Rams UFA Re-signing Priority List (Top 10)

[Merlin]

Snead/McVay originally intended to deploy all 3 of Kupp, Woods, and OBJ when OBJ was first signed, then the Woods injury forced them to alter their plans.

My point is that I think the Rams would LOVE to have all 3 as weapons for ‘22 and I think they signed OBJ with the intention of extending him for this year.

It’s a very bold strategy but, then again, both Snead and McVay are very bold thinkers. I predict that all 3 will be torturing opposing teams all year and Stafford will think he died and went to heaven!

If Snead can maintain a good OL this offseason then I think this O in ;22 will be virtually unstoppable.

I agree the OL is the key here. But I see Odell & Woody as two distinctly different pieces.

With Woody the issue is the contract that he just had to have. That contract is going to end up showing him the door, and I know that because he's not going to be able to hold his spot on this roster while making upwards of $19M by the end of that thing four years from now. In fact the $15M cap hit he has this year has to be considered vs needs at other positions like LT and blindside edge to retain Von. So he's living on borrowed time IMO. I love the guy. His flexibility is great but it's not enough to carry him vs better use of cap that will equate into more wins than a second or third well paid WR.

Odell is about what he does to our offense. He changes its potency in the redzone and on critical downs with his ability to pull that ball in on fades and sidelines. And we still haven't seen him and Stafford on the same page on the deep ball yet. So the two parties will find a way.

Again re: Woody it's a matter of time. Not sure when that move will be made but it's coming. Had Odell not been hurt he gets signed and Woody gets moved. The injury changes all that though. Now they will probably make both fit this year then move on next offseason.

 

[Allen2McVay]

Odell is about what he does to our offense. He changes its potency in the redzone and on critical downs with his ability to pull that ball in on fades and sidelines. And we still haven't seen him and Stafford on the same page on the deep ball yet. So the two parties will find a way.

One of the disappointing aspects of Beckham's injury is that it will significantly limit (perhaps entirely prevent) him from working with Stafford in the off-season and training camp. Assuming he re-signs.

 

[Rams43]

Some Rams offseason decisions seem more obvious than others.

OL decision options are all over the board, but here’s what I hang my hat on. Coach Carberry. I’ve become a big fan. So I’m saying that I trust Carberry to correctly weigh all options and come up with the best decisions on Boom, Allen, and Corbett. Snead and Demoff are gonna be all over the cap implications, as well.

The rather obvious decisions? Here are mine.

Extend Miller. Reasons should be obvious.

Extend OBJ on an incentive laden contract. He’s uncoverable when paired with Kupp.

Let Michel walk with a big THANK YOU. Draft a RB somewhere on Day 3.

CB should be among Rams early picks. I’m optimistic about Rochell but more depth is highly desirable.

‘DW is a goner.

Extend Matt Gay. Duh…

After the above it gets a little more fuzzy, though, but I’ll stick my neck out a little bit, anyway.

I’m expecting a Boom extension.

I expect one of Allen or Corbett to be extended. I’m a big fan of continuity.

Another ILB will be drafted unless this was addressed with a 2nd tier FA signing.

A Safety that they like will be drafted on Day 3. Maybe sooner than we expect.

Don’t be stunned if a punter is drafted late. Hekker is not a lock to make this ‘22 roster.

 

[Rams43]

I agree the OL is the key here. But I see Odell & Woody as two distinctly different pieces.

With Woody the issue is the contract that he just had to have. That contract is going to end up showing him the door, and I know that because he's not going to be able to hold his spot on this roster while making upwards of $19M by the end of that thing four years from now. In fact the $15M cap hit he has this year has to be considered vs needs at other positions like LT and blindside edge to retain Von. So he's living on borrowed time IMO. I love the guy. His flexibility is great but it's not enough to carry him vs better use of cap that will equate into more wins than a second or third well paid WR.

Odell is about what he does to our offense. He changes its potency in the redzone and on critical downs with his ability to pull that ball in on fades and sidelines. And we still haven't seen him and Stafford on the same page on the deep ball yet. So the two parties will find a way.

