3 Silly Things That Fans Say, And Keep Saying, Every Offseason

[LouisvilleRam]

Right. We weren't even using a first round pick.
Sure, Whit was a 2nd round pick. How many Superbowls did that choice deliver to Cincinnati his 11 years there?
Saffold was a 2nd round pick. He played 9 seasons before he finally played in a Superbowl.
And Snead and McVay said, had they picked an OL, they felt 2021 would have been a redshirt season.
I get the angst. I get the worry. I get the doom and gloom. I expected them to draft an OL too.
But they get the big bucks to make those decisions, while we waste hours telling each other how wrong they were. When we're not watching them win 67% of the time on Sundays.

Exactly plus our 2 main ball carriers (both inexperienced) averaged 4.41 yards per carry which is pretty pretty pretty good

 

[oldnotdead]

Well saying you are going to the Super Bowl every year is better than saying we will have a winning season this year! Which type of team would you rather the Rams be?

I live in AZ now. Red Bird fans here talk about maybe making a wildcard appearance since it's been expanded just for teams like theirs. I remember those days back in San Diego with the Chargers.

Don't forget what it was like before 2017, 13 years of 8-8 or worse. We've gotten spoiled. Think this team has holes? Look at it compared to back then.

So be compassionate to those poor losers cuz it ain't gonna get any better for them.
The Rams are built for the long haul all the while they are built to win now! This is a young team with talent on the rise.

 

[PARAM]

Stafford is the issue here, not really just filling a hole in the Oline. We missed Saffold after he left and where would we be now without Whit? I don't agree that the acid test for picking an Olineman in the 2nd round is whether they take us to a Super Bowl. We picked a WR in Tavon Austin, and how many Super Bowls did we net from that pick? Do you really think if the Rams didn't get Timmerman and McCollum (let alone Big O), the Greatest Show on Turf ever happens? Without that Oline, Warner gets killed early and often. Getting a great Olineman can happen through the draft or through FA and we needed a Center and didn't want to pay for a FA this year that was worth a damn. Hence, the idea that it was a no bfrainer to get a Center at #57.

As for wasting my time on the internet giving my POV about McSnead picks, that's my perogative as a fan.

It is your prerogative and I'm there with you.

You forgot a couple though. HOF Tom Mack was drafted in 1966 by George Allen. Though infamous for his disdain of rookies, he started Mack in 9 of the 14 games. The next 3 years we were 32-7-3. It's quite possible we missed out on a HOFer in the 2021 draft! In 1975 Ground Chuck drafted Dennis Harrah and Doug France in the first round. We went 44-13-1 the next 4 years. (Of course we had already gone 22-6 the previous 2 years.) There are many examples of building a solid OL and turning that into a long run of winning seasons. Even Superbowl appearances. Hell, we drafted Joe Noteboom and Brian Allen in 2018, our first 2 draft picks, and we were in the Superbowl!!! There's certainly something to be said for drafting OL and having success. There's also plenty of examples of drafting QBs, WRs, RBs, etc. etc. and going on a long run of winning seasons (if Superbowl isn't the true acid test). Hell, the Rams are in the midst of a 43-21 run right now! But I get it. Sooner or later not drafting OL is going to doom you. This year? Next year? 2023? McVay will learn his lesson, I'm sure.

 

[dieterbrock]

Me before the '99 season (seriously, but before Green went down):

"With all these great additions, we have a good shot of finishing at least 8-8, maybe even 9-7 and sneaking into the playoffs as a wildcard!"

I was at a friends house for our Fantasy Football League draft right after Green went down, and said, "As a Rams fan, Im pretty used to my season being over by the end of September, but not in August!"
Lol.....

 

[PhillyRam]

In no particular order...

1. "We can't afford to keep/sign him!"
To paraphrase the Bard, there are more ways to move cap dollars around than are dreamt of in the casual fan's philosophy. While cap money is, of course, finite, when it comes to an individual player that a team truly covets, far more often than not a team will find a way to fit the player under the cap. I recall many fans and pundits this year asserting that the Rams would not be able to keep Leonard Floyd... until they did.

