Lance Kendricks, & Eugene Sims just cut

[NERamsFan]

I was never thrilled with the Kendricks resign. Like most FA contracts, he lasted only two years on new deal. Blocking regressed and he never materialized into what Fisher and co. promised him when we resigned him... then again our entire offense SUCKED!!

 

[LACHAMP46]

Wow!

How about letting Barron lose to free up another 7 million.

For what? Man, Barron is one of the guys that brings it...every play...every game....If anything, he's miscast as an ILB....

Get that losing
Stench out !!

And...it's not all about losing, it's HOW YOU LOSE. The "quitting" at the end of the season WAS on several defensive players.

This was an unnecessary rebuild

See above. Some of these guys effort was lacking...They needed to be removed off this young roster. Very necessary if we want to be successful.

 

[fearsomefour]

Simms cut, Hayes traded, attempting to trade Trumaine......just what I said and didn't like when they announced Phillips as the DC. The defense was not a problem as a 4/3. With a good offense it would be top ten instead of fifteen. But everyone was convinced he ran a hybrid 3/4 and there wouldn't be much if any defensive turnover. In the next three years everything but the DLine will be completely different....and maybe Ogletree.

This was an unnecessary rebuild that will delay the progress of getting the team back to the Playoffs.

Yep.
Takin on the look of a write off year. But, maybe not.
When they canned Fisher the one thing Insaid I wanted was a 4/3, for one reason....to keep Donald. If he feels miscast or uncomfortable in a 3/4 he won't resign.

 

[fearsomefour]

Wow!
For what? Man, Barron is one of the guys that brings it...every play...every game....If anything, he's miscast as an ILB....

And...it's not all about losing, it's HOW YOU LOSE. The "quitting" at the end of the season WAS on several defensive players.

See above. Some of these guys effort was lacking...They needed to be removed off this young roster. Very necessary if we want to be successful.

Barron served the Rams well in his tweeter LB role, but, was not good at S in Tampa. Maybe he misused there.

 

[Snaz]

Fine with Sims going, don't like the cutting of Kendricks.

I'm the opposite, we have two 1 year players similar to Kendricks and cheaper on the roster, so expected him be cut.

I'm meh about Sims.. he was a backup, can find a replacement on the cheap.

 

[fearsomefour]

Lol. Yeah and Matthew Mulligan, Cameron Cleeland, Daniel Fells and Stephen Spach. So it's a guarantee they pick up Kendricks and he catches 70 passes for 800 yards and 5 touchdowns.

Yeah, a solid player with actual smart coaches. Enjoy your title Lance.

 

[SteezyEndo]

I say we keep Barron. He will do fine in Wades D. He just needs to be rotated to his sweet spot, boy could hit and lay the hurt.

 

[MadGoat]

Kendricks was cut because of his lack of blocking last year. Many of his whiffs got Gurley and Goff killed.

I'm excited for what our OCs can teach Higbee and look forward to the draft for Kendricks' replacement.

Due to fantasy football reasons, I found myself watching a ton of Washington's games last year. They loved to use formations to spread the defense out and let the TE's receiving threat force teams out of tight boxes. Even when Davis or Reed were blocking it was usually second level stuff, not at the point of attack. You can help a guy like Higbee out by giving him angles on stronger defenders and not asking him to take on defensive ends head up. I remember seeing him put in that position a number of times last year.

 

[fearsomefour]

I'm the opposite, we have two 1 year players similar to Kendricks and cheaper on the roster, so expected him be cut.

I'm meh about Sims.. he was a backup, can find a replacement on the cheap.

Sims was solid but really had a knack for personal fouls.
Kendricks was not as good last year but was still head and shoulders better than the other TEs. Higbee was terrible. But, young and all that. Not much else at the position unless the new staff likes Harkey. Hemingway barely gotten the field so not counting him at this point. Kendricks was the most reliable part of the offense for several seasons.
Maybe it's a throw away year. Maybe not.

 

[fearsomefour]

Due to fantasy football reasons, I found myself watching a ton of Washington's games last year. They loved to use formations to spread the defense out and let the TE's receiving threat force teams out of tight boxes. Even when Davis or Reed were blocking it was usually second level stuff, not at the point of attack. You can help a guy like Higbee out by giving him angles on stronger defenders and not asking him to take on defensive ends head up. I remember seeing him put in that position a number of times last year.

Now, he just needs to learn how to block. So many times last year he just out his shoulder into someone. He either had a low skill level blocking or low intention to block. Counting on him to turn Mr TE seems a stretch.
In his defense he did get better the last couple of games. He is young and athletic so there is upside. Hopefully he grows into the spot.
Spread the TEs out wide? Where's Jerad Cook (blue font)?

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Yep.
Takin on the look of a write off year. But, maybe not.
When they canned Fisher the one thing Insaid I wanted was a 4/3, for one reason....to keep Donald. If he feels miscast or uncomfortable in a 3/4 he won't resign.

