Memento's Post-Thanksgiving (Fuck it) Mock Offseason.

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Memento

Your (Somewhat) Friendly Neighborhood Authoress.
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Jul 30, 2010
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Jemma
Well, that game blew like a fucking F5 tornado, and some of the players I really want (Ossai, Horn, and Myers) won't be there when we first pick. Time to make a brand new mock offseason:

Fire: John Bonamego.

(Yes, I've made my feelings personally known. We can do so much better at special teams, like go with an up-and-coming coach from the college ranks. He's a downgrade, even with Bones ruining his reputation in Dallas.)

Hire: Justin Lustig, Syracuse.

(Lustig has done an amazing job at Syracuse as their special teams coach; his kicker won the Lou Groza award, and they were ranked in the top in almost every category, and he's only forty-four. He deserves a shot at the NFL, if he wants. This is the kind of young, innovative coach that we can use on special teams.)

Cut:

Kenny Young
Justin Lawler
Ogbonnia Okoronkwo
Nick Scott

(Both Lawler and Okoronkwo have injury issues. Young has not been effective at all. And I've made my feelings on Scott perfectly clear - and yes, cutting them all saves money.)

Re-sign:

Matthew Gay - 3 years, 1.5 million per year.
Darious Williams - RFA (first round tender).
Johnny Mundt - RFA (original round tender)
Natrez Patrick - RFA (original round tender)
Coleman Shelton - ERFA
Travin Howard - ERFA
Raymond Calais - ERFA
JuJu Hughes - ERFA

(Gay, in my opinion, should be the kicker of the future. Williams gets a first round tender. The rest are RFAs and ERFAs, so I see no reason not to re-sign them.)

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 third round compensatory pick each - picks that can be used as ammunition to trade up. Hill, Reynolds, and Everett have been solid role players, but I can see them going for starting roles on lesser teams. Brown should be replaced by Akers and Henderson. Ebukam and Rivers haven't been effective this year and can be replaced by the combination of Hollins, Lewis, Polite, and two draft picks. Fox will go for a starting role. Blythe is replaceable. McQuaide has been great, but I can't see us paying huge money for an aging long snapper. As for Forbath, I'd rather forget he was ever on the team.)

Restructure:

Jared Goff
Aaron Donald

(Not sure whom else to restructure. I'm not a cap expert; hell, I don't even know if we should restructure Goff if the money goes straight into dead money, unless I'm totally mistaken - which I very well could be?)

Trades:

Michael Brockers to the Tennessee Titans for 2021 fifth round pick and 2022 seventh round pick.

(Tennessee needs good players on the defensive line; both DaQuan Jones and Jack Crawford are unrestricted free agents. Brockers could fit in the middle, and we could get much needed salary relief and two picks to boot.)

Rob Havenstein and 2022 seventh round pick to the Cincinnati Bengals for 2021 fourth round pick and 2021 sixth round pick.

(Cincinnati's offensive line is horrible. Jonah Williams is a good player at left tackle, but their right tackle signing has been an enormous bust. We give Zac Taylor a lineman he knows for a pick. I feel that Noteboom should be starting at right tackle for us anyway, if Whitworth doesn't retire, like I hope.)

2021 second round pick to the New York Jets for 2021 third round pick (Jets original pick) and 2021 fourth round pick.

(We trade down for our man, and the Jets move up to take a falling wide receiver after taking offensive line to protect Lawrence with their first second round pick.)

Draft:

3rd (Jets) - Nick Bolton, ILB, Missouri. (6'0", 232 lbs.)



(Bolton is short, stocky, and probably maxed-out. His drop-backs aren't always pretty. But hot damn can this kid play. He is a super physical linebacker who can move sideline-to-sideline. He never quits on the play, can rush the passer, can cover running backs and tight ends, he literally does it all. The absolute only reason he falls is because he's a shorter linebacker (probably 5'11", but he's listed at 6'0") who doesn't fit the profile of a top inside linebacker like Parsons or Moses.)

3rd - Quincy Roche, OLB, Miami. (6'4", 235 lbs.)



(No, that's not a typo. Roche is severely underweight, probably won't gain more weight, and can get overwhelmed at the point of attack. The positive is that he is extremely explosive, creating sacks and tackles-for-a-loss, from Temple to Miami. His get-off is elite, and while he'll never be a great run defender, he can get into the backfield and cause havoc.)

3rd (compensatory) - Joe Tryon, OLB, Washington. (6'4", 251 lbs.)



(Tryon reminds me a bit of Floyd. He's doesn't have a go-to pass-rush move, and he needs to be more consistent at setting the edge. But he's a fast rusher who has insane length, can drop into coverage and neutralize a tight end, and he's quite intelligent.)

4th (Jets) - Chazz Surratt, ILB, North Carolina. (6'3", 230 lbs.)



(Surratt has been suspended for selling team issued shoes, has had a season ending wrist injury after the suspension, struggles to get off blocks, and is very, very raw, as he was a former quarterback less than two years ago. But he's intelligent, has amazing athleticism, and has shown that he could be a potential stud at linebacker.)

4th (Bengals) - Israel Mukuamu, CB, South Carolina.



(Mukuamu really struggled against Florida, and the inability to cover quick-twitch receivers drops him here, as some might consider him as a safety. I think he could be a great corner because of his length, his ball skills, and physicality. I like this kid, and I hope he drops here.)