2. "We drafted the wrong guy at that spot."
This statement does not, over time, always prove to be wrong. When made immediately after the draft, though, its usually a pretty sill statement. First, we don't know half of what teams' know about the prospects. We can only guess what medical reports, interviews (with the player and those who know him), and hours and hours of live observation/film review might have revealed. As fans, we can only guess, project and, of course, crow about it when the 5th round pick we said would be a star becomes a star!

3. "The league really screwed us on the schedule!"
I've read comments in the past suggesting that the league plays favorites when making the schedule. While there is, of course, a deliberate effort to place contenders and the more marketable teams in prime time/national TV spots, the suggestion that there is a deliberate effort to manipulate outcomes through scheduling decisions is a bit tin-foil-hatish in my mind. Its particularly silly when fans rail about relative strength of schedule figures at the time of the schedule release. First... within any division, the strength of schedule of non-divisional games is generally equal, with a slight stacking based upon where the team finished in the prior year. Second... a quality team last year may not be one this year, and vice versa. Is anyone that worried, for example, about the match-up with Green Bay this year if Aaron Rodgers is gone?

Well we couldn't afford to keep or sign about 5 guys this yr and there will be a few more next yr that will walk.

 

[dang]

IMO a team does not need to invest $20m/yr for a LT. Or have 3 $8m+ OL in order to have success. I’m too lazy to look up salary for NFL OL groups but The Rams have been taking it to the other extreme. Other than Hav at $8m and Whit $5m every Ram OL is pulling @$1m or less.

 

[dang]

IMO a team does not need to invest $20m/yr for a LT. Or have 3 $8m+ OL in order to have success. I’m too lazy to look up salary for NFL OL groups but The Rams have been taking it to the other extreme. Other than Hav at $8m and Whit $5m every Ram OL is pulling @$1m or less.

So i looked it up CLE has 3 OL at $10m+ and 2 more @$5m. It may work for the Browns as they are a top 4 team (KC, BUF, BAL, CLE) in the AFC. The Rams will never do that under McSnead and I support that.

 

[AvengerRam]

Well we couldn't afford to keep or sign about 5 guys this yr and there will be a few more next yr that will walk.

Nobody’s saying a team can sign everyone. But if the Rams really wanted to, they could have found a way to keep guys like JJ or Hill. Those guys left because the Rams decided that they had enough depth at those positions and that resources should be allocated elsewhere.

 

[OldSchool]

IMO a team does not need to invest $20m/yr for a LT. Or have 3 $8m+ OL in order to have success. I’m too lazy to look up salary for NFL OL groups but The Rams have been taking it to the other extreme. Other than Hav at $8m and Whit $5m every Ram OL is pulling @$1m or less.

NFL Offensive Line Spending - Cap

A real-time look at how NFL teams are spending their 2024 cap dollars on Offensive Lines.

www.spotrac.com

Rams 30th of 32 in salary cap spent this year on OL Jags first close to double us.

 

[dieterbrock]

Silly things said every off-season,
This is the J.E.T.S. year!!!
Oh wait, nobody says that
Ever

 

[PhillyRam]

Nobody’s saying a team can sign everyone. But if the Rams really wanted to, they could have found a way to keep guys like JJ or Hill. Those guys left because the Rams decided that they had enough depth at those positions and that resources should be allocated elsewhere.

No, they left because the Rams had to restructure a bunch of guys and they are now still only $7M under the cap for this yr and have 0 cap space for next yr. So they will carry this yrs space to next season. And sure there will be cap casualties next yr as well that will help open up some space, but they simply could not afford to keep JJ or Hill.

 

[AvengerRam]

No, they left because the Rams had to restructure a bunch of guys and they are now still only $7M under the cap for this yr and have 0 cap space for next yr. So they will carry this yrs space to next season. And sure there will be cap casualties next yr as well that will help open up some space, but they simply could not afford to keep JJ or Hill.

Looking at current cap numbers never tells the whole story. There are ways to restructure. There are players who could be sacrificed for cap room if necessary. Trades can be made.

In the case of JJ and Hill, the Rams drafted three safeties and a CB in the past two drafts (and then another CB this year), so they decided to spend their money elsewhere.

