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Yeah, fuck snow. I hate it because it knocked out my Internet, knocked out power, etc. But oh, well. I'm going to go with a mock offseason that will feature a lot of veteran free agents mixed in with the draft. So...here it goes.
Cut:
Kenny Young
Ogbonnia Okoronkwo
Justin Lawler
Nick Scott
(All of these players save valuable cap dollars, cap which will go to free agency.)
Re-sign:
Darious Williams - RFA (second round tender).
Johnny Mundt - RFA (original round tender).
Coleman Shelton - ERFA
Travin Howard - ERFA
Raymond Calais - ERFA
JuJu Hughes - ERFA
(Darious Williams and Johnny Mundt get tenders, and this time, we're not losing Williams. Other than that, these are ERFAs.)
Restructure:
Aaron Donald
Jalen Ramsey
Matthew Stafford (extension restructure)
(I hate to ask this of them because I don't know much about the cap this year, but I'm planning on a bunch of free agents, since we're going all in, especially considering some of the trades I'll be making. In Stafford's case, he's restructuring by extending his contract to spread the cap dollars more.)
Release:
John Johnson III
Leonard Floyd
Troy Hill
Gerald Everett
Malcolm Brown
Josh Reynolds
Samson Ebukam
Derek Rivers
Austin Blythe
Morgan Fox
Jake McQuaide
Kai Forbath
(I hate to let JJ3 and Floyd leave, but both of them could return a potential third round compensatory pick each - picks that will be useful with a lack of first round picks for the next two years. Hill has been a solid player, but I could see him going for a number 2 cornerback job. Brown should be replaced by Akers, Henderson, and a draft pick. Ebukam hasn't been effective this year and can be replaced by the combination of Hollins, Lewis, and three draft picks. Fox will go for a starting role. Blythe, Everett, and Reynolds can all leave without regrets. Rivers is gone as well. McQuaide has been great, but I can't see us paying huge money for an aging long snapper, and with the latest long-snapper free agent signings, I doubt he stays. As for Forbath, I'd rather forget he was ever on the team.)
Free Agency:
Marvin Jones - two years, seven million overall.
(I'm on the Marvin Jones bandwagon. He's a solid receiver who will look for ring chasing, so he should come cheap.)
Larry Warford - two years, 12 million overall.
(Warford, despite opting out of last season, should still get six million per year. He's an automatic upgrade at right guard, no offense meant to Corbett. This contract is worth 8 million in the beginning, so if Warford's play declines, we have an opt out.)
Artie Burns - one year, one million.
(Burns had an ACL tear with the Bears after signing with them as a free agent, and I think we could get him at a cheap price. A former first round pick, I think Burns could fit into this system very well. I'm not sure it would cost a compensatory pick for us, but I think - along with a draft pick - he could be a solid replacement for Hill.)
Jarrad Davis - one year, 3.5 million.
(Davis is a lottery ticket at inside linebacker. We can upgrade over Reeder and Kiser. He's a former first round pick who has struggled in his career...but so did Floyd. I think he's worth a shot.)
Patrick Onwuasor - one year, 3.5 million.
(Onwuasor is an interesting player. He signed a one year deal with the Jets after a solid tenure with the Ravens, but had hamstring issues that caused him to play only one game. I think he competes at the now-empty inside linebacker spot that Young had filled.)
Alex Smith - one year, two million.
(Given that Stafford has had injuries in the past, I don't feel comfortable putting a quarterback who lacks experience behind him. And Smith, regardless of how you think of his abilities, is a smart quarterback and deserves a Super Bowl chance.)
Trades:
A'Shawn Robinson to the Tennessee Titans for 2021 fourth round pick.
(Tennessee needs good players on the defensive line; both DaQuan Jones and Jack Crawford are unrestricted free agents. Robinson could easily fit in the middle of that defense, and we could get much needed salary relief and a pick, to boot. And that's not even mentioning the amount of depth we have on our defensive line; even without Robinson, we have Joseph-Day and Gaines in the middle, Donald and Brockers as other starters, and Michael Hoecht and Jonah Williams ready for large roles - hell, even Marquise Copeland and Eric Banks could find potential roles on the D-line. We can afford to lose Robinson and Fox.)
