OFFICIAL 2024 NFL News: Trades, cuts, free agency, and more

[Londoner]

range is limited, got a bum knee, and an overinflated opinion of his ability.

Sounds like half this forum.

 

[20hrswk]

Yes. They need sideline to sideline speed.

Didn’t they do that with Cutl and Jackson? Two year deals aren’t much different from one year deals.

Yeah...I'm not sure what the league was thinking with Zeitler. It's probably because he's up there in age but as you say, he's been highly grade every year.

I was hoping the Rams signed him instead of JJ.

I was hoping for Zeitler before they signed JJ as well.

I think there are certain players who are just top of the league type guys (future HOFers) - better than others.
Even into their 30's and more, they are just bigger, stronger, and SMARTER than others.
Ram fans would think of Whitworth, Donald, even Miller for half a year. Even when older they are top of the league.
Whitworth = huge; Donald = huge strength/quickness
This pertains more to linemen (strength) vs. positons where speed and quickness rule.

As they age, most in the league write these older HOFers to be off, but the smart teams . . .

I'm not giving up on this year by any means, but next year and the year after (before Stafford leaves?) should be good chances at a deep SB run. Therefore we need vet / highly graded guys that will contribute if we can get them. You don't win SBs with a bunch of young guys. You win with a good mix. We are short on older, experienced highly graded guys.

Guys I would be talking to this off season include:

LB Bobby Wagner (34 and rated #2)
OL Kevin Zeitler (34 and rated #2)
DL Calais Campbell (even at 39? next year, he will still be a top DL at stopping the run - good rotational guy & tore us up)
OL Zach Martin (highly rated for years now hurt? - perfect for a low $ "chance" contract)
T Tyron Smith (lots of injuries, but for $4/5 mil for a year?)

Even as backups, the listed would be way better than some guys we had to play this year when injuries hit.

Other older guys worth signing to "cheap" contract (just OL listed here)

T Morgan Moses
T Cornelius Lucas
OL Jon Feliciano
T Kendall Lamm
T Conor McDermott
T Trent Brown
OL Ryan Kelly
T D.J. Humphries
OL Daniel Brunskill
OL Coleman Shelton
OL Will Hernandez

And I would definitely be talking to AD to see if . . .

 

[Merlin]

Well, I have been saying I think Young could move inside and then draft another lankier true speed rushing edge. Young would add speed and power inside next to Speights.

I wouldn't be averse to that if the Rams were to have a top edge prospect fall to them again this year. It would not in that situation surprise me to see Young help us as a run stuffer on the interior on early downs at the very least, while functioning as depth on the edge if someone beats him out.

But I still prefer speed in that pairing. We are a terribly slow team and it has shown on both sides of the ball.

 

[Merlin]

Sounds like half this forum.

It certainly describes me.

 

[20hrswk]

Well, we actually don't "know" anything when it comes to Jackson. He was signed as a guard, moved to center, then hurt.. then they realized they had drafted a real center who was better at *that* position.
But, you're right, Zietler's been great.

The inclusion of Baun, based on your criteria, doesn't fit. He didn't have a track record of being an impactful player.

The Rams have acquired players in recent years who, like Baun, weren't really successful.. who really turned it up as Rams. Kevin Dotson, A'Shawn Robinson, Austin Corbett, Robert Woods.

And... you've picked the successful cases of this... where are the failed "prove it" deal guys? As someone pointed out... Tredavious White wasn't on a big deal.. he fits that kind of shot.

It's great if you do it and hit... but if you're drafting and developing talent well.. that's good too.
Omar Speights is playing very well as a rookie.. costs a quarter of $$ that Baun costs.. and you control him for four years. Baun? He's a free agent and is set to cash in right away... because he did, in fact, prove it.

We do know that JJ has never been highly rated by PFF.

You're right about Baun, but he also fits as a vet somewhat rated well willing to sign for "nothing".
Philly was just smarter than everyone else and saw he may do well at LB instead of ED.
I think other teams might copy them and sign some EDs and move them to LB?
One poster suggested Byron Young to LB and sign/draft another ED? Might work.

I was for the White signing, but I think the older, highly rated guys pertain more to linemen than "speed positions".
Wisdom and strength can somewhat overcome loss of abilities due to age in the trenches . . .
. . . but loss of speed because of age can't be overcome and that's what CBs, most WRs, RBs need.

 

[jrry32]

I wouldn't be averse to that if the Rams were to have a top edge prospect fall to them again this year. It would not in that situation surprise me to see Young help us as a run stuffer on the interior on early downs at the very least, while functioning as depth on the edge if someone beats him out.

