Writing on wall for Jo-Lonn Dunbar release

[News Bot]

Nick Wagoner
<a class="postlink" href="http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/371/writing-on-the-wall-for-dunbars-release" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/p ... rs-release</a>


It was less than a month ago that Jo-Lonn Dunbar was working with the first-team defense in practice at his usual linebacker position. As of early Tuesday evening, he's no longer a Ram.

The series of events that led to the news is a bit on the strange side but the move doesn't come as too much of a surprise given all that's happened since Dunbar's suspension was first announced.

Entering the second year of a two-year deal with the Rams, Dunbar looked poised to have another strong season next to running mate James Laurinaitis and potentially cash in with a nice payday as an unrestricted free agent after the season.

That all changed on Aug. 14 when a league spokesman announced that Dunbar would be suspended for four games because of a violation of the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing substances. Rams coach Jeff Fisher spoke out the following day and made it quite clear he wasn't happy with Dunbar's mistake.

"First and foremost, we are very, very disappointed in his choices and his decisions," Fisher said then. "It's selfish, it hurts the team but we also see it as an opportunity to learn from a mistake, so we discussed it with the entire squad last night and I think everybody understands the responsibilities that each and every player has as far as taking care of themselves and what you can do and what you can't do."

The Rams moved quickly to demote Dunbar from the first-team defense and plug veteran Will Witherspoon in his spot. Fisher went so far as to say that upon return from his suspension, Dunbar's position would be "re-evaluated" in terms of whether or not he'd get his job back. Apparently that evaluation has already taken place, given Tuesday's news.

Dunbar's workload in the preseason was relatively limited. He played 63 snaps in the four exhibition games, including just three against Green Bay in the second contest. Dunbar's tenuous situation provided opportunities for undrafted free agents Daren Bates and Ray Ray Armstrong to get plenty of work, which each player took advantage of.

Armstrong earned the second most snaps among linebackers behind rookie Alec Ogletree and secured a roster spot with his consistent performance. When the Rams announced their cuts to the 53-man roster on Saturday, Armstrong and Bates made the team, along with fellow undrafted rookie Jonathan Stewart.

All of that came after it had long been established that Ogletree would stay on the field all three downs in nickel packages alongside Laurinaitis, a role Dunbar held in 2012.

While the Rams are clearly high on that trio of youngsters at the position, Dunbar's release probably goes a bit deeper than simply being replaced. Fisher and the Rams have made it repeatedly clear that if given the choice between a veteran and a young player with potential, they prefer not to block the young player from getting the reps needed to get up to speed.

Adding Dunbar's pending free agency to the mix as well as a salary-cap hit that was scheduled to come in at $2.3 million this season for a team tight up against it almost certainly contributed to the move as well. After the suspension, it seemed a near certainty that Dunbar wouldn't be back with the Rams.

Parting ways sooner than later allows them more flexibility under the cap and the chance to develop a long-term replacement opposite Ogletree.

 

[CoachO]

Nick Wagoner
<a class="postlink" href="http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/371/writing-on-the-wall-for-dunbars-release" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/p ... rs-release</a>


It was less than a month ago that Jo-Lonn Dunbar was working with the first-team defense in practice at his usual linebacker position. As of early Tuesday evening, he's no longer a Ram.

The series of events that led to the news is a bit on the strange side but the move doesn't come as too much of a surprise given all that's happened since Dunbar's suspension was first announced.

Entering the second year of a two-year deal with the Rams, Dunbar looked poised to have another strong season next to running mate James Laurinaitis and potentially cash in with a nice payday as an unrestricted free agent after the season.

That all changed on Aug. 14 when a league spokesman announced that Dunbar would be suspended for four games because of a violation of the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing substances. Rams coach Jeff Fisher spoke out the following day and made it quite clear he wasn't happy with Dunbar's mistake.

"First and foremost, we are very, very disappointed in his choices and his decisions," Fisher said then. "It's selfish, it hurts the team but we also see it as an opportunity to learn from a mistake, so we discussed it with the entire squad last night and I think everybody understands the responsibilities that each and every player has as far as taking care of themselves and what you can do and what you can't do."

