Rams 2012 Free Agency

[libertadrocks]

Does anyone know how much cap space the Rams have ? I have seen anywhere from 10 to 30 mil. Can't seem to get a reliable answer.

+1 Id like to hear a good number too

Just read this tweet from Evan Silva I fond interesting

#Rams will be in on Finnegan, can take that to the bank. Versatile, physical playmaker. Also, cutting Bartell saves serious coin vs cap

 

[steferfootball]

Does anyone know how much cap space the Rams have ? I have seen anywhere from 10 to 30 mil. Can't seem to get a reliable answer.

I've never been able to find a reliable number.

Does anyone know how much cap space the Rams have ? I have seen anywhere from 10 to 30 mil. Can't seem to get a reliable answer.

+1 Id like to hear a good number too

Just read this tweet from Evan Silva I fond interesting

#Rams will be in on Finnegan, can take that to the bank. Versatile, physical playmaker. Also, cutting Bartell saves serious coin vs cap

Won't signing a Free Agent basically cancel out any savings?

 

[Ram Quixote]

Does anyone know how much cap space the Rams have ? I have seen anywhere from 10 to 30 mil. Can't seem to get a reliable answer.

+1 Id like to hear a good number too

Just read this tweet from Evan Silva I fond interesting

#Rams will be in on Finnegan, can take that to the bank. Versatile, physical playmaker. Also, cutting Bartell saves serious coin vs cap

Whatever the Rams cap space, creating dead money isn't the way to go, especially with a player making what Bartell is. So we cut his 5-6 million dollar salary and sign a FA CB for the same money. There's still dead money left behind, as well as a good CB on a team that needs to keep the good players it has.

Dead weight must go. Bartell isn't that, nor is he a luxury we can't afford.

 

[JdashSTL]

Does anyone know how much cap space the Rams have ? I have seen anywhere from 10 to 30 mil. Can't seem to get a reliable answer.

+1 Id like to hear a good number too

Just read this tweet from Evan Silva I fond interesting

#Rams will be in on Finnegan, can take that to the bank. Versatile, physical playmaker. Also, cutting Bartell saves serious coin vs cap

Have no problem with us going after Finnegan. I remember him being interviewed on 101espn the day Fisher was hired and I could definitely tell how much respect he had for Fisher and I think he would love to play for him again. I also look at a team like the Lions, they may be interested in him.

Does that mean we have to cut Bartell? I dont think so. The last few times he was interviewed didnt he say he was ready to play right now? When it comes to figure out our cap situation I think the biggest concern is the OL. Do we cut Jacob Bell or try to bring him back? What happens with Jason Smith? What happens with Jason Brown?

 

[Ramhusker]

Does anyone know how much cap space the Rams have ? I have seen anywhere from 10 to 30 mil. Can't seem to get a reliable answer.

+1 Id like to hear a good number too

Just read this tweet from Evan Silva I fond interesting

#Rams will be in on Finnegan, can take that to the bank. Versatile, physical playmaker. Also, cutting Bartell saves serious coin vs cap

Have no problem with us going after Finnegan. I remember him being interviewed on 101espn the day Fisher was hired and I could definitely tell how much respect he had for Fisher and I think he would love to play for him again. I also look at a team like the Lions, they may be interested in him.

Does that mean we have to cut Bartell? I dont think so. The last few times he was interviewed didnt he say he was ready to play right now? When it comes to figure out our cap situation I think the biggest concern is the OL. Do we cut Jacob Bell or try to bring him back? What happens with Jason Smith? What happens with Jason Brown?

I think there has to be and will be some contract restructuring going on with the OL or else the Bells and Smiths and Browns may be hitting the road.

 

[Memento]

I believe that we already restructured Bell's contract into a one-year deal. I doubt that we're going to resign him, so it's a matter of cutting Brown and/or Smith.

Bartell isn't the guy we should think about cutting. We can create room for him and Finnegan.

 

[libertadrocks]

Bartell is a good player, but I think you guys are missing the point on cutting him.

He had a very very serious injury. He could never regain his form.

So is that risk worth 5-6 mill?

Lets assume Finnegan signs here. That would give us Finnegan, Bartell, Fletcher, Murphy and a spot or two open for competition between all the guys we signed last year. If Bartell doesnt come back all the way from his injury we could very well be paying our 4th CB 5-6 million. Thats not reasonable.

Retaining him is a risk. Given we have a new GM and HC Im not sure thats a risk they are willing to take.

 

[JdashSTL]

Bartell is a good player, but I think you guys are missing the point on cutting him.

