Hey Steelers - Stay the Hell Away From Tru
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After thinking about it, maybe I have a different take but this doesnt bother me in the least.
When good teams want to sign your players and you have to decide which ones to keep, its a nice problem to have -- and thats where the Rams are, at least on defense. When you can develop players you dont have to pay everyone, and in reality you cant. This is what the good teams do-- keep their core guys and bring guys into the system to replace the ones who get away in FA. Revis walks from NE and they keep chugging along. The Steelers would seem to make this kind of move, they usually pick up seconday guys in FA and rarely draft them as starters.
I definitely think Jenkins is the better player, if not for his 10c head, he would have been a top 10 pick.
When good teams want to sign your players and you have to decide which ones to keep, its a nice problem to have -- and thats where the Rams are, at least on defense. When you can develop players you dont have to pay everyone, and in reality you cant. This is what the good teams do-- keep their core guys and bring guys into the system to replace the ones who get away in FA. Revis walks from NE and they keep chugging along. The Steelers would seem to make this kind of move, they usually pick up seconday guys in FA and rarely draft them as starters.
I definitely think Jenkins is the better player, if not for his 10c head, he would have been a top 10 pick.
That is the big challenge in this debate. Is Jenkins worthy (and can he be trusted) with a core player contract? I like him as a player, but he scares the living lights out of me off the field - particularly living in LA.
Johnson feels like the safer investment, albeit he's less durable.
hmm...
The article in the OP is really just some fan's wishful thinking IMO. The Steelers are one team that does Not historically make big-money moves in Free Agency. They are always letting one or two of their home grown players walk in FA because they are not willing to spend top dollars to retain all of them. They may not have as much luck developing their CB's but they have been a FA WR factory lately. They do need corners and the FA market for CB's is pretty deep this year (works in the Rams favor) but they are never the biggest spenders. On reason the Steelers are so consistency successful is that they build through the draft and not free agency.
The 2016 Draft will have some pretty good corner options for the Steeler's so I would expect them to bring in some second tier FA CBs and spend draft capital at the CB position.
TJ and JJ will draw a lot of interest if they hit the open market and if both are lost the CB position for our Rams would suddenly become a much, much higher draft priority. I think the Rams will spend $$ to retain at least one. JJ will get the first shot but if he proves difficult he Rams will step aside and work to retain TJ. Unfortunately a team I see making a serious play for either TJ or JJ is the whiners.
The 2016 Draft will have some pretty good corner options for the Steeler's so I would expect them to bring in some second tier FA CBs and spend draft capital at the CB position.
TJ and JJ will draw a lot of interest if they hit the open market and if both are lost the CB position for our Rams would suddenly become a much, much higher draft priority. I think the Rams will spend $$ to retain at least one. JJ will get the first shot but if he proves difficult he Rams will step aside and work to retain TJ. Unfortunately a team I see making a serious play for either TJ or JJ is the whiners.
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And the Bucs, Jags, Raiders and Bears. All teams with cap space and CB needs.
It would be nice to see the Rams start getting some of these guys signed before hitting the market but at this point it is unlikely unless they over pay. Jenkins for sure is going FA unless he is tagged do the Rams want to get in a bidding war for him? Probably not or they would have worked a bigger deal for him when they were in negotiations. If that is true they absolutely have to keep Johnson but is he worth a tag? Does Jenkins deal influence him or the Rams more? How healthy is Gaines? Is he going to have recurring foot problems?
A good place to be with talent but a bad place to be with both CBs.
A good place to be with talent but a bad place to be with both CBs.
5 yrs ago the Rams roster was made up of guys that other teams didnt want. Fisher and Snead proved that when over 20 of the players from the 2011 53 man roster were no longer in the league at the start of the 2012 season.
The only reason I can see why the Rams didnt resign him before 2015, is they thought moving to LA might make it easier to sign Tru at a lower salary. There is no way I would have let the possibility of losing both in the same off-season happen.
I Like how Tru played this year but he probably would not have been the starter if Gaines does not get hurt. Also teams threw his way much more than they did at JJ.
As a rookie Gaines clearly outplayed Tru in 2014, albeit Tru was more limited due to health issues for most of the 2014 season. Beckham badly burned Tru on numerous occasions in the Giants game when Gaines got dinged and left the field. Meanwhile Gaines had actually been holding his own pretty well against the vaunted Beckham.
Although Tru has trouble with small quicker receivers, he matches up well with the bigger more physical receivers and has demonstrated good hands and ball skills, which is a big plus.
JJ is much better in straight man to man coverage and can handle the quicker receivers much better than Tru but on the flip side can JJ can get pushed around by the more physical receivers.
Having both Tru and JJ in tandem allows the Rams to match up with many more receivers with varied skill sets but can they afford both?
As a rookie Gaines clearly outplayed Tru in 2014, albeit Tru was more limited due to health issues for most of the 2014 season. Beckham badly burned Tru on numerous occasions in the Giants game when Gaines got dinged and left the field. Meanwhile Gaines had actually been holding his own pretty well against the vaunted Beckham.
Although Tru has trouble with small quicker receivers, he matches up well with the bigger more physical receivers and has demonstrated good hands and ball skills, which is a big plus.
