The 2014 Rams Free Agent Class

[FRO]

Last year I wanted either Jared Cook or Jake Long we got both. However looking over free agency you rarely get good bang for your buck. Had Jake Long not tore his knee, he would have been well worth his contract if not out performing it. Jared Cook is an athletic freak, however I feel he is better when not the primary option. Then look at the 2012 class headed by Finnagen, Wells, and Langford. Langford is solid, Wells is average, and last year Finnagen was horrible. Then you had guys in the 2012 class like Hayes and Dunbar who have plays very well for us. This 2014 class tries to see if they can get more Hayes/Dunbar types. It is possible however we can get Laws/Turner types instead. With that being said I really like the 2014 class. This is how free agency should be done. Forking out big money rarely works and usually loads your cap space with dead money. Free agency should be used as a side dish, not the main course. That's what the draft is for. If you can't draft well you are doomed.

2014 free agent class:
Alex Carringron DT Age: 26- Started all 3 games he played in last year for Buffalo. Fringe starting ability. Great rotational DT

Shaun Hill QB Age: 34- One of the best backups in the game. A huge improvement at the position.

Kenny Britt WR Age: 25- Looked like he was going to emerge as a star WR early in his career. Injuries and attitude derailed that. If he can regain form he will be a steal.

TJ Moe WR Age: 23- Rams tried signing him as a UDFA last year. Could emerge as an Amendola like slot guy.

Greg Reid CB Age: 23- Slot CB and special teams guy. Has plus physical ability. Off the field concerns.

Davin Joseph OG Age: 30- Comes in as a swing OG. If recovered fully from his injury he will be a bargain.

 

[fearsomefour]

Low risk signings. I really like Carrington and Hill signings. Have wanted Hill for several years, ideal backup in my mind.
I am interested to see what Reid and Britt can do.

 

[Boffo97]

Low risk signings. I really like Carrington and Hill signings. Have wanted Hill for several years, ideal backup in my mind.
I am interested to see what Reid and Britt can do.

Low risk high reward signings have been a key for this administration it seems.

Even with what can be regarded as THE biggest free agent acquisition under this administration, Jake Long, we have a contract that IF WE NEED TO, we can dump after next season with only 2 million and change in dead money.

Jared Cook's contract may be the exception to the rule there though.

 

[den-the-coach]

What's really nice about the signing of Shaun Hill is in the third pre-season games against the Cleveland Browns many of us won't have to listen to Browns Color analyst Bernie Kosar crack on QB Kellen Clemens!

 

[Sum1]

Carrington was one of the guys I wanted the Rams to go out and get. He'd probably be a starter somewhere if he didn't have injury issues. Hopefully those are behind him and he is a very solid 4th DT.

 

[Faceplant]

What's really nice about the signing of Shaun Hill is in the third pre-season games against the Cleveland Browns many of us won't have to listen to Browns Color analyst Bernie Kosar crack on QB Kellen Clemens!

HA! Actually, NO ONE will have to hear him slur on about their backup QB. They fired his a$$ a few months ago. Be gone Bernie. Go bankrupt your wife's family now....

 

[junkman]

I had to do my free agency exercise to decide what I thought about all these 1 year deals. If one of them really pans out, then you have hard time signing them. But I guess that evens out in the end compared to wasting money on bad FAs. All these guys, of course, become 2015 free agents.

So looking ahead to 2015 free agency, this is not horrible. I've bolded the folks who'd get a little extra attention from me (some more than others) in addition to any of these 1 year guys who perform and any "bubble" players who perform (Pettis, Kendricks, McLeod, Harkey...). That gives the Rams 2 full seasons without any major contract headaches.

