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Interesting article. For years the Seahawks had a recruiting edge because Washington had no state income tax, something the Rams and 49ers couldn’t offer in California. Now Washington’s new tax on high earners could chip away at that advantage. The fact that GM John Schneider is already talking about it publicly says a lot.
Once FA is done - or mostly done - I like to look at what roster spots are virtually locked in. A lot of fans here have opinions about players like Coleman Shelton that are not realistic - those aside, I think its relatively easy to predict positions the Rams will draft, because of how intentional we are. That said:
QB (2) - Stafford/? - I have a feeling we will not keep three this year and elect to use that spot for special teams depth - but it is possible we keep 3 again, I'm going to go with 2 for now though. Likely Jimmy.
RB (3) - Kyren/Corum/Hunter
WR (5) - Puka/Adams/Whittington/Mumpfield/Smith - Smith was always a no brainer to return. He improved as a WR and as an ERFA, is very cheap
TE (4) - Ferguson/Parkinson/Higee/Allen
OL (8) - Jackson/Avila/Shelton/Dotson/McClendon/Quessenberry/Limmer/Dedich - Limmer and Dedich having starting experience, and Quessenberry being re-signed
DL (6) - Fiske/Turner/Ford/Hamilton/Johnson/Davis - all have gotten roles and playing time
EDGE (4) - Verse/Young/Stewart/Thomas
ILB (4) - Landman/Speights/Stuard/Dolac
CB (4) - McDuffie/Watson/Forbes/Wallace
S (4) - Curl/Kinchens/Lake/McCollough
ST (3)
Offense notes:
We still need our backup QB. It is most likely to be Jimmy IMO, but until we sign him there is an outside shot that we spend a day 1-2 pick on a QB - ultimately, I think its going to be a vet
RB - rookie RBs never do a ton under McVay (outside of Cam Akers, randomly) - so to me, Hunter is a full on roster lock despite not getting any time last year. Especially given how critical RBs are in pass pro and the need to learn there - first time in a while that we don't draft this position IMO
WR - I mentioned it above, but its worth saying again - Smith was actually pretty good as a WR last year - even if he's not our punt returner, IMO he will be on the roster. That said, very confident there will be a draft pick here*
TE - I know some want Sadiq....I don't get that. TE is almost never worth that high a pick, and Ferguson looks like he is going to be a beast - I think these guys are locked in
OL - I think these 8 are probably safe....we could end up cutting DQ if we draft a T high enough, but even if we do I think its safe. I am very confident there will be a draft pick here*
DL - I would be shocked if we add to this group - all are previous investments
EDGE - with Young hitting FA next year and it unlikely that we will be re-signed IMO, this is a sneaky high draft pick potential. Plus you can never have enough pass rushers - I do think we add someone to this group*
ILB - Dolac was pretty good on teams and we just signed Stuard - that said, I think a 5th ILB would make sense. The special teams investment, plus someone to possibly compete with Speights that is better in coverage would make sense*
CB - we need another long CB - the star/slot role has depth now with Lake/McDuffie/Wallace - need another long CB who also contributed on special teams*
S - special teams demon*
So what you end up with for most likely in the draft is:
OL/WR - likely to be day 1/2 picks
EDGE/ILB/CB - one of these possible on day 1/2
EDGE/ILB/CB/S - some combination of this group is likely to be our day 3 picks
Other possibilities: punter and return specialist that can double as a WR, especially if we trade down and accumulate picks. Evans is scheduled to make $3 million this year and is average at best. Getting more dangerous in the return game is always a positive.
HOUSTON -- Members of the United States’ World Baseball Classic team were still in their Spring Training camps when Jack Hughes scored the game-winning goal in overtime versus Canada to capture the country’s first men’s hockey Olympic gold since 1980. “I was actually doing an interview with some...
I'm a big fan of his as he helped my fantasy team out quite a few times lol. That said, I think he is a strong handed receiver who can also throw a few passes for us along the way. May not possess the over the top speed but we could sign him and still get that WR in the draft or grab Sadiq. Good choices to have.
I see a lot of people saying there aren’t any holes to fill as starters so that opens up the draft to BPA.
After seeing Big Rob go and Jackson’s medical situation, I’d be happy to see more invested to protect Stafford.
I really haven’t put any time into this other than looking at on line rankings. Is 13 too high for Fano? Initial thought is he could play either spot and be a future starter.
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(Simmons is probably the best player we can get at this spot (unless Greedy somehow falls to us), so I'll gladly take who would be a top ten prospect in this class, were it not for the off-the-field problem and his recent ACL injury. He's matured since then, hasn't shied away from admitting his role, and has become a team leader. On the field, he's a monster who has been compared to prime-Ndamukong Suh. Next to Donald and Brockers/John Franklin-Myers, that would be a nightmare to defend when he gets healthy.)
#94 overall - Jachai Polite, OLB, Florida.
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(Polite might just fall to this pick after the way he's bombed this entire process, culminating in running a 5.04 forty at his Pro Day. That doesn't change the fact that he would immediately dominate as a pass-rusher in the NFL, especially given that Donald is on the team. He's athletic enough to bend, but he also has a sophisticated plan when he rushes the quarterback. If he falls here, we should take him.)