The Rams moved quickly to demote Dunbar from the first-team defense and plug veteran Will Witherspoon in his spot. Fisher went so far as to say that upon return from his suspension, Dunbar's position would be "re-evaluated" in terms of whether or not he'd get his job back. Apparently that evaluation has already taken place, given Tuesday's news.

Dunbar's workload in the preseason was relatively limited. He played 63 snaps in the four exhibition games, including just three against Green Bay in the second contest. Dunbar's tenuous situation provided opportunities for undrafted free agents Daren Bates and Ray Ray Armstrong to get plenty of work, which each player took advantage of.

Armstrong earned the second most snaps among linebackers behind rookie Alec Ogletree and secured a roster spot with his consistent performance. When the Rams announced their cuts to the 53-man roster on Saturday, Armstrong and Bates made the team, along with fellow undrafted rookie Jonathan Stewart.

All of that came after it had long been established that Ogletree would stay on the field all three downs in nickel packages alongside Laurinaitis, a role Dunbar held in 2012.

While the Rams are clearly high on that trio of youngsters at the position, Dunbar's release probably goes a bit deeper than simply being replaced. Fisher and the Rams have made it repeatedly clear that if given the choice between a veteran and a young player with potential, they prefer not to block the young player from getting the reps needed to get up to speed.

Adding Dunbar's pending free agency to the mix as well as a salary-cap hit that was scheduled to come in at $2.3 million this season for a team tight up against it almost certainly contributed to the move as well. After the suspension, it seemed a near certainty that Dunbar wouldn't be back with the Rams.
Parting ways sooner than later allows them more flexibility under the cap and the chance to develop a long-term replacement opposite Ogletree.

These three thing jump out at me when looking at this situation.

First of all, I think it has been a foregone conclusion around Rams Park that this was bound to happen. It was more a case of when, not if. First and foremost, this is as much a financial decision as it is anything else. Combine this with the Sims extension, they are getting closer to where they need to be heading into the season with cap space.

Keep in mind, Dunbar's role (and now Witherspoon's) was going to be greatly reduced this year anyway, with the addition of Ogletree. The Base 4-3 defense is only on the field 40-45 % of the time. With Laurinatis and Ogletree in the sub-packages, the need for the 3rd LB to be an every down sort of guy just isn't reality.

The other thing that this say to me, is they really like the play of Darren Bates. Say what you want about Armstrong, he is not in the same role as the SLB. I know they have talked about the "right and left" LB's rather the Strong and Weak. But there are defined roles within the makeup of this defense. Armstrong and Ogletree are the same type player. Its very doubtful they will both be on the field at the same time.

The reports are that his suspension was NOT for PEDs, so can we please stop with all the speculation as to the why's? Bottom line, he was not going to be here for FOUR WEEKS, and that includes on the practice field. Fisher has stated that they are "standing pat" with the roster as is. They did NOT put in a single claim for any of the waived players over the weekend. So this tells me, they like what they have at this point and are committed to developing the youngsters.

 

[albefree69]

News Bot late to the party but with good tidbits:
While the Rams are clearly high on that trio of youngsters at the position, Dunbar's release probably goes a bit deeper than simply being replaced. Fisher and the Rams have made it repeatedly clear that if given the choice between a veteran and a young player with potential, they prefer not to block the young player from getting the reps needed to get up to speed.

Adding Dunbar's pending free agency to the mix as well as a salary-cap hit that was scheduled to come in at $2.3 million this season for a team tight up against it almost certainly contributed to the move as well. After the suspension, it seemed a near certainty that Dunbar wouldn't be back with the Rams.

Parting ways sooner than later allows them more flexibility under the cap and the chance to develop a long-term replacement opposite Ogletree.

All good stuff NB! :bg:

EDIT: Go ahead and throw the fact that you're younger and faster than me in my face. :lol:

 

[Username]

Dunbar was 28 and in the prime of his career. Taking him out for reasons of "playing the youngster" makes no sense to me. The Rams should be focused on winning now. Dunbar was a playmaker on the defense anyway you looks at it, and he brought an attitude that's been missed for a long time here. I personally think he was on the brink of a monster season with this defense. I get why they did it, but do not agree with it at all.

