Greg Gaines

[Riverumbbq]

Is he the answer at NT or are we still looking for a starter at that position?

It's so hard to say at this time how involved in free agency the Rams will become, but if they were to be active along the DL, I might see someone like big Danny Shelton brought in. Shelton & Gaines could make a formidable NT duo in rotation, then SJD might slide over to back-up Donald at 3T after we dismiss Tanzel Smart. SJD could become a very important utility man capable of working anywhere along the Line. Draft a quality 5T DE to rotate with Fox and DL depth then looks pretty sound to me.

 

[Merlin]

It's so hard to say at this time how involved in free agency the Rams will become, but if they were to be active along the DL, I might see someone like big Danny Shelton brought in. Shelton & Gaines could make a formidable NT duo in rotation, then SJD might slide over to back-up Donald at 3T after we dismiss Tanzel Smart. SJD could become a very important utility man capable of working anywhere along the Line. Draft a quality 5T DE to rotate with Fox and DL depth then looks pretty sound to me.

I do like the idea of Shelton as our NT. But it seems crazy to me to spend in FA to upgrade NT when it's not glaring. Much better if they want to address the DL in FA is to go get a 5T and let our two young NTs go into year two with strong DL on either side of them.

Much as I like Brock he was a JAG. Solid vs the run but vs the pass meh. We need strength & length at 5T IMO. Someone who can do the job and have upside as he grows into the spot OR an addition in free agency that upgrades us.

 

[Riverumbbq]

I do like the idea of Shelton as our NT. But it seems crazy to me to spend in FA to upgrade NT when it's not glaring. Much better if they want to address the DL in FA is to go get a 5T and let our two young NTs go into year two with strong DL on either side of them.

Much as I like Brock he was a JAG. Solid vs the run but vs the pass meh. We need strength & length at 5T IMO. Someone who can do the job and have upside as he grows into the spot OR an addition in free agency that upgrades us.

Well, I've been stressing the need for a 5T DE for a couple years now, and it seems Staley may be just the guy to get it done being a Fanzio desciple. I agree on Brockers and have been saying so almost as long, he's a 4-3 DT who can be better utilized elsewhere.
If Shelton's cost is near what Spotrac is projecting at near $4.7mil. per year, then i'm interested, and it's not just because of what he brings, but it also allows us to improve our depth if Smart is dismissed. There's no question about the need to attract a quality 5T, although I would expect that to come from the draft as a top free agent DE is likely far too expensive. jmo.

 

[Merlin]

I do wonder what Armstead's gonna get on the market. Much as I want an OL addition to help settle things, it sure would be nice to see that dude and Donald opposite each other. Unlikely yes but I can dream.

 

[So Ram]

Most around here will say if a rookie doesn't come in and play good his first year he's not going to be good and needs to be replaced. Generally speaking rookies need a year or two to get upto the level of a quality NFL starter. I think he and Sebastian Joesph-Day (along with Fox) will be the starters along with AD along the front 3 this year and depth will be drafted.

Your the cap man. I’m just going from a feeling standpoint of The Rams vibe & where McVays mind set seems to be with this franchise.

I’ll give you Gurley will be a Ram, but Whitworth & Brockers will both be resigned. Guaranteed at least one of the 2, but I’ll take even odds both will be resigned ??

As far as Gaines goes, I also think The young Offensive Lineman starting 2020
Is more likely than Gaines.

 

[Riverumbbq]

I do wonder what Armstead's gonna get on the market. Much as I want an OL addition to help settle things, it sure would be nice to see that dude and Donald opposite each other. Unlikely yes but I can dream.

I'm thinking it could be north of $14.mil per. It was quite a breakthrough year for him.

49'ers have less money than we do and they signed Ethan Westbrooks yesterday to a one year contract for a not yet disclosed amount.

 

[OldSchool]

Your the cap man. I’m just going from a feeling standpoint of The Rams vibe & where McVays mind set seems to be with this franchise.

I’ll give you Gurley will be a Ram, but Whitworth & Brockers will both be resigned. Guaranteed at least one of the 2, but I’ll take even odds both will be resigned ??

As far as Gaines goes, I also think The young Offensive Lineman starting 2020
Is more likely than Gaines.

We’re interpreting offseason coach speak now? I doubt Brockers is resigned as he has no ties to our new DC and we simply won’t pay him anything near what he got last year. Wolfe is one of the only Vet ends I’ve seen that I could see us signing. Just my 2 cents.