4th (compensatory) - Josh Ball, OT, Marshall. (6'8", 350 lbs.)



(Shockingly enough, Ball could end up getting bigger without losing his agility. He is already a very athletic and very strong left tackle who can utterly bury opposing D-linemen. He's dominated competition at Marshall. Main thing to watch is that he was kicked out of Florida State, so character is something to watch. But you simply don't see players like this in the fourth round, and he could be a steal here.)

5th (Titans) - Jimmy Morrissey, OC, Pittsburgh. (6'3", 305 lbs.)



(Morrissey could stand to get bigger for the NFL, he's more of a technician than a downhill blocker, and he's not the athlete you'd expect him to be. But this kid is a former walk-on who is now a team captain for Pitt, has started since his red-shirt freshman year, and has improved every year (not allowing a single sack and grading out as Pitt's best run blocker. I like this kid a lot, and I think he could be a great pro.)

6th (Bengals) - Bobby Brown III, DL, Texas A&M. (6'4, 315 lbs.)



(Brown's main problem is his motor, as it runs cold at times, and when it does, he should not be on the field, as he does nothing. But this year, he's been pretty damn good. He's a solid interior lineman who can play almost anywhere on the line. He's built like a tank, and when his motor is hot, he plays like one as well - stuffing the run, pushing the pocket, etc.. Basically, you're hoping to get a couple of solid-to-good years out of him, but he is a really damn good lineman.)

6th - Talanoa Hufanga, S, Southern California. (6'1", 215 lbs.)



(Hufanga has a medical history, and he needs work in coverage (he can do it, but he needs to make more splash plays there.) But he's an incredibly physical safety who has made numerous splash plays against the run, plays hard on special teams, and he fits this system to a tee.)

7th - Mike Strachan, WR, University of Charleston. (6'5", 225.)



(Now this is totally left field. Strachan is sushi raw. He's lacking in route running. He's a late-bloomer, coming from the Bahamas. And he's playing against inferior competition. What's so good about him? He's a huge deep threat, a former track star who is averaged sixteen yards a catch with 19 touchdowns in his junior year alone, and he simply doesn't drop passes thrown in his area. Think Kenny Golladay. We need a deep threat that we lost with Cooks, and we also need a bigger receiver for the endzone, like what we've lost with Watkins. Strachan fills both parts. Not bad for a seventh round pick.)

Undrafted Free Agents:

Shaun Beyer, TE, Iowa. (6'5", 246 lbs.)



(Beyer is mostly a blocking tight end for Iowa, but he has soft hands, as seen in the video. It would be an interesting pickup.)

Trey Ragas, RB, Louisiana. (5'10", 227 lbs.)



(Here's our Malcolm Brown replacement. Ragas simply does not go down with the first tackle. He's a punishing runner, and showed up against even the greatest front-sevens like Alabama; in fact, he averaged over 7.5 yards after contact. He's not a good receiver at all, but as a pass-blocker, he's shown that he can hang with linebackers. Ragas will never be a feature back, but he has a role to play with the Rams.)

Blake Ferguson, LS, LSU.

(No highlights. But we need a long-snapper with McQuaide gone, and apparently Ferguson is the best one I could find.)

Roster: (Starters in bold; rookies in italics.)

QB - Jared Goff, Bryce Perkins.
RB - Cam Akers, Darrell Henderson Jr., Trey Ragas, Raymond Calais.
WR - Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp, Van Jefferson, Nsimba Webster, Mike Strachan.
TE - Tyler Higbee, Brycen Hopkins, Kendall Blanton, Shaun Beyer.
OL - Andrew Whitworth, David Edwards, Austin Corbett, Bobby Evans, Joseph Noteboom, Chandler Brewer, Tremayne Anchrum, Josh Ball, Jimmy Morrissey
DL - Aaron Donald, Sebastian Joseph-Day, A'Shawn Robinson, Greg Gaines, Bobby Brown III, Michael Hoecht, Jonah Williams.
LB - Joe Tryon, Nick Bolton, Micah Kiser, Justin Hollins, Chazz Surratt, Terrell Lewis, Jachai Polite, Quincy Roche, Travin Howard, Christian Rozeboom.
DB - Jalen Ramsey, Darious Williams, David Long, Jordan Fuller, Taylor Rapp, Terrell Burgess, J.R. Reed, Talanoa Hufanga, Israel Mukuamu.
ST - Matt Gay, Johnny Hekker, Blake Ferguson.

(We're stuck with Goff, like it or not...until 2022 when we - hopefully - draft Sam Howell to replace him. Perkins earns the backup job after a year on the practice squad.)

(Akers earns the starting job, but Henderson gets a lot of carries as well, along with Ragas on short yardage situations. Calais returns kicks.)

(Woods, Kupp, Jefferson...no surprises there. Webster returns punts, and Strachan waits for an opportunity and plays special teams, along with redzone situations.)

(Higbee remains the starting tight end, and hopefully Hopkins can show what he can do. I like Blanton more than Mundt, and it's not because I'm a Mizzou fan; I really do think he's a good blocker and decent receiver. Beyer plays on special teams.

(Whitworth comes back! And there's a couple of position switches, but I want to get the best players on the field. Corbett could make an excellent center, Evans is a solid guard, and Noteboom protects the side where most of the top pass rushers play. Brewer will come back, Anchrum is a Swiss army knife when it comes to backing up positions, and Morrissey and Ball wait their turn to start.)

