Memento's Freezing in January Mock Offseason.

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Memento

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Well, my first mock in 2020 is going to admittedly steal some ideas from @jrry32 , but here it goes, anyway!

Coaching:

Wade Phillips - Retire
Andy Avalos - Hire as our DC (Oregon DC)

(I love Son of Bum, but he just hasn't delivered this year, and he's over seventy. Avalos has overseen top defenses at Boise State and now Oregon. He runs a base 3-4 with quite a few interesting hybrid concepts (everything from a 4-4-3 to a 1-4-6). He'll be a great addition, even though he's young (36 years old), and Wade could possibly stick on as a consultant.)

Cut:

Eric Weddle
Clay Matthews

(Both of them have long overstayed their welcomes.)

Re-sign:

Jalen Ramsey - five years, 84 million overall.
Cooper Kupp - five years, 45 million overall.
Greg Zuerlein - three years, 9 million overall.
Andrew Whitworth - one year, 9 million.
Dante Fowler - franchise tag
Morgan Fox - RFA
Johnny Mundt - ERFA
Nsimba Webster - ERFA
Kendall Blanton - ERFA
Coleman Shelton - ERFA
Marquise Copeland - Practice Squad
Greg Dortch - Practice Squad.
Jachai Polite - Practice Squad
Landis Durham - Practice Squad
John Wolford - Practice Squad
Jeff Holland - Practice Squad
Adonis Alexander - Practice Squad
Nate Trewyn - Practice Squad
Ethan Wolf - Practice Squad

(Might as well get the Ramsey out of the way this year; pay the man to lock down one side of the field. It also makes sense to do an extension with Kupp because he'll be worth more on the open market. Zuerlein, for all his inconsistency, is still our best option at kicker. Dante Fowler is a tag-and-trade candidate. Morgan Fox is the only RFA who gets re-signed, and the others are ERFAs and practice squad candidates.)

Release:

Cory Littleton
Michael Brockers
Andrew Whitworth
Blake Bortles
Bryce Hager
Jojo Natson
Donte Deayon
Austin Blythe
Marqui Christian
Mike Thomas
Josh Carraway
Jeremiah Kolone

(Unfortunately, we can't keep everyone. That means that Littleton - as much as I hate it - goes to another team. Brockers is unfortunately not going to stay either. I'm a bit worried about Whitworth declining at his age, so I reluctantly let him go. Christian goes for an opportunity to start, as well as Bortles. The others, I'm fine with losing.)

Free Agency:

Trades (and there's a lot of them):

Malcolm Brown to the Los Angeles Chargers for Forrest Lamp.

(Yeah, this is my favorite of Jerry's trades (his was with our sixth), but I'm putting my own spin on it. We're buying low, but a healthy Lamp could solidify our interior. The only problem is if he stays healthy, but given that I think that the Chargers upset - and were cursed by - a voodoo priestess, I think this'll work out for us. In exchange, they get a running back who can help Ekeler and do some of what Melvin Gordon - a pending free agent - did: be a bigger back who can protect Rivers and be an outlet in the passing game.)

Nickell Robey Coleman and 2020 seventh to the Cincinnati Bengals for 2020 sixth.

(Another of Jerry's trades, moving NRC just makes sense, given his contract and our depth. The Bengals, in return, get a solid nickel cornerback with the ability to fit their scheme, in the absence of their starting nickel cornerback, who is a free agent this year.)

Robert Woods to the Las Vegas Raiders for 2020 third and 2021 fifth.

(Yet aother of Jerry's trades I'm stealing, Woods is our second best trade chip - second to Fowler - and due to Higbee's emergence, Reynolds and Everett vying for more snaps, and having to eventually pay him more, it unfortunately makes sense.)

Dante Fowler to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for 2020 second and 2020 fourth.

(This one is still another idea of Jerry's - albeit one he didn't use in his mock, with a 2020 fourth instead of a 2021 fifth, and with a different team altogether. Fowler is an attractive trade option, for sure. Normally, it would be a second and a fifth, but I'm adding a fourth because teams will often bid highly for good pass-rushers.)

Rob Havenstein and 2020 sixth (ours) to the New York Jets for 2020 fourth.

(This, however, is my idea, only downsized a bit. I get that it's little to give up Havenstein for, but given that Evans/Edwards have just about beaten him out at right tackle, and that right tackle is the only position he can really play...well, that's my reasoning. As for why the Jets do it, they have little at offensive line, and less still at offensive tackle. They also have a coach in charge of the front office in Gase, so I wouldn't be shocked if he made personnel moves that are, ah, questionable, shall we say?)

