Recouping some picks

[FrantikRam]

Robert Woods is our best trade chip. I'd hate to see Robert go, but he's signed at a discount through 2021 and is expendable with Kupp, Cooks, Reynolds, and greater use of 12 personnel. However, I'm not sure I'd trade him. It's a tough call. I think we could get at least a third from a team like Oakland. Nobody is going to want to trade for Cooks' contract.

I agree he's our best trade chip, but after this year, IMO he's overtaken Kupp as our best WR.

I would only want to trade him for a plus starter on the OL - if teams aren't willing to make that deal, then I would keep him. But the hit we would take going from Woods to Reynolds more frequently would be offset by giving Goff better protection.

If given the option, exchanging a WR for an improved offensive line is common sense after seeing Goff this year - with the improvement of both Higbee and Everett, it's hard to think of a team with better weapons. The Chiefs have better high end talent, but our guys being in the next tier puts us right there with them. All of which means the offensive line is so much more important for our success.

 

[I like Rams]

It's all good brother. I should have stated I know jack shit about contracts, just going off of what I have seen done in the past with other players in the league.

 

[Kevin]

The Rams are 8-6. They will likely miss the playoffs but they do not need to start a rebuilding program by trading away veteran players in their prime for Day-3 draft picks and end up with millions in dead cap. Don’t panic.

 

[I like Rams]

Woods is our #1, I'd hate to see kupp or woods go especially with Cooks health and performance a question mark. Cooks just simply isn't reliable so I personally would not rely on him.

 

[Mojo Ram]

We''l be fine if McV can evolve the offense. We lost Saffold last year. We'll lose a guy or two this year but the roster will still be loaded. The numbers will line up.

 

[Jacobarch]

Woods is a good trade chip because he's relatively cheap. Teams don't trade decent compensation for bad contracts. I'm not trading Cooks for peanuts when it won't do anything for our cap situation next year. Cooks is not a good trade chip.

I just don't think we let go of our most consistent (best) WR.

 

[Mojo Ram]

Do we really want to trade away an asset like Woods?

No. Looks like a logical trade on paper but he's the heart & soul of the offense. You'll lose more than just production by moving Woods.

 

[jrry32]

I expect us to go with the first strategy. We traded picks in 2021 for Ramsey and Corbett. We're going to want to recoup some.

 

[Mackeyser]

The Rams are 8-6. They will likely miss the playoffs but they do not need to start a rebuilding program by trading away veteran players in their prime for Day-3 draft picks and end up with millions in dead cap. Don’t panic.

 

[JonRam99]

Sitting tight, getting low-cost F/A's and staying put at pick #50 overall (or so) means we don't upgrade our "stacked roster" much. However, the problem with that strategy is that we no longer have a "stacked roster". We have serious holes at C, WR1, ILB, and a 3-4 DE or NT who can command some attention & free up AD. I love our secondary, QBs, and RB1. We really need an RB2 as it's looking like Henderson is not that guy. Brock at NT might be the way to go, as he doesn't really command the attention that Suh got for us last year & plays well as a run-stuffer. I still think Gaines was a great pick but problem is we don't have a Suh or Watt opposite of AD. SJD is underperforming. Only Cory Littleton is getting work done at ILB -- but we still need a thumper next to him cuz we keep getting gashed up the middle over & over.

That said I think we've spent all our draft ammo on Cooks & Ramsey, and lots of F/A cap room on QB & WR1 & RB1 with good (but not great) return. I honestly think we're in trouble for 2020 unless somebody on our roster turns into a gem. Issue #1 is to address the hole / turnstile at C, so it's either pick #50 or we find a F/A somewhere, cuz NONE of our RB's are going to go anywhere until that's fixed. And that doesn't leave us a whole lot of capital left to address WR1, ILB, DE & RB2.

 

[JonRam99]

View attachment 32868

I agree Mac, we still look like a playoff team this year, but I think we're a marginal playoff team next year. We've got to have some urgency in team building if we want to be a SB contender.

 

[HX76]

I've read this thread with interest. I really hope Littleton, Kupp, Johnson, and Woods are all still with us next season. Not sure if that's possible, I'm no whizz with the figures like @flv. In fact I'm surprised BoJo hasn't called him up to be the new chancellor of the exchequer.

 

[Riverumbbq]

I too believe the first strategy will be the route the Rams take in 2020, although that doesn't mean we can't move some players in order to re-sign one of our own, or even pursue a B grade free agent or two as inexpensive depth.

While older bubble players like Weddle & Matthews could become CAP Casualties, trading away some other, younger bubble vets with larger salaries and at positions where some of the young guys are already breathing down their neck, like Havenstein, Robey-Coleman and/or Troy Hill among the few, increasing our potential number of draft picks can be done without sacrificing our opportunities for compensation picks in 2021.

2020 and 2021 acquisitions thru free agency are likely to keep a very close eye not only on players entering free agency following this season, but also towards maintaining enough CAP to pay for those ending contracts in 2021 of Ramsey, Kupp, JJ3 and Everett which are going to be pricey to re-sign.
As you and others have mentioned, the compensation received for lost free agents this year should bring some fairly high draft picks in 2021, ... Littleton, Fowler & Brockers could all have high value, long-term contracts with new teams in 2021, maybe even Bortles if he produces for some team as well as Brandon Allen did this season for Denver. I don't think the Rams or Demoff would want to blow this opportunity, especially when we may have a pretty strong stable of young players waiting in the wings. No, I believe the Rams will build thru the draft and continue getting younger in 2020, then perhaps we fine tune in 2021 for a deeper play-off run.
jmo.