(Aaron Donald is obvious. SJD and Robinson make a solid run-stuffing core. Gaines will step in on obvious run downs, and I actually like Hoecht and Williams. BB3 will sub in on passing downs before he gets a chance to start.)

(I think that Tryon and Bolton are the only two rookies who will start on this squad...unless Kiser goes down with another injury; then Surratt will make it three. Roche, Polite, and Lewis will make a solid pass-rushing corps if they play like I think. Howard stays on the team for special teams and maybe as a starter if Bolton isn't ready. Rozeboom is my choice to round out the linebacking corps; I liked him at South Dakota, and I think he'll play really well.)

(All of the starters in the back five are obvious, even Long, whom I think should get a chance. Burgess comes in on big nickel. Reed is someone I really like. Hufanga and Mukuamu wait their turn.)

(I shouldn't have to explain for special teams, right?)

Anyway, this is my mock offseason! Leave a comment or tell me how much of an idiot I am. Either one's fine by me. :D
 
Last edited:

Elmgrovegnome

Legend
Joined
Jan 23, 2013
Messages
21,814
Well, that game blew like a fucking F5 tornado, and some of the players I really want (Ossai, Horn, and Myers) won't be there when we first pick. Time to make a brand new mock offseason:

Fire: John Bonamego.

(Yes, I've made my feelings personally known. We can do so much better at special teams, like go with an up-and-coming coach from the college ranks. He's a downgrade, even with Bones ruining his reputation in Dallas.)

Hire: Justin Lustig, Syracuse.

(Lustig has done an amazing job at Syracuse as their special teams coach; his kicker won the Lou Groza award, and they were ranked in the top in almost every category, and he's only forty-four. He deserves a shot at the NFL, if he wants. This is the kind of young, innovative coach that we can use on special teams.)

Cut:

Kenny Young
Justin Lawler
Ogbonnia Okoronkwo
Nick Scott

(Both Lawler and Okoronkwo have injury issues. Young has not been effective at all. And I've made my feelings on Scott perfectly clear - and yes, cutting them all saves money.)

Re-sign:

Matthew Gay - 3 years, 1.5 million per year.
Darious Williams - RFA (first round tender).
Johnny Mundt - RFA (original round tender)
Natrez Patrick - RFA (original round tender)
Coleman Shelton - ERFA
Travin Howard - ERFA
Raymond Calais - ERFA
JuJu Hughes - ERFA

(Gay, in my opinion, should be the kicker of the future. Williams gets a first round tender. The rest are RFAs and ERFAs, so I see no reason not to re-sign them.)

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 third round compensatory pick each - picks that can be used as ammunition to trade up. Hill, Reynolds, and Everett have been solid role players, but I can see them going for starting roles on lesser teams. Brown should be replaced by Akers and Henderson. Ebukam and Rivers haven't been effective this year and can be replaced by the combination of Hollins, Lewis, Polite, and two draft picks. Fox will go for a starting role. Blythe is replaceable. McQuaide has been great, but I can't see us paying huge money for an aging long snapper. As for Forbath, I'd rather forget he was ever on the team.)

Restructure:

Jared Goff
Aaron Donald

(Not sure whom else to restructure. I'm not a cap expert; hell, I don't even know if we should restructure Goff if the money goes straight into dead money, unless I'm totally mistaken - which I very well could be?)

Trades:

Michael Brockers to the Tennessee Titans for 2021 fifth round pick and 2022 seventh round pick.

(Tennessee needs good players on the defensive line; both DaQuan Jones and Jack Crawford are unrestricted free agents. Brockers could fit in the middle, and we could get much needed salary relief and two picks to boot.)

Rob Havenstein and 2022 seventh round pick to the Cincinnati Bengals for 2021 fourth round pick and 2021 sixth round pick.

(Cincinnati's offensive line is horrible. Jonah Williams is a good player at left tackle, but their right tackle signing has been an enormous bust. We give Zac Taylor a lineman he knows for a pick. I feel that Noteboom should be starting at right tackle for us anyway, if Whitworth doesn't retire, like I hope.)

2021 second round pick to the New York Jets for 2021 third round pick (Jets original pick) and 2021 fourth round pick.

(We trade down for our man, and the Jets move up to take a falling wide receiver after taking offensive line to protect Lawrence with their first second round pick.)

Draft:

3rd (Jets) - Nick Bolton, ILB, Missouri. (6'0", 232 lbs.)



(Bolton is short, stocky, and probably maxed-out. His drop-backs aren't always pretty. But hot damn can this kid play. He is a super physical linebacker who can move sideline-to-sideline. He never quits on the play, can rush the passer, can cover running backs and tight ends, he literally does it all. The absolute only reason he falls is because he's a shorter linebacker (probably 5'11", but he's listed at 6'0") who doesn't fit the profile of a top inside linebacker like Parsons or Moses.)

3rd - Quincy Roche, OLB, Miami. (6'4", 235 lbs.)



(No, that's not a typo. Roche is severely underweight, probably won't gain more weight, and can get overwhelmed at the point of attack. The positive is that he is extremely explosive, creating sacks and tackles-for-a-loss, from Temple to Miami. His get-off is elite, and while he'll never be a great run defender, he can get into the backfield and cause havoc.)

