- Joined
- Jul 30, 2010
- Messages
- 17,035
- Name
- Jemma
Yeah, it's about time I did one of these. Definitely assuming that the Rams win the Super Bowl, like every one of my really early mocks. First off, I'll predict a trade of Troy Hill, and the fifty-three man roster and twelve man practice squad for the 2020-2021 season (I'm assuming that the CBA goes back to twelve men allowed after 2020 is over.), so that there aren't any surprises. Also going to predict who leaves via free agency and trades, so...yeah. Here it goes:
Preseason trades:
Troy Hill and 2022 fifth to the New York Giants for 2021 fourth round pick.
(This all depends on if the Giants re-sign Leonard Williams at the beginning of the 2021 season or not or not. If they do re-sign him, the Giants will give up their fourth to the Jets; if not, they'll give the Jets a fifth. I'll go with a 2021 fourth, as that hasn't come to pass yet. The Giants make the most sense as a team that needs a corner; two have opted out, and DeAndre Baker's is an idiot who will likely get prison time. They need secondary help, and with an aggressive new coach and a general manager on the hot seat in a weak division, I could see them making a trade like this.)
-
53-man roster:
QB - Jared Goff, John Wolford.
RB - Cam Akers, Darrell Henderson, Malcolm Brown.
WR - Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp, Van Jefferson, Josh Reynolds, Nsimba Webster, Easop Winston, Earnest Edwards.
TE - Tyler Higbee, Gerald Everett, Brycen Hopkins, Johnny Mundt.
OL - Andrew Whitworth, Joseph Noteboom, Austin Blythe, Austin Corbett, Rob Havenstein, David Edwards, Bobby Evans, Tremayne Anchrum, Brian Allen. (Chandler Brewer, opt out.)
DL - Aaron Donald, Michael Brockers, Sebastian Joseph-Day, Greg Gaines, Marquise Copeland (A'Shawn Robinson on PUP, possible IR).
OLB - Leonard Floyd, Samson Ebukam, Travin Howard, Clay Johnston, Micah Kiser, Kenny Young, Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, Terrell Lewis, Jachai Polite, Natrez Patrick.
DB - Jalen Ramsey, Darious Williams, David Long, John Johnson, Taylor Rapp, Donte Deayon, Adonis Alexander, Terrell Burgess, Jordan Fuller, Jake Gervase.
ST - Lirim Hajrullahu, Johnny Hekker, Jake McQuaide.
(Yeah, I see us keeping two quarterbacks on the active roster, since they're both durable. Three running backs might be too few, but I can't justify moving Xavier Jones over Webster, Winston, or Edwards, all of whom I'd hate to lose. I think that Mundt will fight for the fourth tight end spot with Blanton, and while I'd like Blanton to win, I see Mundt winning the job. I think that Allen stays on as the backup center, much as I hate the thought, but the other offensive linemen aren't surprising. I don't know if Robinson will make the roster or PUP or - worse still - not play at all during his tenure as a Ram. I'm not going to think too negative yet, but it's concerning. I think that Reeder is a surprise cut Young. As for kicker, I think Hajrullahu makes the roster, considering how his camp has gone.)
12 man practice squad:
Bryce Perkins, QB
Cohl Cabral, OC
Xavier Jones, RB
Kendall Blanton, TE
J.J. Koski, WR
Christian Rozeboom, ILB
Daniel Bituli, ILB
Michael Hoecht, DE
Jonah Williams, DE
Tyrique McGhee, CB
Dayan Lake, CB
Sam Sloman, K
(Perkins is the only other quarterback on the roster, so I see him winning the spot on the practice squad. Cabral will serve as our offensive lineman on the squad. Blanton and Jones will make the squad along with Koski, whose name I've heard a lot in camp. Bituli and Rozeboom will make the practice squad as well. Hoecht and Williams will be our defensive linemen. McGhee and Lake have potential in the backend. Sloman is there in case Hajrullahu fails.)
-
Retire/Cut:
Andrew Whitworth.
(I honestly think that if we win the Super Bowl like I think we will, Whitworth will retire. If we don't and he doesn't, I can see us moving on from a soon-to-be forty-year-old left tackle and letting someone else take the job, be it Noteboom, Evans, Edwards, Brewer, or a draft pick.)
