- Joined
- Jan 21, 2013
- Messages
- 6,744
Release:
Cortland Finnegan, CB
Scott Wells, C
Harvey Dahl, OG
- All making way more money than they earned last year, necessary cuts for cap space
Free Agency:
Rodger Saffold, OT
- We need to bring this guy back ASAP. Made PFF's All-NFC West team at OG despite only playing 3 or 4 games at the position. That about says it all to me.
Michael Griffin, FS
- A likely cap casualty for the Titans due to an 8 million cap hit this year. Solid starter at a position that has been a big weakness for a while now. Fisher and Williams are both familiar with this guy, and the Titans continue to be a source of veteran talent for the Rams. If Griffin doesn't get released, then I could see us taking a stab at Malcolm Jenkins, another guy that Williams has familiarity with.
Cortland Finnegan, CB
- Williams believes he can revive Finnegan's career, so we bring him back on a reduced contract
Chris Williams, OG
- Was pretty bad as a starter, but should be fine as a backup and spot starter. We need as much depth as possible with Long and Saffolds' injury histories.
Draft Trades:
Rams trade - no.2 overall pick
Browns trade - no.4 overall pick, 3rd round pick, future 1st round pick
- A trade down is happening, the only question is with who. In this scenario the Browns leap over Jacksonville to get their franchise QB while still being able to hold on to both their first round picks and their second round pick. The Rams get to hold onto their streak of multiple firsts and an extra 3rd in a particularly deep draft. Can't ask for much more than that for only moving down 2 picks.
Rams trade - no.13 overall pick, 2nd round pick
Falcons trade - no.6 overall pick
- The draft goes down the way the Rams thought it would and they see the opportunity to trade back up and draft another one of their top 3 prospects. Getting what they believe are two of the best players in the entire draft is worth giving up a second round pick for.
Draft:
1: Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson
- Stud no.1 WR, the complete package. Speed, hands, body control, ball skills, agility, etc. I know Snead said "we can not have another receiver and still be a good football team", but notice he said good and not great. I don't think any GM or HC strives to just be a good football team, playmakers are what put you over the top, and Watkins is definitely a playmaker.
1: Greg Robinson, OT/OG, Auburn
- Freakishly strong and really athletic as well. Long arms, tree trunks for legs, and a wide base this kid has it all as far as physical makeup goes. A little raw with his footwork and hand placement, but already a dominant player on the toughest level of football. We move him inside initially which hides his deficiencies in technique and emphasizes his raw power and ability to anchor. Has the potential to be a pro bowl player as a rookie, way more impressive in almost every aspect than hyped up OG Chance Warmack last year.
3: Kelcy Quarles, DT, South Carolina
- Very solid player that was extremely productive in the SEC last year. Benefited some from playing beside Clowney, but still an aggressive player that lives in the opponent's backfield. Reminds me some of Detroit's Nick Fairley.
3: Devonta Freeman, RB, Florida State
- Quick, decisive runner with a low center of gravity. Really good receiver with great balance and a nose for the endzone. Not quite as strong as Stacy, but a little faster and more explosive. Some might not view RB as a third round need, but it's alarming how many times Stacy took himself out of the game whether it be due to a lack of conditioning or small nagging injuries. Cunningham goes down too easy and doesn't have the vision to be a no.2 back, imo.
4: Kenny Ladler, FS, Vanderbilt
- A very solid player all around. Good run defender, good ball skills, decent range and a solid tackler. Only falls this far because he doesn't really have any dominant traits, and isn't overly big or fast.
5: Aaron Murray, QB, Georgia
- Underrated QB. Has a ton of experience starting four years straight for UGA. Relatively accurate, puts good touch on the ball, good enough arm strength, and a solid pocket presence. Good enough to be a starter at some point in his career, one of those guys who will make solid trade bait in the future because he'll be such a stud in preseason.
6: Kevin Pierre-Louis, OLB, Boston College
- Solid run defender and excellent blitzer. Undersized weakside linebacker, kind of a poor man's Lavonte David. I assume we'll be doing a lot more blitzing under Williams, so I thought it would be important to grab a linebacker that excels in this area. Should be a solid STer from the beginning.
7: Charles Sawyer, CB, Mississippi
- Smaller CB, a bit of a project but has solid athleticism and is aggressive in pass coverage. Should be a solid nickelback, but will start his career, like Pierre-Louis, on special teams.
7: Larry Webster, DE, Bloomsburg
- Flashed talent at the Shrine game. Undersized for a DE, but a lot further along in build than Sims was as a rookie. Still kind of upset we let Rivers get away, but Webster is a similar kind of talent, imo. Good depth and could play on special teams, but might be fighting an uphill battle to actually make the 53.
Depth Chart:
QB: Bradford / Clemens / Murray
RB: Stacy / Freeman / Cunningham
FB: Harkey
WR: Watkins / Givens
WR: Bailey / Quick
Slot: Austin / Pettis
TE: Cook / Kendricks / Harkey
LT: Long / Saffold
LG: Robinson / Williams
C: Jones / Barnes
RG: Saffold / Smith
RT: Barksdale / Robinson
DE: Long / Hayes
UT: Langford / Quarles / Hayes
NT: Brockers / Quarles
DE: Quinn / Sims / Webster
SLB: Ogletree / Armstrong
MLB: Laurinaitis
WLB: JLD / Pierre-Louis
CB: Johnson / Finnegan
CB: Jenkins / McGee
NB: Finnegan / Mcleod / Sawyer
FS: Griffin / Mcleod
SS: McDonald / Stewart
Cortland Finnegan, CB
Scott Wells, C
Harvey Dahl, OG
- All making way more money than they earned last year, necessary cuts for cap space
Free Agency:
Rodger Saffold, OT
- We need to bring this guy back ASAP. Made PFF's All-NFC West team at OG despite only playing 3 or 4 games at the position. That about says it all to me.