Again re: Woody it's a matter of time. Not sure when that move will be made but it's coming. Had Odell not been hurt he gets signed and Woody gets moved. The injury changes all that though. Now they will probably make both fit this year then move on next offseason.

We actually see Woods pretty much the same, Merlin.

We both really like him.

And we both see him leaving soon because of that contract.

But we both are seeing him as a Ram this year. And with OBJ only joining late it’s certain that Woods will be getting a very heavy workload.

 

[Merlin]

Some Rams offseason decisions seem more obvious than others.

OL decision options are all over the board, but here’s what I hang my hat on. Coach Carberry. I’ve become a big fan. So I’m saying that I trust Carberry to correctly weigh all options and come up with the best decisions on Boom, Allen, and Corbett. Snead and Demoff are gonna be all over the cap implications, as well.

The rather obvious decisions? Here are mine.

Extend Miller. Reasons should be obvious.

Extend OBJ on an incentive laden contract. He’s uncoverable when paired with Kupp.

Let Michel walk with a big THANK YOU. Draft a RB somewhere on Day 3.

CB should be among Rams early picks. I’m optimistic about Rochell but more depth is highly desirable.

‘DW is a goner.

Extend Matt Gay. Duh…

After the above it gets a little more fuzzy, though, but I’ll stick my neck out a little bit, anyway.

I’m expecting a Boom extension.

I expect one of Allen or Corbett to be extended. I’m a big fan of continuity.

Another ILB will be drafted unless this was addressed with a 2nd tier FA signing.

A Safety that they like will be drafted on Day 3. Maybe sooner than we expect.

Don’t be stunned if a punter is drafted late. Hekker is not a lock to make this ‘22 roster.

If you have such high faith in Carberry I'm curious why you think we need to overpay to keep one of two mediocre interior OL. Rams have been dedicated to drafting/developing the OL. They have multiple depth options they drafted in previous years who have done some good things in limited snaps.

Boom being retained makes sense. I don't know that they'll do that, but either way LT is extremely hard to find. But those other two? Meh.

 

[Kupped]

If you have such high faith in Carberry I'm curious why you think we need to overpay to keep one of two mediocre interior OL. Rams have been dedicated to drafting/developing the OL. They have multiple depth options they drafted in previous years who have done some good things in limited snaps.

Boom being retained makes sense. I don't know that they'll do that, but either way LT is extremely hard to find. But those other two? Meh.

You weren't asking me, but I would say it makes sense to keep one of the two because you're already losing some continuity. I just don't love the idea of three new starters on the OL... but that just may be conservative hand-wringing.

If it was me, that third round pick would either be OL or a corner. If you let Williams walk, as most of us think the Rams will, than you may pay one of them if there's good value.. just for stability. Ideally, I think it would be Allen.

 

[Rams43]

If you have such high faith in Carberry I'm curious why you think we need to overpay to keep one of two mediocre interior OL. Rams have been dedicated to drafting/developing the OL. They have multiple depth options they drafted in previous years who have done some good things in limited snaps.

Boom being retained makes sense. I don't know that they'll do that, but either way LT is extremely hard to find. But those other two? Meh.

Like I said, I just place a high level of confidence in Carberry’s ability to make the best decision.

Could be that Carberry favors bailing on both Allen and Corbett. Could be that he favors keeping one, or both.

Hard for me not to respect the job Carberry did last year. Let’s see what decisions he makes and the directions he goes in his second year. Fair enough?

 

[Merlin]

You weren't asking me, but I would say it makes sense to keep one of the two because you're already losing some continuity. I just don't love the idea of three new starters on the OL... but that just may be conservative hand-wringing.

If it was me, that third round pick would either be OL or a corner. If you let Williams walk, as most of us think the Rams will, than you may pay one of them if there's good value.. just for stability. Ideally, I think it would be Allen.

