Constructive talk about the future - what would you do?

[FrantikRam]

After yesterday it's tough to put much hope or thought into this season. And unlike in past bad years, we don't have a first round pick to have more hope in a losing season.

As far as the future goes, we have some serious questions to answer. Looks like we'll have $40 Million or so in cap space:

http://overthecap.com/salary-cap/los-angeles-rams/

With only 4 notable FAs:

Trumaine Johnson
TJ McDonald
Kenny Britt
Brian Quick

And a slew of questions to answer:

What would you do in the secondary?

What would you do with the WRs?

The OL has been a huge disappointment - assuming we have a new coach and OL coach, what would you do personnel-wise here?

The DE position is getting older and less effective - do you move on from Robert Quinn?

Would you consider trading Aaron Donald or Todd Gurley? Before you scream in outrage, consider that despite Aaron Donald's dominance, this defense has been average to bad this year. Starting perhaps this offseason, the cost of re-signing him would be north of $20 million per year - if you don't see us competing in the next 3 years, it could make some sense if we were offered a bounty of draft picks to move Aaron Donald.



There is a part of me that thinks we need to blow this whole thing up - we're stacked with players that are good enough to somehow warrant big contracts, but continually fail to win games. It's on the coaching staff - I get that. But I also feel like the players are not good enough.

 

[UKram]

there are two players on this roster that are untouchable IMO that's Goff and Donald ..im pretty much open to trading anyone (Gurely not so much unless its a good offer say a pick and couple of players (o line and WR )

i think brit and quick can both leave ,,, i think we have some talent with coop Spruce and Higs try and snag a vet WR in FA

get some o line help ASAP

new HC and OC (if Fish does stay fire/demote Boras)

 

[thirteen28]

I really have no answers until we change head coach and get a new offensive staff. Until we see that, it's hard to see what other changes should be made to accommodate the new staff.

I really don't know how good or bad this team is at the moment. It's particularly hard to tell on the offensive side of the ball given the comically bad playcalling and general ineptness and incompetence of Boras, who is bad enough to make one pine for the salad days of Brian Schottenheimer.

With regard to the defense, I think they are better than they have shown in the last few weeks, but I think a lot of them are packing it in. After the Miami game, where Fisher basically hung them out to dry by sitting on a 7-10 point lead most of the game, they just seemed to lose something, probably worn out physically and emotionally from having to carry the team with no help from the offense. Couple that with injuries (with the persistence of Quinn's ailments really beginning to be worrisome), and they look worse than they probably are.

More than anything, this team needs a new coach and a new culture that comes in with one.

 

[12intheBox]

I'd be inclined to keep Sneed and let him hire a coach then let that coach build his own staff. I'd ask Stan to cough up the $$ necessary to recruit the best coaching minds available on both sides of the ball.

I wouldn't overpay for any of our in house guys except for AD99. I'd try to keep Tree, Tru, McDonald long term if I could reasonably.

Quick and Britt would get minimal offers - wouldn't mind having them back but I'm not about to stretch the cap for them.

 

[Ramstien]

None of this stuff matters if you have the same stupid coaches with the dumb ass schemes they run. If this owner wants to win he will rid himself of this coaching staff, this GM, and the president/CEO.

 

[snackdaddy]

I agree Britt and Quick should not be paid much over vet minimum. We need receivers with hands. Goff's a wide eyed rookie and those drops can be devastating. Several of them have been turned into INT's. Austin's just as bad. But we're stuck with him.

The best thing to do is bring in an experienced offensive type of coach and staff to implement a better system. One who has a history of building good offenses. One who knows how to teach blocking techniques. And bring in some guys who can block and catch.

This league is all about offense. Good defenses come and go. Build a solid offense and you will win.

 

[lockdnram21]

Let Quick, Britt, Tru, and TJ walk

Try and sign Stephen Gilmore and Alshon this summer

Fire fisher
Draft a G and a center and a cb

 

[FRO]

Demoff- Gone
Fisher- Gone
Snead- Gone

These guys were given a great opportunity and ample time to execute a good plan. It's a performance based business and these guys haven't performed. The roster lacks talent from top to bottom and the coaching schemes leave a lot to be desired.