-
Re-sign:
Jalen Ramsey (five years)
Cooper Kupp (four years)
Darious Williams (RFA)
Travin Howard (ERFA)
Coleman Shelton (ERFA)
Johnny Mundt (RFA)
(No real surprises here. Ramsey and Kupp are must-signs. Williams and Howard showed potential last year. Shelton is a necessary offensive lineman, and Mundt is the current third tight end.)
-
Release:
John Johnson
Gerald Everett
Samson Ebukam
Leonard Floyd
Austin Blythe
Malcolm Brown
Josh Reynolds
Donte Deayon
Jake McQuaide
Jamil Demby
(Unfortunately, I don't think we are going to keep JJ3 or Ebukam. Everett offers a tantalizing mix of skills, but has never put it all together. Floyd will likely do well enough for him to sign somewhere else. Reynolds and Brown would have bigger roles on less talented teams. McQuaide is a loss, but we'll probably sign a younger, cheaper long snapper after the draft. Deayon is a nickel back only, and the less said about Blythe and Demby, the better.)
-
Trades:
Robert Woods to the Miami Dolphins for 2021 second round pick and 2021 fourth round pick.
(I can't see us keeping Woods at an extended salary, especially if we keep Kupp and Ramsey,. I love Woods as a player and a person, but we simply have to face facts: we can't keep everyone. Miami has an extremely desperate need for a wide receiver. DeVante Parker is the only one of the roster who has proven to be any good, and he's on their franchise tag this year.)
Rob Havenstein to the Cincinnati Bengals for 2021 fourth round pick.
(Havenstein could very well be cut if he doesn't show up this season, but even if he isn't, one of Evans, Edwards, or Brewer (if he comes back) could end up replacing him. Thus we send him to the Bengals, who desperately need help protecting Burrow, and whose signing of Bobby Hart has been a complete failure.)
-
Draft:
2nd (Dolphins) - Josh Myers, OC, Ohio State. (6'5", 312 lbs.)
(Myers is our center of the future. He's an absolute load in the running game, and has no problems simply moving people. He's intelligent as well; he made all of the line calls for Ohio State. He needs work in pass protection, but it's not like he's bad there. He also needs to prove that he's not a product of the two guards next to him.)
2nd - Joseph Ossai, OLB, Texas. (6'3" 245 lbs.)
(Ossai is an absolute beast, to put it lightly, and he's a perfect fit for what Staley wants to do with his linebackers. He's been used primarily as an edge rusher for the Longhorns, and as such, his coverage skills need a lot of work. But he's an athletic freak who singlehandedly wrecked a good Utah offense in the Alamo Bowl.)
3rd - Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, South California. (6'1", 195 lbs.)
(Yes, it's ironic that Woods' replacement is another USC wideout. St. Brown does everything well. He is a dynamic player with the ball in his hands with the ability to run crisp routes. The only thing he doesn't do well is run blocking, but that's a nitpick. He's been projected in the third round because of this insane receiver class this year.)
3rd (compensatory for Fowler) - Dillon Radunz, OT, North Dakota State. (6'6", 301 lbs.)
(Here's our left tackle of the future. You may ask why Radunz is falling down so far. It's simple: his team isn't playing at all this year, and his level of competition isn't good either. He has issues with technique as well. But the good thing is that he's athletic, strong with more room to grow, and mean, all of which are qualities I love in an offensive lineman.)
4th (Bengals) - Charles Snowden, ILB/OLB, Virginia. (6'7", 235 lbs.)
(No, the height is not a typo. Snowden is a legit 6'6"/6'7" inside linebacker who could also put on more weight without losing his speed. His length is subsequently insane for a linebacker. He can also play outside linebacker with his length. He really needs to get stronger and work on his coverage and pass-rush moves, but he's a solid inside linebacker to step in.)
4th (Dolphins) - Nick Bolton, ILB, Missouri. (6'0", 232 lbs.)
(Bolton's lack of size and length is the only reason he falls here. He does everything great, whether it's filling in against the run, covering tight ends and running backs, or blitzing. He's incredibly physical, is a leader for Mizzou's top ranked defense, and is like the Energizer bunny in that he never takes off plays.)