JJ is much better in straight man to man coverage and can handle the quicker receivers much better than Tru but on the flip side can JJ can get pushed around by the more physical receivers.
Having both Tru and JJ in tandem allows the Rams to match up with many more receivers with varied skill sets but can they afford both?
BonifayRam
Legend
Yes they can but Fisher will have to make some serious releases of big contract low production veterans...just like everyone else does every season. Fisher has not had to make these type hard decisions here as the Rams HC until now.
Another key element that will enter into this seasons UFA signings (JJ & tru) is the free agency next season .....that will be even harder & larger. With four former Ram first round draft selections being UFA's (Brockers/Austin/Ogletree/Long) with other key young players (TJ McDonald/Stedman Bailey/Kenny Britt/Garrett Reynolds/Akeem Ayers) along with Westbrooks/Roberson/Longacre/Tricant-Pasat).
Looks to me the great benefits of all the previous Snead/Fisher drafts are running towards a conclusion in the near future. Keeping even half of these young talented Rams will be difficult. The window of opportunity to cease fully the great fortunes of the bounty of the Rams draft trades is beginning to slide shut at the end of this upcoming 2016 season.
They need to try to resign both players and with Gaines coming back we would be set for years.We still have a chance to have an elite defence for years.Some tough choices need to be made but the core of our D has to be retained.
Is Jenkins worthy (and can he be trusted) with a core player contract? I like him as a player, but he scares the living lights out of me off the field - particularly living in LA.
hmm...
Why yes..yes he can. He is worthy, and he's been a model citizen for four years, (five actually, with college).
(Not directed at you ,CGI), I think it's wrong to judge someone's character/player ability by a couple of tweets.
Gimme some Jackrabbit!
OntarioRam
Hall of Fame
You hit the nail on the head. By the end of 2016 it is pretty clear that Long, Cook, Saffold, and JL55 need to be gone in my opinion. Unless they take super cheap deals (which I cannot see them doing. Why would they take below market value?). Some need to be gone asap given their current contracts. It might not solve our problem but it will go a long, long way towards re-signing our key young players on defence.
Roberson, Westbrooks, Longacre, and Trinca-Pasat aren't UFAs. The first two are RFAs. The last two are ERFAs (IIRC). Austin and Ogletree both have 5th year options that we can pick up. The Rams should arguably move on from Long this year. IMO, the only two big FAs will be Brockers and McDonald.
BonifayRam
Legend
I agree with you fully here
.......You did notice jrry32 that I excluded those four "aren't UFA's" from the before mentioned other first mentioned ten UFA Rams. I took that most members would figure for themselves those 1st & 2nd yrs players were not UFA's guess that's the future defense lawyer coming out in you
. Yes but more to the point here those 5th options that are certainly available aren't cheap. Rams are in good shape with TJ McDonald due to Mo Alexander but the NT Brockers resigning event, Fisher is in very weak position at the moment but as in your several mock off-season drafts.... your plans has that covered
.
I agree with you fully here
Rams are in good shape with TJ McDonald due to Mo Alexander but the NT Brockers resigning event, Fisher is in very weak position at the moment but as in your several mock off-season drafts.... your plans has that covered
They're not cheap. But they're manageable. And they give us time. I'd still do everything I could to keep TJ. Mo has had some coverage issues when he's played. Brockers is important. I'd try hard to keep him...but if he's not realistic about his value, he's a player that can be sacrificed. We can find a guy in the draft or FA to replace him.
But we need to find a way to keep Trumaine and JJ this off-season.
FrankenRam
Starter
That is the big challenge in this debate. Is Jenkins worthy (and can he be trusted) with a core player contract? I like him as a player, but he scares the living lights out of me off the field - particularly living in LA.
Johnson feels like the safer investment, albeit he's less durable.
hmm...
For sure. And he's probably not the only one.
BonifayRam
Legend
They're not cheap. But they're manageable. And they give us time. I'd still do everything I could to keep TJ. Mo has had some coverage issues when he's played. Brockers is important. I'd try hard to keep him...but if he's not realistic about his value, he's a player that can be sacrificed. We can find a guy in the draft or FA to replace him.
Correct that's a good word to use here manageable. Agree with you on Mo. Its possible that when they loose Mark Barron in March that Mo could slip down some into the position Barron played when needed. Yes, McDonald is a future star playing strong safety need to keep especially if they loose FS Rod McLeod to free agency.
Your Brockers comment is interesting. I have been looking hard & posted several times about those very talented NT/DT prospects in this up coming draft. I have no ideal how Fisher feel about Brockers & the $$$ Brockers is sure to warrant next season at this time. The future cap $$$ needed to sigh a UFA DT like Aaron Donald (100 million?? Suh like) is sure to enter the picture in the Brockers contract thought.
A rookie Nose Tackle is a present need with the loss of Fairley how would it look with the loss of Brockers next yr at this time. I tend to think your "he's a player that can be sacrificed" has some serious merit if there was a talented rookie drafted this May. if not Fisher will be in one huge sour pickle in dealing with a UFA Brockers.
We have to find a way to keep our defense intact. That means Barron and McLeod as well as Jenkins and Johnson. If that means cutting bait with guys like Cook, Larinaitis, and Long, then so be it. I love the latter two as players, leaders, and people...but we can't afford to let the talented players go.