Rob Havenstein to the Cincinnati Bengals for 2021 third round pick.
(Havenstein is easy to move; he has a large contract, and with Warford signing here, I think that we could move one of Edwards or Evans to right tackle, while Corbett takes over at center. Meanwhile, Cincy needs offensive line help for Burrow not to be killed, and they won't get Sewell. From what has been reported (although I'm not sure of the realism, but hey, that's why this is a mock, right?), the Ras are trying to move Havenstein, and he apparently has value. Second round pick is bullshit, in my opinion, but a third round pick to a desperate team? Works for me.)
Joseph Noteboom to the Indianapolis Colts for 2021 fifth round pick.
(Indy gets protection for Carson Wentz and replaces Anthony Castonzo.)
Cooper Kupp to the Miami Dolphins for 2021 second round pick (Texans).
(Stealing from Jerry. I love Kupp, but he's expendable because of injuries and because Woods and Jones do the same thing.)
Brycen Hopkins and 2021 fourth round pick (Robinson Titans pick) to the Philadelphia Eagles for Zach Ertz.
(This is mine, though. Apparently, there's Ertz to the Rams rumors, and I'd love this kind of deal We need to upgrade our tight end room. I have no faith in Hopkins being much of anything. Hoping Ertz doesn't cost too much, but I'd love this. Meanwhile, Philly gets a needed pick and a young tight end with potential.)
2021 second round pick (ours) to the Minnesota Vikings for 2021 third and 2021 third (Baltimore).
(Stealing from Jerry again. Minnesota trades up for a left tackle.)
Tyler Higbee to the Carolina Panthers for 2021 fourth round pick.
(To me, Higbee is who he is: a decent receiver and a good blocker. His contract is a hold-up, but I think that a team like the Panthers, who desperately need weapons and help for their quarterback, could definitely be interested.)
2021 third (Vikings) and 2021 third (Fowler compensatory) to the Jacksonville Jaguars for 2021 third and 2021 fourth (ours).
(Stealing from Jerry yet again. We trade up for a specific player.)
2021 third (Bengals) to the Cleveland Browns for 2021 third (theirs) and 2021 fourth (theirs).
(Cleveland moves up for a falling inside linebacker. We trade down.)
2021 third (ours) and 2021 third (Holmes compensatory to the Denver Broncos for 2021 third and 2021 fourth.
(We trade up, Denver trades down. Simple.)
Draft:
2nd (Dolphins) - Pat Freiermuth, TE, Penn State. (6'5", 250 lbs.)
(Freiermuth's called Baby Gronk for a reason, and it clearly shows. He's a physical do-it-all tight end who has the potential to dominate a game. In my mind, the only reason he's not a first round pick is because of his injury history, but he's flat-out the second best tight end in this class only to Pitts, and if he was healthy, in my opinion, he'd challenge him for that spot. You may wonder why I picked him this high over a wide receiver like Eskridge. I say that he's the best player available, and Higbee, as much as I like him, is more of a blocking tight end with decent receiver skills. Freiermuth could potentially be elite.)
3rd (Jaguars) - Alex Leatherwood, OT/OG, Alabama. (6'5", 312 lbs.)
(Leatherwood is a big, powerful lineman with intelligence and technical knowledge. He isn't the most athletic lineman out there, and right now, but he could still end up being a good left tackle who can sit behind Whitworth.)
3rd (Broncos) - Quinn Meinerz, OG/OC, Wisconsin-Whitewater. (6'3", 320 lbs.)
(I'll admit, Meinerz won me over at the Senior Bowl. He dominated his peers in the one-on-one drills, showing no signs that he was once a Division III player. He's big, tough, mobile, everything you could ask for for an interior offensive lineman. He'll require further refinement, but I think that he ends up being one of the higher D-3 players ever selected, even over Ali Marpet, who also dominated. I also think that Meinerz could definitely end up playing center after Corbett leaves, and we'll have our center for at least the next three years.)
