DWill vs. FA CBs vs. Draft

[AvengerRam]

Darious Williams presents an interesting dilemma for the Rams.

In 2020, he looked like a rising star at the CB position.

In 2021, he seemed to take a significant step back.

I believe that part of the issue is that he was less of a scheme fit in this year's defense than in the 2020 version but, whatever the reason for his diminished impact, I'd say that the urgency to lock him in long term is greatly reduced. If he is willing to accept a modest deal for a starting CB ($10-12M range), perhaps it would be worth bringing him back. If not...

How about a veteran FA? The Rams apparently have the ability to clear a lot of cap space, so they may be able to afford (in addition to bringing back several in-house UFAs) to sign one outside FA with a price tag in the mid-teens. While that won't buy a top-line CB in his mid-late 20s, it could be enough to pursue a 30+ veteran nearing the end of his career. There are several candidates, including:

Patrick Peterson
Joe Haden
Kyle Fuller
Stephon Gilmore
Xavier Rhodes

Option 3: we could try to find a starter in the middle rounds of the draft.

Thoughts?

 

[ottoman89]

I'm personally ready to move on from D Will. I want more of a big, physical CB. He's too inconsistent. I don't remember many memorable plays by him this year. Seems to get over manned at times.

 

[OntarioRam]

Williams will be an interesting player to follow this off-season because he took a big step back in 2021-22. How many teams will pay up for Williams coming off of a meh campaign? Especially considering his small sample size of good work from last year? CB is a position of need for many franchises. You can never have enough good CBs. Especially these days, with the NFL becoming more and more of a passing league. So I do suspect that someone will give him a nice contract, but I am not certain of it. He is similar to Noteboom (always injured, small sample size, little tape to go on, looked lost at guard, not really having much "pedigree") in that I am unsure what the market will look like for the player.

Williams did look better down the stretch when the defence started playing more aggressively and leaving less cushion.

I'd be inclined to let Williams walk and draft a replacement, who is a better scheme fit, and will come on a cheap rookie contract. We could also use a bigger corner. Almost our entire secondary, except for Ramsey, is 5'10" or so. It can be match-up disadvantage.

CB is a definite area of need this off-season for the Rams.

If the market is soft for Williams' services, I would not necessarily be opposed to bringing him back on the cheap, and allocating draft resources elsewhere, but I would still lean towards drafting a replacement.

 

[Riverumbbq]

Keeping Williams or pursuing another free agent ultimately will be decided by our CAP issues.

I avoid free agency here if possible unless something too good to be true drops in on us & go with the continued development of Rochell, Long & Kareem Orr while adding another mid-round CB during the draft.
jmo.

 

[Ellard80]

depends on how much we have to pay for any replacement

 

[nighttrain]

Williams will be an interesting player to follow this off-season because he took a big step back in 2021-22. How many teams will pay up for Williams coming off of a meh campaign? Especially considering his small sample size of good work from last year? CB is a position of need for many franchises. You can never have enough good CBs. Especially these days, with the NFL becoming more and more of a passing league. So I do suspect that someone will give him a nice contract, but I am not certain of it. He is similar to Noteboom (always injured, small sample size, little tape to go on, looked lost at guard, not really having much "pedigree") in that I am unsure what the market will look like for the player.

Williams did look better down the stretch when the defence started playing more aggressively and leaving less cushion.

. Almost our entire secondary, except for Ramsey, is 5'10" or so. It can be match-up disadvantage.

.

Robert Rochell​

Height: 6-2

Age: 23

Weight: 195 lbs

 

[I like Rams]

depends on how much we have to pay for any replacement

This.

If we can keep Williams for a good deal I'd take it. He knows the system and I'm willing to let him try one more season. His play didn't cost us any games, and like someone said, he played good down the stretch. Especially in our playoff game against the Cards.

I feel we may need our limited draft picks in other needs like linebacker, safety and oline.

