Roster Cuts

[Ram Quixote]

What I don't get is why now? A week before the season and they release/trade guys that have been through mini and training camps.

W/ Salas, I understand. My emotion took over b/c he went to the freakin Patriots and they have a history of makin guys into stars. Anyway, I understood it since we were short on DTs and a jam @ WR. The dude from the Bills should be an alrite stop gap. Conrath's injury isn't serioius otherwise we would've heard about it by now.

But Murphy? For a 5th CB he wasn't a bad option. Finnegan, Jenkins, Fletcher, Johnson, Pointer. 3 rook. I really, really hope they stay healthy.

Fishers's history suggests he prefers to carry extra safeties at the expense of the corners.
2010: 4 CBs
2009: 5 CBs
2008: 5 CBs

I dont have a problem with 3 of the CBs being rookies. They will only get better with experience. While there maybe some growing pains we will be stacked at CB in future years. That experience will be invaluable.

Now I woulda kept Murphy over Daniels, but... I guess its a moot point now.

Hopefully Fletcher won't get cut now.

But again, w/ no Ojinaka and Big Mike..why now? I'm not liking this, the timing is really bad.

I don't think the timing matters so much. Any of the moves they make this weekend aren't going to have a lot of impact on Week 1, excepting maybe the DT Heard, by necessity.

Sad about Big Mike. I doubt Fisher's going to stay all year with 3 TEs. When Brockers recovers from his ankle, we might see a TE added.

 

[Angry Ram]

What I don't get is why now? A week before the season and they release/trade guys that have been through mini and training camps.

W/ Salas, I understand. My emotion took over b/c he went to the freakin Patriots and they have a history of makin guys into stars. Anyway, I understood it since we were short on DTs and a jam @ WR. The dude from the Bills should be an alrite stop gap. Conrath's injury isn't serioius otherwise we would've heard about it by now.

But Murphy? For a 5th CB he wasn't a bad option. Finnegan, Jenkins, Fletcher, Johnson, Pointer. 3 rook. I really, really hope they stay healthy.

Fishers's history suggests he prefers to carry extra safeties at the expense of the corners.
2010: 4 CBs
2009: 5 CBs
2008: 5 CBs

I dont have a problem with 3 of the CBs being rookies. They will only get better with experience. While there maybe some growing pains we will be stacked at CB in future years. That experience will be invaluable.

Now I woulda kept Murphy over Daniels, but... I guess its a moot point now.

Hopefully Fletcher won't get cut now.

But again, w/ no Ojinaka and Big Mike..why now? I'm not liking this, the timing is really bad.

I don't think the timing matters so much. Any of the moves they make this weekend aren't going to have a lot of impact on Week 1, excepting maybe the DT Heard, by necessity.

Sad about Big Mike. I doubt Fisher's going to stay all year with 3 TEs. When Brockers recovers from his ankle, we might see a TE added.

I think it matters a lot. Think about it here we have guys that went through camp, played all preseason games, made the 53 and are getting cut exactly 1 week before the season starts. It's not like these guys were UDFAs that were practice squad players. Early round picks and a 5th rounder that showed talent. Why get rid of Murphy/Big Mike/Ojinaka now? And in the case of Ojinaka, if he wasn't part of the "plan", why didn't Rok play more w/ the 1s? It's not that these guys were future superstars, it's that they provided depth and fought through a camp to get there and are now gettin cut.

 

[bluecoconuts]

Given Fisher's experience I trust he knows what he's here. In the long run it should hopefully pay off.

 

[Ram Quixote]

What I don't get is why now? A week before the season and they release/trade guys that have been through mini and training camps.

W/ Salas, I understand. My emotion took over b/c he went to the freakin Patriots and they have a history of makin guys into stars. Anyway, I understood it since we were short on DTs and a jam @ WR. The dude from the Bills should be an alrite stop gap. Conrath's injury isn't serioius otherwise we would've heard about it by now.

But Murphy? For a 5th CB he wasn't a bad option. Finnegan, Jenkins, Fletcher, Johnson, Pointer. 3 rook. I really, really hope they stay healthy.

Fishers's history suggests he prefers to carry extra safeties at the expense of the corners.
2010: 4 CBs
2009: 5 CBs
2008: 5 CBs

I dont have a problem with 3 of the CBs being rookies. They will only get better with experience. While there maybe some growing pains we will be stacked at CB in future years. That experience will be invaluable.