But I still prefer speed in that pairing. We are a terribly slow team and it has shown on both sides of the ball.

I would be averse to that. Young isn't an ILB. He is, however, a solid EDGE. If we land a better pass rusher in the Draft, trade Young at the deadline or after the season. (Lord knows you can never have too many good pass rushers.)

 

[Neil039]

It certainly describes me.

What the heck does that mean? ~ asking for a friend.....

 

[El Chapo Jr]

I would be averse to that. Young isn't an ILB. He is, however, a solid EDGE. If we land a better pass rusher in the Draft, trade Young at the deadline or after the season. (Lord knows you can never have too many good pass rushers.)

Heard Myles Garrett wants to play for a real team....lol

 

[Merlin]

What the heck does that mean? ~ asking for a friend.....

Bum knee and overinflated opinion of my ability.

 

[Merlin]

I would be averse to that. Young isn't an ILB. He is, however, a solid EDGE. If we land a better pass rusher in the Draft, trade Young at the deadline or after the season. (Lord knows you can never have too many good pass rushers.)

If the Rams add a better rusher his ass gets phased out. And he still has value to the Rams as a rotational element and key depth piece.

From there if you have a problem with the Rams potentially getting additional role value out of him, disagreement sounds good to me.

 

[Londoner]

Bum knee and overinflated opinion of my ability.

I suffer from all three!

 

[jrry32]

If the Rams add a better rusher his ass gets phased out. And he still has value to the Rams as a rotational element and key depth piece.

From there if you have a problem with the Rams potentially getting additional role value out of him, disagreement sounds good to me.

The problem with your logic is it assumes he can play ILB well. He won't. He doesn't have that skillset. If a rookie edge rusher is great enough to push Young to the bench, we can trade him. There will be a team that needs a solid edge rusher. But as I said before, with how often we rotate edge rushers, he'd still have a lot of value as our #3 guy for a year (with us trading him in the offseason of 2026).

And FWIW, when Baun was coming out of Wisconsin years ago, I advocated for drafting him and moving him to ILB. Very different player from Young.

 

[fanotodd]

I would be averse to that. Young isn't an ILB. He is, however, a solid EDGE. If we land a better pass rusher in the Draft, trade Young at the deadline or after the season. (Lord knows you can never have too many good pass rushers.)

Plus, if you move Young to ILB, he won’t be on the field as much.

 

[Allen2McVay]

Personally, I like Byron Young a whole lot better than some on this thread. Think he has been a solid, consistent, durable all-around-Edge for two seasons; and he is on a rookie contract. Plus-starter at an important position.

I would not be thinking about replacing Young but would much rather see upgrades at several other important positions where the Rams lack "Plus starters" ... Cornerback, Off-Ball-LB and Intertior-D-Line are at the top of that list for me. Would add Wide Receiver because of durability issues with Nacua and Kupp, and pending free agency for all the veteran back-up WRs; and Left Tackle should Alraric Jackson not be re-signed.

The Rams will have some decent cap space to work with but the list of pending free agents is not great; and the Rams figure to have just one pick in the top-85.

 

[OldSchool]

Why are we trying to change BY into something he's never been?

 

[PARAM]

Personally, I like Byron Young a whole lot better than some on this thread. Think he has been a solid, consistent, durable all-around-Edge for two seasons; and he is on a rookie contract. Plus-starter at an important position.

I agree.

 

[RamBradford85]

In free agency we should go after best cb on market and draft either reciver or Te in first round

 

[Allen2McVay]

In free agency we should go after best cb on market …

It’s not an impressive group.

Over The Cap and Spotrac have detailed lists.

Some good to above-average CBs will get big-$.

 

[dieterbrock]

We did get something for trading him. Titans got more for sure but Seattle was desperate. And now 3 teams couldn't sign the guy so letting him go after the season would have gotten us nothing cause it sure sounds like he wants a lot of money that I don't see the Rams in recent history being willing to pay.

They got nothing. Re-signing him has nothing to do with his play this year. When they needed him. Had he played and signed elsewhere it would be at worst comp pick wise equal to the trade value he brought back.

 

[OldSchool]

They got nothing. Re-signing him has nothing to do with his play this year. When they needed him. Had he played and signed elsewhere it would be at worst comp pick wise equal to the trade value he brought back.

We did get a 6th you may not like it but we did in fact get something for him in a trade. As for a comp pick as has been pointed out we have a lot of cap space this year and aren't likely to do much at all in the comp pick formula so it would have only cancelled out a signing we do. Which would have netted us nothing.