Free agency thread

  • To unlock all of features of Rams On Demand please take a brief moment to register. Registering is not only quick and easy, it also allows you access to additional features such as live chat, private messaging, and a host of other apps exclusive to Rams On Demand.
Kromer has options now before free agency. It's been leaked in slight terms that Austin Blythe has seen a ton of practice @ OC for the last two seasons. Besides Blythe, there's Aaron Neary who been here with Kromer just after he arrived. The best long term answer @ starting at center is Brian Allen.

I see no need to rush off to sign a high-cost UFA starting center myself. UFA Ryan Groy did not play any better than Sullivan last season. If Ryan Groy is somebody that the Rams & Kromer might consider to spend cap funds on ...I would tend to think that this over 6-5 325 pound OL'er it be looked @ OG not OC. Only reason Groy started less than 50% at center was due to retirement of Woods & injuries to Bodine.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: nighttrain
BonifayRam said:
Kromer has options now before free agency. It's been leaked in slight terms that Austin Blythe has seen a ton of practice @ OC for the last two seasons. Besides Blythe, there's Aaron Neary who been here with Kromer just after he arrived. The best long term answer @ starting at center is Brian Allen.

I see no need to rush off to sign a high-cost UFA starting center myself.
Click to expand...

I expect a low-cost option like Groy. Between those three (Allen, Groy, and Blythe), we should have answers at RG and C.
 
  • Like
Reactions: nighttrain
jrry32 said:
I expect a low-cost option like Groy. Between those three (Allen, Groy, and Blythe), we should have answers at RG and C.
Click to expand...
The other thought here jrry32 is the Rams may not want to have 3 new OL'ers starting in new positions in that OL. Might be ideal in keeping Blythe as the starter again @ RG thus leaving them just 2 open vacancies on that 2019 OL to fill.

I believe Groy would do a good job @ LG for Kromer myself. When Groy came out of Wisconsin Badgers... it was said that Groy was a good fit in a slide-protection scheme given his size, intelligence, and functional anchor. He fits the Kromer style with great character with durable, blue-collar playing history. @ Wisconsin Groy was a left side OL'er with zero starts on the right side, 31 starts @ LG/LT & 1 start @ OC.

Anyway Rams Salary Cap guesstimate went back up to close to $27.5 million with this lates move.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: jrry32 and nighttrain
CGI_Ram said:
Sullivan, 34 in August, graded out as the tenth-best center in the NFL in his first season with the Rams, according to Pro Football Focus. In 2018, Sullivan slipped all the way down to No. 31 with a career-low 52.7 mark.
Click to expand...

Thanks for helping the offense get rolling. I was a big supporter of signing him that first year. Good move but, its time to move on. Keep his agents number on speed dial in case of injury.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BonifayRam and nighttrain
Groy would be a relatively cheap target (less than $2m??). I think Allen starting with Groy as backup sounds good.
 
  • Like
Reactions: nighttrain
One thing worth remembering is that Allen did get a lot of starter practice reps because we rested Sully a lot. Regardless, I think Noteboom is the favorite at LG if Saffold goes. We'll see at Center.
 
  • 3Like
Reactions: RamsFlash80, OldSchool and nighttrain
This opens up the possibility of a Guard or center if one drops to 31. Especially if we add a veteran edge that gets cut like Houston.
 
  • Like
Reactions: nighttrain
Next up (after Sullivan) salary cap issue date for the Rams is CB Marcus Peters will be on March 13th, 2019. If Peters is on the Rams roster at the start of the 2019 League Year in this option season, Peters $9.1 million salary becomes fully guaranteed. So we Ram fans will get that question answered.

After 3/13/2019 date the next up is on DL'er veteran Michael Brockers. Just like Sullivan, Brockers stands to hear some news on his future commitment on his contract where he will be due a $2.23 million of his 2019 Roster Bonus on Friday 3/15/2019 of his 11 million cap hit.
 
BonifayRam said:
Next up (after Sullivan) salary cap issue date for the Rams is CB Marcus Peters will be on March 13th, 2019. If Peters is on the Rams roster at the start of the 2019 League Year in this option season, Peters $9.1 million salary becomes fully guaranteed. So we Ram fans will get that question answered.

After 3/13/2019 date the next up is on DL'er veteran Michael Brockers. Just like Sullivan, Brockers stands to hear some news on his future commitment on his contract where he will be due a $2.23 million of his 2019 Roster Bonus on Friday 3/15/2019 of his 11 million cap hit.
Click to expand...

I’m torn on Peters, he was so bad up through that New Orleans game in the regular season but you could tell after that point that his game slowly started to elevate to the point he was a shut down level CB. Was it due to wade realizing how to use him finally? Because Talib came back? Because Peters got back to 100%? I think it’s all of the above but fact is him and Talib really performed like we thought they would together down the stretch. So it’s a gamble, but it’s only for one year. I say keep him and draft a few CBs this year in mid rounds and hope one of them pans out. Oh and add a ballhawk safety that has chemistry with Peters and Talib because Joyner had zero with them.

Brockers I think we have to keep if they are letting Suh walk. Focus on beefing up the LBer core.
 
  • 4Like
Reactions: nighttrain, BonifayRam, Kevin and 1 other person
dang said:
Groy would be a relatively cheap target (less than $2m??). I think Allen starting with Groy as backup sounds good.
Click to expand...

Yeah I'm sure they'll take a look at Groy, given that they've targeted him in the past and he's a fit. But he'd definitely have to come cheap. Otherwise, snap up a couple interior OL types in a draft that has a ton of them. They need to build depth now and utilize the strengths of this draft, not incur more cost on the OL in FA.
 
Merlin said:
Yeah I'm sure they'll take a look at Groy, given that they've targeted him in the past and he's a fit. But he'd definitely have to come cheap. Otherwise, snap up a couple interior OL types in a draft that has a ton of them. They need to build depth now and utilize the strengths of this draft, not incur more cost on the OL in FA.
Click to expand...

Groy would be nice at the right price. I'd like a versatile vet who can handle OT. And yes, pretty much every season the Rams should at least be thinking OL in the draft - might not work out every year, but the pipeline needs to keep flowing - it's too important for the Rams not to have a good offensive line.
 
  • 5Like
Reactions: Zaphod, BonifayRam, Merlin and 2 others
Here are some thoughts on some of the free agents and open positions:
FREE AGENTS:
CJ- sign
Joyner- walk
Suh- walk
Fowler- sign
Littleton- sign
Saffold- walk (?)
Shields- sign
Brown- sign
POSITIONS:
Center- Allen or Blythe or draft(maybe trade down into 2nd where the top 2 will probably go)
Safety- FA and or draft
ILB- FA
DT-FA
DRAFT:
Draft best available with emphasis on the following positions:
Oline depth
Dline depth
ILB
DB depth
IMPORTANT PERSPECTIVES:
Raw talent, coachability and potential of young guys on roster (eg: Obo and Kiser)
Game plan for QB (backup and Goff's 2nd contract)
Where we need some leadership (position groups)
Planning ahead for cornerbacks
 
  • Like
Reactions: nighttrain
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back