3rd (compensatory) - Joe Tryon, OLB, Washington. (6'4", 251 lbs.)



(Tryon reminds me a bit of Floyd. He's doesn't have a go-to pass-rush move, and he needs to be more consistent at setting the edge. But he's a fast rusher who has insane length, can drop into coverage and neutralize a tight end, and he's quite intelligent.)

4th (Jets) - Chazz Surratt, ILB, North Carolina. (6'3", 230 lbs.)



(Surratt has been suspended for selling team issued shoes, has had a season ending wrist injury after the suspension, struggles to get off blocks, and is very, very raw, as he was a former quarterback less than two years ago. But he's intelligent, has amazing athleticism, and has shown that he could be a potential stud at linebacker.)

4th (Bengals) - Israel Mukuamu, CB, South Carolina.



(Mukuamu really struggled against Florida, and the inability to cover quick-twitch receivers drops him here, as some might consider him as a safety. I think he could be a great corner because of his length, his ball skills, and physicality. I like this kid, and I hope he drops here.)

4th (compensatory) - Josh Ball, OT, Marshall. (6'8", 350 lbs.)



(Shockingly enough, Ball could end up getting bigger without losing his agility. He is already a very athletic and very strong left tackle who can utterly bury opposing D-linemen. He's dominated competition at Marshall. Main thing to watch is that he was kicked out of Florida State, so character is something to watch. But you simply don't see players like this in the fourth round, and he could be a steal here.)

5th (Titans) - Jimmy Morrissey, OC, Pittsburgh. (6'3", 305 lbs.)



(Morrissey could stand to get bigger for the NFL, he's more of a technician than a downhill blocker, and he's not the athlete you'd expect him to be. But this kid is a former walk-on who is now a team captain for Pitt, has started since his red-shirt freshman year, and has improved every year (not allowing a single sack and grading out as Pitt's best run blocker. I like this kid a lot, and I think he could be a great pro.)

6th (Bengals) - Bobby Brown III, DL, Texas A&M. (6'4, 315 lbs.)



(Brown's main problem is his motor, as it runs cold at times, and when it does, he should not be on the field, as he does nothing. But this year, he's been pretty damn good. He's a solid interior lineman who can play almost anywhere on the line. He's built like a tank, and when his motor is hot, he plays like one as well - stuffing the run, pushing the pocket, etc.. Basically, you're hoping to get a couple of solid-to-good years out of him, but he is a really damn good lineman.)

6th - Talanoa Hufanga, S, Southern California. (6'1", 215 lbs.)



(Hufanga has a medical history, and he needs work in coverage (he can do it, but he needs to make more splash plays there.) But he's an incredibly physical safety who has made numerous splash plays against the run, plays hard on special teams, and he fits this system to a tee.)

7th - Mike Strachan, WR, University of Charleston. (6'5", 225.)



(Now this is totally left field. Strachan is sushi raw. He's lacking in route running. He's a late-bloomer, coming from the Bahamas. And he's playing against inferior competition. What's so good about him? He's a huge deep threat, a former track star who is averaged sixteen yards a catch with 19 touchdowns in his junior year alone, and he simply doesn't drop passes thrown in his area. Think Kenny Golladay. We need a deep threat that we lost with Cooks, and we also need a bigger receiver for the endzone, like what we've lost with Watkins. Strachan fills both parts. Not bad for a seventh round pick.)

Undrafted Free Agents:

Shaun Beyer, TE, Iowa. (6'5", 246 lbs.)



(Beyer is mostly a blocking tight end for Iowa, but he has soft hands, as seen in the video. It would be an interesting pickup.)

Trey Ragas, RB, Louisiana. (5'10", 227 lbs.)



(Here's our Malcolm Brown replacement. Ragas simply does not go down with the first tackle. He's a punishing runner, and showed up against even the greatest front-sevens like Alabama; in fact, he averaged over 7.5 yards after contact. He's not a good receiver at all, but as a pass-blocker, he's shown that he can hang with linebackers. Ragas will never be a feature back, but he has a role to play with the Rams.)

Blake Ferguson, LS, LSU.

(No highlights. But we need a long-snapper with McQuaide gone, and apparently Ferguson is the best one I could find.)

Roster: (Starters in bold; rookies in italics.)

QB - Jared Goff, Bryce Perkins.
RB - Cam Akers, Darrell Henderson Jr., Trey Ragas, Raymond Calais.
WR - Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp, Van Jefferson, Nsimba Webster, Mike Strachan.
TE - Tyler Higbee, Brycen Hopkins, Kendall Blanton, Shaun Beyer.
OL - Andrew Whitworth, David Edwards, Austin Corbett, Bobby Evans, Joseph Noteboom, Chandler Brewer, Tremayne Anchrum, Josh Ball, Jimmy Morrissey
DL - Aaron Donald, Sebastian Joseph-Day, A'Shawn Robinson, Greg Gaines, Bobby Brown III, Michael Hoecht, Jonah Williams.
LB - Joe Tryon, Nick Bolton, Micah Kiser, Justin Hollins, Chazz Surratt, Terrell Lewis, Jachai Polite, Quincy Roche, Travin Howard, Christian Rozeboom.
DB - Jalen Ramsey, Darious Williams, David Long, Jordan Fuller, Taylor Rapp, Terrell Burgess, J.R. Reed, Talanoa Hufanga, Israel Mukuamu.
ST - Matt Gay, Johnny Hekker, Blake Ferguson.