3rd (Browns) - Dayo Odeyingbo, OLB, Vanderbilt. (6'6", 265 lbs.)
(Odeyingbo is a moldable piece of clay for us. He's adept at both rushing the passer and defending against the run, has length and speed, and has amazing versatility; he has been in 4-3s and 3-4s alike in various roles, including a 3-4 pass-rusher, 4-3 end, and even defensive tackle at times. He's got a great get-off, which helps him a ton. He needs to learn how to refine his approach to rushing the passer, needs to learn moves and counter moves, but I can't think of a better teacher than Coach Henderson. This could be a pick that changes our edge rushers.)
3rd (Vikings from Ravens) - Jordan Smith, OLB, UAB. (6'6", 255 lbs.)
(Smith was suspended for a credit card scheme at Florida and transferred to UAB. He was absolutely dominant at UAB, has excellent athleticism and length, and is able to drop into coverage and stack-and-shed against the run. He'll need to work on his technique as a pass-rusher, but he's unbelievably skilled, a potential first round pick without the suspension.)
4th (Panthers) - Jaelon Darden, WR, North Texas. (5'9", 170 lbs.)
(I'll be honest: Darden is probably the player I want most in this draft, even over Nick Bolton. His ability to start, stop, and start again is almost Faulk-like. He's amazing at returns; despite stopping and starting, he'll always net you positive yards. He's explosive, has solid hands, and runs routes well. Yeah, he may be small, but I don't think he's ever missed a game. Count me as wanting him.)
4th (Broncos) - Kelvin Joseph, CB, Kentucky. (6'1, 191 lbs.)
(Joseph is a redshirt-sophomore who transferred from LSU and doesn't have a lot of experience. As such, he's quite raw. The good thing is that he's a tall, lengthy, and fast cornerback. He could end up being a solid corner.)
4th (Jaguars from us) - Ar'Darius Washington, FS, TCU. (5'8", 179 lbs.)
(Washington is small, but he plays like he's 6'2", 220 lbs., much like Lamarcus Joyner did. He's not the same caliber player as Joyner (he's only a red-shirt sophomore), but he's got insane ball skills, great coverage abilities, and will let you know when he hits you.)
4th Browns) - Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, Oklahoma. (5'11", 227 lbs.)
(Stevenson is the big back to replace Malcolm Brown. He got suspended by the NCAA, but this is a guy who is big, nimble, and catches well out of the backfield. I like him (especially since I can't have Jah-Maine Martin. )
5th (Colts) - Ihmir Smith-Marsette, WR, Iowa. (6'2", 186 lbs.)
(Smith-Marsette could end up being the kick returner. He's tall, fast, and has solid hands. He's thin, lacks functional strength, and has maturity issues (arrested for DUI, and got injured this year because he decided to do a flip into the endzone), but this is a solid player.
6th - Tony Fields II, ILB, West Virginia. (6'1" 222 lbs.)
(Fields is another undersized player, but he reminds me a lot of Littleton, both good and bad. He's got great athleticism for the position, can cover with the best of them, has significant special teams value, and is better in run defense than one would think. He is undersized, though, and if an offensive lineman can get their hands on him, it's over; he struggles to disengage. But Fields could be a good player on special teams alone.)
7th - Mike Strachan, WR, Charleston. (6'5", 225 lbs.)
(Strachan is a player I want in this draft. He's huge, physical, a former track star, has solid hands and a my-ball mentality, and reminds me so much of Kenny Golladay when he came out. Yes, he has issues with routes and is raw coming out of the Bahamas, but he's got oodles of potential, and I want that potential on the Rams.)
Roster (starters = bold; rookies = italics):
QB - Matthew Stafford, Alex Smith.
(Stafford starts, while Smith backs him up.)
RB - Cam Akers, Darrell Henderson, Rhamondre Stevenson.
(Akers starts, while Henderson gets a lot of carries as a home run threat. Stevenson comes in on short yardage situations.)