He had a very very serious injury. He could never regain his form.

So is that risk worth 5-6 mill?

Lets assume Finnegan signs here. That would give us Finnegan, Bartell, Fletcher, Murphy and a spot or two open for competition between all the guys we signed last year. If Bartell doesnt come back all the way from his injury we could very well be paying our 4th CB 5-6 million. Thats not reasonable.

Retaining him is a risk. Given we have a new GM and HC Im not sure thats a risk they are willing to take.

But dont Bartell and Fletcher both have pretty serious injury concerns? Fletch has gone on IR twice (torn acl?) now, and hes not gonna make as much money. Is there a chance we could trade Bartell?

Out of all the potential FA CBs, if I had to choose 1 I would prefer Brandon Carr simply based on talent and age.

 

[DR RAM]

Bartell is a good player, but I think you guys are missing the point on cutting him.

He had a very very serious injury. He could never regain his form.

So is that risk worth 5-6 mill?

Lets assume Finnegan signs here. That would give us Finnegan, Bartell, Fletcher, Murphy and a spot or two open for competition between all the guys we signed last year. If Bartell doesnt come back all the way from his injury we could very well be paying our 4th CB 5-6 million. Thats not reasonable.

Retaining him is a risk. Given we have a new GM and HC Im not sure thats a risk they are willing to take.

I don't think his injury ended up being very serious, and he's already healed from what I heard. Fletcher might not be ready next year. Finnegan would be a starter at nickel back at the worst. Finnegan would make us pretty solid at CB. The 5 corners being Fletcher, Murphy, Bartell, Finnegan, and Gordy.

 

[bluecoconuts]

Bartell is a good player, but I think you guys are missing the point on cutting him.

He had a very very serious injury. He could never regain his form.

So is that risk worth 5-6 mill?

Lets assume Finnegan signs here. That would give us Finnegan, Bartell, Fletcher, Murphy and a spot or two open for competition between all the guys we signed last year. If Bartell doesnt come back all the way from his injury we could very well be paying our 4th CB 5-6 million. Thats not reasonable.

Retaining him is a risk. Given we have a new GM and HC Im not sure thats a risk they are willing to take.

At the end of the season Bartell said his neck was 100% and would have been able to play in the final game if not for being on IR. He said it's actually stronger now, so unless it's a mental thing, I'm not worried about his play.

 

[Ram Quixote]

Bartell is a good player, but I think you guys are missing the point on cutting him.

He had a very very serious injury. He could never regain his form.

So is that risk worth 5-6 mill?

Lets assume Finnegan signs here. That would give us Finnegan, Bartell, Fletcher, Murphy and a spot or two open for competition between all the guys we signed last year. If Bartell doesnt come back all the way from his injury we could very well be paying our 4th CB 5-6 million. Thats not reasonable.

Retaining him is a risk. Given we have a new GM and HC Im not sure thats a risk they are willing to take.

I don't think his injury ended up being very serious, and he's already healed from what I heard. Fletcher might not be ready next year. Finnegan would be a starter at nickel back at the worst. Finnegan would make us pretty solid at CB. The 5 corners being Fletcher, Murphy, Bartell, Finnegan, and Gordy.

From what I recall, Bartell had a cracked (not broken) neck bone. That required around 4 months to heal, but there was no surgery performed on him, just rest. With another 3-4 more months recovery time before OTAs, he'll be ready for the coaches to evaluate him long before training camp.

 

[libertadrocks]

Bartell is a good player, but I think you guys are missing the point on cutting him.

He had a very very serious injury. He could never regain his form.

So is that risk worth 5-6 mill?

Lets assume Finnegan signs here. That would give us Finnegan, Bartell, Fletcher, Murphy and a spot or two open for competition between all the guys we signed last year. If Bartell doesnt come back all the way from his injury we could very well be paying our 4th CB 5-6 million. Thats not reasonable.

Retaining him is a risk. Given we have a new GM and HC Im not sure thats a risk they are willing to take.

I don't think his injury ended up being very serious, and he's already healed from what I heard. Fletcher might not be ready next year. Finnegan would be a starter at nickel back at the worst. Finnegan would make us pretty solid at CB. The 5 corners being Fletcher, Murphy, Bartell, Finnegan, and Gordy.

From what I recall, Bartell had a cracked (not broken) neck bone. That required around 4 months to heal, but there was no surgery performed on him, just rest. With another 3-4 more months recovery time before OTAs, he'll be ready for the coaches to evaluate him long before training camp.

Its the kind of injury that you never forget tho.