Writing on wall is a bad phase in this situation imo. Seems like the majority of people are generally surprised.

 

[Rabid Ram]

Dunbar was 28 and in the prime of his career. Taking him out for reasons of "playing the youngster" makes no sense to me. The Rams should be focused on winning now. Dunbar was a playmaker on the defense anyway you looks at it, and he brought an attitude that's been missed for a long time here. I personally think he was on the brink of a monster season with this defense. I get why they did it, but do not agree with it at all.

Writing on wall is a bad phase in this situation imo. Seems like the majority of people are generally surprised.

And pissed

 

[Warner4Prez]

Dunbar was 28 and in the prime of his career. Taking him out for reasons of "playing the youngster" makes no sense to me. The Rams should be focused on winning now. Dunbar was a playmaker on the defense anyway you looks at it, and he brought an attitude that's been missed for a long time here. I personally think he was on the brink of a monster season with this defense. I get why they did it, but do not agree with it at all.

Writing on wall is a bad phase in this situation imo. Seems like the majority of people are generally surprised.

Agreed 110%. The potential for game changing plays this defense had with Ogletree/J-Lau/Dunbar playing behind that d-line was huge. I'm not selling hope or anything like that. But I feel that in the name of making a statement to the rest of the team, they may have shot themselves in the foot.

 

[Angry Ram]

Dunbar was 28 and in the prime of his career. Taking him out for reasons of "playing the youngster" makes no sense to me. The Rams should be focused on winning now. Dunbar was a playmaker on the defense anyway you looks at it, and he brought an attitude that's been missed for a long time here. I personally think he was on the brink of a monster season with this defense. I get why they did it, but do not agree with it at all.

Writing on wall is a bad phase in this situation imo. Seems like the majority of people are generally surprised.

See I disagree w/ the playmaker thing.

The dude brought heart and passion and was a badass hitter. Loved that shit. And was a great asset in run support.

BUT let's not forget how he was in coverage. He was so-so and b/c of that, I don't think this is THAT big a deal. Sure, might miss him in the short term but I'd bet we won't even notice that he was on the team come November.

 

[DR RAM]

Dunbar was 28 and in the prime of his career. Taking him out for reasons of "playing the youngster" makes no sense to me. The Rams should be focused on winning now. Dunbar was a playmaker on the defense anyway you looks at it, and he brought an attitude that's been missed for a long time here. I personally think he was on the brink of a monster season with this defense. I get why they did it, but do not agree with it at all.

Writing on wall is a bad phase in this situation imo. Seems like the majority of people are generally surprised.

And pissed

I think most of us would agree that it is unusual for a player of his age and talent to be cut. I think there will be some clarity to the story in the next couple of days, unless it's a matter that can't be discussed publicly. If that is the case, then I expect people to remain perplexed, and pissed.

 

[BuiltRamTough]

Dunbar was 28 and in the prime of his career. Taking him out for reasons of "playing the youngster" makes no sense to me. The Rams should be focused on winning now. Dunbar was a playmaker on the defense anyway you looks at it, and he brought an attitude that's been missed for a long time here. I personally think he was on the brink of a monster season with this defense. I get why they did it, but do not agree with it at all.

Writing on wall is a bad phase in this situation imo. Seems like the majority of people are generally surprised.

Agreed. I think there's more to this then age and salary. I don't buy one minute of it. There is something behind closed doors that we don't know about. Maybe he got high? Maybe he was pissed for not getting 1st team reps in the preseason, Von Miller got 1st team reps and he's suspended for 6 games. All I know is that Jo Lon was one of the best players on our team last year and we will miss him. But you gtta trust Fish and Snead....

 

[max]

Dunbar was 28 and in the prime of his career. Taking him out for reasons of "playing the youngster" makes no sense to me. The Rams should be focused on winning now. Dunbar was a playmaker on the defense anyway you looks at it, and he brought an attitude that's been missed for a long time here. I personally think he was on the brink of a monster season with this defense. I get why they did it, but do not agree with it at all.