TE - Zach Ertz, Pat Freiermuth, Johnny Mundt.
(Ertz starts for now, while Freiermuth comes in on 12 sets. We could see a change over the course of the season.)
WR - Robert Woods, Marvin Jones, Van Jefferson, Jaelon Darden, Ihmir Smith-Marsette, Mike Strachan.
(Woods, Jones, and Jefferson start. Darden returns punts, Smith-Marsette returns kicks, and Strachan is a developmental prospect.)
OL - Andrew Whitworth, Bobby Evans, Austin Corbett, Larry Warford, David Edwards, Chandler Brewer, Tremayne Anchrum, Alex Leatherwood, Quinn Meinerz.
(Evans starts at left guard, Corbett moves to center, and Edwards kicks out to right tackle. Brewer is the swing tackle, Anchrum is the supersub. Leatherwood and Meinerz take redshirt years.)
DL - Aaron Donald, Michael Brockers, Sebastian Joseph-Day, Greg Gaines, Michael Hoecht, Jonah Williams.
(The first four are set, while Hoecht and Williams step in to the spots of Robinson and Fox respectively.)
LB - Terrell Lewis, Jarrad Davis, Patrick Onwuasor, Justin Hollins, Micah Kiser, Travin Howard, Christian Rozeboom, Tony Fields II, Dayo Odeyingbo, Jordan Smith.
(Lewis and Hollins start. Davis fights with Kiser and Rozeboom for the starting spot; Onwuasor fights with Howard and Fields, and Odeyingbo and Smith are designated pass-rushers.)
DB - Jalen Ramsey, Darious Williams, David Long, Jordan Fuller, Taylor Rapp, Artie Burns, Kelvin Joseph, Terrell Burgess, J.R. Reed, Ar'Darius Washington.
(Long or Burgess step into Hill's spot, Burns provides depth, and Joseph, Washington, and Reed are special teams for now.)
ST - Matt Gay, Johnny Hekker, Chris Holba/Steven Wirtel.
(The first two spots are set. Not sure who wins the long-snapper job with Holba or Wirtel or an UDFA, so I put them both.)
Well, hopefully this is good? Feel free to rip this a new one.
Cut:
Kenny Young
Ogbonnia Okoronkwo
Justin Lawler
Nick Scott
(All of these players save valuable cap dollars, cap which will go to free agency.)
Re-sign:
Darious Williams - RFA (second round tender).
Johnny Mundt - RFA (original round tender).
Coleman Shelton - ERFA
Travin Howard - ERFA
Raymond Calais - ERFA
JuJu Hughes - ERFA
(Darious Williams and Johnny Mundt get tenders, and this time, we're not losing Williams. Other than that, these are ERFAs.)
Restructure:
Aaron Donald
Jalen Ramsey
Matthew Stafford (extension restructure)
(I hate to ask this of them because I don't know much about the cap this year, but I'm planning on a bunch of free agents, since we're going all in, especially considering some of the trades I'll be making. In Stafford's case, he's restructuring by extending his contract to spread the cap dollars more.)
Release:
John Johnson III
Leonard Floyd
Troy Hill
Gerald Everett
Malcolm Brown
Josh Reynolds
Samson Ebukam
Derek Rivers
Austin Blythe
Morgan Fox
Jake McQuaide
Kai Forbath
(I hate to let JJ3 and Floyd leave, but both of them could return a potential third round compensatory pick each - picks that will be useful with a lack of first round picks for the next two years. Hill has been a solid player, but I could see him going for a number 2 cornerback job. Brown should be replaced by Akers, Henderson, and a draft pick. Ebukam hasn't been effective this year and can be replaced by the combination of Hollins, Lewis, and three draft picks. Fox will go for a starting role. Blythe, Everett, and Reynolds can all leave without regrets. Rivers is gone as well. McQuaide has been great, but I can't see us paying huge money for an aging long snapper, and with the latest long-snapper free agent signings, I doubt he stays. As for Forbath, I'd rather forget he was ever on the team.)
Free Agency:
Marvin Jones - two years, seven million overall.