Recall what he said about it when it occurred. He thought it was just a stinger and was ready to go back in. Every time he feels any kind of twinge in his neck/back or stinger like symptoms he is immediately going to think about the injury. Had he gone back in he could have ended up paralyzed.

IMO its the kind of injury you never recover from. Mentally.

BTW Finnegan would not be our nickle, he would be our #1 CB. He is borderline all-pro. If people liked him more, personality wise, he would get a lot more credit for his play.

 

[-X-]

BTW Finnegan would not be our nickle, he would be our #1 CB. He is borderline all-pro. If people liked him more, personality wise, he would get a lot more credit for his play.

Agree with that. I never liked the guy, and when Andre Johnson beat his ass I absolutely loved it. But here's the thing. (1) - he was ON Andre Johnson, and (2) he has the ability to get into people's heads. As long as he's not a flag magnet, I wouldn't mind him being a Ram. He just better pray to whatever deity he prefers, that he never pisses off Steven Jackson. Know what I mean? He may be a douchebag, but I'm not aware of any character issues with the guy. Just douchebaggery.

 

[bluecoconuts]

BTW Finnegan would not be our nickle, he would be our #1 CB. He is borderline all-pro. If people liked him more, personality wise, he would get a lot more credit for his play.

Agree with that. I never liked the guy, and when Andre Johnson beat his ass I absolutely loved it. But here's the thing. (1) - he was ON Andre Johnson, and (2) he has the ability to get into people's heads. As long as he's not a flag magnet, I wouldn't mind him being a Ram. He just better pray to whatever deity he prefers, that he never pisses off Steven Jackson. Know what I mean? He may be a douchebag, but I'm not aware of any character issues with the guy. Just douchebaggery.

From what I can tell his thing has always been on the field. I've never really heard much about him being bad in the locker room, or bad against teammates, but he seems to be a prick on the field, good at pissing off other players.

If the contract is right, I wouldn't mind him on the Rams. But I'd like to keep Bartell as well, that would be ideal to me.

 

[Memento]

BTW Finnegan would not be our nickle, he would be our #1 CB. He is borderline all-pro. If people liked him more, personality wise, he would get a lot more credit for his play.

Agree with that. I never liked the guy, and when Andre Johnson beat his ass I absolutely loved it. But here's the thing. (1) - he was ON Andre Johnson, and (2) he has the ability to get into people's heads. As long as he's not a flag magnet, I wouldn't mind him being a Ram. He just better pray to whatever deity he prefers, that he never pisses off Steven Jackson. Know what I mean? He may be a douchebag, but I'm not aware of any character issues with the guy. Just douchebaggery.

From what I can tell his thing has always been on the field. I've never really heard much about him being bad in the locker room, or bad against teammates, but he seems to be a prick on the field, good at pissing off other players.

If the contract is right, I wouldn't mind him on the Rams. But I'd like to keep Bartell as well, that would be ideal to me.

I agree. Cortland Finnegan was one of the only players I ever liked on the Titans, seeing as he wasn't an asshole off-the-field like a few of his teammates were. He always stuck up for his teammates as well; I can't recall a single incident where he acted like a douche toward them (unlike Haynesworth).

 

[JdashSTL]

BTW Finnegan would not be our nickle, he would be our #1 CB. He is borderline all-pro. If people liked him more, personality wise, he would get a lot more credit for his play.

Agree with that. I never liked the guy, and when Andre Johnson beat his ass I absolutely loved it. But here's the thing. (1) - he was ON Andre Johnson, and (2) he has the ability to get into people's heads. As long as he's not a flag magnet, I wouldn't mind him being a Ram. He just better pray to whatever deity he prefers, that he never pisses off Steven Jackson. Know what I mean? He may be a douchebag, but I'm not aware of any character issues with the guy. Just douchebaggery.

To add to that, would it be fair to say he could bring toughness, or swagger to our D? Id like that.

Heres a summary of his on-field incidents. Notice that he hasnt gotten in trouble (to my, or Wikipedias knowledge) since the fight with Andre.

In September 2010, Finnegan was fined $5,000 for throwing New York Giants wide receiver Steve Smith to the ground by his helmet.[4] In October 2010, Finnegan was fined $10,000 for unnecessary roughness after hitting Denver Broncos guard Chris Kuper after Kuper's helmet was off. After this incident, the NFL warned Finnegan that similar violations in the future could lead to increased discipline.[5] On November 28, 2010, Finnegan was involved in a fist fight with Houston Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson. Each player was ejected, and each subsequently fined $25,000.[6] His history with Johnson dates back to at least 2009, in the September 20 matchup between the two teams. After Johnson had beaten Finnegan's coverage, Finnegan jumped on Johnson's back before the ball reached them, resulting in Finnegan being flagged for pass interference.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cortland_Finnegan

 

[Ram Quixote]

Bartell is a good player, but I think you guys are missing the point on cutting him.