(We're stuck with Goff, like it or not...until 2022 when we - hopefully - draft Sam Howell to replace him. Perkins earns the backup job after a year on the practice squad.)

(Akers earns the starting job, but Henderson gets a lot of carries as well, along with Ragas on short yardage situations. Calais returns kicks.)

(Woods, Kupp, Jefferson...no surprises there. Webster returns punts, and Strachan waits for an opportunity and plays special teams, along with redzone situations.)

(Higbee remains the starting tight end, and hopefully Hopkins can show what he can do. I like Blanton more than Mundt, and it's not because I'm a Mizzou fan; I really do think he's a good blocker and decent receiver. Beyer plays on special teams.

(Whitworth comes back! And there's a couple of position switches, but I want to get the best players on the field. Corbett could make an excellent center, Evans is a solid guard, and Noteboom protects the side where most of the top pass rushers play. Brewer will come back, Anchrum is a Swiss army knife when it comes to backing up positions, and Morrissey and Ball wait their turn to start.)

(Aaron Donald is obvious. SJD and Robinson make a solid run-stuffing core. Gaines will step in on obvious run downs, and I actually like Hoecht and Williams. BB3 will sub in on passing downs before he gets a chance to start.)

(I think that Tryon and Bolton are the only two rookies who will start on this squad...unless Kiser goes down with another injury; then Surratt will make it three. Roche, Polite, and Lewis will make a solid pass-rushing corps if they play like I think. Howard stays on the team for special teams and maybe as a starter if Bolton isn't ready. Rozeboom is my choice to round out the linebacking corps; I liked him at South Dakota, and I think he'll play really well.)

(All of the starters in the back five are obvious, even Long, whom I think should get a chance. Burgess comes in on big nickel. Reed is someone I really like. Hufanga and Mukuamu wait their turn.)

(I shouldn't have to explain for special teams, right?)

Anyway, this is my mock offseason! Leave a comment or tell me how much of an idiot I am. Either one's fine by me. :D



Troy Hill has been playing well. He took some time to get comfortable in the system but he still should be affordable. Letting JJ and Hill both go creates too big a void to be filled with Troy Hill. Especially if DWill gets signed away.


I know that there would be limitations with anyone taken after round two, but I an m not crazy about the throw the kitchen sink at the Linebacker position approach. Staley has already said what he likes at OLB. He likes guys that can set the edge. Neither of your choices seem like they fit the scheme.

The center sounds interestIng but sounds like another Blythe. The receiver doesn't really fit McVay profile of football smart blocker, good route runner. It sounds like he doesn't fit the mold.
 

spamlord

Rookie
Joined
Sep 1, 2014
Messages
111
Well, that game blew like a fucking F5 tornado, and some of the players I really want (Ossai, Horn, and Myers) won't be there when we first pick. Time to make a brand new mock offseason:

Fire: John Bonamego.

(Yes, I've made my feelings personally known. We can do so much better at special teams, like go with an up-and-coming coach from the college ranks. He's a downgrade, even with Bones ruining his reputation in Dallas.)

Hire: Justin Lustig, Syracuse.

(Lustig has done an amazing job at Syracuse as their special teams coach; his kicker won the Lou Groza award, and they were ranked in the top in almost every category, and he's only forty-four. He deserves a shot at the NFL, if he wants. This is the kind of young, innovative coach that we can use on special teams.)

Cut:

Kenny Young
Justin Lawler
Ogbonnia Okoronkwo
Nick Scott

(Both Lawler and Okoronkwo have injury issues. Young has not been effective at all. And I've made my feelings on Scott perfectly clear - and yes, cutting them all saves money.)

Re-sign:

Matthew Gay - 3 years, 1.5 million per year.
Darious Williams - RFA (first round tender).
Johnny Mundt - RFA (original round tender)
Natrez Patrick - RFA (original round tender)
Coleman Shelton - ERFA
Travin Howard - ERFA
Raymond Calais - ERFA
JuJu Hughes - ERFA

(Gay, in my opinion, should be the kicker of the future. Williams gets a first round tender. The rest are RFAs and ERFAs, so I see no reason not to re-sign them.)

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 third round compensatory pick each - picks that can be used as ammunition to trade up. Hill, Reynolds, and Everett have been solid role players, but I can see them going for starting roles on lesser teams. Brown should be replaced by Akers and Henderson. Ebukam and Rivers haven't been effective this year and can be replaced by the combination of Hollins, Lewis, Polite, and two draft picks. Fox will go for a starting role. Blythe is replaceable. McQuaide has been great, but I can't see us paying huge money for an aging long snapper. As for Forbath, I'd rather forget he was ever on the team.)

Restructure:

Jared Goff
Aaron Donald

(Not sure whom else to restructure. I'm not a cap expert; hell, I don't even know if we should restructure Goff if the money goes straight into dead money, unless I'm totally mistaken - which I very well could be?)

Trades:

Michael Brockers to the Tennessee Titans for 2021 fifth round pick and 2022 seventh round pick.

(Tennessee needs good players on the defensive line; both DaQuan Jones and Jack Crawford are unrestricted free agents. Brockers could fit in the middle, and we could get much needed salary relief and two picks to boot.)