 

[oldnotdead]

They can't afford Fowler , Littleton, and Kupp

They will have between $50-$60M in cap space once dead weight like Whitworth and Brockers and a few others are released. Littleton's extension would add about $12M. Just remember it's not about the top number, it's about the guaranteed $$$. Fowler is already getting $12M so extending him will probably add $3-$4M to his cap number. Kupp doesn't even factor in right now as he's signed through next year so his extension will be in 2021. His cap number will be about $19.5M but again that's nothing to worry about for a year.

I think there is way too much panic over nothing. People look at what Goff is going to make in 2020 and the increase is going to increase by $26M and they wonder where the money will come from. Well if you look at releasing just Whitworth and Brockers it pretty much recoups enough to cover Goff's increase. That's two guys who are on the downside of their careers now. They have over $8M in cap space now and half or less is all it would take to extend Fowler. Littleton's extension is probably going to be the biggest hit to the cap increase next year in terms of cap impact.

As good as Zuerlein is his age and his continuing injuries is probably a big concern right now. It wouldn't surprise me if they draft a kicker this year. IMO he's really only the real starter in question.

Money isn't the problem that most think it is. Looking at the roster and cap, I think they have enough money to extend all the key players and end up with about $4-$7M in cap space when the season starts next Sept.

I think people just need to calm down and realize that Snead and his FO team are pretty good at cap management. They didn't trade for Fowler and Ramsey without a long term plan to be able to afford them. That's why trading away 2 first round picks for Ramsey really isn't going to hurt in the long run.

Think of it this way. They have to carry Rob and his bloated contract one more year than he will be off the books clearing a net of about $6M off the books. In 2020 Jalen's contract increases to $13.7M which is one of the reasons the Jags wanted to unload him. But watch, the Rams will turn that into a signing bonus spreading it out over 5 years and reduce his overall cap amount to something they can afford, i.e. his 2021 contract will only increase his cap about $3-$4M over his $13.7M 2020 contract. Which is less than what they will gain in releasing Havenstein in 2021. It's all a big money shuffling game and so far the Rams have shown they are adept in doing these things.

Bottom line is don't panic. The guys in control have a plan and so far it's worked just fine.

 

[Riverumbbq]

They will have between $50-$60M in cap space once dead weight like Whitworth and Brockers and a few others are released. Littleton's extension would add about $12M. Just remember it's not about the top number, it's about the guaranteed $$$. Fowler is already getting $12M so extending him will probably add $3-$4M to his cap number. Kupp doesn't even factor in right now as he's signed through next year so his extension will be in 2021. His cap number will be about $19.5M but again that's nothing to worry about for a year.

I think there is way too much panic over nothing. People look at what Goff is going to make in 2020 and the increase is going to increase by $26M and they wonder where the money will come from. Well if you look at releasing just Whitworth and Brockers it pretty much recoups enough to cover Goff's increase. That's two guys who are on the downside of their careers now. They have over $8M in cap space now and half or less is all it would take to extend Fowler. Littleton's extension is probably going to be the biggest hit to the cap increase next year in terms of cap impact.

As good as Zuerlein is his age and his continuing injuries is probably a big concern right now. It wouldn't surprise me if they draft a kicker this year. IMO he's really only the real starter in question.

Money isn't the problem that most think it is. Looking at the roster and cap, I think they have enough money to extend all the key players and end up with about $4-$7M in cap space when the season starts next Sept.

I think people just need to calm down and realize that Snead and his FO team are pretty good at cap management. They didn't trade for Fowler and Ramsey without a long term plan to be able to afford them. That's why trading away 2 first round picks for Ramsey really isn't going to hurt in the long run.

Think of it this way. They have to carry Rob and his bloated contract one more year than he will be off the books clearing a net of about $6M off the books. In 2020 Jalen's contract increases to $13.7M which is one of the reasons the Jags wanted to unload him. But watch, the Rams will turn that into a signing bonus spreading it out over 5 years and reduce his overall cap amount to something they can afford, i.e. his 2021 contract will only increase his cap about $3-$4M over his $13.7M 2020 contract. Which is less than what they will gain in releasing Havenstein in 2021. It's all a big money shuffling game and so far the Rams have shown they are adept in doing these things.

Bottom line is don't panic. The guys in control have a plan and so far it's worked just fine.

Wait, what happened to the $68mil. you said we'd have just last Wednesday ?

Please learn how the CAP works before repeating this nonsense.

 

[Riverumbbq]

I don't quantify either Matthews or Weddle as 'minor' free agency picks, at least for this season, and them being starters. When I speak to 'B' level players, i'm referring to depth and guys who receive very limited snaps. The Rams should be fine next season without using free agency for overpriced vets, that's a reflection on my opinion of our young talent stepping up, much the way Evans & Edwards have. jmo.

 

[PhillyRam]

The Rams would get a better compensatory pick for him than they would in trade, and wouldn't have to tie up a $15+ million cap hold in the process. it's like a hypothetical Cooks trade. It could happen, but it doesn't actually make sense.

Chiefs and Seahawks did it. You have to work out the trade leading up to FA before you tag him.

And how would they get more as a comp pick? Best he gets you is a pick after round 3 is over..... Next year!

He at least gets you a high 3 or a 3 and a mid round pick AND you get the pick now, not in 2021.