Puka Injury Thread (merged)

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Mojo Ram said:
Not only that, but who cares how much $$$ he’s going to command. It’s not your money. It’s not going to break the Rams.

Puka is only the second legitimate playmaker/star skill guy they’ve been able to draft in 10 years.

Pay the man.

As an aside, does anyone really think handing over the car keys to Simpson and this current group of skill guys minus Nacua is the way to go? Fuck no.
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I am hoping that the niners extend purdy to 10 years, $1 billion.
 
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A little tough luck with the scheduling. GB is a team we gotta beat if we want to make a wild card. Woulda been better if we had KC first, then GB if Adams is returning. Gotta play them without Puka and Adams. We might get away with it against AZ. But GB is gonna be tough.
 
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FrantikRam said:
Yea I addressed that though.....that's one of the benefits of an extension. It doesn't kick in until 2028....the years you're citing are years he was already under contract. So while the reported contract was 4 years $168 million, from now until the end of that contract its actually 6 years $195 million

If you wanted to look at what Puka's cap hit would be next year in JSN's situation, you would have to look at 2028 for JSN (first year of the extension kicking in) - and that number is $32.9 million.

The franchise tag right now is $28 million for receiver, probably low 30s next year. So it would be the same or we would save, on THAT cap number ($32.9 million).

But.....JSN didn't have much leverage. He had both his 4th year left, and then his 5th year option. So in extension talks, Seattle had that leverage to fall back on. "We can extend you now for this much or you can wait"....zero stress for Seattle in that discussion.

We......will not have ANY leverage whatsoever, outside of his off field/injury issues. But the Cardinals, Titans, Dolphins, whoever aren't going to give a fuck about that. They are going to have more money to spend than they know what to do with and will salivate at a 26 year old ELITE receiver hitting free agency.

It is a really simple equation.....Puka's representation will have a number in mind or they will test free agency, and then we will have no choice but to tag him.
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No new deal will be $30M in year 1. You can back load the deal. Howie Roseman never hands out a new deal with that much in year 1 regardless of who. Jalen Hurts is well into his mega deal and still only counts $22M against the cap this year.

Look at Jalen Watson's deal. Not saying its in the same ballpark as JSN or Puka's, but it was significant. His cap hit is less than 7M in year 1. So they could make Puka's first yr or two more affordable.
 
Mojo Ram said:
Btw, I understand that many fans enjoy discussing the money and that’s fine. Im not one of them but have at it.
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I'm with you on this too. All due respect to my fellow members, I never have understood the financial arm chairing done by guys with no skin in the game. Stanley will be just fine along with Demoff and Co. making these decisions.
 
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PARAM said:
Not talking about the cap hit. I was just surprised at your new-found concern for the cap. I remember hearing "there's always ways to manipulate the cap" when you were suggesting using the draft picks for experienced vets in that failed plan the Rams had. ;)
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Jesus.. wanna talk about football and not obsess about other posters? Notice others have moved on and we've had normal football exchanges?
Get a fucking life, dude.
 
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PhillyRam said:
Look at Jalen Watson's deal. Not saying its in the same ballpark as JSN or Puka's, but it was significant. His cap hit is less than 7M in year 1. So they could make Puka's first yr or two more affordable.
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I did some estimates on a deal for Puka. The first-year cap hit could be around $11 to $12 million.

My concern is the guaranteed money on a 4-year deal, considering how they use him and injury concerns.
 
Ram65 said:
He is going to have to stay healthy for a couple of years. They would be on the hook for the full guaranteed money if Puka gets hurt. That's where it becomes more risky than a player that doesn't take the hit he does.
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His tally is currently 13 or more games missed the last 3 years (counting this 4 game stretch). His style of play invites injury. He is certainly one of the best, if not the best, playmaker they have drafted under McVay. Kupp might have something to say about that though. I would love to have Puka locked up for the next 4 years but I have to wonder, how many more games will he miss? And what's the next dumbass thing he's going to do off the field? We were concerned about a suspension going into this year. What if that rears it's ugly head down the road? I'm sure they know what they want to do, so we'll see soon enough what that entails. Perhaps provisions in the contract like bonuses should he keep his nose clean off the field? Perhaps they don't even consider it?
 
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Ram65 said:
I did some estimates on a deal for Puka. The first-year cap hit could be around $11 to $12 million.

My concern is the guaranteed money on a 4-year deal, considering how they use him and injury concerns.
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The biggest injury concerns are using him as a running back on jet sweeps. Need to stop that shit if they wanna keep him around for an extended period of time
 
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dang said:
The biggest injury concerns are using him as a running back on jet sweeps. Need to stop that shit if they wanna keep him around for an extended period of time
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Yes, jet sweeps are the biggest injury concern.

It's also the cumulative hits on the WR screens, FB like blocking and catching in a crowd with all those targets. I hope if they do a long-term deal, they make some adjustments to his usage. They need to treat him as a valuable asset.
 
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FrantikRam said:
It is a really simple equation.....Puka's representation will have a number in mind or they will test free agency, and then we will have no choice but to tag him.
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The deadline to tag a player this year was in early March (3rd). So before they test free agency, they will be tagged.
dieterbrock said:
franchise tag and long term extension are not mutually exclusive, the Rams can tag him and work out long term deal.
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They have until July 15th to work out a deal.

There's always the chance some desperate team with multiple first round draft picks swoops in an makes him an offer.

Then they're faced with a decision. Keep a player who is a massive playmaker, prone to injury and off field issues or take 2 first round picks. I know what I would do.
 
Puka was the only legit, healthy playing NFL starting WR on this Rams team when he took that low hit. That you can not ignore. He certainly deserves the payday more than any other pending UFA.

Nor can you ignore the way Puka plays the game & the way McVay loads up ultra heavy on Puka's offensive responsibility.....; how McVay utilizes him ......is sure to cause many games in the future to be missed due to injury.

The other top receivers in this McVay offense Parkinson/ Adams /Davis Allen will not be here in 2027. This element will enter heavily in this big decision too.

I've seen nothing from McVay's younger receivers' Ferguson/ Daniels / Klare that would lead me to expect any positive changes in this receiver unit. The 9ers in game 1 gave the Rams team their 2025 season's injury virus.
 
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PARAM said:
You're the one who seems most bothered.....put me on ignore!!!!


I have a life but every now and then I need a good laugh. And nothing breaks me up like junior GMs talking shit.
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Then your life is pathetically small and inconsequential.

As the kids say.. touch grass.
 
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PARAM said:
You're the one who seems most bothered.....put me on ignore!!!!


I have a life but every now and then I need a good laugh. And nothing breaks me up like junior GMs talking shit.
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Hey man. Let’s keep it about the subject and not about each other. I’m really done with the back and forth BS that has been going on too much lately.
 
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PhillyRam said:
No new deal will be $30M in year 1. You can back load the deal. Howie Roseman never hands out a new deal with that much in year 1 regardless of who. Jalen Hurts is well into his mega deal and still only counts $22M against the cap this year.

Look at Jalen Watson's deal. Not saying its in the same ballpark as JSN or Puka's, but it was significant. His cap hit is less than 7M in year 1. So they could make Puka's first yr or two more affordable.
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More affordable, yes - but there is only so much we'll be able to do with that with what will probably be an AAV of $45 million
 
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