Writing on wall is a bad phase in this situation imo. Seems like the majority of people are generally surprised.

Agreed. I think there's more to this then age and salary. I don't buy one minute of it. There is something behind closed doors that we don't know about. Maybe he got high? Maybe he was pissed for not getting 1st team reps in the preseason, Von Miller got 1st team reps and he's suspended for 6 games. All I know is that Jo Lon was one of the best players on our team last year and we will miss him. But you gtta trust Fish and Snead....

Excellent points.

Fox stood by Miller, said he wouldn't penalize him further than the league did. And didn't Miller let his team down? Wasn't he selfish like Dunbar?

Yet, Fox and Fisher are good friends. Appear to be cut from the same cloth. So why the difference in the Miller and Dunbar treatment?

I think there's something we don't know about Dunbar that Fisher is most displeased about.

 

[PhillyRam]

This is not that hard. Drafting Ogletree pretty much ended the chances of re-signing Dunbar. LBs just do not get big deals unless they play every down and are special like a Von Miller. So his days were likely numbered anyway. Now throw in the suspension, which means losing 4 games and likely not being really ready to play at a high level until game 6 or 7, then factor in WW and Ray Ray/Bates, and also the cap with the need to have $$ to bring in emergency help if needed (like an OT if injuries hit), then this makes a lot of sense.

Ogeltree is the future, not Dunbar and he was going to get paid like a 3 down backer. Throw in the lack of trust in regards to what he did to get suspended and how that may have helped his past performance, I can't see how this is an issue or why some can't understand it.

 

[Thordaddy]

Dunbar was 28 and in the prime of his career. Taking him out for reasons of "playing the youngster" makes no sense to me. The Rams should be focused on winning now. Dunbar was a playmaker on the defense anyway you looks at it, and he brought an attitude that's been missed for a long time here. I personally think he was on the brink of a monster season with this defense. I get why they did it, but do not agree with it at all.

Writing on wall is a bad phase in this situation imo. Seems like the majority of people are generally surprised.

Agreed. I think there's more to this then age and salary. I don't buy one minute of it. There is something behind closed doors that we don't know about. Maybe he got high? Maybe he was pissed for not getting 1st team reps in the preseason, Von Miller got 1st team reps and he's suspended for 6 games. All I know is that Jo Lon was one of the best players on our team last year and we will miss him. But you gtta trust Fish and Snead....

Excellent points.

Fox stood by Miller, said he wouldn't penalize him further than the league did. And didn't Miller let his team down? Wasn't he selfish like Dunbar?

Yet, Fox and Fisher are good friends. Appear to be cut from the same cloth. So why the difference in the Miller and Dunbar treatment?

I think there's something we don't know about Dunbar that Fisher is most displeased about.

There are several things that differ about those situations,not the least of which is that Miller is one of if not the best pass rusher in the league and Elvis Dumerville had already left in FA.

Further Witherspoon and other's performance may well rival Dunbar's.

A player that causes problems must be worth dealing with them and Fox and Fisher may well be making the same decision with different variables, I doubt we'd have cut Robert Quinn or Chris Long.

The length of Dunbar's remaining contract and that we would be ostensibly rehabbing his image in preparation for contract demands we weren't going to meet.
What is more AS Coach O says, he was actually changing positions and had really lost his job from last year to a rookie.

If we stink out loud at Dunbars NEW position I'll be upset, but IMO we are far from able to evaluate his performance at his new position vs. his replacement and don't know that Dunbar would have been better.
ISH WE
F T
N R
I USt

 

[max]

Dunbar was 28 and in the prime of his career. Taking him out for reasons of "playing the youngster" makes no sense to me. The Rams should be focused on winning now. Dunbar was a playmaker on the defense anyway you looks at it, and he brought an attitude that's been missed for a long time here. I personally think he was on the brink of a monster season with this defense. I get why they did it, but do not agree with it at all.