If you really look at the defensive players, in three years it is possible that non of them are with the team. They have no press cover corners, no free safety, Ogletree isn't a typical 3/4 LBer, Quinn is getting older, Donald may choose to move on or get traded before they get nothing for him. This current defensive personnel does not look anything like former WP defenses.

 

[DeaconJones]

Haven't they signed other former Rams TE's ... like Michael Honowamenwouwerishisnameistolongandhastoomanysyllableswanoui?

Don't strain yourself. "Illinois Mike".

 

[fearsomefour]

If you really look at the defensive players, in three years it is possible that non of them are with the team. They have no press cover corners, no free safety, Ogletree isn't a typical 3/4 LBer, Quinn is getting older, Donald may choose to move on or get traded before they get nothing for him. This current defensive personnel does not look anything like former WP defenses.

Exactly why I didn't want a 3/4.
People can say what they want but the coach will morph the personal to what he is comfortable with. Donald may be talented enough to playing any scheme. That doesn't mean he will want to. Being miscast or taking him out more plays because of scheme would likely end his days in LA. You don't have that rare a talent and F with what he does.

 

[LACHAMP46]

but, was not good at S in Tampa.

I think Lovie was/is still running that ole tampa 2....the Monty Kiffin outdated Tampa-2....it killed safeties after teams realized you could exploit the seems by flooding targets deep and underneath...crossing...I hated it at SC (so did TJ McDonald)...and I'm sure Mark hated it in Tampa

 

[FaulkSF]

Due to fantasy football reasons, I found myself watching a ton of Washington's games last year. They loved to use formations to spread the defense out and let the TE's receiving threat force teams out of tight boxes. Even when Davis or Reed were blocking it was usually second level stuff, not at the point of attack. I remember seeing him put in that position a number of times last year.

I agree that would help. However, all Kendricks had to do was chip to create a delay to Gurley or Goff. He couldn't even do that, he would whiff. I don't know if that's on him or the coaches, but he needed to know where the play was going and get himself between the defender and RB/QB to set a chip. He failed at this a lot and didn't hold himself accountable.

 

[MadGoat]

Now, he just needs to learn how to block. So many times last year he just out his shoulder into someone. He either had a low skill level blocking or low intention to block. Counting on him to turn Mr TE seems a stretch.
In his defense he did get better the last couple of games. He is young and athletic so there is upside. Hopefully he grows into the spot.
Spread the TEs out wide? Where's Jerad Cook (blue font)?

I remember later in the season Higbee had a nice block on a longer run by Gurley, but it was down-field, not up front. In the end, even if Higbee never develops into a solid blocker, I believe a good offensive coach can still find ways to keep them on the field and producing. A large number of the pro-bowl TEs in the last 10 years have average or worse at in-line blocking (Jimmy Graham being the worst of them). Higbee is still developing though, I won't write his blocking off until next year. If it doesn't change by then, it is what it is.

 

[JoeBo21]

Simms cut, Hayes traded, attempting to trade Trumaine......just what I said and didn't like when they announced Phillips as the DC. The defense was not a problem as a 4/3. With a good offense it would be top ten instead of fifteen. But everyone was convinced he ran a hybrid 3/4 and there wouldn't be much if any defensive turnover. In the next three years everything but the DLine will be completely different....and maybe Ogletree.

This was an unnecessary rebuild that will delay the progress of getting the team back to the Playoffs.

Yep.
Takin on the look of a write off year. But, maybe not.
When they canned Fisher the one thing Insaid I wanted was a 4/3, for one reason....to keep Donald. If he feels miscast or uncomfortable in a 3/4 he won't resign.

If you really look at the defensive players, in three years it is possible that non of them are with the team. They have no press cover corners, no free safety, Ogletree isn't a typical 3/4 LBer, Quinn is getting older, Donald may choose to move on or get traded before they get nothing for him. This current defensive personnel does not look anything like former WP defenses.

Elm single handedly makin me cry this morning

 

[MadGoat]

I agree that would help. However, all Kendricks had to do was chip to create a delay to Gurley or Goff. He couldn't even do that, he would whiff. I don't know if that's on him or the coaches, but he needed to know where the play was going and get himself between the defender and RB/QB to set a chip. He failed at this a lot and didn't hold himself accountable.

Yeah, I expected more out of Kendricks. My comment was specifically about Higbee, who I didn't expect to be able to take on defensive linemen. He was basically a wide receiver in college.

The funny thing about Kendricks, he was a plus rated blocker early in his career. I believe his blocking ability is what earned him the big contract. Strangely, it just got worse and worse.

 

[markstewart67]

I like Barron a lot. I hope we keep him.

 

[lockdnram21]

Simms cut, Hayes traded, attempting to trade Trumaine......just what I said and didn't like when they announced Phillips as the DC. The defense was not a problem as a 4/3. With a good offense it would be top ten instead of fifteen. But everyone was convinced he ran a hybrid 3/4 and there wouldn't be much if any defensive turnover. In the next three years everything but the DLine will be completely different....and maybe Ogletree.

This was an unnecessary rebuild that will delay the progress of getting the team back to the Playoffs.

I strongly disagree... This defense was pretty good but wasn't top 10