will surprise a lot of Ram fans here. Not that he is better than the Scott Wells 6-2 300 pounder but he will be every bit as good. With Tim Barnes you get a 6-4 310 plus pound centerpiece. Barnes has been a Ram now since 2011. Barnes is a pure type center who has played OG in pre season when directed but he is a pure center. Barnes saw his first NFL game action as a starting center last week.

Barnes cap cost this season is $480,000K. Wells is $6,500,000 million. 2014 Wells will cost $6,500,000 million once again. Barnes is a ERFA & will be a easy Snead resign for around 500K to 600K range. If the remaining of this season Tim Barnes proves worthy of consideration as a good Ram starter ....Snead & Fisher could move on Scott Wells and his $5.5 million salary as candidates to be released in March. Thus setting up a the 4yr pro Tim Barnes & 2nd season Barrett Jones (who will earn around 600K) as our 2014 centers. That's some sizable savings! Any thoughts on this??

I'm actually looking forward to seeing what Barnes can do, always tough to see a starter go down but if he's going to be a keeper this scenario is a good chance to evaluate for next year. If he is as good as he looked in preseason that extra money is never a bad thing.

 

[…..]

Barnes cap cost this season is $480,000K. Wells is $6,500,000 million. 2014 Wells will cost $6,500,000 million once again. Barnes is a ERFA & will be a easy Snead resign for around 500K to 600K range. If the remaining of this season Tim Barnes proves worthy of consideration as a good Ram starter ....Snead & Fisher could move on Scott Wells and his $5.5 million salary as candidates to be released in March. Thus setting up a the 4yr pro Tim Barnes & 2nd season Barrett Jones (who will earn around 600K) as our 2014 centers. That's some sizable savings! Any thoughts on this??

I agree about the center position, and moving on to Barnes/Jones in 2014. Besides, if you look back, Wells has been as brittle as, if not more than anyone else on the team. Too much money for a guy that gets hurt twice a year.

Holding out on Dahl.....will wait to see what happens. Leaning toward keeping Dahl atm. He is not that expensive.

 

[A55VA6]

Ive heard alot of good things about Barnes. I expect him to do a fine job.

 

[BonifayRam]

Well, both Wells and Dahl are high quality talent but both seem to be hitting their injury peaks. It's a tough call. You really don't need to try and start two rookies on the OL. It's not a recipe for immediate success. I'm thinking you may have to let one go but both? Risky Risky business!

I do not see your scenario where if we release both Harvey & Scott to save 10.5 million of cap space in 2014 that we will have to replace them with rookies...Here is where Snead, Fisher & Boudreau have positioned themselves well! If you release ...

If you release a 33 yr old /11yr vet OC Scott Wells (6.5mil) replace with a Tim Barnes 26/entering his 4th yr
If you release 33 yr old /8yr vet ORG Harvey Dahl (4 mil) & replace with Shelley Smith 27/entering his 5th yr
If you release a 29 yr old /7 yr vet OLG Chris Williams (1.4 mil) & Replace with Mike Persons 26/4 or Barrett Jones 24/2
That's about 12 million in savings there!

Tim Barnes is no rookie. UDFA Barnes spent the entire 2011 season on the Rams PS. In 2012 Barnes made the 53 player roster and saw action in 15 NFL games & on special teams. In 2013 he made the 53 player roster & has saw action on ST's for all the Ram games. So he will be entering his 4th Rams season next yr. So the Wells/center issue would not be giving way to rookies plus the Rams will have second yr player Barrett Jones present too.

Ramhusker the Rams could also have the now 6-4 310 pounder Shelley Smith resigned since he will be a RFA not hard sign and at a low cap cost. Shelley has been starting in the Ram OL off & on for just about two seasons now. Shelley made the 2010 Texan 53 player roster. In 2011 he was competing strong for a starting OLG post when he hurt his ankle on 8/25/2011 & placed on the IR. In 2012 Rams picked him up off the Texans PS and from there on he was soon starting in the Ram OL. Rams know what OLG/ORG Shelley Smith can do and he will be 27 yrs old entering his 5th yr. Currently Shelley is a much better all round OG than CW.

Rams also have several other non rookies who could also start for Chris Williams with OG/OT Mike Persons ( who is sign & under contact in 2014 for$645,000) , OC/OG Barrett Jones & OG Brandon Washington on the 2014 roster. The 6-4 307 pound Barrett Jones started 50 games for Bama over half of those starts were @ OG. If the Rams were lucky enough to use some of that 12 million cap savings to offer Saffold to resign things would greatly improve. Now just draft a few talented OT/OG types & things will have a good mix of youthful vets & talented youth. If you fail to entice Saffold back I would then also consider asking Harvey Dahl if he would accept a new 2 yr contract as the top right side OT/OG first reserve @ a cost around what we paid Chris Williams this season. Harvey would make a decent back up @ ORT if need be. If Long goes down Barksdale can move to OLT. But the Rams must draft a talented OT in the 2014 draft cause Joe Barksdale will be a UFA after 2014!

We all seem to think its a bad ideal to go into the season without Harvey & Scott but we just played a game where we did not have Scott or Harvey for most the game & also lost our OLT late in the third Quarter. So we played with Shelley & Tim and we did well enough. The world did not come to an end.

 

[Alan]

BonifayRam outlining some options:
Currently Shelley is a much better all round OG than CW.

If the Rams were lucky enough to use some of that 12 million cap savings to offer Saffold to resign things would greatly improve. Now just draft a few talented OT/OG types & things will have a good mix of youthful vets & talented youth. If you fail to entice Saffold back I would then also consider asking Harvey Dahl if he would accept a new 2 yr contract as the top right side OT/OG first reserve @ a cost around what we paid Chris Williams this season. Harvey would make a decent back up @ ORT if need be. If Long goes down Barksdale can move to OLT. But the Rams must draft a talented OT in the 2014 draft cause Joe Barksdale will be a UFA after 2014!

We all seem to think its a bad ideal to go into the season without Harvey & Scott but we just played a game where we did not have Scott or Harvey for most the game & also lost our OLT late in the third Quarter. So we played with Shelley & Tim and we did well enough. The world did not come to an end.

I don't know whether CW or Shelly is the better player but I frankly don't like either one as a starter. The improvement seen when Saffold started playing guard illustrates the step down in quality between him and the other two.

Not all of us think it's a bad thing to go into next year without Wells and Dahl. I'm of the opinion that it could be a good thing but Saffold is the key to where we go with the O-line.

Of course I also want to draft both an OT and an OG at some point in the draft with one of them in the first or second round.