He had a very very serious injury. He could never regain his form.

So is that risk worth 5-6 mill?

Lets assume Finnegan signs here. That would give us Finnegan, Bartell, Fletcher, Murphy and a spot or two open for competition between all the guys we signed last year. If Bartell doesnt come back all the way from his injury we could very well be paying our 4th CB 5-6 million. Thats not reasonable.

Retaining him is a risk. Given we have a new GM and HC Im not sure thats a risk they are willing to take.

I don't think his injury ended up being very serious, and he's already healed from what I heard. Fletcher might not be ready next year. Finnegan would be a starter at nickel back at the worst. Finnegan would make us pretty solid at CB. The 5 corners being Fletcher, Murphy, Bartell, Finnegan, and Gordy.

From what I recall, Bartell had a cracked (not broken) neck bone. That required around 4 months to heal, but there was no surgery performed on him, just rest. With another 3-4 more months recovery time before OTAs, he'll be ready for the coaches to evaluate him long before training camp.

Its the kind of injury that you never forget tho.

Recall what he said about it when it occurred. He thought it was just a stinger and was ready to go back in. Every time he feels any kind of twinge in his neck/back or stinger like symptoms he is immediately going to think about the injury. Had he gone back in he could have ended up paralyzed.

IMO its the kind of injury you never recover from. Mentally.

BTW Finnegan would not be our nickle, he would be our #1 CB. He is borderline all-pro. If people liked him more, personality wise, he would get a lot more credit for his play.

Well, sure. But no one can tell any of that until they evaluate him in OTAs. To simply assume he won't get over it would be seriously short-sighted, especially for coaches that don't know him that well.

 

[bluecoconuts]

Bartell is a good player, but I think you guys are missing the point on cutting him.

He had a very very serious injury. He could never regain his form.

So is that risk worth 5-6 mill?

Lets assume Finnegan signs here. That would give us Finnegan, Bartell, Fletcher, Murphy and a spot or two open for competition between all the guys we signed last year. If Bartell doesnt come back all the way from his injury we could very well be paying our 4th CB 5-6 million. Thats not reasonable.

Retaining him is a risk. Given we have a new GM and HC Im not sure thats a risk they are willing to take.

I don't think his injury ended up being very serious, and he's already healed from what I heard. Fletcher might not be ready next year. Finnegan would be a starter at nickel back at the worst. Finnegan would make us pretty solid at CB. The 5 corners being Fletcher, Murphy, Bartell, Finnegan, and Gordy.

From what I recall, Bartell had a cracked (not broken) neck bone. That required around 4 months to heal, but there was no surgery performed on him, just rest. With another 3-4 more months recovery time before OTAs, he'll be ready for the coaches to evaluate him long before training camp.

Its the kind of injury that you never forget tho.

Recall what he said about it when it occurred. He thought it was just a stinger and was ready to go back in. Every time he feels any kind of twinge in his neck/back or stinger like symptoms he is immediately going to think about the injury. Had he gone back in he could have ended up paralyzed.

IMO its the kind of injury you never recover from. Mentally.

BTW Finnegan would not be our nickle, he would be our #1 CB. He is borderline all-pro. If people liked him more, personality wise, he would get a lot more credit for his play.

I've seen people recover from worse.

This guy spent a night in the hospital, returned to practice 4 days later, and was in a game about a week after that. He was told he should be done for the year but he didn't want to sit.



I agree that some players might never recover from that injury mentally, but I've seen guys come back from horrible injuries and be okay. We wont know till we see him suit up.

 

[-X-]

Holy crap.

 

[Memento]

I've seen people recover from worse.

This guy spent a night in the hospital, returned to practice 4 days later, and was in a game about a week after that. He was told he should be done for the year but he didn't want to sit.

I agree that some players might never recover from that injury mentally, but I've seen guys come back from horrible injuries and be okay. We wont know till we see him suit up.

Oh, hell. I remember that from a YouTube video I stumbled across. It came when the Sabres were playing my Blues. That was just awful and horrifying.

I cringe every time I see that picture of the poor guy. He's so much tougher than I could ever hope to be. He probably was a soldier of Sparta or a Roman centurion in another life.