The Rams' calculated risks in free agency

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Mike Sando
<a class="postlink" href="http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/74884/the-rams-calculated-risks-in-free-agency" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/ ... ree-agency</a>


[wrapimg=right]http://a.espncdn.com/i/teamlogos/nfl/med/trans/stl.gif[/wrapimg]"There has been a lot of talk about Jeff Fisher being a strong reason that players sign with us in free agency -- Jake Long, Jared Cook, Cortland Finnegan, etc.," he writes. "Why didn't playing with Fisher have a bigger impact on keeping this year's free-agent class? Steven Jackson, Danny Amendola, Brandon Gibson, Robert Turner, Craig Dahl and Bradley Fletcher come to mind. We wanted at least a couple of these guys back, right?"

Sando: The Rams made little or no effort to keep those players. They felt now was a good time to make the break with Jackson. They could not justify paying a $7 million salary to an older running back while building around younger players. Jackson wasn't interested in taking a pay reduction after all he'd given to the organization. Both sides had good reasons for following the courses they chose to follow.

The Rams ideally would have kept Amendola, but at what price was that going to make sense? And if that price were high enough, would it affect the team's ability to land other free agents such as Long or Cook? I've felt for some time that Gibson was an adequate player, but not the answer, either. The longer he was starting, the more clear it was that St. Louis was not improving sufficiently at the position. The same could be said for Turner and Dahl, who were good role players.

Now, that doesn't mean every one of those players had to go. The Rams could pay a higher price if their younger players aren't ready.

The Rams are taking a leap of faith this year. They're moving on from the known to the unknown. In most cases, the known was not all that great. There's still risk involved, but overall, I appreciate the Rams' willingness to build around young draft choices. They have decided to pay top dollar for a couple younger free agents such as Long and Cook. They have generally decided against signing role players for a few million dollars per year, figuring drafted players can perform as well or better at more affordable prices.

Fans will feel better about things, most likely, when the Rams select two more players in the first round next month.
 

ramsince62

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News Bot said:
Mike Sando
<a class="postlink" href="http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/74884/the-rams-calculated-risks-in-free-agency" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/ ... ree-agency</a>


[wrapimg=right]http://a.espncdn.com/i/teamlogos/nfl/med/trans/stl.gif[/wrapimg]"There has been a lot of talk about Jeff Fisher being a strong reason that players sign with us in free agency -- Jake Long, Jared Cook, Cortland Finnegan, etc.," he writes. "Why didn't playing with Fisher have a bigger impact on keeping this year's free-agent class? Steven Jackson, Danny Amendola, Brandon Gibson, Robert Turner, Craig Dahl and Bradley Fletcher come to mind. We wanted at least a couple of these guys back, right?"

Sando: The Rams made little or no effort to keep those players. They felt now was a good time to make the break with Jackson. They could not justify paying a $7 million salary to an older running back while building around younger players. Jackson wasn't interested in taking a pay reduction after all he'd given to the organization. Both sides had good reasons for following the courses they chose to follow.

The Rams ideally would have kept Amendola, but at what price was that going to make sense? And if that price were high enough, would it affect the team's ability to land other free agents such as Long or Cook? I've felt for some time that Gibson was an adequate player, but not the answer, either. The longer he was starting, the more clear it was that St. Louis was not improving sufficiently at the position. The same could be said for Turner and Dahl, who were good role players.

Now, that doesn't mean every one of those players had to go. The Rams could pay a higher price if their younger players aren't ready.

The Rams are taking a leap of faith this year. They're moving on from the known to the unknown. In most cases, the known was not all that great. There's still risk involved, but overall, I appreciate the Rams' willingness to build around young draft choices. They have decided to pay top dollar for a couple younger free agents such as Long and Cook. They have generally decided against signing role players for a few million dollars per year, figuring drafted players can perform as well or better at more affordable prices.

Fans will feel better about things, most likely, when the Rams select two more players in the first round next month.
I don't know about the moving from known into the unknown thingy, especially after all the changes last year. It seems to me as I look at the roster changes so far this year, other than at RB, this team is getting stronger and adding leadership. :razzed:
 

MTRamsFan

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This is an interesting take. A couple of thoughts come to mind. First, I don't agree about Fisher, Snead and Co. moving from the known to the unknown. I think that happened last year with the youth movement. I would say that this year there is more known other than at RB and safety. Let's look at who left.

* I understand the SJ39 move being large salary and having to share time with Pead and Richardson. Yeah, I would have loved that he retire as a RAM, but I understand the dynamics of the situation.

* I liked Gibby, but unfortunately he is not a No. 1 caliber receiver in the league. So, why waste money on an eventual back-up on our roster.

* Amendola was a favorite of mine. Never questioned his heart and drive, but there was a huge risk of re-signing him for a large contract and with his recent injury history probably proved to be more risk than the RAMS wanted to take.

* IMO, Turner was a huge reason why the O-Line played so much better than in recent memory. Unfortunately, he will probably be a journeyman O-Lineman as a back-up with too high of a price to go along with it.