Brandin Cooks and 2022 second to the Buffalo Bills for a 2020 fourth.

(Also my trade. Buffalo is a veteran team who was godawful with the pass. The only good receiver they had was John Brown, and he's a free agent this year. They also have tons of cap space (fifth-most, from what I've seen), so getting a receiver in his prime, even with the cap hit, is something they'd have to look at. For us, we get a pick for a receiver who hasn't lived up to his contract.)

2020 second (ours), 2020 third (Raiders), and 2020 fourth (ours) to the Baltimore Ravens for 2020 first and 2020 fourth.

(Yes, this is Jerry's trade, but I'm going a different route. No Biadasz, but I'll go for the center later.)

2020 third (compensatory for Saffold) to the New England Cheatriots for 2020 fourth, 2020 sixth, and 2020 sixth.

(Also taken from Jerry because Les Snead needs his favorite round to have picks in.)

2020 fourth (Ravens) and 2020 sixth (Bengals) to the Miami Dolphins for 2020 fifth round pick and 2020 fifth round pick.

(Also taken from Jerry. I have no shame.)

Draft:

1st (Ravens) - Mekhi Becton, OT, Louisville. (6'7", 369 lbs./355 lbs.)



(I know, I know, another first round offensive tackle. But seriously, though? Becton is well worth it. He's absolutely built to play tackle, and he has incredible dancing-bear-like athleticism, incredible vine-like length to keep defenders off him, incredible bulldozing strength when it comes to imposing his will against the run. His only - and I mean, only - concern is his weight. That's it. And while it's enough to cause him to maybe slip to the Ravens, he's like Cordy Glenn - and I've heard Bryant McKinnie comparisons as well. That's absolutely worth the pick.)

2nd (Buccaneers) - Brandon Aiyuk, WR, Arizona State. (6'1", 206 lbs.)



(Aiyuk has incredible athleticism, is deadly with the ball in his hands, has great hands, and great route-running. He's basically a faster Robert Woods, in my view. Why is he only in the second round? Mainly because, well, he's in a stacked class of receivers, and partially because he's almost useless against the press. Either way? I'd love to have him in horns.)

3rd (ours) - Leki Fotu, DE, Utah. (6'5", 335 lbs.)



(Fotu is an absolute monster when it comes to strength and surprising quickness for his size. He's got a hell of a motor for his size, outstanding against the run, can easily eat double and triple teams, and makes offenses pay if he's left with one to beat. He doesn't have the best lower-body, though and his leverage is poor at best. He needs more pass-rushing moves, as well. If anyone can unlock his potential, though, it's this team. And if I were this kid? I'd pay attention to AD when it comes to learning technique and leverage.)

4th (Jets) - Donovan Peoples-Jones, WR, Michigan. (6'2", 208 lbs.)



(The former number one wide receiver in his class, Peoples-Jones hasn't had a great start to his career. His stats will not wow you at all; you'll be wondering, instead, why the hell hasn't he produced? The simple answer could be the quarterback play, but that wouldn't explain it. I think he might be the rare athlete who performs better in the NFL than college. Anyway, onto the good: he breaks a lot of tackles and has good - not great - athleticism. He excels in the physical part of the game, as he's a willing blocker and defeats press-coverage rather easily. He presents a big target, and although he could use work on his hands, they aren't bad. He just lets too much of them into him. Either way, he could definitely be a starting wideout on this team.)

4th (Buccaneers) - Nekane Muti, OC/OG, Fresno State. (6'3", 307 lbs.)



(OUR NEW CENTER, PEOPLE! Yes, I know that Muti hasn't really played center, but with cross-training and weight-rooms in the NFL, I think he could be a fixture at center. His movement skills are one-of-a-kind. He's got a serious mean streak in the run game, and loves to impose his will. His pass-protection needs work, but there's tons of potential there as well. His problem is that he's had numerous injuries in college, which has cost him all but one season: his redshirt-freshman year (as he even lost his true freshman year to injury. If he's ever healthy, though...he will be an elite center. You heard it here, and if I'm wrong, feel free to slam me.)

4th (Bills) - Luq Barcoo, CB, San Diego State., (6'1", 175 lbs.)



(Barcoo had nine picks to lead the NCAA in interceptions. He also recorded sixteen other pass break-ups to tie for the lead. He's a lot like Marcus Peters...except he's a willing tackler and doesn't tend to freelance. Basically? He's like a homicidal magnet when it comes to the ball. He's better in zone coverage than man, but I think he could do either. His main problem is that he's rail-thin, but really, that's pretty much it. I have no idea why people aren't talking about him more.)