(I'm on the Marvin Jones bandwagon. He's a solid receiver who will look for ring chasing, so he should come cheap.)
Larry Warford - two years, 12 million overall.
(Warford, despite opting out of last season, should still get six million per year. He's an automatic upgrade at right guard, no offense meant to Corbett. This contract is worth 8 million in the beginning, so if Warford's play declines, we have an opt out.)
Artie Burns - one year, one million.
(Burns had an ACL tear with the Bears after signing with them as a free agent, and I think we could get him at a cheap price. A former first round pick, I think Burns could fit into this system very well. I'm not sure it would cost a compensatory pick for us, but I think - along with a draft pick - he could be a solid replacement for Hill.)
Jarrad Davis - one year, 3.5 million.
(Davis is a lottery ticket at inside linebacker. We can upgrade over Reeder and Kiser. He's a former first round pick who has struggled in his career...but so did Floyd. I think he's worth a shot.)
Patrick Onwuasor - one year, 3.5 million.
(Onwuasor is an interesting player. He signed a one year deal with the Jets after a solid tenure with the Ravens, but had hamstring issues that caused him to play only one game. I think he competes at the now-empty inside linebacker spot that Young had filled.)
Alex Smith - one year, two million.
(Given that Stafford has had injuries in the past, I don't feel comfortable putting a quarterback who lacks experience behind him. And Smith, regardless of how you think of his abilities, is a smart quarterback and deserves a Super Bowl chance.)
Trades:
A'Shawn Robinson to the Tennessee Titans for 2021 fourth round pick.
(Tennessee needs good players on the defensive line; both DaQuan Jones and Jack Crawford are unrestricted free agents. Robinson could easily fit in the middle of that defense, and we could get much needed salary relief and a pick, to boot. And that's not even mentioning the amount of depth we have on our defensive line; even without Robinson, we have Joseph-Day and Gaines in the middle, Donald and Brockers as other starters, and Michael Hoecht and Jonah Williams ready for large roles - hell, even Marquise Copeland and Eric Banks could find potential roles on the D-line. We can afford to lose Robinson and Fox.)
Rob Havenstein to the Cincinnati Bengals for 2021 third round pick.
(Havenstein is easy to move; he has a large contract, and with Warford signing here, I think that we could move one of Edwards or Evans to right tackle, while Corbett takes over at center. Meanwhile, Cincy needs offensive line help for Burrow not to be killed, and they won't get Sewell. From what has been reported (although I'm not sure of the realism, but hey, that's why this is a mock, right?), the Ras are trying to move Havenstein, and he apparently has value. Second round pick is bullshit, in my opinion, but a third round pick to a desperate team? Works for me.)
Joseph Noteboom to the Indianapolis Colts for 2021 fifth round pick.
(Indy gets protection for Carson Wentz and replaces Anthony Castonzo.)
Cooper Kupp to the Miami Dolphins for 2021 second round pick (Texans).
(Stealing from Jerry. I love Kupp, but he's expendable because of injuries and because Woods and Jones do the same thing.)
Brycen Hopkins and 2021 fourth round pick (Robinson Titans pick) to the Philadelphia Eagles for Zach Ertz.
(This is mine, though. Apparently, there's Ertz to the Rams rumors, and I'd love this kind of deal We need to upgrade our tight end room. I have no faith in Hopkins being much of anything. Hoping Ertz doesn't cost too much, but I'd love this. Meanwhile, Philly gets a needed pick and a young tight end with potential.)
2021 second round pick (ours) to the Minnesota Vikings for 2021 third and 2021 third (Baltimore).
(Stealing from Jerry again. Minnesota trades up for a left tackle.)
Tyler Higbee to the Carolina Panthers for 2021 fourth round pick.
(To me, Higbee is who he is: a decent receiver and a good blocker. His contract is a hold-up, but I think that a team like the Panthers, who desperately need weapons and help for their quarterback, could definitely be interested.)
2021 third (Vikings) and 2021 third (Fowler compensatory) to the Jacksonville Jaguars for 2021 third and 2021 fourth (ours).