* Don't even get me started on Dahl. Thank-you whiners (Damn that hurt)

* Of all the free agents let go, Fletcher was one I did not understand. I thought he played very consistent. But again, with Finnegan, Jenkins and Johnson, they must have felt that he was expendable. CB is one of those positions you can't have enough of.

I agree with Sando saying that we as fans are feeling better about the direction the team is headed. I trust these guys will continue building a championship team for many years. It's going to take some time but they are doing it the right way.

GO RAMS!
 

CGI_Ram

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I agree with Montana. Losing Fletcher feels like a big loss. As of this moment; we have 4 CB's on the roster. Yikes!
 

Memento

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CGI_Ram said:
I agree with Montana. Losing Fletcher feels like a big loss. As of this moment; we have 4 CB's on the roster. Yikes!

I understand why Fletcher wanted to leave, though. He'll be a damned good number two cornerback in Philadelphia, and he played well enough to be a starter here. There's just not enough room for four starters at cornerback, especially when Pointer can fill in the dime cornerback role admirably and when we can sign another cornerback as a UDFA. Fletcher was the one guy out of all of our free agents who I never thought we had a chance in hell of resigning.
 

Angry Ram

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CGI_Ram said:
I agree with Montana. Losing Fletcher feels like a big loss. As of this moment; we have 4 CB's on the roster. Yikes!

Why? For one, we knew it was coming. Two, he barely played since that New England game except on STs. Not a big loss, and I expect them to draft another one relatively high.
 

nighttrain

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Like with DA, with Fletch, was about money for a non starter in a lousy cap situation
train
 

bluecoconuts

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I liked Fletcher when he played, before we got Tru, Jenkins, and Finnegan... After we got them, he wasn't someone we needed, and it reflected in his (lack of) playing time... Would I have liked him to stick around? Sure I would have. Am I upset he's not? Not at all, I came to terms with that after about week 2.
 

jrry32

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MontanaRamsFan said:
This is an interesting take. A couple of thoughts come to mind. First, I don't agree about Fisher, Snead and Co. moving from the known to the unknown. I think that happened last year with the youth movement. I would say that this year there is more known other than at RB and safety. Let's look at who left.

* I understand the SJ39 move being large salary and having to share time with Pead and Richardson. Yeah, I would have loved that he retire as a RAM, but I understand the dynamics of the situation.

* I liked Gibby, but unfortunately he is not a No. 1 caliber receiver in the league. So, why waste money on an eventual back-up on our roster.

* Amendola was a favorite of mine. Never questioned his heart and drive, but there was a huge risk of re-signing him for a large contract and with his recent injury history probably proved to be more risk than the RAMS wanted to take.

* IMO, Turner was a huge reason why the O-Line played so much better than in recent memory. Unfortunately, he will probably be a journeyman O-Lineman as a back-up with too high of a price to go along with it.

* Don't even get me started on Dahl. Thank-you whiners (Damn that hurt)

* Of all the free agents let go, Fletcher was one I did not understand. I thought he played very consistent. But again, with Finnegan, Jenkins and Johnson, they must have felt that he was expendable. CB is one of those positions you can't have enough of.

I agree with Sando saying that we as fans are feeling better about the direction the team is headed. I trust these guys will continue building a championship team for many years. It's going to take some time but they are doing it the right way.

GO RAMS!

He didn't fit the scheme. Fletch can be excellent in a press man or zone heavy scheme but his skill-set just doesn't fit the off man scheme that we run.
 

jap

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Fletch is a Spags-type CB, a press CB. Fish is more interested in fitting his style of CB's into his D.
 

libertadrocks

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I have nightmares about the massacre we experienced at CB 2 years ago, bu Im not as worried about CB as many of you.

We have 4 on the roster. 3 are starting caliber and Pointer is no slouch. He played awesome last preseason. If you will remember he played himself onto the roster in the 4th preseason game. He was awesome.

Also, we only carried 4 CBs on the gameday roster for much of last year. We have those 4.

At this point you're not going to sign a CB worth his weight, without over paying. I think we can address CB late in the draft and through UDFAs. I think there will be better, more affordable talent in the UDFA pool than what you see in the FAs.
 

CGI_Ram

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libertadrocks said:
I have nightmares about the massacre we experienced at CB 2 years ago, bu Im not as worried about CB as many of you.

We have 4 on the roster. 3 are starting caliber and Pointer is no slouch. He played awesome last preseason. If you will remember he played himself onto the roster in the 4th preseason game. He was awesome.

Also, we only carried 4 CBs on the gameday roster for much of last year. We have those 4.

At this point you're not going to sign a CB worth his weight, without over paying. I think we can address CB late in the draft and through UDFAs. I think there will be better, more affordable talent in the UDFA pool than what you see in the FAs.

I agree with all of this... particularly the nightmares! :lmao:

Like you, I think we take one in the draft, maybe two, late. I also think the Rams feel confident in the possibility of finding an UDFA like Pointer after the draft.

But... those nightmares... I do not like being thin at CB.