 

[AvengerRam]

Silly things said every off-season,
This is the J.E.T.S. year!!!
Oh wait, nobody says that
Ever

Except Mike Greenberg.

 

[PhillyRam]

Looking at current cap numbers never tells the whole story. There are ways to restructure. There are players who could be sacrificed for cap room if necessary. Trades can be made.

In the case of JJ and Hill, the Rams drafted three safeties and a CB in the past two drafts (and then another CB this year), so they decided to spend their money elsewhere.

Well they certainly are not deep at CB and JJ was a special player. We have no idea abt Burgess or even Rapp, who can't stay healthy, and what they will do week in and week out at S.

If they were $35M under the cap, they would have kept Hill or JJ or both.

And as far as always being able to restructure... Well they shot those bullets this yr. No more big contracts to restructure outside of a new deal for Stafford.

They are up against the cap next yr, which is why they couldn't afford to keep some key players. Unlike the Bucs, who brought everyone back... I am sure they drafted some guys too, yet they kept their starters.

Like the Rams, the Bucs are a "win it now" team. If the Rams "could afford it" they would have kept those guys too...so they can win it now.

 

[Riverumbbq]

Well we couldn't afford to keep or sign about 5 guys this yr and there will be a few more next yr that will walk.

Next year will be very different in how we are affected by the CAP. Darious Williams is likely the only currently expensive player to 'walk', he will be commanding top dollar that the Rams probably shy away from, so I suspect the Rams will draft a CB next season as well.

Not yet being calculated into next years overall CAP is how much higher league revenue will be due to fans actually being able to attend games again. Then there is that $Billion$ dollar contract that Amazon signed which kicks in next year for the entire league. Then again, Stafford's extension which should significantly reduce his 2022 CAP costs, and the extreme likelihood that Whitworth's 2022 CAP comes off the books due to an imminent retirement. This still leaves room for what may be a CAP Casualty or two which further reduces our bottom line as guys like Havenstein, Hekker, & A'Shawn Robinson may be under a microscope. Kenny Young hasn't made it thru camp yet this season and could ultimately be added to this years carryover, so there remains several factors influencing future CAP, you can bet that Demoff has it well in hand. jmo.

 

[PhillyRam]

Next year will be very different in how we are affected by the CAP. Darious Williams is likely the only currently expensive player to 'walk', he will be commanding top dollar that the Rams probably shy away from, so I suspect the Rams will draft a CB next season as well.

Not yet being calculated into next years overall CAP is how much higher league revenue will be due to fans actually being able to attend games again. Then there is that $Billion$ dollar contract that Amazon signed which kicks in next year for the entire league. Then again, Stafford's extension which should significantly reduce his 2022 CAP costs, and the extreme likelihood that Whitworth's 2022 CAP comes off the books due to an imminent retirement. This still leaves room for what may be a CAP Casualty or two which further reduces our bottom line as guys like Havenstein, Hekker, & A'Shawn Robinson may be under a microscope. Kenny Young hasn't made it thru camp yet this season and could ultimately be added to this years carryover, so there remains several factors influencing future CAP, you can bet that Demoff has it well in hand. jmo.

Point is yes, there are often times where teams can't afford a player. So that is not one of these silly comments.

Many others I agree with you on. Even cap hell often only lasts a yr. The idea that a team can be stuck in "cap hell" is always exaggerated.

Sure one yr can be cap hell, but you can bite the bullet and fix it quickly.

 

[CoachAllred]

SUPERBOWL - Cowgirl fan after every draft or FA signing.

The fanbase for every other team in the NFL - We love you Jerry Jones. Please don't ever leave.

 

[CoachAllred]

As for wasting my time on the internet giving my POV about McSnead picks, that's my perogative as a fan.

Both Bobby's agree that it's your prerogative.

 

[ljramsfan]

Cincinnati, Detroit, Jets:
"This is our year!! A 10 win season and we will get to the playoffs next year"

 

[MadGoat]

"We're going 20-0, and there's not a fucking thing other teams can do about it!"

Memento.

Wait. That sounds familiar. Do you live in Raider territory?