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With Gregg Williams being hired as DC, here's what I'd do if I were the Rams GM:
Re-sign
Tim Barnes C - ERFA Tender($570,000)
Jo-Lonn Dunbar OLB - $4 million over 2 years($1.5 mil first year cap hit)
Release
Cortland Finnegan CB - $7 million in cap relief
Harvey Dahl OG - $4 million in cap relief
Scott Wells C - $4.5 million in cap relief
Mike Person OG - $645,000 in cap relief
Jermelle Cudjo DT - $900,000 in cap relief
Analysis: The cuts are pretty typical and expected at this point. I think Dunbar can be brought back fairly cheap and love the energy he brings to our defense. In this mock, I decided that Saffold got a better offer from a team looking to play him at LT and left.
Free Agency Cap Room - $18.4 million
Free Agency
Alex Mack C - $40 million over 5 years($6 million first year cap hit)
Mark Sanchez QB - $6 million over 2 years($3 million first year cap hit)
Chris Williams G/T - $2 million over 2 years($1 million first year cap hit)
Usama Young FS/CB - $1 million over 1 year($1 million first year cap hit)
Analysis: I think the Rams will be looking to upgrade the OL in FA and Mack is one of the crowned jewels in this class. He's very arguably the best Center in the NFL, he's still relatively young(28 ) and he's durable. With Sam recovering from his injury, the Rams bring in Schottenheimer's old QB Mark Sanchez as the new backup QB behind Sam. While I'm not a Chris Williams fan, he's a versatile depth player that knows the scheme. Usama Young played for Williams in New Orleans and is a versatile DB that can play FS or CB at a decent level. He'll provide depth at both positions.
Trade
Rams trade:
Pick #2
Browns trade:
Pick #4
Pick #26
Browns 4th
Rams trade:
Pick #13
Packers trade:
Pick #21
Packers 3rd
Analysis: Michael Lombardi decides that he wants to move up for his franchise QB...whether that's Bridgewater or Manziel. We don't get the three 1sts or the future 1st but we do get a solid deal from Cleveland. At #13, we aren't infatuated with our options there so when Green Bay, whose looking to move up for Louis Nix or a pass rusher, offers to move up, we take the deal.
NFL Draft
Round 1 Pick #4 - Jake Matthews OT/OG/C Texas A&M
Analysis: Matthews has the size, strength, feet and football IQ to play anywhere on the OL at a high level. He possesses extremely sound technique, a high level understanding of his opponent and top tier instincts for the position. Plug and play guy that will see a few Pro Bowls.
Round 1 Pick #21 - Aaron Donald DT Pittsburgh
Analysis: Donald is undersized at 6'1" 288 but don't judge the book by its cover. He is extremely developed physically due to a strong work ethic and commitment to the weight room. He is deceptively powerful with an explosive first step, elite balance and a great understanding of how to attack the OL in front of him. Wreaked absolute havoc this year when he wasn't double and triple teamed.
Round 1 Pick #26 - Jason Verrett CB TCU
Analysis: Verrett is another undersized player that doesn't let size define him. He's also extremely polished in terms of his technique with high level quick-twitch athleticism, natural cover skills, loose hips and the speed to run with defenders deep. Isn't afraid either to get physical at the LOS or make tackles in run support.
Round 2 Pick #12 - David Yankey OG Stanford
Analysis: Depending on where the top OLs go in the first round, I might be willing to take Yankey at #26. He is a dominating run blocker that not only generates movement in the power running game but also sustains his blocks. He's an effective blocker on the move, uses angles well and has impressive lateral agility. As a pass blocker, he has a wide base and a strong anchor but will hurt himself at times with his hand placement.
Round 3 Pick #11 - Jimmie Ward FS Northern Illinois
Analysis: Ward is a lot like Kenny Vaccaro from last year's class in that he's a hybrid safety and slot CB. Impressive man coverage skills with good athleticism, great discipline and a lot of short area quickness. While Ward is not a big hitter, he is a reliable tackler in space. Ward also is comfortable in zone coverage in and out of the box with very good closing speed.
Round 3 Pick #21 - Chris Borland LB Wisconsin
Analysis: Borland is one of those guys that just go balls to the wall for 60 minutes and seem to always be around the ball. He has top tier instincts, is not afraid to throw his body around and will hit you hard. His lack of length might make it problematic for him with disengaging from blocks but there will never be a question of whether he's willing to take on a blocker in the hole.