Rob Havenstein and 2022 seventh round pick to the Cincinnati Bengals for 2021 fourth round pick and 2021 sixth round pick.

(Cincinnati's offensive line is horrible. Jonah Williams is a good player at left tackle, but their right tackle signing has been an enormous bust. We give Zac Taylor a lineman he knows for a pick. I feel that Noteboom should be starting at right tackle for us anyway, if Whitworth doesn't retire, like I hope.)

2021 second round pick to the New York Jets for 2021 third round pick (Jets original pick) and 2021 fourth round pick.

(We trade down for our man, and the Jets move up to take a falling wide receiver after taking offensive line to protect Lawrence with their first second round pick.)

Draft:

3rd (Jets) - Nick Bolton, ILB, Missouri. (6'0", 232 lbs.)



(Bolton is short, stocky, and probably maxed-out. His drop-backs aren't always pretty. But hot damn can this kid play. He is a super physical linebacker who can move sideline-to-sideline. He never quits on the play, can rush the passer, can cover running backs and tight ends, he literally does it all. The absolute only reason he falls is because he's a shorter linebacker (probably 5'11", but he's listed at 6'0") who doesn't fit the profile of a top inside linebacker like Parsons or Moses.)

3rd - Quincy Roche, OLB, Miami. (6'4", 235 lbs.)



(No, that's not a typo. Roche is severely underweight, probably won't gain more weight, and can get overwhelmed at the point of attack. The positive is that he is extremely explosive, creating sacks and tackles-for-a-loss, from Temple to Miami. His get-off is elite, and while he'll never be a great run defender, he can get into the backfield and cause havoc.)

3rd (compensatory) - Joe Tryon, OLB, Washington. (6'4", 251 lbs.)



(Tryon reminds me a bit of Floyd. He's doesn't have a go-to pass-rush move, and he needs to be more consistent at setting the edge. But he's a fast rusher who has insane length, can drop into coverage and neutralize a tight end, and he's quite intelligent.)

4th (Jets) - Chazz Surratt, ILB, North Carolina. (6'3", 230 lbs.)



(Surratt has been suspended for selling team issued shoes, has had a season ending wrist injury after the suspension, struggles to get off blocks, and is very, very raw, as he was a former quarterback less than two years ago. But he's intelligent, has amazing athleticism, and has shown that he could be a potential stud at linebacker.)

4th (Bengals) - Israel Mukuamu, CB, South Carolina.



(Mukuamu really struggled against Florida, and the inability to cover quick-twitch receivers drops him here, as some might consider him as a safety. I think he could be a great corner because of his length, his ball skills, and physicality. I like this kid, and I hope he drops here.)

4th (compensatory) - Josh Ball, OT, Marshall. (6'8", 350 lbs.)



(Shockingly enough, Ball could end up getting bigger without losing his agility. He is already a very athletic and very strong left tackle who can utterly bury opposing D-linemen. He's dominated competition at Marshall. Main thing to watch is that he was kicked out of Florida State, so character is something to watch. But you simply don't see players like this in the fourth round, and he could be a steal here.)

5th (Titans) - Jimmy Morrissey, OC, Pittsburgh. (6'3", 305 lbs.)



(Morrissey could stand to get bigger for the NFL, he's more of a technician than a downhill blocker, and he's not the athlete you'd expect him to be. But this kid is a former walk-on who is now a team captain for Pitt, has started since his red-shirt freshman year, and has improved every year (not allowing a single sack and grading out as Pitt's best run blocker. I like this kid a lot, and I think he could be a great pro.)

6th (Bengals) - Bobby Brown III, DL, Texas A&M. (6'4, 315 lbs.)



(Brown's main problem is his motor, as it runs cold at times, and when it does, he should not be on the field, as he does nothing. But this year, he's been pretty damn good. He's a solid interior lineman who can play almost anywhere on the line. He's built like a tank, and when his motor is hot, he plays like one as well - stuffing the run, pushing the pocket, etc.. Basically, you're hoping to get a couple of solid-to-good years out of him, but he is a really damn good lineman.)

6th - Talanoa Hufanga, S, Southern California. (6'1", 215 lbs.)



(Hufanga has a medical history, and he needs work in coverage (he can do it, but he needs to make more splash plays there.) But he's an incredibly physical safety who has made numerous splash plays against the run, plays hard on special teams, and he fits this system to a tee.)

7th - Mike Strachan, WR, University of Charleston. (6'5", 225.)



(Now this is totally left field. Strachan is sushi raw. He's lacking in route running. He's a late-bloomer, coming from the Bahamas. And he's playing against inferior competition. What's so good about him? He's a huge deep threat, a former track star who is averaged sixteen yards a catch with 19 touchdowns in his junior year alone, and he simply doesn't drop passes thrown in his area. Think Kenny Golladay. We need a deep threat that we lost with Cooks, and we also need a bigger receiver for the endzone, like what we've lost with Watkins. Strachan fills both parts. Not bad for a seventh round pick.)

Undrafted Free Agents:

Shaun Beyer, TE, Iowa. (6'5", 246 lbs.)



(Beyer is mostly a blocking tight end for Iowa, but he has soft hands, as seen in the video. It would be an interesting pickup.)

Trey Ragas, RB, Louisiana. (5'10", 227 lbs.)