Young talent needs to be retained. The offensive line has to be the top priority. Goff needs help around him.

 

[RaminExile]

Demoff - Gone
Fisher - Gone
Snead - 50/50.
Britt - Gone
Quick - Gone
McDonald - Will not be held to ransom. If he'll make a good deal fine. If not, see ya.
Johnson - the same.

Trade Gurley for a first if possible. Draft the best and most polished, smart lineman you can. Do the same at Center, Guard and another tackle. Tank, accumulate as many picks as you can and rebuild again. Pick some wide receivers next year and run with Austin, Cooper and Thomas.

 

[DCH]

If I were running the Rams:

1 - Fire Fisher, keep Snead, hire Matt Patricia (under Snead) as HC. Let Patricia find someone in the Belichick/McDaniels/O'Brien offensive coaching tree to be OC, and let him replace Williams as well.

2 - Re-sign McDonald and Johnson. Long-term contracts. McD was the best defensive player in the entirety of the Rams/Patriots game last weekend, and Johnson is the only true starting outside CB.

3 - Move Joyner to FS. EJ Gaines moves inside to be the nickel corner.

4 - Try to trade Robert Quinn for a 3rd (selling low, yes, but will he ever be The Mighty Quinn again? I have serious doubts.)

5 - Let Britt walk; re-sign Quick on a heavily incentive-laden contract (he seems to have more of a rapport with Goff than he did with Keenum).

6 - Sign an outside CB - Prince Amukamara would be a decent fit across from Johnson

7 - Sign two OL starters, not "OMG A STAR" types but workmanlike grinders who harken back to the Donut Bros - Byron Bell of Tennessee, Sebastian Vollmer of New England, Luke Joeckel of Jacksonville - all these guys should be on the open market hungry to prove that they are ready. Inside, you've got Chance Warmack and TJ Lang. A combo of Joeckel and Warmack would be excellent upside.

8 - Sign Robert Woods to be your other outside WR across from Quick, with Austin in the slot attacking zone coverage in the middle of the field.

9 - Spend your draft choices focusing on an outside speed rushing end, a true SLB and a pure speed guy for returning punts and kicks (one of those guys who will be good on ST and, if they ever develop route-running, could become impactful receivers). Also a center. Dear god draft a good center.

 

[MountainRam]

Hope is eternal for me starting 2019. 2017 and 2018 are a write off.

 

[snackdaddy]

Hope is eternal for me starting 2019. 2017 and 2018 are a write off.

Yeah, I think whoever takes over this team has some rebuilding to do. Fisher/Snead whiffed on the GRob, Austin and Quick picks. Those were some premium picks that got wasted. They muffed a few second rounders too with Peade and Watkins leading that charge. Now there isn't a first rounder to help the build process. Whoever the new guys is, he's gonna have deal with subpar talent at O-line and receiver.

 

[thirteen28]

Demoff- Gone
Fisher- Gone
Snead- Gone

These guys were given a great opportunity and ample time to execute a good plan. It's a performance based business and these guys haven't performed. The roster lacks talent from top to bottom and the coaching schemes leave a lot to be desired.

Young talent needs to be retained. The offensive line has to be the top priority. Goff needs help around him.

Demoff isn't going anywhere, and to dump him is just cutting off your nose to spite your face. He's the best salary cap guy in the business and he bears little responsibility for the on-field product. The final hiring decision on the head coach is made by Stan, not Kevin. You may not like him for some of the public pronouncements he's made (and I don't like some of what he's said either), but that's not really germane to his evaluation. More than anything, it's his ability to negotiate and write contracts that are favorable to the team and keep them out of long term cap hell on which he should be evaluated, and he is nothing short of utterly fking stellar in that department.

I've already debated you on Snead, we'll agree to disagree.

But we'll emphatically agree on Fisher. There isn't one person in the building that has more direct control of the on-field product than he does, and we see what the results are - he has to go.

 

[jetplt67]

If I were running the Rams:

1 - Fire Fisher, keep Snead, hire Matt Patricia (under Snead) as HC. Let Patricia find someone in the Belichick/McDaniels/O'Brien offensive coaching tree to be OC, and let him replace Williams as well.