5th (Dolphins) - David Woodward, ILB, Utah State. (6'2", 235 lbs.)



(I know that it seems like Woodward is low, but a history of concussions and an injury-plagued junior season will do that to one's draft stock. Still, Woodward has several good qualities. He has excellent man-coverage skills, and can easily cover tight ends and running backs both with his instincts. He hits hard, and is a hellion in the run game. He'd be a good pick here.)

5th (Dolphins) - Amik Robertson, CB, Louisiana Tech. (5'9", 183 lbs.)



(The first thing you noticed about Robertson was his size, right? What if I told you that he's the active college leader in pass break-ups and interceptions? Yeah, he is. Robertson is simply explosive in the secondary. He will fearlessly hit a runner and wrap up, play press-man coverage, play the slot, basically do it all well. Unfortunately for him, his size is going to work against him, and that's the only reason why he falls this far.)

6th (Cheatriots) - Jeremy Chinn, SS, Southern Illinois. (6'3", 213 lbs.)



(Chinn is a small school prospect with serious production: he's averaged three interceptions a year, and had four in his senior year. He's the absolute heart of his defense, a physical tone-setter who is instinctive and versatile enough to play nickel cornerback, in the box, or in a single high. He doesn't have the speed to play cornerback or single high at the next level, but the role that Rapp and Christian played would suit him perfectly.)

6th (Cheatriots) - Sewo Olonilua, RB, TCU. (6'3", 240 lbs.)



(My first point I want to make: Olonilua is an athletic freak of nature. He squats 770 (705 as a double), benches 470, and runs a 4.47. I'm not making this shit up. And that athleticism translates to the football field. He's got quick feet, can bounce runs to the outside, but he's an absolute monster to take down. He will break through arm tackles and has been noted to drag defenders with him. Then why, you ask, is he in the seventh round? One of the reasons is that he was arrested on a felony drug charge (that he has since been off, to my knowledge.) He's been suspended a few times as well, aside from that. Also, his vision isn't the greatest. But seriously, in the sixth round, with the last selection, this is a solid pick.)

Roster: (italics = rookie, bold = starter.

QB - Jared Goff, John Wolford.
RB - Todd Gurley, Darrell Henderson, Sewo Olonilua.
WR - Cooper Kupp, Josh Reynolds, Brandon Aiyuk, Donovan Peoples-Jones, Nsimba Webster, Greg Dortch.
TE - Tyler Higbee, Gerald Everett, Johnny Mundt, Kendall Blanton.
OL - Mekhi Becton, Forrest Lamp, Austin Corbett, David Edwards, Bobby Evans, Netane Muti, Joseph Noteboom, Chandler Brewer, Brian Allen.
DL - Aaron Donald, Leki Fotu, Greg Gaines, Sebastian Joseph-Day, Morgan Fox.
LB - Samson Ebukam, Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, Travin Howard, Micah Kiser, Justin Lawler, Natrez Patrick, David Woodward, Kenny Young, Jachai Polite, Jeff Holland.
DB - Jalen Ramsey, Troy Hill, John Johnson III, Taylor Rapp, David Long, Darious Williams, Luq Barcoo, Amir Robertson, Jeremy Chinn, Adonis Alexander, Jake Gervase.
ST - Greg Zuerlein, Johnny Hekker, Jake McQuaide.
 

Ramrocket

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Wow, that is a lot to take in! :) Overall, I like most of it and I did enjoy the read.

I see you have resigned Whitworth for $9M but also released him?

Can't get on board with the Woods trade. He is still relatively cheap for what he provides. And Cooks' contract doesn't allow us to trade him without a massive Cap hit so I can't see that happening.

Like the Becton pick, love the Fetu, Aiyuk, and Barcoo picks. The Peoples-Jones pick is a head scratcher for me. I like to see a really good college resume for WR's and I don't think his stacks up. Not sure he can beat NFL calibre DB's if he struggles in College. JMHO

Motu as a C? Not sure how I feel about that TBH. It could work I suppose but I think I prefer him at G.

The rest of your picks I'd be happy with particularly the Olinilua pick. Great Value in the 6th.

Nice work. Keep them coming.
 

jrry32

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I think we're trading away too much and putting too much faith in rookie WRs. Frankly, I think the Cooks trade is a really, really bad one for us. But I generally like the players you drafted.
 