(Here's our Malcolm Brown replacement. Ragas simply does not go down with the first tackle. He's a punishing runner, and showed up against even the greatest front-sevens like Alabama; in fact, he averaged over 7.5 yards after contact. He's not a good receiver at all, but as a pass-blocker, he's shown that he can hang with linebackers. Ragas will never be a feature back, but he has a role to play with the Rams.)

Blake Ferguson, LS, LSU.

(No highlights. But we need a long-snapper with McQuaide gone, and apparently Ferguson is the best one I could find.)

Roster: (Starters in bold; rookies in italics.)

QB - Jared Goff, Bryce Perkins.
RB - Cam Akers, Darrell Henderson Jr., Trey Ragas, Raymond Calais.
WR - Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp, Van Jefferson, Nsimba Webster, Mike Strachan.
TE - Tyler Higbee, Brycen Hopkins, Kendall Blanton, Shaun Beyer.
OL - Andrew Whitworth, David Edwards, Austin Corbett, Bobby Evans, Joseph Noteboom, Chandler Brewer, Tremayne Anchrum, Josh Ball, Jimmy Morrissey
DL - Aaron Donald, Sebastian Joseph-Day, A'Shawn Robinson, Greg Gaines, Bobby Brown III, Michael Hoecht, Jonah Williams.
LB - Joe Tryon, Nick Bolton, Micah Kiser, Justin Hollins, Chazz Surratt, Terrell Lewis, Jachai Polite, Quincy Roche, Travin Howard, Christian Rozeboom.
DB - Jalen Ramsey, Darious Williams, David Long, Jordan Fuller, Taylor Rapp, Terrell Burgess, J.R. Reed, Talanoa Hufanga, Israel Mukuamu.
ST - Matt Gay, Johnny Hekker, Blake Ferguson.

(We're stuck with Goff, like it or not...until 2022 when we - hopefully - draft Sam Howell to replace him. Perkins earns the backup job after a year on the practice squad.)

(Akers earns the starting job, but Henderson gets a lot of carries as well, along with Ragas on short yardage situations. Calais returns kicks.)

(Woods, Kupp, Jefferson...no surprises there. Webster returns punts, and Strachan waits for an opportunity and plays special teams, along with redzone situations.)

(Higbee remains the starting tight end, and hopefully Hopkins can show what he can do. I like Blanton more than Mundt, and it's not because I'm a Mizzou fan; I really do think he's a good blocker and decent receiver. Beyer plays on special teams.

(Whitworth comes back! And there's a couple of position switches, but I want to get the best players on the field. Corbett could make an excellent center, Evans is a solid guard, and Noteboom protects the side where most of the top pass rushers play. Brewer will come back, Anchrum is a Swiss army knife when it comes to backing up positions, and Morrissey and Ball wait their turn to start.)

(Aaron Donald is obvious. SJD and Robinson make a solid run-stuffing core. Gaines will step in on obvious run downs, and I actually like Hoecht and Williams. BB3 will sub in on passing downs before he gets a chance to start.)

(I think that Tryon and Bolton are the only two rookies who will start on this squad...unless Kiser goes down with another injury; then Surratt will make it three. Roche, Polite, and Lewis will make a solid pass-rushing corps if they play like I think. Howard stays on the team for special teams and maybe as a starter if Bolton isn't ready. Rozeboom is my choice to round out the linebacking corps; I liked him at South Dakota, and I think he'll play really well.)

(All of the starters in the back five are obvious, even Long, whom I think should get a chance. Burgess comes in on big nickel. Reed is someone I really like. Hufanga and Mukuamu wait their turn.)

(I shouldn't have to explain for special teams, right?)

Anyway, this is my mock offseason! Leave a comment or tell me how much of an idiot I am. Either one's fine by me. :D

I don't know how someone can predict an entire offseason like this. To many variables for my taste. Kudos to you on all the work.

Not sure I'd go 5 defense picks right off the bat. I'll leave that to the Panthers.
I like the tackle from Marshall (Ball) later in the draft. It's not just our starting LT that could be a problem, it's the Rams' depth at tackle, too. Not much there.
The other Iowa TE (LaPorta) is much more desirable to me.
I'm impressed with the Iowa center-- Tyler Linderbaum --a RS Soph, though. I like him more than Creed Humphries--who everyone loves--but I saw some flaws.
 

FrantikRam

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I think one thing this year did is guarantee we will never invest in an ILB. I don't recall a defense this good with ILB this poor/mediocre, but I'm sure it's happened.

Blythe should be the highest priority IMO, with the way this OL has played.

JJ - franchise tag

Hill

This is assuming we tender DWill and he doesn't get signed away, which means a first round tender

I think I'd try to make this happen, let the rest of that first draft class go, and let Clowney be the next disappointing reclamation project.

I'm guessing we'd have to move money around to make this happen, but Snead excels at that. If we can hang onto the secondary for another year and secure the OL, we would have a ton of flexibility and no glaring needs for the draft. In that scenario we would be aiming for depth at WR, OL, RB, EDGE, and DL - but they would all be for the future.
 

jrry32

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I think one thing this year did is guarantee we will never invest in an ILB. I don't recall a defense this good with ILB this poor/mediocre, but I'm sure it's happened.

Blythe should be the highest priority IMO, with the way this OL has played.