2 - Re-sign McDonald and Johnson. Long-term contracts. McD was the best defensive player in the entirety of the Rams/Patriots game last weekend, and Johnson is the only true starting outside CB.

3 - Move Joyner to FS. EJ Gaines moves inside to be the nickel corner.

4 - Try to trade Robert Quinn for a 3rd (selling low, yes, but will he ever be The Mighty Quinn again? I have serious doubts.)

5 - Let Britt walk; re-sign Quick on a heavily incentive-laden contract (he seems to have more of a rapport with Goff than he did with Keenum).

6 - Sign an outside CB - Prince Amukamara would be a decent fit across from Johnson

7 - Sign two OL starters, not "OMG A STAR" types but workmanlike grinders who harken back to the Donut Bros - Byron Bell of Tennessee, Sebastian Vollmer of New England, Luke Joeckel of Jacksonville - all these guys should be on the open market hungry to prove that they are ready. Inside, you've got Chance Warmack and TJ Lang. A combo of Joeckel and Warmack would be excellent upside.

8 - Sign Robert Woods to be your other outside WR across from Quick, with Austin in the slot attacking zone coverage in the middle of the field.

9 - Spend your draft choices focusing on an outside speed rushing end, a true SLB and a pure speed guy for returning punts and kicks (one of those guys who will be good on ST and, if they ever develop route-running, could become impactful receivers). Also a center. Dear god draft a good center.

UGH, I am agreeing with a lowly Patriots fan. Except for the re-signing Quick part, you have good points.
I don't understand the dis-like for McDonald on the site. He is a thumper and is our best DB. We need pieces to build with, not to be dumping our best players. Of course I wouldn't overpay for him but he will probably be priced right.

Quinn (IMO) will be one of those guys that ends up being in some kind of funk for a few years until he regains his mojo. I believe he will not get there again with the Rams and we shouldn't be paying him so much. I think if he were with the Patriots, they would trade him, seeing that his ability or motivation or whatever it is, is waning.

 

[LACHAMP46]

What would you do in the secondary?

Draft some corners....Let Tru walk...we lost our best corner last year. Focus on speed & height/length...change scheme to require serious man to man skills.

What would you do with the WRs?

Keep Quick & Britt on 1 year deals...Problems at wr now revolve around timing issues. Hard to change QB's mid season...I also continue to try and draft a physical freak with serious speed, and catch radius. Oh, and great HANDS.

The OL has been a huge disappointment - assuming we have a new coach and OL coach, what would you do personnel-wise here?

Draft. Again, I do like G-Rob. But not much else...need to see what the backups can do pretty soon...Not sure how Donnal did...but I thought Havenstein showed who he really is....I'm moving G-Rob to RT...Scrapping the rest...Starters...Battle, Rhaney, and....there's another guy besides Donnal...And putting these guys in...With Mannion back there...

The DE position is getting older and less effective - do you move on from Robert Quinn?

Quinn has moved on from us...Draft again...Maybe a trade partner out there for him...

My only problem...we only have 6 picks...Not trading Gurley or Donald...Everyone else is open for offers.

 

[DCH]

UGH, I am agreeing with a lowly Patriots fan. Except for the re-signing Quick part, you have good points.
I don't understand the dis-like for McDonald on the site. He is a thumper and is our best DB. We need pieces to build with, not to be dumping our best players. Of course I wouldn't overpay for him but he will probably be priced right.

Quinn (IMO) will be one of those guys that ends up being in some kind of funk for a few years until he regains his mojo. I believe he will not get there again with the Rams and we shouldn't be paying him so much. I think if he were with the Patriots, they would trade him, seeing that his ability or motivation or whatever it is, is waning.

I think Quick can do what Britt can do, is younger, and will be super cheap. He doesn't preclude you from having Austin playing more snaps outside, or from drafting a mid-round flier WR (maybe the PR/KR speed demon I have you down for).

 

[WoodsideRam]

Fix the oline.

Fix the oline.

Fix the oline.