(Stealing from Jerry yet again. We trade up for a specific player.)
2021 third (Bengals) to the Cleveland Browns for 2021 third (theirs) and 2021 fourth (theirs).
(Cleveland moves up for a falling inside linebacker. We trade down.)
2021 third (ours) and 2021 third (Holmes compensatory to the Denver Broncos for 2021 third and 2021 fourth.
(We trade up, Denver trades down. Simple.)
Draft:
2nd (Dolphins) - Pat Freiermuth, TE, Penn State. (6'5", 250 lbs.)
(Freiermuth's called Baby Gronk for a reason, and it clearly shows. He's a physical do-it-all tight end who has the potential to dominate a game. In my mind, the only reason he's not a first round pick is because of his injury history, but he's flat-out the second best tight end in this class only to Pitts, and if he was healthy, in my opinion, he'd challenge him for that spot. You may wonder why I picked him this high over a wide receiver like Eskridge. I say that he's the best player available, and Higbee, as much as I like him, is more of a blocking tight end with decent receiver skills. Freiermuth could potentially be elite.)
3rd (Jaguars) - Alex Leatherwood, OT/OG, Alabama. (6'5", 312 lbs.)
(Leatherwood is a big, powerful lineman with intelligence and technical knowledge. He isn't the most athletic lineman out there, and right now, but he could still end up being a good left tackle who can sit behind Whitworth.)
3rd (Broncos) - Quinn Meinerz, OG/OC, Wisconsin-Whitewater. (6'3", 320 lbs.)
(I'll admit, Meinerz won me over at the Senior Bowl. He dominated his peers in the one-on-one drills, showing no signs that he was once a Division III player. He's big, tough, mobile, everything you could ask for for an interior offensive lineman. He'll require further refinement, but I think that he ends up being one of the higher D-3 players ever selected, even over Ali Marpet, who also dominated. I also think that Meinerz could definitely end up playing center after Corbett leaves, and we'll have our center for at least the next three years.)
3rd (Browns) - Dayo Odeyingbo, OLB, Vanderbilt. (6'6", 265 lbs.)
(Odeyingbo is a moldable piece of clay for us. He's adept at both rushing the passer and defending against the run, has length and speed, and has amazing versatility; he has been in 4-3s and 3-4s alike in various roles, including a 3-4 pass-rusher, 4-3 end, and even defensive tackle at times. He's got a great get-off, which helps him a ton. He needs to learn how to refine his approach to rushing the passer, needs to learn moves and counter moves, but I can't think of a better teacher than Coach Henderson. This could be a pick that changes our edge rushers.)
3rd (Vikings from Ravens) - Jordan Smith, OLB, UAB. (6'6", 255 lbs.)
(Smith was suspended for a credit card scheme at Florida and transferred to UAB. He was absolutely dominant at UAB, has excellent athleticism and length, and is able to drop into coverage and stack-and-shed against the run. He'll need to work on his technique as a pass-rusher, but he's unbelievably skilled, a potential first round pick without the suspension.)
4th (Panthers) - Jaelon Darden, WR, North Texas. (5'9", 170 lbs.)
(I'll be honest: Darden is probably the player I want most in this draft, even over Nick Bolton. His ability to start, stop, and start again is almost Faulk-like. He's amazing at returns; despite stopping and starting, he'll always net you positive yards. He's explosive, has solid hands, and runs routes well. Yeah, he may be small, but I don't think he's ever missed a game. Count me as wanting him.)
4th (Broncos) - Kelvin Joseph, CB, Kentucky. (6'1, 191 lbs.)
(Joseph is a redshirt-sophomore who transferred from LSU and doesn't have a lot of experience. As such, he's quite raw. The good thing is that he's a tall, lengthy, and fast cornerback. He could end up being a solid corner.)
4th (Jaguars from us) - Ar'Darius Washington, FS, TCU. (5'8", 179 lbs.)
(Washington is small, but he plays like he's 6'2", 220 lbs., much like Lamarcus Joyner did. He's not the same caliber player as Joyner (he's only a red-shirt sophomore), but he's got insane ball skills, great coverage abilities, and will let you know when he hits you.)