 

[jrry32]

I like Greg Gaines. I think he'll be a solid NT for us.

 

[dang]

just need to add a 5T that requires a double team to help unleash the beast on more passing downs. Donald would get 25 sacks if this were to occur.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Most around here will say if a rookie doesn't come in and play good his first year he's not going to be good and needs to be replaced. Generally speaking rookies need a year or two to get upto the level of a quality NFL starter. I think he and Sebastian Joesph-Day (along with Fox) will be the starters along with AD along the front 3 this year and depth will be drafted.

I disagree with this comment. It has nothing to do with first year stardom and everything to do with showing something in year one. It's easy to see potential in spurts. But when a guy comes in and lays an egg, (cough Brian Allen), it's easy to see when they are over matched at this level. Hansel Smart hasn't shown much from day one, and Morgan Fox did. I think most here recognize what they see.

Gaines had his moments, he looked better than SJD in the chances he's had. SJD is very inconsistent.

 

[Riverumbbq]

I disagree with this comment. It has nothing to do with first year stardom and everything to do with showing something in year one. It's easy to see potential in spurts. But when a guy comes in and lays an egg, (cough Brian Allen), it's easy to see when they are over matched at this level.

It's true that Allen laid an egg, but I blame an overzealous coaching staff more than Allen himself. They groomed Allen for the job like it would be automatic for a 4'th round second year Center to just walk in and seize the job, and this without him playing a single snap in any of the 4 pre-season games. The only camp competition Allen faced was Neary and Kolone, so it was a joke right from the very beginning. During the same 2018 draft they also blew it on John Franklin-Myers, a guy being touted highly as Brockers rotational partner and possibly his successor.
This is what happens when you trade several top draft picks for outside players, you eventually come up short when it's time to recruit the best young college talent. 2020 will be the forth year in a row the Rams haven't had a 1'st round draft pick, hopefully it's the last in a very long time. Oh wait, we don't have a 1'st in 2021 either, so we'll be working on 5 years without a top draft pick when we get back to this subject next year. Maybe we're just trying to set another record ...

 

[CGI_Ram]

DT is a hard position for rookies to come in and play just because it’s so dependent on strength especially when you’re being counted on as a run stopper. I thought he did good for a rookie there. Obvious improvement needed but promising. If he takes his conditioning and strength building serious in his off time I have high hopes for him manning the middle of the line for years to come.

This is where my head was going.

He looked like an over grown kid coming out of college, to me. He doesn’t appear to have the physique that will ever be overly sculpted.... but there is some finishing to be done with him. IMO

 

[OldSchool]

I disagree with this comment. It has nothing to do with first year stardom and everything to do with showing something in year one. It's easy to see potential in spurts. But when a guy comes in and lays an egg, (cough Brian Allen), it's easy to see when they are over matched at this level. Hansel Smart hasn't shown much from day one, and Morgan Fox did. I think most here recognize what they see.

Gaines had his moments, he looked better than SJD in the chances he's had. SJD is very inconsistent.

Like Darian Stewart who was mediocre for a couple years before becoming a very good starter. Or Rodney McLeod who was the same. Roger Saffold was mediocre at best so mediocre we had to draft Greg Robinson to replace him. DeMarco Farr had all of 11 tackles as a DT his rookie year. Allen and Noteboom had bad years just like those guys I listed and the attitude around here is brutal to them Demby as well who was drafted the same year as Allen and Boom.

Nobody is going to say these young players are going to be great because they struggled in their first year and others have turned it around. But they shouldn’t be moved on from because of their bad first year. We in a short period of time moved off of the thought it takes rookies three years to fully realize their potential to if you fail in your first attempt you’re gone.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Like Darian Stewart who was mediocre for a couple years before becoming a very good starter. Or Rodney McLeod who was the same. Roger Saffold was mediocre at best so mediocre we had to draft Greg Robinson to replace him. DeMarco Farr had all of 11 tackles as a DT his rookie year. Allen and Noteboom had bad years just like those guys I listed and the attitude around here is brutal to them Demby as well who was drafted the same year as Allen and Boom.

Nobody is going to say these young players are going to be great because they struggled in their first year and others have turned it around. But they shouldn’t be moved on from because of their bad first year. We in a short period of time moved off of the thought it takes rookies three years to fully realize their potential to if you fail in your first attempt you’re gone.