Michael Griffin, FS
- A likely cap casualty for the Titans due to an 8 million cap hit this year. Solid starter at a position that has been a big weakness for a while now. Fisher and Williams are both familiar with this guy, and the Titans continue to be a source of veteran talent for the Rams. If Griffin doesn't get released, then I could see us taking a stab at Malcolm Jenkins, another guy that Williams has familiarity with.
Cortland Finnegan, CB
- Williams believes he can revive Finnegan's career, so we bring him back on a reduced contract
Chris Williams, OG
- Was pretty bad as a starter, but should be fine as a backup and spot starter. We need as much depth as possible with Long and Saffolds' injury histories.
Draft Trades:
Rams trade - no.2 overall pick
Browns trade - no.4 overall pick, 3rd round pick, future 1st round pick
- A trade down is happening, the only question is with who. In this scenario the Browns leap over Jacksonville to get their franchise QB while still being able to hold on to both their first round picks and their second round pick. The Rams get to hold onto their streak of multiple firsts and an extra 3rd in a particularly deep draft. Can't ask for much more than that for only moving down 2 picks.
Rams trade - no.13 overall pick, 2nd round pick
Falcons trade - no.6 overall pick
- The draft goes down the way the Rams thought it would and they see the opportunity to trade back up and draft another one of their top 3 prospects. Getting what they believe are two of the best players in the entire draft is worth giving up a second round pick for.
Draft:
1: Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson
- Stud no.1 WR, the complete package. Speed, hands, body control, ball skills, agility, etc. I know Snead said "we can not have another receiver and still be a good football team", but notice he said good and not great. I don't think any GM or HC strives to just be a good football team, playmakers are what put you over the top, and Watkins is definitely a playmaker.
1: Greg Robinson, OT/OG, Auburn
- Freakishly strong and really athletic as well. Long arms, tree trunks for legs, and a wide base this kid has it all as far as physical makeup goes. A little raw with his footwork and hand placement, but already a dominant player on the toughest level of football. We move him inside initially which hides his deficiencies in technique and emphasizes his raw power and ability to anchor. Has the potential to be a pro bowl player as a rookie, way more impressive in almost every aspect than hyped up OG Chance Warmack last year.
3: Kelcy Quarles, DT, South Carolina
- Very solid player that was extremely productive in the SEC last year. Benefited some from playing beside Clowney, but still an aggressive player that lives in the opponent's backfield. Reminds me some of Detroit's Nick Fairley.
3: Devonta Freeman, RB, Florida State
- Quick, decisive runner with a low center of gravity. Really good receiver with great balance and a nose for the endzone. Not quite as strong as Stacy, but a little faster and more explosive. Some might not view RB as a third round need, but it's alarming how many times Stacy took himself out of the game whether it be due to a lack of conditioning or small nagging injuries. Cunningham goes down too easy and doesn't have the vision to be a no.2 back, imo.
4: Kenny Ladler, FS, Vanderbilt
- A very solid player all around. Good run defender, good ball skills, decent range and a solid tackler. Only falls this far because he doesn't really have any dominant traits, and isn't overly big or fast.
5: Aaron Murray, QB, Georgia
- Underrated QB. Has a ton of experience starting four years straight for UGA. Relatively accurate, puts good touch on the ball, good enough arm strength, and a solid pocket presence. Good enough to be a starter at some point in his career, one of those guys who will make solid trade bait in the future because he'll be such a stud in preseason.
6: Kevin Pierre-Louis, OLB, Boston College
- Solid run defender and excellent blitzer. Undersized weakside linebacker, kind of a poor man's Lavonte David. I assume we'll be doing a lot more blitzing under Williams, so I thought it would be important to grab a linebacker that excels in this area. Should be a solid STer from the beginning.
7: Charles Sawyer, CB, Mississippi
- Smaller CB, a bit of a project but has solid athleticism and is aggressive in pass coverage. Should be a solid nickelback, but will start his career, like Pierre-Louis, on special teams.
7: Larry Webster, DE, Bloomsburg
- Flashed talent at the Shrine game. Undersized for a DE, but a lot further along in build than Sims was as a rookie. Still kind of upset we let Rivers get away, but Webster is a similar kind of talent, imo. Good depth and could play on special teams, but might be fighting an uphill battle to actually make the 53.
Depth Chart:
QB: Bradford / Clemens / Murray
RB: Stacy / Freeman / Cunningham
FB: Harkey
WR: Watkins / Givens
WR: Bailey / Quick
Slot: Austin / Pettis
TE: Cook / Kendricks / Harkey
LT: Long / Saffold
LG: Robinson / Williams
C: Jones / Barnes
RG: Saffold / Smith
RT: Barksdale / Robinson
DE: Long / Hayes
UT: Langford / Quarles / Hayes
NT: Brockers / Quarles
DE: Quinn / Sims / Webster
SLB: Ogletree / Armstrong
MLB: Laurinaitis
WLB: JLD / Pierre-Louis
CB: Johnson / Finnegan
CB: Jenkins / McGee
NB: Finnegan / Mcleod / Sawyer
FS: Griffin / Mcleod
SS: McDonald / Stewart