4th (Giants) - Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina. (6'1", 205 lbs.)
(Yes, he's the son of Joe Horn, and he's a great cornerback prospect. So far, the younger Horn has proven to be a shutdown cornerback in a tandem at South Carolina. He's athletic, instinctive and physical. The reason he falls here is because he can get grabby and because he hasn't had a single interception in his college career as of yet.)
4th (compensatory for Littleton) - Mustafa Johnson, DE, Colorado. (6'2", 290 lbs.)
(Johnson is simply too good to pass up at this point. He's a pass-rusher first and foremost, and he can easily get into the backfield. He's light for a defensive tackle and doesn't have the best length either, but he's an intelligent and explosive player who can play all over the defensive line. I like him as a pass-rushing backup to Brockers.)
6th - Cole Van Lanen, OL, Wisconsin. (6'5", 312 lbs.)
(Van Lanen is already an amazing run blocker. He has country strength for days and enough technique to make him a force at left tackle. He's all right at pass blocking as well, but struggles with stiff hips and a lack of mobility. That could force him to right tackle or guard, but he's versatile enough to play all three of those positions.)
7th - Talanoa Hufanga, SS, South California. (6'1", 215 lbs.)
(Hufanga is projected as a seventh round pick because of numerous injuries to his collarbone and shoulder. Now for the good: this kid simply flies around the field as a heat-seeking missile, almost never misses tackles, covers tight ends, and plays as a big nickel safety who can play special teams as well.)
-
Priority UDFAs:
Max Borghi, RB, Washington State. (5'9", 195 lbs.)
(Borghi is one of two running backs I'd target in the ranks of the undrafted. He's too light to stay in for pass-protection, but he's an amazing receiver, cat-quick, has great speed, and plays more physical than his size indicates.)
Trey Ragas, RB, Louisiana-Lafayette. (5'10", 227 lbs.)
(Ragas is my sleeper for this draft. He's not a good pass-catcher, isn't fast at all, but pass protects well, is physical, breaks many tackles, has incredible vision, and was dominant against Alabama in 2018.)
-
As you noticed, I didn't include a long snapper in the draft or UDFA. I cannot, for the life of me, find a good site for draft eligible long snappers. However, I trust Snead to find one.
So, thoughts, comments, critiques, all are welcome.
Preseason trades:
Troy Hill and 2022 fifth to the New York Giants for 2021 fourth round pick.
(This all depends on if the Giants re-sign Leonard Williams at the beginning of the 2021 season or not or not. If they do re-sign him, the Giants will give up their fourth to the Jets; if not, they'll give the Jets a fifth. I'll go with a 2021 fourth, as that hasn't come to pass yet. The Giants make the most sense as a team that needs a corner; two have opted out, and DeAndre Baker's is an idiot who will likely get prison time. They need secondary help, and with an aggressive new coach and a general manager on the hot seat in a weak division, I could see them making a trade like this.)
-
53-man roster:
QB - Jared Goff, John Wolford.
RB - Cam Akers, Darrell Henderson, Malcolm Brown.
WR - Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp, Van Jefferson, Josh Reynolds, Nsimba Webster, Easop Winston, Earnest Edwards.
TE - Tyler Higbee, Gerald Everett, Brycen Hopkins, Johnny Mundt.
OL - Andrew Whitworth, Joseph Noteboom, Austin Blythe, Austin Corbett, Rob Havenstein, David Edwards, Bobby Evans, Tremayne Anchrum, Brian Allen. (Chandler Brewer, opt out.)
DL - Aaron Donald, Michael Brockers, Sebastian Joseph-Day, Greg Gaines, Marquise Copeland (A'Shawn Robinson on PUP, possible IR).
OLB - Leonard Floyd, Samson Ebukam, Travin Howard, Clay Johnston, Micah Kiser, Kenny Young, Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, Terrell Lewis, Jachai Polite, Natrez Patrick.
DB - Jalen Ramsey, Darious Williams, David Long, John Johnson, Taylor Rapp, Donte Deayon, Adonis Alexander, Terrell Burgess, Jordan Fuller, Jake Gervase.