Round 4 Pick #6 - Eric Thomas WR Troy
Analysis: Some might say "who" if they haven't seen my WR rankings. If you look around for Thomas on draft sites, you'll have trouble finding him. He received a late invite to the Senior Bowl and I was able to watch some of his games recently and he stood out to be. I graded him out as a 2nd round prospect at WR and the 5th best WR in this strong class. Thomas is 6'1" 215 with a HUGE lower body(I'm talking power HB big) and nearly 11 inch hands. He high-points the ball as well as anyone in this class and has elite hand strength. He also is an excellent runner after the catch due to his size, strength and surprising elusiveness. He lacks vertical speed but he really reminds me of Hakeem Nicks and Anquan Boldin in terms of skill-set and play style. I know some won't like the idea of taking a WR in the 4th round because it's 1st round or bust with them but you can find WRs outside the first round and I think this kid is going to be a find.
Round 4 Pick #10 - Brandon Thomas OG/OT Clemson
Analysis: Thomas actually did an excellent job this year against Clowney after being embarrassed last year. In the NFL, he'll slide inside to OG and play RT in a pinch. He has a strong, wide base with good feet for an OG. He has the ability to move the man in front of him as a run blocker. He needs to work on some technical aspects of his game but he's a talented OG prospect that is probably a tad underrated right now.
Round 5 Pick #13 - James White HB Wisconsin
Analysis: White is a patient runner with good vision and the ability to squeeze through small gaps. He possesses good initial burst, an excellent jump cut and a lot of wiggle. He uses each cut and step he takes to setup his blocks and will get what is blocked for him. He also is a willing blocker in pass protection with good hands out of the back-field. He's a good complement to Stacy as more of an elusive slasher type HB that can contribute in the passing game.
Round 6 Pick #12 - Tom Savage QB Pittsburgh
Analysis: We grab a developmental QB to play behind Sam and Sanchez. Savage has had an interesting career. He was a Freshman All-American as a true freshman at Rutgers after leading them to 9 wins and posting 14 TDs to 7 Ints. The next year, he struggled a bit and lost his starting job after injuring his hand. He then transferred to Arizona, sat out a year and then transferred again when Rich Rodriguez was hired. After sitting out two years due to his two transfers, he ended up as Pittsburgh's starting QB in 2013 and had a strong year. Savage is 6'5" 230 with a strong arm and flashes the ability to put the ball where he wants to. He also has decent mobility. However, he needs to develop better field vision, decision making and be more consistent with his accuracy.
Round 7 Pick #11 - Trey Millard FB Oklahoma
Analysis: Millard is a hyper athletic FB from Oklahoma. He can lead block, catch the ball out of the back-field and run with it effectively. He appeared to be well on his way to being a 4th round pick due to his freakish athleticism for a 6'2" 255 pound FB but he tore his ACL during the 2013 season. Still, he has a lot of potential as a weapon and lead blocker in the NFL.
Projected Starters
QB: Sam Bradford
HB: Zac Stacy
FB: Trey Millard
XWR: Stedman Bailey
ZWR: Tavon Austin
SLWR: Austin Pettis
TE: Jared Cook
LT: Jake Long
LG: David Yankey
C: Alex Mack
RG: Jake Matthews
RT: Joe Barksdale
LDE: Chris Long
LDT: Kendall Langford
RDT: Michael Brockers
RDE: Robert Quinn
WLB: Alec Ogletree
MLB: James Laurinaitis
SLB: Jo-Lonn Dunbar
RCB: Janoris Jenkins
LCB: Trumaine Johnson
SLCB: Jason Verrett
FS: Jimmie Ward
SS: T.J. McDonald
K: Greg Zuerlein
P: Johnny Hekker
What do you guys think? Some might say I went overboard on the OL but I really think a strong OL is necessary for our success. If Long isn't ready, we have the pieces to be survive. If he is ready, we put the best 5 on the field. Boudreau will definitely have some excellent talents to work with.
Defensively, remains pretty much the same except Aaron Donald will be used heavily in the rotation as a rookie as a top tier pass rusher, Verrett will handle slot CB duties and Jimmie Ward takes over at FS. I felt Ward was a good scheme fit because of his reliability in space and his ability to man up in coverage. It will give Gregg Williams more blitzing flexibility.