Riverumbbq

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OK, wait. You are re-signing Whitworth then releasing him ?
Why are you releasing Donte Deayon & Josh Carraway ?

All these trades are giving me double vision, still ... I like grabbing the top OT available with that first pick.
You guys lose me quick with the Woods trade, Reynolds will be a free agent in 2021 and Cooks' health situation and CAP number have me believing he may also not get beyond 2021.
I'm good with Lamp but prefer not to trade for him. If they cut him, go after him, but i'd rather not trade a pick for an oft-injured player, rehab his career, then see him walk as another 2021 free agent.
A very big yes for the Tag and Trade of Fowler.
Obviously i'm good with the Havenstein trade since I introduced it in my 3.5 mock.
Cooks & Woods traded in one off-season - will never happen.

No problem with the draft.

And YES, you are shameless.
 

den-the-coach

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@Memento really should be a chartered member of the NYSE with all the trades..Some of the picks I really like, however, being a Buckeye fan I watched Donovan Peoples-Jones dropped quite a few passes, his hand are unreliable and would be a major red flag for me.

Leki Fotu is one of my favorites and paring him next to Aaron Donald would be too go to be true. Disruptive does not back down and also stout against the run and it's not easy playing at Utah, can somebody tell me how to get there?
 

FrantikRam

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Again with the Woods trade? Why weaken the offense even more?


I have no problem trading Woods IF it's for an upgraded offensive line. Not too keen on rookies at OL outside of the first round though. If we could trade Woods for an established above average offensive lineman I'd be all for it though. Elite WRs didn't help Goff overcome a below average OL.
 

Elmgrovegnome

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I have no problem trading Woods IF it's for an upgraded offensive line. Not too keen on rookies at OL outside of the first round though. If we could trade Woods for an established above average offensive lineman I'd be all for it though. Elite WRs didn't help Goff overcome a below average OL.


I've been griping about the line since last winter, but no way I trade the best receiver on the team.
 

JonRam99

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nice mock! leaves our WR corps a bit thin. Kupp goes down again....?
 

Elmgrovegnome

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I agree - but nowhere did I have us trading Cooper Kupp


Take one from the other and neither is as good. Their stats are nearly identical. I don't see how creating a weakness in one unit to fix one in another unit gets you ahead. Rob Peter to pay Paul in other words. Rookie receivers don't always pan out and finding good ones can be dificult, the Rams struggled with it for a decade.
 

1maGoh

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@Memento really should be a chartered member of the NYSE with all the trades..Some of the picks I really like, however, being a Buckeye fan I watched Donovan Peoples-Jones dropped quite a few passes, his hand are unreliable and would be a major red flag for me.

Leki Fotu is one of my favorites and paring him next to Aaron Donald would be too go to be true. Disruptive does not back down and also stout against the run and it's not easy playing at Utah, can somebody tell me how to get there?
Here's what @Memento doesn't want you to know: Les Snead emailed her his dream "light on trades" draft and this is it.
 

FrantikRam

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Take one from the other and neither is as good. Their stats are nearly identical. I don't see how creating a weakness in one unit to fix one in another unit gets you ahead. Rob Peter to pay Paul in other words. Rookie receivers don't always pan out and finding good ones can be dificult, the Rams struggled with it for a decade.


I love Woods and Kupp - don't get me wrong.

I'm just saying that Cooks/Reynolds/Kupp is still a great WR corps, and while not as good as with Woods, if it helps fix the OL it's a move I would make. Looks like we will agree to disagree on that. Ultimately we had the best 3 WRs in the NFL last season and because the OL struggled, our offense struggled.
 

Memento

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Wow, that is a lot to take in! :) Overall, I like most of it and I did enjoy the read.

I see you have resigned Whitworth for $9M but also released him?

Can't get on board with the Woods trade. He is still relatively cheap for what he provides. And Cooks' contract doesn't allow us to trade him without a massive Cap hit so I can't see that happenin
Like the Becton pick, love the Fetu, Aiyuk, and Barcoo picks. The Peoples-Jones pick is a head scratcher for me. I like to see a really good college resume for WR's and I don't think his stacks up.Not sure he can beat NFL calibre DB's if he struggles in College. JMHO

Motu as a C? Not sure how I feel about that TBH. It could work I suppose but I think I prefer him at G.

The rest of your picks I'd be happy with particularly the Olinilua pick. Great Value in the 6th.

Nice work. Keep them coming.

Oops. I made a mistake with Whit. I, uh, waffled between re-signing him and letting him go. In this mock, for the purposes of Becton, he's let go.