But there is urgency when the window is open. Impatience is understandable.
But I’ll reiterate. Almost every one of those players that you listed flashed their potential very quickly.
Allen and Demby haven’t, and I’m not convinced I’ve seen it from Joe, but he didn’t play a full season.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

It's true that Allen laid an egg, but I blame an overzealous coaching staff more than Allen himself. They groomed Allen for the job like it would be automatic for a 4'th round second year Center to just walk in and seize the job, and this without him playing a single snap in any of the 4 pre-season games. The only camp competition Allen faced was Neary and Kolone, so it was a joke right from the very beginning. During the same 2018 draft they also blew it on John Franklin-Myers, a guy being touted highly as Brockers rotational partner and possibly his successor.
This is what happens when you trade several top draft picks for outside players, you eventually come up short when it's time to recruit the best young college talent. 2020 will be the forth year in a row the Rams haven't had a 1'st round draft pick, hopefully it's the last in a very long time. Oh wait, we don't have a 1'st in 2021 either, so we'll be working on 5 years without a top draft pick when we get back to this subject next year. Maybe we're just trying to set another record ...

I couldn’t agree more. Trading picks for top talent is one thing but wasting them on guys like Peters and Watkins is a risky way to go about it. Trading back gets more picks but lower quality.

I hate what Snead’s drafting game has evolved into.

 

[So Ram]

I like Greg Gaines. I think he'll be a solid NT for us.

I personally think he is to small & slow.Not saying he won’t improve.

 

[oldnotdead]

SJD was a key reason this defense was soft against the run in the middle. Gaines outplayed him in limited snaps but Son of Bum kept SJD as the starter. IMO things like that are what got Phillips fired. It makes absolutely no sense to move an offensive lineman to defense. People simply don't understand how different the positions are and how they demand a different skill set.

Normally it's a d-lineman moving to OG and even then it takes YEARS to make the transition. It's faster and easier to develop a rookie DT.

Playing interior d-line is all about strength and technique. AD dropped in the draft because people thought he was too small. Playing inside d-line is about strength, technique, and quickness, something lacking in SJD. Gaines is 6'1" (as is AD) and 312 lbs which is not too small. The Rams play a hybrid 3-4 which is a one-gap scheme. It's all about penetration and being able to get off blocks as the NT plays a 1 technique, not a 0 technique.

Gaines flashed enough to stay with him.

 

[So Ram]

SJD was a key reason this defense was soft against the run in the middle. Gaines outplayed him in limited snaps but Son of Bum kept SJD as the starter. IMO things like that are what got Phillips fired. It makes absolutely no sense to move an offensive lineman to defense. People simply don't understand how different the positions are and how they demand a different skill set.

Normally it's a d-lineman moving to OG and even then it takes YEARS to make the transition. It's faster and easier to develop a rookie DT.

Playing interior d-line is all about strength and technique. AD dropped in the draft because people thought he was too small. Playing inside d-line is about strength, technique, and quickness, something lacking in SJD. Gaines is 6'1" (as is AD) and 312 lbs which is not too small. The Rams play a hybrid 3-4 which is a one-gap scheme. It's all about penetration and being able to get off blocks as the NT plays a 1 technique, not a 0 technique.

Gaines flashed enough to stay with him.

Gaines is signed for 3 more seasons. SJD not so sure, but he will be in the rotation.

 

[So Ram]

I couldn’t agree more. Trading picks for top talent is one thing but wasting them on guys like Peters and Watkins is a risky way to go about it. Trading back gets more picks but lower quality.

I hate what Snead’s drafting game has evolved into.

Tell me who you would have drafted other wise ? Peters was a big time need as well as Warkins. The Rams did compt. For Watkins
Peters a back up LBer- Peters did help The Rams get to the Super Bowl after he settled back in after getting burned a few times.

 

[So Ram]

We’re interpreting offseason coach speak now? I doubt Brockers is resigned as he has no ties to our new DC and we simply won’t pay him anything near what he got last year. Wolfe is one of the only Vet ends I’ve seen that I could see us signing. Just my 2 cents.

With Brokers it is more than coach speak. He has been a huge leader of this Rams Organization & I think his price won’t be to out of the ball park to keep him a Ram.
Now, that is not saying a team offers him a big time contract ?? Yet to be seen.