ST - Lirim Hajrullahu, Johnny Hekker, Jake McQuaide.
(Yeah, I see us keeping two quarterbacks on the active roster, since they're both durable. Three running backs might be too few, but I can't justify moving Xavier Jones over Webster, Winston, or Edwards, all of whom I'd hate to lose. I think that Mundt will fight for the fourth tight end spot with Blanton, and while I'd like Blanton to win, I see Mundt winning the job. I think that Allen stays on as the backup center, much as I hate the thought, but the other offensive linemen aren't surprising. I don't know if Robinson will make the roster or PUP or - worse still - not play at all during his tenure as a Ram. I'm not going to think too negative yet, but it's concerning. I think that Reeder is a surprise cut Young. As for kicker, I think Hajrullahu makes the roster, considering how his camp has gone.)
12 man practice squad:
Bryce Perkins, QB
Cohl Cabral, OC
Xavier Jones, RB
Kendall Blanton, TE
J.J. Koski, WR
Christian Rozeboom, ILB
Daniel Bituli, ILB
Michael Hoecht, DE
Jonah Williams, DE
Tyrique McGhee, CB
Dayan Lake, CB
Sam Sloman, K
(Perkins is the only other quarterback on the roster, so I see him winning the spot on the practice squad. Cabral will serve as our offensive lineman on the squad. Blanton and Jones will make the squad along with Koski, whose name I've heard a lot in camp. Bituli and Rozeboom will make the practice squad as well. Hoecht and Williams will be our defensive linemen. McGhee and Lake have potential in the backend. Sloman is there in case Hajrullahu fails.)
-
Retire/Cut:
Andrew Whitworth.
(I honestly think that if we win the Super Bowl like I think we will, Whitworth will retire. If we don't and he doesn't, I can see us moving on from a soon-to-be forty-year-old left tackle and letting someone else take the job, be it Noteboom, Evans, Edwards, Brewer, or a draft pick.)
-
Re-sign:
Jalen Ramsey (five years)
Cooper Kupp (four years)
Darious Williams (RFA)
Travin Howard (ERFA)
Coleman Shelton (ERFA)
Johnny Mundt (RFA)
(No real surprises here. Ramsey and Kupp are must-signs. Williams and Howard showed potential last year. Shelton is a necessary offensive lineman, and Mundt is the current third tight end.)
-
Release:
John Johnson
Gerald Everett
Samson Ebukam
Leonard Floyd
Austin Blythe
Malcolm Brown
Josh Reynolds
Donte Deayon
Jake McQuaide
Jamil Demby
(Unfortunately, I don't think we are going to keep JJ3 or Ebukam. Everett offers a tantalizing mix of skills, but has never put it all together. Floyd will likely do well enough for him to sign somewhere else. Reynolds and Brown would have bigger roles on less talented teams. McQuaide is a loss, but we'll probably sign a younger, cheaper long snapper after the draft. Deayon is a nickel back only, and the less said about Blythe and Demby, the better.)
-
Trades:
Robert Woods to the Miami Dolphins for 2021 second round pick and 2021 fourth round pick.
(I can't see us keeping Woods at an extended salary, especially if we keep Kupp and Ramsey,. I love Woods as a player and a person, but we simply have to face facts: we can't keep everyone. Miami has an extremely desperate need for a wide receiver. DeVante Parker is the only one of the roster who has proven to be any good, and he's on their franchise tag this year.)
Rob Havenstein to the Cincinnati Bengals for 2021 fourth round pick.
(Havenstein could very well be cut if he doesn't show up this season, but even if he isn't, one of Evans, Edwards, or Brewer (if he comes back) could end up replacing him. Thus we send him to the Bengals, who desperately need help protecting Burrow, and whose signing of Bobby Hart has been a complete failure.)
-
Draft:
2nd (Dolphins) - Josh Myers, OC, Ohio State. (6'5", 312 lbs.)
(Myers is our center of the future. He's an absolute load in the running game, and has no problems simply moving people. He's intelligent as well; he made all of the line calls for Ohio State. He needs work in pass protection, but it's not like he's bad there. He also needs to prove that he's not a product of the two guards next to him.)
2nd - Joseph Ossai, OLB, Texas. (6'3" 245 lbs.)