4th Browns) - Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, Oklahoma. (5'11", 227 lbs.)
(Stevenson is the big back to replace Malcolm Brown. He got suspended by the NCAA, but this is a guy who is big, nimble, and catches well out of the backfield. I like him (especially since I can't have Jah-Maine Martin. )
5th (Colts) - Ihmir Smith-Marsette, WR, Iowa. (6'2", 186 lbs.)
(Smith-Marsette could end up being the kick returner. He's tall, fast, and has solid hands. He's thin, lacks functional strength, and has maturity issues (arrested for DUI, and got injured this year because he decided to do a flip into the endzone), but this is a solid player.
6th - Tony Fields II, ILB, West Virginia. (6'1" 222 lbs.)
(Fields is another undersized player, but he reminds me a lot of Littleton, both good and bad. He's got great athleticism for the position, can cover with the best of them, has significant special teams value, and is better in run defense than one would think. He is undersized, though, and if an offensive lineman can get their hands on him, it's over; he struggles to disengage. But Fields could be a good player on special teams alone.)
7th - Mike Strachan, WR, Charleston. (6'5", 225 lbs.)
(Strachan is a player I want in this draft. He's huge, physical, a former track star, has solid hands and a my-ball mentality, and reminds me so much of Kenny Golladay when he came out. Yes, he has issues with routes and is raw coming out of the Bahamas, but he's got oodles of potential, and I want that potential on the Rams.)
Roster (starters = bold; rookies = italics):
QB - Matthew Stafford, Alex Smith.
(Stafford starts, while Smith backs him up.)
RB - Cam Akers, Darrell Henderson, Rhamondre Stevenson.
(Akers starts, while Henderson gets a lot of carries as a home run threat. Stevenson comes in on short yardage situations.)
TE - Zach Ertz, Pat Freiermuth, Johnny Mundt.
(Ertz starts for now, while Freiermuth comes in on 12 sets. We could see a change over the course of the season.)
WR - Robert Woods, Marvin Jones, Van Jefferson, Jaelon Darden, Ihmir Smith-Marsette, Mike Strachan.
(Woods, Jones, and Jefferson start. Darden returns punts, Smith-Marsette returns kicks, and Strachan is a developmental prospect.)
OL - Andrew Whitworth, Bobby Evans, Austin Corbett, Larry Warford, David Edwards, Chandler Brewer, Tremayne Anchrum, Alex Leatherwood, Quinn Meinerz.
(Evans starts at left guard, Corbett moves to center, and Edwards kicks out to right tackle. Brewer is the swing tackle, Anchrum is the supersub. Leatherwood and Meinerz take redshirt years.)
DL - Aaron Donald, Michael Brockers, Sebastian Joseph-Day, Greg Gaines, Michael Hoecht, Jonah Williams.
(The first four are set, while Hoecht and Williams step in to the spots of Robinson and Fox respectively.)
LB - Terrell Lewis, Jarrad Davis, Patrick Onwuasor, Justin Hollins, Micah Kiser, Travin Howard, Christian Rozeboom, Tony Fields II, Dayo Odeyingbo, Jordan Smith.
(Lewis and Hollins start. Davis fights with Kiser and Rozeboom for the starting spot; Onwuasor fights with Howard and Fields, and Odeyingbo and Smith are designated pass-rushers.)
DB - Jalen Ramsey, Darious Williams, David Long, Jordan Fuller, Taylor Rapp, Artie Burns, Kelvin Joseph, Terrell Burgess, J.R. Reed, Ar'Darius Washington.
(Long or Burgess step into Hill's spot, Burns provides depth, and Joseph, Washington, and Reed are special teams for now.)
ST - Matt Gay, Johnny Hekker, Chris Holba/Steven Wirtel.
(The first two spots are set. Not sure who wins the long-snapper job with Holba or Wirtel or an UDFA, so I put them both.)
Well, hopefully this is good? Feel free to rip this a new one.