We have to protect our QB. I’d look at free agency obviously, but when it comes to the draft I’d start targeting offensive lineman who come from pro-style offenses who have high football smarts. Greg Robinson, for example, ran 4 protections at Auburn. Give me a break. No spread offense, or gimmick offensive lineman projects need apply. It takes too long to develop these guys. They’re not ready. We need guys who are close to being ready who are smart and competitive. Projects belong in the latter rounds.

Upgrade the receiver position. We need competitors on this unit. Pharroh Cooper had a few catches yesterday, but what he did with those catches impressed the hell out of me. He’s tough and doesn’t stop fighting. You can win with guys like that. Brian Quick has got to go. He’s, at best, mildly interested in playing professional football. And I wouldn’t be surprised if after his stint with the Rams you never hear from him again. He should be the 5th receiver on a team. I know Britt had a good year, but I’m not a fan. Never was. It’s hard to win with the Kenny Britts and the Jared Cooks of the world. (Yes, I know Jared is not here anymore) They are coach killers. You can have a Britt as long as he’s NOT the main guy and he’s surrounded by great leadership. He can’t be the #1 receiver. Kenny just looks and acts like a child.

Which by the way…who’s the leader of our receivers? Tavon Austin? He’s paid the most. Terrible, terrible deal extending him. I would’ve never drafted him. Actually, that’s not true. I would’ve drafted him. In the 3rd round. Because that’s what he is. A 3rd round gadget guy. You don’t trade up to #8 to get him. He’s not a good receiver. His routes are questionable. Contrast him to Ty Hilton who was drafted in the 3rd round a year earlier. Same builds. Same speed. Yes, he has a better QB situation, I get it. But who would you take straight up right now? Ty Hilton or Tavon Austin? See, this is why I can’t let Snead off the hook either. I don’t trust his evaluation skills. Take a look at some of the guys we could’ve had, who went after Tavon in that draft, if you want to torture yourself.

Go hard after Terrelle Pryor. The guy competes. He switches from QB to WR. Gets cut by the Browns. Then was brought back and is on track for a 1200 yard season with an abysmal QB situation. That’s a guy who wants to play football. In an interview he said he’d cut his finger off for the Browns to win. We need THOSE types of guys. Not the types who like to goof around in a golf cart during training camp and almost injure themselves before the season starts. Those types are immature clowns. You don’t win with them.

Anyway, these are the red level things that need to be done IMMEDIATELY for this team to progress. Upgrade the oline and receiver positions or Goff’s development will be permanently stunted.

 

[Jacobarch]

I agree Britt and Quick should not be paid much over vet minimum. We need receivers with hands. Goff's a wide eyed rookie and those drops can be devastating. Several of them have been turned into INT's. Austin's just as bad. But we're stuck with him.

The best thing to do is bring in an experienced offensive type of coach and staff to implement a better system. One who has a history of building good offenses. One who knows how to teach blocking techniques. And bring in some guys who can block and catch.

This league is all about offense. Good defenses come and go. Build a solid offense and you will win.

Say what you will about Austin, he's the only one that stuck out on Offense yesterday. The kid can ball he just needs some help.

 

[Rmfnlt]

I really have no answers until we change head coach and get a new offensive staff. Until we see that, it's hard to see what other changes should be made to accommodate the new staff.

I agree. Hard to tell right now how much of the mess is coaching and how much might be lack of talent... but we need to find out ASAP! If it's lack of talent, we have a lot of work to do!

With regard to the defense, I think they are better than they have shown in the last few weeks, but I think a lot of them are packing it in.

Agree again. I won't say "quit" but they are not fully motivated any more.

Demoff- Gone
Fisher- Gone
Snead- Gone

These guys were given a great opportunity and ample time to execute a good plan. It's a performance based business and these guys haven't performed.

Demoff should stay IMO. He's done an excellent job of keeping the cap in order.

I'm not sold on Snead... I'm not so sure we aren't lacking in talent... but we need to find out soon. I guess I'd bring in the new staff and let them evaluate the talent and see if results change. If lack of talent does emerge as an issue, Snead goes.

Fisher? Oh, never mind.