I think the Rams have continuity at Center with Shelton. They know him. They've been practicing together for years. He's started and played well with them. So it makes zero sense to pay Allen. He's not some special player who you would pay under this model. If he was a lot better, then yeah, pay him. But he's not. He's very average, with some physicality weaknesses, and the Rams should be trying to get better at running the ball. So no brainer there IMO and I will be very surprised if they pay him. Let him go, start Shelton, and draft a backup midrounds.

Corbs is a guard and the dropoff from him to one of the other options on the depth chart shouldn't be a problem. It would be great to keep him sure. But is it wise with FA dollars.

I feel like the Rams have probably told both they're gonna hit the market free and clear. Boom's the question IMO.

 

[BonifayRam]

Like I said, I just place a high level of confidence in Carberry’s ability to make the best decision.

Could be that Carberry favors bailing on both Allen and Corbett. Could be that he favors keeping one, or both.

Hard for me not to respect the job Carberry did last year. Let’s see what decisions he makes and the directions he goes in his second year. Fair enough?

Does any of us here in ROD see there is a very big difference in the Rams OL situation when Carberry came in as his first season in the NFL as an OL coach in 2021 than what it will look like in his 2nd season? Would it be fair to state that last season the Rams OL was in an outstanding position entering the 2021 SB championship crusade?

How many open OL positions were there this time last year? My calculation would be just one .....replacing the starting Center Austin Blythe?

This time last year the same 3 top OT's the same 4 top interior OG's were in place when Carberry arrived so four starting OL posts were set. In addition, Carberry had 2 young groomed OC's in waiting with Allen & Shelton.

Presently Carberry might be tasked with replacing five 2021 Ram Ol'ers involved in Free Agency & Retirement:
#1- 16 yr starting HOF all pro LT. (Whitworth)
#2- 3 season starting OG. (Corbett)
#3- Starting Center. (Allen)
#4- 4 season veteran swing OT. (Noteboom)
#5- 2 season reserve center. (Shelton)

Demoff/Snead will need to provide some serious help to Coach Carberry this off-season. Much different from their previous several off-seasons.

 

[BonifayRam]

Von Miller’s 3 most-likely free agent destinations​

Even at 33, Von Miller will be a popular free agent target in 2022 and there’s one “surprise team” that makes a lot of sense

Von Miller’s 3 most-likely free agent destinations

Even at 33, Von Miller will be a popular free agent target in 2022 and there’s one "surprise team" that makes a lot of sense

www.turfshowtimes.com

 

[Kupped]

I think the Rams have continuity at Center with Shelton. They know him. They've been practicing together for years. He's started and played well with them. So it makes zero sense to pay Allen. He's not some special player who you would pay under this model. If he was a lot better, then yeah, pay him. But he's not. He's very average, with some physicality weaknesses, and the Rams should be trying to get better at running the ball. So no brainer there IMO and I will be very surprised if they pay him. Let him go, start Shelton, and draft a backup midrounds.

Corbs is a guard and the dropoff from him to one of the other options on the depth chart shouldn't be a problem. It would be great to keep him sure. But is it wise with FA dollars.

I feel like the Rams have probably told both they're gonna hit the market free and clear. Boom's the question IMO.

Lemme give you a scenario and see what you think..
What if someone makes a silly offer to Noteboom?
You pointed out that Edwards was the true #3 LT for the Rams.. in that scenario, would it make sense to try and keep Corbett and Allen?

I'll admit, as I type this out, I am reminding myself that the Rams WILL PAY for LT, CB, WR, Pass rushers and QB.

The way you're looking at it definitely reflects how the Rams have approached things, and I think that's very important.

 

[FrantikRam]

No worries as I don't take anything personal unless someone personally attacks me if that makes sense lol......but I disagree with you there on Humphrey. Sounds like he didn't have a terrible game and he was also rated better than Allen but most centers this season.....
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The reason to be upset at this point (and trust me, its more on the marginal side now thanks to winning a SB) is that we missed on a great center vs nothing we got in return for a tiny WR plus he would have been much cheaper thanks to his rookie contract. This would have allowed us more cap room to work with in regards to the oline. With all this said, I do understand there isn't anything that can be done to change that and just look at it as a great opportunity missed which every team has (hello Aaron Donald lol....oh and he's no Aaron Donald, just using a missed player example). I trust McSnead has a plan and hey, I'm good with our SB champion front office making those decisions hahaha

The dangerous thing here is writing Atwell off.