(Singletary is very small for a running back. He's also harder to tackle than a greased seal and has the instincts, patience, and stop/start to be a solid 1a option out of the backfield. He's my favorite running back in this class for those reasons, but his size and forty will scare teams away. Their loss, our gain.)
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(I struggled for fate knows how long with this pick. I knew it had to be an offensive lineman. I puzzled over Edoga, Jordan, Davis, Cajuste, Benzschawel, Deiter, and other lesser linemen. Howard - my favorite mid-round offensive lineman - was long gone, as well as Scharping, McGary, and a whole host of others. I decided to say, "Fuck it," and chose Edoga.
Edoga doesn't look like your typical offensive lineman. He's short and around the 300 lbs. range. He's got serious technique issues. But he has a rare ability to excel at left tackle. He's athletic and flexible, And he has underrated strength and leverage due to his height. I hope I did this pick right; I literally spent at least a day on it.)
#143 overall - Sheldrick Redwine, FS/SS, Miami.
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(Redwine has become my favorite mid-round safety. He has the physicality, ball skills, and athleticism to be a future starter for us. His inconsistency is the main problem; it's killed him in coverage, and might be a problem in the pros. Overall, though, with the amount of talent he has, he's well worth a fifth.)
#169 overall - Diontae Johnson, WR/KR/PR, Toledo.
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(Johnson is small and a bit of a diva. That much is known. What's also known is that he's one of the most dynamic playmakers in this class, with an ability to score at any down, any distance. He's also a surprisingly-solid route runner. All in all, well worth a fifth.)
#203 overall - Stephen Denmark, CB, Valdosta State.
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(Okay, I thought that this cornerback class sucked beyond the third round. Honestly, though, Denmark made me change my mind - at least, in his case. He seriously reminds me of Richard Sherman in that he's a huge wide-receiver-turned-cornerback. He's also seriously fast, and loves to play physical, whether it's tackling or press-man. He's sushi-raw, though, and his technique needs to be built from the ground up. But given how new he is to the defensive side of the ball, and his outer-space-high potential, that's worth a sixth.)
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(Takitaki is one of my favorite prospects in this class. He went from an immature guy who got kicked off the team as a freshman to a mature team captain in his senior year. He plays like his hair is on fire, like every down is his last. He's faster than his timed speed, and he's athletic enough to play inside linebacker in coverage schemes. For a seventh round pick, that's good enough for me.)
Undrafted Free Agents:
Hjalte Froholdt, OC, Arkansas.
(Froholdt has the potential to play guard and center, but he'll likely find his home at the latter. He's intelligent and technical in his style of play, even though he doesn't overpower the defensive line. He'll be a priority free agent, and I hope we get him.)
Iosua Opeta, OG, Weber State.
(Opeta is strong. Very strong. He put up an astounding thirty-nine reps of 225 at the Combine, and he's a workout warrior. He doesn't have the length necessary to be a tackle, but he'll be an excellent fit at guard. He'll be a priority free agent.)
Yosh Nijman, OT, Virginia Tech.
(The last of the offensive linemen, Nijman is a physical freak. He has the potential to play left tackle, but his technique leaves so much to be desired. I'd still love to get him as a priority free agent.)
Kendall Blanton, TE, Missouri.
(Would it really be a Memento mock without a hometown player? Blanton is no Okwuegbunam, but he's a better blocker than AO, and that's what you hope for as a backup tight end.
Roster:
(Bold are rookies, italics are starters.)
QB - Jared Goff, Blake Bortles.
RB - Todd Gurley, Malcolm Brown, Devin Singletary, John Kelly.
WR - Brandin Cooks, Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp, Josh Reynolds, KhaDarel Hodge, Diontae Johnson.
TE - Gerald Everett, Tyler Higbee, Kendall Blanton.
OL - Andrew Whitworth, Joseph Noteboom, Brian Allen, Austin Blythe, Rob Havenstein, Chuma Edoga, Jamil Demby, Hjalte Froholdt, Iosua Opeta, Yosh Nijman.
DL - Aaron Donald, Michael Brockers, John Franklin-Myers, Jeffery Simmons (PUP), Tanzel Smart, Sebastian Joseph-Day.
LB - Cory Littleton, Micah Kiser, Dante Fowler, Jachai Polite, Clay Matthews, Samson Ebukam, Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, Sione Takitaki, Justin Lawler, Trevon Young.
DB - Aqib Talib, Marcus Peters, Nickell Robey-Coleman, Eric Weddle, John Johnson III, Marqui Christian, Kevin Peterson, Sheldrick Redwine, Travin Howard, Stephen Denmark.
ST - Greg Zuerlein, Johnny Hekker, Jake McQuaide.
Say we announced we agreed to terms with 2 players on Monday, within reason, who are they for you?
Mine w/projected AAV: WR - Rashid Shaheed$14/AAV - Perfect 3rd WR for us and elite returner. Helps ALOT that it also takes away from the shecocks. CB - Jaylen Watson $12.4/AAV- between him and Dean I went with youth. I'd be thrilled with either
Runner up: Devin Lloyd but hes well outpriced for us IMO ($20m/AAV).