I get that Wood is cheap, and that Cooks can't be traded. I just figured that they don't fit into our plans.

Becton seriously gives me Bryant McKinnie vibes. Peoples-Jones is a controversial pick for sure, but I have faith in him.

Motu has only played guard, but given that Kromer cross-trains O-linemen and that his build fits better at center, that was my thought process.

Olonilua is going to be in all of my mocks, not gonna lie. He's a seriously athletic and talented back that I think he can take Brown's place eventually.

I think we're trading away too much and putting too much faith in rookie WRs. Frankly, I think the Cooks trade is a really, really bad one for us. But I generally like the players you drafted.

Fair enough. I'm guessing that you prefer Cooks to be traded when his value has been increased, possibly next year?

OK, wait. You are re-signing Whitworth then releasing him ?
Why are you releasing Donte Deayon & Josh Carraway ?

All these trades are giving me double vision, still ... I like grabbing the top OT available with that first pick.
You guys lose me quick with the Woods trade, Reynolds will be a free agent in 2021 and Cooks' health situation and CAP number have me believing he may also not get beyond 2021.
I'm good with Lamp but prefer not to trade for him. If they cut him, go after him, but i'd rather not trade a pick for an oft-injured player, rehab his career, then see him walk as another 2021 free agent.
A very big yes for the Tag and Trade of Fowler.
Obviously i'm good with the Havenstein trade since I introduced it in my 3.5 mock.
Cooks & Woods traded in one off-season - will never happen.

No problem with the draft.

And YES, you are shameless.

Like I mentioned, made a mistake with the Whitworth thing. He's gone in this mock. He'll likely be back in the next. As for Deayon, he's a RFA and likely costs too much in his next contract. Carraway is injured, and if we do keep him, I think he's only a camp body.

Woods is a popular figure around here, so I don't make trading him lightly. I think that this is the best way to get a pick in this class. As for the trades giving you double vision, don't worry; mext mock will have a grand total of zero trades.

I doubt that the Chargers cut Lamp, so I think a pick or player for him makes sense.

And I apologize for being shameless. :(

@Memento really should be a chartered member of the NYSE with all the trades..Some of the picks I really like, however, being a Buckeye fan I watched Donovan Peoples-Jones dropped quite a few passes, his hand are unreliable and would be a major red flag for me.

Leki Fotu is one of my favorites and paring him next to Aaron Donald would be too go to be true. Disruptive does not back down and also stout against the run and it's not easy playing at Utah, can somebody tell me how to get there?

DPJ is a curious case. Yeah, he doesn't have the best hands, but I think it's more technique than anything. Fix the technique, and you have a very good receiver.

I love Fotu. You're right: it's not easy playing for Utah because he can do so much more, but they keep him in a role where he's stuck taking double and triple teams.

Again with the Woods trade? Why weaken the offense even more?

Because he's our best trade chip, a signed Dante Fowler aside. Promise that my next mock won't trade Woods. :p

nice mock! leaves our WR corps a bit thin. Kupp goes down again....?

True, but we've got two solid tight ends, Reynolds, Aiyuk, DPJ, and potentially Webster and Dortch, to go along with a few UDFAs. Is it perfect? No. But I feel like it gets the best out of our roster.

Here's what @Memento doesn't want you to know: Les Snead emailed her his dream "light on trades" draft and this is it.

LAWL. Yeah, Les and I are tight; we share secrets all the time. ;) :p
 

jrry32

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Fair enough. I'm guessing that you prefer Cooks to be traded when his value has been increased, possibly next year?

Yes. We traded a first for him and New England traded a first for him. Trading him now offers no cap relief for us. I think it would be a huge mistake to pay a team to take Cooks off our hands. I'd keep him for at least another year and bet on him having a rebound season.
 

Merlin

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I do think our wideouts are a little overrated (Kupp is the only real futures piece). So yeah I'd be ok with them making moves in that room, however this particular offseason is a nasty one with some other crucial decisions and signings pending.

So from that perspective I would say Woody sticks around this year. Rams are going to need him and that affordable production IMO.

They have an out in Cooks' contract in 2021. And fortunately for the Rams JRey will be in his last affordable season and will be able to carry some of the load to help them get through the 2020 season. Thus I expect big moves in that room post-2020 season with this offseason about fixing the run game and getting back to balance.

All that aside I wouldn't rule out them drafting a wideout of course. I just think it would be due to one they love falling to them vice them moving to get him.