http://www.spotrac.com/free-agents/nfl/2015/st.-louis-rams/
PLAYER POS STATUS AGE 2014 CAP HIT
Shaun Hill QB UFA 34 $1,750,000
Davin Joseph G UFA 30 $1,750,000
Austin Pettis WR UFA 26 $1,575,567
Alex Carrington DE UFA 26 $1,500,000
Kenny Britt WR UFA 25 $1,375,000
Lance Kendricks TE UFA 26 $1,344,614
Joe Barksdale RT UFA 25 $645,000
Michael Person RT UFA 25 $645,000
Matt Daniels S RFA 24 $573,333
Johnny Hekker P RFA 24 $573,333
Matt Conrath DT RFA 24 $572,000
Rodney McLeod S RFA 24 $571,333
Tim Barnes C RFA 26 $570,000
Austin Davis QB RFA 25 $570,000
Sammy Brown DE UFA 24 $495,000
Chase Reynolds RB ERFA 26 $495,000
Justin Veltung WR ERFA 23 $495,000
Brandon Washington G ERFA 25 $495,000
Bobby Cowan P ERFA $420,000
Etienne Sabino OLB ERFA 23 $420,000
Todd Anderson FB RFA 25
Cory Harkey TE ERFA 23
Calvin Middleton RB RFA 24

Then, looking ahead to 2016... it looks pretty bad with Quinn and Bradford hitting in the same year. But Bradford is already on big money, so this is just a matter of re-signing him to a similar deal. And a few of the guys (e.g. Jenkins and Brockers I'm guessing) probably have 5th year options. Which pushes them to 2017. The team should survive 2016 free agency pretty well, where Quinn's contract is the only one which will out and out suck to write those checks... but Quinn has to be re-signed. No choice.

http://www.spotrac.com/free-agents/nfl/2016/st.-louis-rams/

PLAYER POS STATUS AGE 2015 CAP HIT
Sam Bradford QB UFA 26 $16,580,000
Kendall Langford DT UFA 28 $7,000,000
Robert Quinn DE UFA 24 $6,969,000
Scott Wells C UFA 33 $4,750,000
William Hayes DE UFA 29 $4,355,000
Michael Brockers DT UFA 23 $3,029,727
Eugene Sims DE UFA 28 $2,016,686
Brian Quick WR UFA 25 $1,713,918
Janoris Jenkins CB UFA 25 $1,587,829
Isaiah Pead RB UFA 24 $1,284,850
JoLonn Dunbar OLB UFA 29 $1,125,520
Trumaine Johnson CB UFA 24 $962,294
Chris Givens WR UFA 24 $784,257
Greg Zuerlein K UFA 26 $723,307
Benny Cunningham RB RFA 23 $588,334
Philip Steward OLB RFA 23 $588,334
Ray-Ray Armstrong OLB RFA 25 $585,000
Daren Bates ILB RFA 23 $585,000
Mason Brodine DE RFA 26 $585,000
Cody Davis S RFA 25 $585,000
Emory Blake WR ERFA 22 $510,000
Justice Cunningham TE ERFA 23 $510,000
Sean Hooey RT ERFA 23 $510,000
Caleb McSurdy ILB UFA 24 $510,000
Darren Woodard CB ERFA 24 $510,000

2017, 2018, 2019... with all these RGIII bounty picks hitting, it'll be tough keeping the team together. But that's 3 / 4 / 5 full seasons away (and 2 / 3 / 4 new draft classes away), an eternity in NFL time (i.e. Aaron Donald and Greg Robinson presuming they get extended with a 5th year option don't become free agents until 2019). Between now and then, we just need to make smart choices about which of all these young players get re-signed to their 2nd contracts to keep the team together, make good draft picks to replace the guys we lose, free agency to spackle in the rest.

If this team and all these young players can really put it together, they should have a solid 4 year window starting now where they are very competitive.

 

[NJRamsFan]

Britt, Reid, and Carington really excite me. Think we got a lot of under the radar moves that will have huge impacts on the field

 

[FRO]

To me you don't get bang for your buck in free agency. Draft well, resign your guys, add cheap free agents with upside like we did.

 

[RamsAndEwe]

Carrington was one of the guys I wanted the Rams to go out and get. He'd probably be a starter somewhere if he didn't have injury issues. Hopefully those are behind him and he is a very solid 4th DT.

Carrington will block a few passes, Extra-P's, and field goals.

 

[RamzFanz]

Rams can't keep paying Bradford at that level if he doesn't stay healthy this season and have some serious success with the players he has.