(Ossai is an absolute beast, to put it lightly, and he's a perfect fit for what Staley wants to do with his linebackers. He's been used primarily as an edge rusher for the Longhorns, and as such, his coverage skills need a lot of work. But he's an athletic freak who singlehandedly wrecked a good Utah offense in the Alamo Bowl.)
3rd - Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, South California. (6'1", 195 lbs.)
(Yes, it's ironic that Woods' replacement is another USC wideout. St. Brown does everything well. He is a dynamic player with the ball in his hands with the ability to run crisp routes. The only thing he doesn't do well is run blocking, but that's a nitpick. He's been projected in the third round because of this insane receiver class this year.)
3rd (compensatory for Fowler) - Dillon Radunz, OT, North Dakota State. (6'6", 301 lbs.)
(Here's our left tackle of the future. You may ask why Radunz is falling down so far. It's simple: his team isn't playing at all this year, and his level of competition isn't good either. He has issues with technique as well. But the good thing is that he's athletic, strong with more room to grow, and mean, all of which are qualities I love in an offensive lineman.)
4th (Bengals) - Charles Snowden, ILB/OLB, Virginia. (6'7", 235 lbs.)
(No, the height is not a typo. Snowden is a legit 6'6"/6'7" inside linebacker who could also put on more weight without losing his speed. His length is subsequently insane for a linebacker. He can also play outside linebacker with his length. He really needs to get stronger and work on his coverage and pass-rush moves, but he's a solid inside linebacker to step in.)
4th (Dolphins) - Nick Bolton, ILB, Missouri. (6'0", 232 lbs.)
(Bolton's lack of size and length is the only reason he falls here. He does everything great, whether it's filling in against the run, covering tight ends and running backs, or blitzing. He's incredibly physical, is a leader for Mizzou's top ranked defense, and is like the Energizer bunny in that he never takes off plays.)
4th (Giants) - Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina. (6'1", 205 lbs.)
(Yes, he's the son of Joe Horn, and he's a great cornerback prospect. So far, the younger Horn has proven to be a shutdown cornerback in a tandem at South Carolina. He's athletic, instinctive and physical. The reason he falls here is because he can get grabby and because he hasn't had a single interception in his college career as of yet.)
4th (compensatory for Littleton) - Mustafa Johnson, DE, Colorado. (6'2", 290 lbs.)
(Johnson is simply too good to pass up at this point. He's a pass-rusher first and foremost, and he can easily get into the backfield. He's light for a defensive tackle and doesn't have the best length either, but he's an intelligent and explosive player who can play all over the defensive line. I like him as a pass-rushing backup to Brockers.)
6th - Cole Van Lanen, OL, Wisconsin. (6'5", 312 lbs.)
(Van Lanen is already an amazing run blocker. He has country strength for days and enough technique to make him a force at left tackle. He's all right at pass blocking as well, but struggles with stiff hips and a lack of mobility. That could force him to right tackle or guard, but he's versatile enough to play all three of those positions.)
7th - Talanoa Hufanga, SS, South California. (6'1", 215 lbs.)
(Hufanga is projected as a seventh round pick because of numerous injuries to his collarbone and shoulder. Now for the good: this kid simply flies around the field as a heat-seeking missile, almost never misses tackles, covers tight ends, and plays as a big nickel safety who can play special teams as well.)
-
Priority UDFAs:
Max Borghi, RB, Washington State. (5'9", 195 lbs.)
(Borghi is one of two running backs I'd target in the ranks of the undrafted. He's too light to stay in for pass-protection, but he's an amazing receiver, cat-quick, has great speed, and plays more physical than his size indicates.)
Trey Ragas, RB, Louisiana-Lafayette. (5'10", 227 lbs.)
(Ragas is my sleeper for this draft. He's not a good pass-catcher, isn't fast at all, but pass protects well, is physical, breaks many tackles, has incredible vision, and was dominant against Alabama in 2018.)
-
As you noticed, I didn't include a long snapper in the draft or UDFA. I cannot, for the life of me, find a good site for draft eligible long snappers. However, I trust Snead to find one.
So, thoughts, comments, critiques, all are welcome.