JJ - franchise tag

Hill

This is assuming we tender DWill and he doesn't get signed away, which means a first round tender

I think I'd try to make this happen, let the rest of that first draft class go, and let Clowney be the next disappointing reclamation project.

I'm guessing we'd have to move money around to make this happen, but Snead excels at that. If we can hang onto the secondary for another year and secure the OL, we would have a ton of flexibility and no glaring needs for the draft. In that scenario we would be aiming for depth at WR, OL, RB, EDGE, and DL - but they would all be for the future.

I think Clowney or Von Miller both make sense if Floyd walks. Either could sign here on a relatively affordable one year deal. Clowney's injury history scares me, but I think he'd kill with Donald inside.
 

Tano

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So the Jets will trade their 1st pick in the third round and their 1st pick in the 4th round to move up 1 spot to the second round?
 

Mister Sin

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How the fuck yall even know these people. Lol I see these mocks every year and I LOVE them. But you could be making shit up after round two and I wouldn't know but a couple. Lol. I only follow a few teams. Impressive @Memento
 

Mackeyser

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Just farting around on Xmas eve.

Have a few takes. Gonna use Mem's mock as the template including retains and releases, except I have no trades and 1 signing.

Cut:

Justin Lawler
Ogbonnia Okoronkwo

(Both Lawler and Okoronkwo have injury issues. Young has come on and Nick Scott is getting more time and slowly improving.

Re-sign:


Matthew Gay - 3 years, 1.5 million per year.
Darious Williams - RFA (first round tender).
Johnny Mundt - RFA (original round tender)
Natrez Patrick - RFA (original round tender)
Coleman Shelton - ERFA
Travin Howard - ERFA
Raymond Calais - ERFA
JuJu Hughes - ERFA

(Gay, in my opinion, should be the kicker of the future. Williams gets a first round tender. The rest are RFAs and ERFAs, so I see no reason not to re-sign them.) AGREE with all of these.

Release:


Leonard Floyd
Troy Hill
Gerald Everett
Malcolm Brown
Josh Reynolds
Samson Ebukam
Austin Blythe
Morgan Fox
Kai Forbath

Jake McQuaide and Derek Rivers I think stay. I ride McQuaide until his hand falls off and I still think Staley wants to see what they have in Rivers.

If there's ANY way for us to keep JJIII, we do it. I don't think they'll let the cap sink as low as has been projected and I'm just not ready to mock JJIII's departure, just yet. I'd LOVE to keep Floyd, but I'm coming to recognize that's not likely to happen.

Sign:

Yannick Ngakoue: for the third year in a row, we sign a very good Edge to rehab on a 1 year deal. He hasn't worked out in Minny, but that's not b/c of talent. In this D, he would be the best of the three we've signed.

Draft:

2nd: Warren Jackson, WR 6'6" 215, Colorado State. Not a burner, but he's a high-pointer like few others. His comp is AJ Green. Can run most routes, and is quick while also being a long strider. Produced in college without a great QB. Goes from one Ram team to another. If Jackson had put up his numbers at a power 5 school, he's a first rounder. STEAL at this spot even as folks will say he's over drafted. He's not. Also, I think Scary Terry is gone by the time we pick in the 2nd. I also just REALLY like Jackson's hands. It doesn't hurt that his highlight reel is absurd and he made a one handed catch that rivals the OBJ catch. Dude has it all.

NFL Draft Diamonds Scouting Notes:

Warren Jackson is a beast on the field. He is selfless and I think NFL scouts are going to fall in love with his size and ability to come down with the ball. Colorado State has had some amazing wide receivers, but I cannot think of one as complete as Jackson. Jackson has the size, speed, and catching skills to be a great at the next level. Jackson will also block which is rare for 6060 wide outs. I like this kid and feel he will dominate this year. – Damond Talbot, NFL Draft Diamonds Owner

3rd: Creed Humphrey, C 6'5" 325, Oklahoma. Solid base and former wrestler allows him to take on NTs. Solid in pass pro and run blocking, although he's tentative getting to the second level and may struggle with slippery, smaller, faster ILBs. He's stout at the point of attack and strong enough to hold up against bull rushes. Biggest issue is that he's left handed, so will need extra time with Goff to ensure no issues with either under center or in shotgun since ball rotates the opposite way.

3rd comp: Chazz Surratt, ILB 6'3" 230, North Carolina I've seen him mocked as high as the 2nd round which I think is much too high, but I don't think he makes it to the 4th round, either. I also think the OLBs mocked are LONG gone by the 3rd round, esp Tryon with his prototypical body type for the edge position. Happens every year. I could see switching our 3rd round picks.

4th comp: Elerson Smith, OLB 6'7" 245, Northern Iowa. Small school allows Elerson to slip, but his production in 2019 was so good that he's a steal here. 14 sacks including 13 solo sacks in 2019 along with 5 FF shows this kid. He's got room on his frame to gain more weight.

6th: Zach Davidson, TE 6'7" 245, Central Missouri. They didn't play in 2020 which allows us to hope he falls. Dude BALLED OUT in 2019 with 15 TDs on 40 catches for 894 yds. He's absolutely an endzone threat.

7th: Josh Ball, OT 6'8" 380, Marshall. Dude is a mountain of a man and McVay has proven that if they take someone, they can keep them on the straight and narrow. He may need a year as a backup, but then next year, we ship out Havenstein and run behind this dude at RT
 
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