Writing on wall is a bad phase in this situation imo. Seems like the majority of people are generally surprised.

Agreed. I think there's more to this then age and salary. I don't buy one minute of it. There is something behind closed doors that we don't know about. Maybe he got high? Maybe he was pissed for not getting 1st team reps in the preseason, Von Miller got 1st team reps and he's suspended for 6 games. All I know is that Jo Lon was one of the best players on our team last year and we will miss him. But you gtta trust Fish and Snead....

Excellent points.

Fox stood by Miller, said he wouldn't penalize him further than the league did. And didn't Miller let his team down? Wasn't he selfish like Dunbar?

Yet, Fox and Fisher are good friends. Appear to be cut from the same cloth. So why the difference in the Miller and Dunbar treatment?

I think there's something we don't know about Dunbar that Fisher is most displeased about.

There are several things that differ about those situations,not the least of which is that Miller is one of if not the best pass rusher in the league and Elvis Dumerville had already left in FA.

Further Witherspoon and other's performance may well rival Dunbar's.

A player that causes problems must be worth dealing with them and Fox and Fisher may well be making the same decision with different variables, I doubt we'd have cut Robert Quinn or Chris Long.

The length of Dunbar's remaining contract and that we would be ostensibly rehabbing his image in preparation for contract demands we weren't going to meet.
What is more AS Coach O says, he was actually changing positions and had really lost his job from last year to a rookie.

If we stink out loud at Dunbars NEW position I'll be upset, but IMO we are far from able to evaluate his performance at his new position vs. his replacement and don't know that Dunbar would have been better.
ISH WE
F T
N R
I USt

I appreciate what you're saying but I still smell something funny here. I expect to hear about additional issues with Dunbar that go beyond the financial and position ones that we are discussing. I am questioning his behavior in the locker room and at practice after the suspension. Does anyone know anything about that?

 

[Thordaddy]

Critical mass

 

[LesBaker]

I can see both sides of this, that he was expendable for various reasons and that he got cut because there is more to this than meets the eye. A case can certainly be made for both........but I have this little voice in my head that leans towards him doing something after his positive test that brought down the hammer.

 

[Thordaddy]

I can see both sides of this, that he was expendable for various reasons and that he got cut because there is more to this than meets the eye. A case can certainly be made for both........but I have this little voice in my head that leans towards him doing something after his positive test that brought down the hammer.

Yeah OR that we knew he'd tested pos. for something before we signed him and he'd assured us those days were behind him and Fisher was just waiting to see if we had injuries or no suitable replacements.

 

[nighttrain]

whatever this was about, i'll bet Fisher & Snead got together on this decision, and it's done deed. time to worry about other issues
train

 

[Rabid Ram]

I can see both sides of this, that he was expendable for various reasons and that he got cut because there is more to this than meets the eye. A case can certainly be made for both........but I have this little voice in my head that leans towards him doing something after his positive test that brought down the hammer.

Yeah OR that we knew he'd tested pos. for something before we signed him and he'd assured us those days were behind him and Fisher was just waiting to see if we had injuries or no suitable replacements.

Ive had a night to sleep on it and i believe your right about the wait and see approach i just hope he doesn't go to a division opponent

 

[bubbaramfan]

One aspect of Dunbar's play, biting on play-action fakes, (Dunbar bit a lot), will be corrected by his replacement, Will Witherspoon. WW is a savy vet and will be a good teacher for the younger players. I still expect to see a lot of play-action, and Rams youngsters biting and getting burned. Just inevitable with so many rookie and first year players in the backfield. I'm glad 'Spoon will be back there with them instead of Dunbar.

 

[Thordaddy]

One aspect of Dunbar's play, biting on play-action fakes, (Dunbar bit a lot), will be corrected by his replacement, Will Witherspoon. WW is a savy vet and will be a good teacher for the younger players. I still expect to see a lot of play-action, and Rams youngsters biting and getting burned. Just inevitable with so many rookie and first year players in the backfield. I'm glad 'Spoon will be back there with them instead of Dunbar.

Me2