 

[Jacobarch]

Robert Rochell​

Height: 6-2

Age: 23

Weight: 195 lbs

I'm not exactly sure what people are seeing from Rochelle that gets them to yell his name from the rooftops. I never saw him flash once in a game, not saying he was trash but you're talking about making a guy our #2 cb behind Jalen and I just don't see it. At least not yet

 

[nighttrain]

I'm not exactly sure what people are seeing from Rochelle that gets them to yell his name from the rooftops. I never saw him flash once in a game, not saying he was trash but you're talking about making a guy our #2 cb behind Jalen and I just don't see it. At least not yet

keep Williams, he is our 2
train

 

[I like Rams]

I'm not exactly sure what people are seeing from Rochelle that gets them to yell his name from the rooftops. I never saw him flash once in a game, not saying he was trash but you're talking about making a guy our #2 cb behind Jalen and I just don't see it. At least not yet

He made some big boy plays early on, but he also made some rookie plays as well. I can see the potential, But I'm also not on the rooftop yet. Lol

 

[Stump23]

keep Williams, he is our 2
train

Team loves him. Scouted him for 2 years in college per Jourdan in the Athletic. It's his turn to step up and shine.

 

[Jorgeh0605]

If he walks, we just draft at the position. I'm hoping the only reason he walks is a big pay day that would net us some comp picks. Signing a FA CB would offset that comp pick valuation. If he's cheap enough, sign him back.

 

[Kupped]

Long and Rochell are your most likely top two options, imo.. plus a draft pick or two.

Maybe a low-cost vet is brought in.. maybe not.

 

[OntarioRam]

Robert Rochell​

Height: 6-2

Age: 23

Weight: 195 lbs

Okay. But Burgess, Countess, Deayon, Long Jr., Rapp, Scott, and Williams are all under 6'0". With a number of 5'9" players. I still think we could use more size in the secondary.

 

[Merlin]

Staley will snap Williams up in FA at a bargain rate.

 

[BonifayRam]

From what I am reading above many here certainly do not believe this Spotrac Calculated Markey Value estimate on Darious Williams:

• Avg. Salary: $14,607,697
• 4 yrs, $58,430,788

Darious Williams | NFL | Spotrac.com

Darious Williams contract and salary cap details, full contract breakdowns, salaries, signing bonus, roster bonus, dead money, and valuations.

www.spotrac.com

I certainly have Darious Williams as fully departed in my calculations much like JJ III & Troy Hill were last season. You can bet that Snead is certainly hoping that a winning SB starting corner DW can get something close to $12 million a year from an overstuffed salary cap team like the Jets/ Phins/ Jags/ Bengals/ Chargers! That would bring Snead close to a 3rd rd awarded compensation pick for 2023. Snead will certainly not intercede to keep that from occurring.

The Rams will not get close to matching those figures $$$$ to return him here in this upcoming season. They will go with 2nd & 3rd season corners Robert Rochell & David Long to replace DW as starter.

I also believe that 28 yr old Donte Deayon can be signed back at a minimum economy contract. Veteran Deayon is just too small & dinky to be more than a 4th or 5th Ram corner.

Rams also have under contract the following three UDFA corners in Kareem Orr 4th season(TN/LA), Tyler Hall (ATL/LA) 3rd season & Grant Haley 5th season (NY/NO/LA).

 

[RamDino]

10-14 million per year? Not from me. I'd give him a 4 or 5 million dollar, 1-year prove-it deal if I was the GM. Fortunately for the Rams... I am not.

 

[LA_vision]

14 mil for a cb teams try to continually target?!

 

[Ram Ts]

10-14 million per year? Not from me. I'd give him a 4 or 5 million dollar, 1-year prove-it deal if I was the GM. Fortunately for the Rams... I am not.

I agree 100%.

 

[TheTackle]

I think Williams will see a healthy market and sign a large contract elsewhere

We will do what we have done, consistently, and let solid starters leave to recoup draft picks

I still hope that Johnson will return to play safety for the Rams once his second contract finishes (or, he is waived) which would be reminiscent of many Patriots players