Re-sign
Tim Barnes C - ERFA Tender($570,000)
Jo-Lonn Dunbar OLB - $4 million over 2 years($1.5 mil first year cap hit)
Release
Cortland Finnegan CB - $7 million in cap relief
Harvey Dahl OG - $4 million in cap relief
Scott Wells C - $4.5 million in cap relief
Mike Person OG - $645,000 in cap relief
Jermelle Cudjo DT - $900,000 in cap relief
Analysis: The cuts are pretty typical and expected at this point. I think Dunbar can be brought back fairly cheap and love the energy he brings to our defense. In this mock, I decided that Saffold got a better offer from a team looking to play him at LT and left.
Free Agency Cap Room - $18.4 million
Free Agency
Alex Mack C - $40 million over 5 years($6 million first year cap hit)
Mark Sanchez QB - $6 million over 2 years($3 million first year cap hit)
Chris Williams G/T - $2 million over 2 years($1 million first year cap hit)
Usama Young FS/CB - $1 million over 1 year($1 million first year cap hit)
Analysis: I think the Rams will be looking to upgrade the OL in FA and Mack is one of the crowned jewels in this class. He's very arguably the best Center in the NFL, he's still relatively young(28 ) and he's durable. With Sam recovering from his injury, the Rams bring in Schottenheimer's old QB Mark Sanchez as the new backup QB behind Sam. While I'm not a Chris Williams fan, he's a versatile depth player that knows the scheme. Usama Young played for Williams in New Orleans and is a versatile DB that can play FS or CB at a decent level. He'll provide depth at both positions.
Trade
Rams trade:
Pick #2
Browns trade:
Pick #4
Pick #26
Browns 4th
Rams trade:
Pick #13
Packers trade:
Pick #21
Packers 3rd
Analysis: Michael Lombardi decides that he wants to move up for his franchise QB...whether that's Bridgewater or Manziel. We don't get the three 1sts or the future 1st but we do get a solid deal from Cleveland. At #13, we aren't infatuated with our options there so when Green Bay, whose looking to move up for Louis Nix or a pass rusher, offers to move up, we take the deal.
NFL Draft
Round 1 Pick #4 - Jake Matthews OT/OG/C Texas A&M
Analysis: Matthews has the size, strength, feet and football IQ to play anywhere on the OL at a high level. He possesses extremely sound technique, a high level understanding of his opponent and top tier instincts for the position. Plug and play guy that will see a few Pro Bowls.
Round 1 Pick #21 - Aaron Donald DT Pittsburgh
Analysis: Donald is undersized at 6'1" 288 but don't judge the book by its cover. He is extremely developed physically due to a strong work ethic and commitment to the weight room. He is deceptively powerful with an explosive first step, elite balance and a great understanding of how to attack the OL in front of him. Wreaked absolute havoc this year when he wasn't double and triple teamed.
Round 1 Pick #26 - Jason Verrett CB TCU
Analysis: Verrett is another undersized player that doesn't let size define him. He's also extremely polished in terms of his technique with high level quick-twitch athleticism, natural cover skills, loose hips and the speed to run with defenders deep. Isn't afraid either to get physical at the LOS or make tackles in run support.
Round 2 Pick #12 - David Yankey OG Stanford
Analysis: Depending on where the top OLs go in the first round, I might be willing to take Yankey at #26. He is a dominating run blocker that not only generates movement in the power running game but also sustains his blocks. He's an effective blocker on the move, uses angles well and has impressive lateral agility. As a pass blocker, he has a wide base and a strong anchor but will hurt himself at times with his hand placement.
Round 3 Pick #11 - Jimmie Ward FS Northern Illinois
Analysis: Ward is a lot like Kenny Vaccaro from last year's class in that he's a hybrid safety and slot CB. Impressive man coverage skills with good athleticism, great discipline and a lot of short area quickness. While Ward is not a big hitter, he is a reliable tackler in space. Ward also is comfortable in zone coverage in and out of the box with very good closing speed.
Round 3 Pick #21 - Chris Borland LB Wisconsin
Analysis: Borland is one of those guys that just go balls to the wall for 60 minutes and seem to always be around the ball. He has top tier instincts, is not afraid to throw his body around and will hit you hard. His lack of length might make it problematic for him with disengaging from blocks but there will never be a question of whether he's willing to take on a blocker in the hole.