Now I woulda kept Murphy over Daniels, but... I guess its a moot point now.

Hopefully Fletcher won't get cut now.

But again, w/ no Ojinaka and Big Mike..why now? I'm not liking this, the timing is really bad.

I don't think the timing matters so much. Any of the moves they make this weekend aren't going to have a lot of impact on Week 1, excepting maybe the DT Heard, by necessity.

Sad about Big Mike. I doubt Fisher's going to stay all year with 3 TEs. When Brockers recovers from his ankle, we might see a TE added.

I think it matters a lot. Think about it here we have guys that went through camp, played all preseason games, made the 53 and are getting cut exactly 1 week before the season starts. It's not like these guys were UDFAs that were practice squad players. Early round picks and a 5th rounder that showed talent. Why get rid of Murphy/Big Mike/Ojinaka now? And in the case of Ojinaka, if he wasn't part of the "plan", why didn't Rok play more w/ the 1s? It's not that these guys were future superstars, it's that they provided depth and fought through a camp to get there and are now gettin cut.

I understand your point. The timing really matters to those who were cut, and those of us who felt invested in Murphy and Big Mike. But we've seen it before where a player we were hoping to make the cut survives to the first 53 only to lose out a day or 2 later.

Last year we were up in arms when the older OL backup Fraley survived the first cut downs (over Ojinaka), but he didn't survive the weekend.

What we're seeing here is what happens with every HC change. The new guy doesn't have the history and investment in draft picks by the previous HC, and because Murphy and Uh-oh had not really established themselves, they lost out to marginal, developmental players, which surprised me too.

 

[JdashSTL]

What we're seeing here is what happens with every HC change. The new guy doesn't have the history and investment in draft picks by the previous HC, and because Murphy and Uh-oh had not really established themselves, they lost out to marginal, developmental players, which surprised me too.

This.

 

[libertadrocks]

Hoomanawanui signed with the Redskins PS even though the Rams really wanted on their PS.

This is very telling IMO and probably one of the reasons he was cut. He obviously doesnt want to be here.

 

[bluecoconuts]

Hoomanawanui signed with the Redskins PS even though the Rams really wanted on their PS.

This is very telling IMO and probably one of the reasons he was cut. He obviously doesnt want to be here.

I thought he wasn't allowed to be signed to our PS because of the games we had him play? I'm not sure on PS eligibility though. I guess it changes if you go another team? Or maybe he just really didn't wanna be here.

 

[libertadrocks]

Hoomanawanui signed with the Redskins PS even though the Rams really wanted on their PS.

This is very telling IMO and probably one of the reasons he was cut. He obviously doesnt want to be here.

I thought he wasn't allowed to be signed to our PS because of the games we had him play? I'm not sure on PS eligibility though. I guess it changes if you go another team? Or maybe he just really didn't wanna be here.

I didnt think he was eligible for any PSs. However from what I read in JTs article he was eligible for the the Rams PS and everyone elses.

 

[DR RAM]

I read this thread, had my own ideas on how the cuts would go.

I'm not really surprised about any of the cuts. None of the cuts really bothered me, except one. Big Mike Hoomanawanui. I thought he was a fringe player based on the reps he was getting vs the other TE's, much like Salas' reps. Pettis may have had more opportunities to shine, but he did outplay Salas in the preseason.

Moose had a huge opportunity, but some reason, he missed at least one big assignment in every game. Other than that, the dude played OK, but if I was GM, and you all know I want to be one, I would not have kept him over Rok Watkins or Rob Turner. Moose's play at tackle, IMO, prompted the trade of Smith to the Jets for Hunter.

Regarding the secondary, and some of this will echo some points already made. Pointer played his way onto the roster. His last preseason game was nothing short of phenomenal. I would have kept Gordy over him, but Gordy had trade value, even if minimal trade value. I, like many here, kept waiting for J. Murphy to shock the world. But, Murphy always seemed a step late, I really didn't ever see him make a play. Too me, he was playing scared, just keeping his player in front of him, and not willing to jump into the mix.