One good year means nothing in the NFL. One bad year means nothing in the NFL.

And while they're not perfect, the FO has definitely earned to at least not be criticized over a pick until two-three years in.

Brian Allen looked like a wasted pick, but they had a vision and plan and it may not have been until year 4, but he was the starting C on one of the best OLs in the NFL that won the Super Bowl. For all we know right now, the vision for Atwell comes true in year 3 or 4 and the pick ends up looking great.

 

[Merlin]

Lemme give you a scenario and see what you think..
What if someone makes a silly offer to Noteboom?
You pointed out that Edwards was the true #3 LT for the Rams.. in that scenario, would it make sense to try and keep Corbett and Allen?

I'll admit, as I type this out, I am reminding myself that the Rams WILL PAY for LT, CB, WR, Pass rushers and QB.

The way you're looking at it definitely reflects how the Rams have approached things, and I think that's very important.

For the record I pointed out he may be in the mix, using the start as example. So it feels like the Rams may have a plan that doesn't include Boom. And really that was in response to the thought process that he was an automatic signing.

So what you suggest may happen. But for me Corbs and Allen are not part of this equation at all. We have an in-house replacement ready for Allen and probably for Corbs.

Boom by himself... IF he gets a big offer I think he's gone. And then I presume they either pay someone to come in, if they like the overall addition vs cost, or they fill it in-house as well. Really the OL we could potentially field without any of them looks good to me. Here's what I had in the other thread after the OL outlook and IF they like Jackson and feel he's good enough and/or that they have someone else like Edwards or even Whit as a fallback, well, then we could end up stronger than had we paid Boom.

Depth Chart (No FAs retained):

LT: A Jackson
LG: Edwards
C: Shelton / DRAFT
RG: Evans / Anchrum
RT: Havenstein / DRAFT

But what I like better would be...

Depth Chart (No FAs retained one added):

LT: A Jackson
LG: Scherff
C: Shelton / DRAFT
RG: Edwards
RT: Havenstein / DRAFT

We'd have to draft a backup competitor for Drake at center. And another OT for the pipeline.

 

[Kupped]

For the record I pointed out he may be in the mix, using the start as example. So it feels like the Rams may have a plan that doesn't include Boom. And really that was in response to the thought process that he was an automatic signing.

So what you suggest may happen. But for me Corbs and Allen are not part of this equation at all. We have an in-house replacement ready for Allen and probably for Corbs.

Boom by himself... IF he gets a big offer I think he's gone. And then I presume they either pay someone to come in, if they like the overall addition vs cost, or they fill it in-house as well. Really the OL we could potentially field without any of them looks good to me. Here's what I had in the other thread after the OL outlook and IF they like Jackson and feel he's good enough and/or that they have someone else like Edwards or even Whit as a fallback, well, then we could end up stronger than had we paid Boom.

Depth Chart (No FAs retained):

LT: A Jackson
LG: Edwards
C: Shelton / DRAFT
RG: Evans / Anchrum
RT: Havenstein / DRAFT

But what I like better would be...

Depth Chart (No FAs retained one added):

LT: A Jackson
LG: Scherff
C: Shelton / DRAFT
RG: Edwards
RT: Havenstein / DRAFT

We'd have to draft a backup competitor for Drake at center. And another OT for the pipeline.

Oh, boy... I'm just not with you on Alaric Jackson after re-watching. I think he's at least a year away. Maybe I'm off.

 

[AvengerRam]

Shelton is a free agent (RFA).

 

[Merlin]

Oh, boy... I'm just not with you on Alaric Jackson after re-watching. I think he's at least a year away. Maybe I'm off.