Round 4 Pick #6 - Eric Thomas WR Troy
Analysis: Some might say "who" if they haven't seen my WR rankings. If you look around for Thomas on draft sites, you'll have trouble finding him. He received a late invite to the Senior Bowl and I was able to watch some of his games recently and he stood out to be. I graded him out as a 2nd round prospect at WR and the 5th best WR in this strong class. Thomas is 6'1" 215 with a HUGE lower body(I'm talking power HB big) and nearly 11 inch hands. He high-points the ball as well as anyone in this class and has elite hand strength. He also is an excellent runner after the catch due to his size, strength and surprising elusiveness. He lacks vertical speed but he really reminds me of Hakeem Nicks and Anquan Boldin in terms of skill-set and play style. I know some won't like the idea of taking a WR in the 4th round because it's 1st round or bust with them but you can find WRs outside the first round and I think this kid is going to be a find.
Round 4 Pick #10 - Brandon Thomas OG/OT Clemson
Analysis: Thomas actually did an excellent job this year against Clowney after being embarrassed last year. In the NFL, he'll slide inside to OG and play RT in a pinch. He has a strong, wide base with good feet for an OG. He has the ability to move the man in front of him as a run blocker. He needs to work on some technical aspects of his game but he's a talented OG prospect that is probably a tad underrated right now.
Round 5 Pick #13 - James White HB Wisconsin
Analysis: White is a patient runner with good vision and the ability to squeeze through small gaps. He possesses good initial burst, an excellent jump cut and a lot of wiggle. He uses each cut and step he takes to setup his blocks and will get what is blocked for him. He also is a willing blocker in pass protection with good hands out of the back-field. He's a good complement to Stacy as more of an elusive slasher type HB that can contribute in the passing game.
Round 6 Pick #12 - Tom Savage QB Pittsburgh
Analysis: We grab a developmental QB to play behind Sam and Sanchez. Savage has had an interesting career. He was a Freshman All-American as a true freshman at Rutgers after leading them to 9 wins and posting 14 TDs to 7 Ints. The next year, he struggled a bit and lost his starting job after injuring his hand. He then transferred to Arizona, sat out a year and then transferred again when Rich Rodriguez was hired. After sitting out two years due to his two transfers, he ended up as Pittsburgh's starting QB in 2013 and had a strong year. Savage is 6'5" 230 with a strong arm and flashes the ability to put the ball where he wants to. He also has decent mobility. However, he needs to develop better field vision, decision making and be more consistent with his accuracy.
Round 7 Pick #11 - Trey Millard FB Oklahoma
Analysis: Millard is a hyper athletic FB from Oklahoma. He can lead block, catch the ball out of the back-field and run with it effectively. He appeared to be well on his way to being a 4th round pick due to his freakish athleticism for a 6'2" 255 pound FB but he tore his ACL during the 2013 season. Still, he has a lot of potential as a weapon and lead blocker in the NFL.
Projected Starters
QB: Sam Bradford
HB: Zac Stacy
FB: Trey Millard
XWR: Stedman Bailey
ZWR: Tavon Austin
SLWR: Austin Pettis
TE: Jared Cook
LT: Jake Long
LG: David Yankey
C: Alex Mack
RG: Jake Matthews
RT: Joe Barksdale
LDE: Chris Long
LDT: Kendall Langford
RDT: Michael Brockers
RDE: Robert Quinn
WLB: Alec Ogletree
MLB: James Laurinaitis
SLB: Jo-Lonn Dunbar
RCB: Janoris Jenkins
LCB: Trumaine Johnson
SLCB: Jason Verrett
FS: Jimmie Ward
SS: T.J. McDonald
K: Greg Zuerlein
P: Johnny Hekker
What do you guys think? Some might say I went overboard on the OL but I really think a strong OL is necessary for our success. If Long isn't ready, we have the pieces to be survive. If he is ready, we put the best 5 on the field. Boudreau will definitely have some excellent talents to work with.
Defensively, remains pretty much the same except Aaron Donald will be used heavily in the rotation as a rookie as a top tier pass rusher, Verrett will handle slot CB duties and Jimmie Ward takes over at FS. I felt Ward was a good scheme fit because of his reliability in space and his ability to man up in coverage. It will give Gregg Williams more blitzing flexibility.