I think that the safety position could change, and may be fluid. Mikell hasn't played well, Stewart hasn't been healthy, and Dahl shows flashes ay best. Because of what I just mentioned, I think that the FO had to keep McLeod, and was forced to keep Daniels. They can probably stash Daniels on the PS, if a better safety becomes available. A player better than Dahl, Stewart or Mikell. IMO, at least one of these players will not make it through week 8.

What this FO has done, and what I've seen so far, mesh pretty well. Moose was the only player given significant reps up until the end that was let go.

Any thoughts?

 

[brokeu91]

I read this thread, had my own ideas on how the cuts would go.

I'm not really surprised about any of the cuts. None of the cuts really bothered me, except one. Big Mike Hoomanawanui. I thought he was a fringe player based on the reps he was getting vs the other TE's, much like Salas' reps. Pettis may have had more opportunities to shine, but he did outplay Salas in the preseason.

Moose had a huge opportunity, but some reason, he missed at least one big assignment in every game. Other than that, the dude played OK, but if I was GM, and you all know I want to be one, I would not have kept him over Rok Watkins or Rob Turner. Moose's play at tackle, IMO, prompted the trade of Smith to the Jets for Hunter.

Regarding the secondary, and some of this will echo some points already made. Pointer played his way onto the roster. His last preseason game was nothing short of phenomenal. I would have kept Gordy over him, but Gordy had trade value, even if minimal trade value. I, like many here, kept waiting for J. Murphy to shock the world. But, Murphy always seemed a step late, I really didn't ever see him make a play. Too me, he was playing scared, just keeping his player in front of him, and not willing to jump into the mix.

I think that the safety position could change, and may be fluid. Mikell hasn't played well, Stewart hasn't been healthy, and Dahl shows flashes ay best. Because of what I just mentioned, I think that the FO had to keep McLeod, and was forced to keep Daniels. They can probably stash Daniels on the PS, if a better safety becomes available. A player better than Dahl, Stewart or Mikell. IMO, at least one of these players will not make it through week 8.

What this FO has done, and what I've seen so far, mesh pretty well. Moose was the only player given significant reps up until the end that was let go.

Any thoughts?

I agree with most of those points.

I am concerned about the safety position. Mikell didn't play well at all. I'm hoping it's because of scheming (or lack thereof) in the preseason since he did play fairly well last year. The middle of the field/any TE or WR going up the seam was wide open the entire preseason. I'm blaming the safeties here, but I'm not sure who really is to blame. I think because of how poorly Dahl and Mikell played we had to keep another safety. If Mikell doesn't turn it around, I'd be surprised if he isn't cut over the offseason.

I also was surprised by Ojinnaka being cut, specifically because he played with the ones the entire preseason. I didn't think he played particularly well in any of those games and Rok flashed more potential, but he was fairly versatile. I'm worried about the O-line. Some of their players have injury histories, we have very little depth and they haven't played next to each other before. I remember Snead talking about how he wants to improve "a unit" into a strength each season, well next season might need to be the O-line.

I'll echo your sentiments about the DB situation. I thought Gordy played well in the preseason and deserved to be on the roster. Pointer also played well, but not as well as Gordy. But Gordy has trade value and Pointer doesn't. Hopefully, Pointer will be able to develop during the season. The top four CBs: Finnegan, Jenkins, Fletcher, and Trumain Johnson are all fairly good/looked good in the preseason. Let's see what happens with the games start to count though

I think Illinois Mike is a good player if he can stay healthy. I wished he was able to do so with the Rams, because he's a versatile TE: can catch the ball, block fairly well. I'm surprised that he is PS eligible. Maybe if the Rams have an injury they'll try to sign him of the Redskins practice squad. Salas I'm surprised about as well. He looked like he was really coming on last year before his injury. Maybe he's more of a system guy and he'll do better in NE under McDaniels. He looked a step slower this year. Pettis looked like a different receiver this year (at least during the preseason games). He was running smooth routes, he was faster than he had been the entire previous season, and continued to show good hands. I also think he got better from the beginning of the preseason to the end. I think he did earn the spot over Salas.

 

[JdashSTL]

So who is the 2nd best TE we have now?

 

[libertadrocks]

So who is the 2nd best TE we have now?

Depends on what that TE will be asked to do.

Block=Mulligan
Catch=McNeil