This may work out better for us.Does anybody with PFF access want to post what C and G free agent rankings are out there by chance?
I'd like Wisniewski also! Hope you're wrong on Wells and to some extent, Long!
.I have no issues with Wiz signing but it sure would signal that the Org.s efforts in this position was a total waste by Snead where he drafted two decent centers & the 3 yrs. of grooming of Tim Barnes by Boudreau all flushed down the toilet. I find that hard to accept such a flush of priceless high valued draft picks & the time invested in Barnes......they really have not even hardly kicked the tires yet on those three sport models yet let alone get them out on the highway and run them hard for a period of time. It ticks me off as the Org is forced to buy an overpriced future hurting cap hit @ center still leaving major HOLES elsewhere in the OL Wiz signing really fixes just one post. His signing would rob any Cap $$ for getting the other areas upgraded. The bigger overall OL issues are elsewhere . It would sure shine the light on this Ram Org. (Fisher/Snead/Boudreau here (sound evidence) of failure that they have made all wrapped up in this one position.
If Wiz takes up the OC then you sure do not need those three centers collecting dust & cap money. Barnes & Rhaney are just about 100% center where Jones might be some % ORT in the NFL just have no ideal.I can not see hanging onto a non productive center by Fisher but as we know by now Fisher sure does not really care.
Long could be worked in @ OLG or ORT but the cost to keep him is mighty expensive for a worn damaged declining OL'er....neither are smart and would be heavy in the real dumb column. I have seen very little evidence that Fisher can get this OL credible so I am cemented in the wondering column too.
HahaIt means those 2 pickups would get me really excited
The biggest problem with De La Puente in my opinion is he is undersized. As is Garza actually, but, Garza tends to maintain better leverage.
Well, by cutting Long and Wells the Rams free up about $12M ($11.7 is my understanding) in cap space. The cap is projected to go up $10-11M. With that amount of money the Rams should be able to resign some key guys. The cap going up is not such a big deal as it goes up for everyone (obviously) and drives up prices for players generally. However, resigning Barksdale and Person are key to me if Long is cut. It would probably behoove the Rams to try and get Barksdale done before FA starts. Even with up and down play this year he will probably command a decent salary in FA.Not sure where the Ram Org. can do much trimming duckhunter. The biggest piece of deadwood around here is Sam Bradford. Sam cap hit will be 16.6 mil & if they released him there is 3.6 mil is dead $$. Then they have to go buy another QB & as we all know there is very little out there worth looking at & even less worth buying. I see no options on this piece of deadwood.
The next big chuck of deadwood is Chris Long who will cost us 12.5 million. Now that a big chunk! Rams proved that they can play outstanding defense without him due to having Hayes & Sims to fill the void completely. So you could might think a bit on that but there is a 5 mil chunk of dead $$ involved so that will not work.
Looks to me the easiest & most prudent trimming of deadwood should come from Jake Long & Scott Wells two bona fide non producers for the $$ used to buy their services. Jake Long will cost 10.5 mil in 2015. The problem here Fisher has only one OT under contract:eek:. Rams have no reserve Swing OT either :eek::eek:! So releasing the Rams starting OLT the last two seasons is a serious matter but the dead $$ is only 2.5 so there's a net of 8 million savings. Now the Rams have to go out & buy several more OT's that will burn up all that saving in a heartbeat.
Scott Wells is due near 5 mil with only a hit of dead $$ of 1 mil. that appear to be an easy call there due to the fact the Rams have the ability to fully cover the center post with very little cost to the cap here. Unlike the situation they have @ OT!
I have no issues with Wiz signing but it sure would signal that the Org.s efforts in this position was a total waste by Snead where he drafted two decent centers & the 3 yrs. of grooming of Tim Barnes by Boudreau all flushed down the toilet. I find that hard to accept such a flush of priceless high valued draft picks & the time invested in Barnes......they really have not even hardly kicked the tires yet on those three sport models yet let alone get them out on the highway and run them hard for a period of time. It ticks me off as the Org is forced to buy an overpriced future hurting cap hit @ center still leaving major HOLES elsewhere in the OL Wiz signing really fixes just one post. His signing would rob any Cap $$ for getting the other areas upgraded. The bigger overall OL issues are elsewhere . It would sure shine the light on this Ram Org. (Fisher/Snead/Boudreau here (sound evidence) of failure that they have made all wrapped up in this one position.
I can not see hanging onto a non productive center by Fisher but as we know by now Fisher sure does not really care.
I understand you prospective....the problem is it seems like the Rams have a bunch of 6th or 7th guys. The key to signing a FA O lineman to me is I don't want to go over the 30 year old age barrier. Of course, signing a younger guy does not insure health. Iupati is 27 but has nagging injuries that may signal more down time to come. A guy like Wiz is 25 and coming into his own.
Goodwin was more bringing home a former Saint from their Super Bowl era than signing an ex-49er. But your point about known mediocrity is well taken. Center is more about reliable consistency than anything. I totally am on board with seeing what they have in B.Jones or Rhaney (still annoying they didn't give Jones the playing time once the Rams were eliminated). But I don't see the problem with shooting higher with Hudson or Wiz. Getting burned with Wells was bad injury luck more than a bad strategy. Free agency dollars should go to those spots that need vet experience, like center or safety. And the Rams are bringing in more youngsters in the draft to develop here, too, so in theory the best of all worlds.
Not sure I would characterize SB and CL as "deadwood"... Maybe more true with SB as he has made no signs of being willing to move cap space (lately), but CL has restructured 3 times in the last 2 years so he probably can be counted on to create space if needed. In addition to JL and Wells you mentioned there's also $6million cap savings if they part ways with K.Langford or whatever space created if they extend him. So I think the Rams can make the cap space to hit some holes in free agency if they choose. It will be a strategic decision more than a cap decision.
I think this is excellent insight to look at Fisher's past, especially as the Rams transition from rebuilding to more established we can probably expect him to act more like in his past. But he is working with a new GM here now and we also have recent Rams history. To me the Jared Cook signing is pretty deafening of how the Rams might act. It's possible again if they see something they think is a missing piece they will jump on it and wayyy overspend to make sure they get it. Or maybe past free agent overspending was a "Bobby Wagner mad" lesson that won't be repeated, who knows?
