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Rams positioned to add veteran pieces
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/15428/rams-positioned-to-add-veteran-pieces
EARTH CITY, Mo. -- For each of the three seasons in which coach Jeff Fisher and general manager Les Snead have been in charge, the St. Louis Rams have been one of the youngest teams in the NFL.
That was done by design as the Rams had a cadre of extra draft choices from Washington, and Snead and Fisher took over an aging roster in desperate need of an influx of youth and talent. The plan has called for patience while those many young players grow up through playing experience.
Whatever patience that existed for the rebuilding project to take place has worn thin as the Rams again posted a losing record in 2014 and actually finished with one less victory (six) than each of the two seasons preceding it.
Fisher
But Fisher and Snead believe their team progressed in 2014 despite the record, and both have mentioned the importance of another year of experience for their young players. Which begs the question as we enter an important offseason of whether the Rams are now better positioned to add key veterans at certain positions?
It would appear the answer is yes.
"Not going back to the past but what you inherited and how you started, when you're so young, the old [Bill] Parcells thing, the groceries, they're going to come before the dinner," Snead said. "Groceries are individual players. The coaches have done a great job with young players kind of coming up, we'll list them as ingredients, and we're heading toward a good dinner.
"With that, yes. I'm not saying the answer is let's go take the veteran free agent. It could be the boring answer is our guys are becoming veterans, so I think that helps. In free agency you can only add so many pieces."
There are plenty of pieces the Rams need to add moving forward, namely on an offensive line that could have as many as three new starters in 2015. Right guard Davin Joseph and right tackle Joe Barksdale are scheduled for unrestricted free agency, and center Scott Wells has one year left on his deal but the Rams could use an upgrade in the middle. They also have needs at quarterback and for depth at various other spots.
That isn't to say the Rams should or will go out and spend big bucks on high-priced veterans in free agency. It's an exercise that hasn't really panned out well under Fisher and Snead. Big-dollar signings of cornerback Cortland Finnegan, Wells and Jake Long haven't paid much dividends.
But the Rams weren't very active in free agency last year and they've already made clear their feelings on the (lack of) depth of the 2015 draft by trading away a fourth- and a sixth-round pick for safety Mark Barron. With what they perceive as fewer glaring roster holes, the timing could be right to be more active players in free agency so long as those players are still ascending.
“Well, we’re going to look," Fisher said. "We’re going to look at free agency. I think we’ll be able to do that. We’ve done that each year. Everybody that’s been here that’s returned, has got another year of experience right now. Yeah, it would make sense to see if you get some, but you don’t want to go old either. You can’t go out and get somebody on the twilight of his career and expect to be productive.”
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/15428/rams-positioned-to-add-veteran-pieces
EARTH CITY, Mo. -- For each of the three seasons in which coach Jeff Fisher and general manager Les Snead have been in charge, the St. Louis Rams have been one of the youngest teams in the NFL.
That was done by design as the Rams had a cadre of extra draft choices from Washington, and Snead and Fisher took over an aging roster in desperate need of an influx of youth and talent. The plan has called for patience while those many young players grow up through playing experience.
Whatever patience that existed for the rebuilding project to take place has worn thin as the Rams again posted a losing record in 2014 and actually finished with one less victory (six) than each of the two seasons preceding it.
Fisher
But Fisher and Snead believe their team progressed in 2014 despite the record, and both have mentioned the importance of another year of experience for their young players. Which begs the question as we enter an important offseason of whether the Rams are now better positioned to add key veterans at certain positions?
It would appear the answer is yes.
"Not going back to the past but what you inherited and how you started, when you're so young, the old [Bill] Parcells thing, the groceries, they're going to come before the dinner," Snead said. "Groceries are individual players. The coaches have done a great job with young players kind of coming up, we'll list them as ingredients, and we're heading toward a good dinner.
"With that, yes. I'm not saying the answer is let's go take the veteran free agent. It could be the boring answer is our guys are becoming veterans, so I think that helps. In free agency you can only add so many pieces."
There are plenty of pieces the Rams need to add moving forward, namely on an offensive line that could have as many as three new starters in 2015. Right guard Davin Joseph and right tackle Joe Barksdale are scheduled for unrestricted free agency, and center Scott Wells has one year left on his deal but the Rams could use an upgrade in the middle. They also have needs at quarterback and for depth at various other spots.
That isn't to say the Rams should or will go out and spend big bucks on high-priced veterans in free agency. It's an exercise that hasn't really panned out well under Fisher and Snead. Big-dollar signings of cornerback Cortland Finnegan, Wells and Jake Long haven't paid much dividends.
But the Rams weren't very active in free agency last year and they've already made clear their feelings on the (lack of) depth of the 2015 draft by trading away a fourth- and a sixth-round pick for safety Mark Barron. With what they perceive as fewer glaring roster holes, the timing could be right to be more active players in free agency so long as those players are still ascending.
“Well, we’re going to look," Fisher said. "We’re going to look at free agency. I think we’ll be able to do that. We’ve done that each year. Everybody that’s been here that’s returned, has got another year of experience right now. Yeah, it would make sense to see if you get some, but you don’t want to go old either. You can’t go out and get somebody on the twilight of his career and expect to be productive.”