Rams re-sign OL Williams

[BonifayRam]

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football/professional/ol-williams-re-signs-lb-smith-to-visit/article_d9696f7c-8541-56a8-9d07-074a1351614a.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football ... um=twitter</a>

Free agent guard/tackle Chris Williams, who spent the second half of the 2012 season with the Rams, has agreed to terms on a one-year deal to return to St. Louis.

Williams, 27, signed with the Rams last Oct. 22, the day the team left for London and its game with New England at Wembley Stadium. He appeared in three games for the Rams in a reserve role.

A former first-round pick by Chicago in 2008, Williams had visited Carolina earlier this offseason. At the least, he will provide depth at both the guard and tackle spots.


This is a very good Paul Boudreau signing great insurance for the future unknowns

 

[duckhunter]

Depending on your info and perspective, there are known knowns, unknown knowns, known unknowns, and unknown unknowns. I think we have some of all these concerning our OLine but it's filling in none the less.

 

[BonifayRam]

Well duck yes bunch of knowns & UNknowns that's true. OK lets do this....Barry Richardson vs Chris Williams ?

BR plays one position ORT. CW as a Bear played primary OLT some OLG and ORT. As a Ram about mid season he saw action @ ORT & later ORG. CW looked better @ OG. CW has better pass blocking skills and is more versatile than BR. BR is a better run blocking ORT.

Both BR & CW have about the same NFL experience but CW has more. BR & CW are the same size 6-6 320 pounder. Both are also the same age. BR has had less injuries than CW. BR's ceiling would appear to have peaked under Paul Boudreau [PB] BR is what he is going to be a decent run blocking ORT with pass blocking issues. Not a good fit with a passing pocket no scrambler like Sam Bradford

Typical of what we saw with BR & Wayne Hunter [WH] last yr PB has a NFL hobby he likes to tinker with OL'ers who have washed out with different teams haul them into his OL refurbishing shop and see if the body integrity and fabric can be reworked. WH came to his shop just as the season began but in a very short refurbishing job he took a real bad ORT & got WH into good enough shape to play & star-tin 6 games most @ OLT for the injured Saffold WH played his best pro ball in those games in the NFL.

Many wanted BR back as a stop gap fill @ ORT none really expected PB to seek out a washed out OLT again after last season. I posted here a month or so ago I believed that CW would return over BR due to PB hobby. PB did not have the mini & training camps & pre season to really start his refurbishing job on CW.

Those last two games where CW had some excellent blocks & was very aggressive in his play @ ORG. I was somewhat shocked how much better he played ORG than ORT. His pass-blocking from that right side really helped BR!

It may be PB & plan to hobby CW into the Rams "Swinger" role and back up plan should Saffold go rouge. CW would be a possible starter @ ORG if the Ram bankruptcy takes place .....back up plan if Demoff has to rob the the 8 million locked away in ORG Harvey Dahl bank contract 2013-2014. As already discussed CW could be also a leading candidate to start @ OLG if those youngins (Watkins-Smith & Washington) do not step up.

In conclusion CW is a much better pick up that BR possibilities are much higher. CW is our replacement for Robert Turner IMO he is a much better pass-blocker from the OG position than Turner was. he can be a swing OT that Turner could not and help fortify the really big issues @ OT if Saffold goes down that Turner could not. This should also help if OT Barksdale does what he has done since being drafted in 2011 under perform.

P.S. It also helps out with the NFL Draft where the very few ORT's prospects will be in very high demand & where over reaching is forecasted @ this time. In addition If the Rouge Saffold continues to sulk refuse instructions from his HC in Saffold's show of disappointment & resentment displayed in his current silence because he was moved from his warm & comfortable post to another post ...CW provides good options to Fisher & Snead during the draft.


OLT- Jake Long/ J.Barksdale/ Ty Nsekhe
OLG- S.Smith/B.Washington/R.Watkins
OC- S.Wells/T.Barnes
ORG- H.Dahl/C. Williams/R.Watkins
ORT-Saffold/C.Williams/J.Barksdale

 

[duckhunter]

Your CW analysis and comparison to BR makes sense. After the Saffold hullabaloo seems like Fish moved pretty quick here to shore up the swing position and interior in one swoop.

The draft offers very little at RT and Snisher knows it. There's a lot of media love for Fluker, but anyone watching the games would see two sacks from Q Smith from W Ken and two from Jarvis Jones. He struggled with LSU and A&M. He's country strong and country intelligent and country speed off the snap. I don't know much on M Watson but it would seem all a projection based off athletic ability. Personally at RT I don't get interested until the 5-7 range with E Cleary and R Wagner who are smart, tough SOBs but need work.

Besides Chance and Warford at guard, I really like that Thornton kid from Ill. Another tough smart SOB.

We may not see much more help here other than a PB project.

 

[nighttrain]

the offensive line possibilities look SO MUCH better going into the draft and season than last year, really wish we could resign Mikell reasonable , and the FA LB Daryl Smith that came in, that leaves only real need/want at Slot/WR. We still need more weapons for Sam, like Austin, a playmaker.
train