Well my point is there's more than one option. Could be Edwards there if that's who they like. I don't know. Wouldn't surprise me if they sign Boom either, as I have said I don't know just throwing out options.

I do have concerns with Boom but I'm perfectly fine with him being paid. Whereas the other two, if that happens, I'll be surprised basically.

 

[El Chapo Jr]

The dangerous thing here is writing Atwell off.

One good year means nothing in the NFL. One bad year means nothing in the NFL.

And while they're not perfect, the FO has definitely earned to at least not be criticized over a pick until two-three years in.

Brian Allen looked like a wasted pick, but they had a vision and plan and it may not have been until year 4, but he was the starting C on one of the best OLs in the NFL that won the Super Bowl. For all we know right now, the vision for Atwell comes true in year 3 or 4 and the pick ends up looking great.

Sorry, I just don't see Atwell as dangerous to write off. He showed absolutely nothing in his rookie year to warrant more playing time over any of our other starting WRs. All I saw was a very small statured, fast WR that braced himself for every hit from bigger, just as fast defenders. He seemed like a knockout waiting to happen because the eye test showed that he could barely seem to take a hit. I honestly believe his hold up is he's just built way too small. I hope he proves me wrong but I highly believe he won't.

 

[FrantikRam]

Sorry, I just don't see Atwell as dangerous to write off. He showed absolutely nothing in his rookie year to warrant more playing time over any of our other starting WRs. All I saw was a very small statured, fast WR that braced himself for every hit from bigger, just as fast defenders. He seemed like a knockout waiting to happen because the eye test showed that he could barely seem to take a hit. I honestly believe his hold up is he's just built way too small. I hope he proves me wrong but I highly believe he won't.

I saw enough "meh" from Van that I absolutely expect Atwell to take some of his reps in that deep threat role.

McVay has given significant playing time to one rookie in his tenure with the Rams - Kupp. His rookie year was always just going to be about learning to be an NFL player and learning the offense.

The draft is for the future. No rookies should be expected to contribute much on a contending team. Our model has shown that most rookies get red shirted or see reduced playing time.

The hilarity in it all is that Humphrey likely sits the bench all year, so nobody knows what we have in him, and there's a faction of fans upset with him not beating out Brian Allen.

The reality is people swore up and down that it was a bad pick and that the Rams should have drafted offensive linemen, and will just hold onto that until the end of time because they don't want to be wrong.

 

[El Chapo Jr]

I saw enough "meh" from Van that I absolutely expect Atwell to take some of his reps in that deep threat role.

McVay has given significant playing time to one rookie in his tenure with the Rams - Kupp. His rookie year was always just going to be about learning to be an NFL player and learning the offense.

The draft is for the future. No rookies should be expected to contribute much on a contending team. Our model has shown that most rookies get red shirted or see reduced playing time.

The hilarity in it all is that Humphrey likely sits the bench all year, so nobody knows what we have in him, and there's a faction of fans upset with him not beating out Brian Allen.

The reality is people swore up and down that it was a bad pick and that the Rams should have drafted offensive linemen, and will just hold onto that until the end of time because they don't want to be wrong.

Yeah, Jefferson didn't blow the doors off at all but he showed way more that Atwell in his rookie season. How Humphrey would have worked is anyone's guess because it's also possible he would have showed his ass off in camp and flat out won the center position as well so we can't assume he'd sit the bench year one. If a player is good, it'll show a la our safety Fuller and they'll get playing time. It's not like all our centers were known as all pros to begin the season. I'm honestly not happy if I ultimately end up being right because it means we missed out on a good to great player that would have helped make some of these CAP decisions easier. I fully understand that every team misses on picks so it simply is what it is at this point. Trust me when I say, I'd truly love Atwell to prove me wrong but I'm not holding my breath at all. The Rams will survive and are swift at moving on if something isn't working.

 

[Merlin]

I wasn't too worried about him until McVay made that comment. And the comment isn't bad of itself, but rather it is bad because McVay never makes negative comments in the press. He is dutiful in talking all these guys up.