The Rams model - Genius or insanity?

[max]

I've been trying to come to a resolution on what was making me feel so uncomfortable about this trade. On one hand, I love the idea of having a shutdown corner. On the other hand, it felt strangely unnerving that we may have violated the "don't mortgage the future" rule in a way never before seen.

Up until now, up until the Ramsey trade, the Rams hadn’t done anything that out of the ordinary. They traded a bunch of high picks for a QB. Well, that’s not unusual. They added a bunch of high priced FAs while their QB was on a rookie contract. Well, that’s been the norm for a while now. But then, they paid their QB big money and all the big deals were supposed to stop. All the trading away of high picks was supposed to stop. They were supposed to conform to the norm that once you pay your QB big money, you needed to keep all your high picks so you could add cheap quality labor.

It’s been thought that you couldn’t be successful tying up all your salary cap in a handful of players and not have many quality players on cheap contracts. I’m not a cap expert, but I suspect once the Rams sign Ramsey to a big contract either this year or next, they will have more money tied up in fewer players than any other team. On top of that they will also have fewer quality players on rookie contracts than any other team, and no first round picks to help them abate that situation.

I don't believe this has never been done successfully in the cap era. No one has been this aggressive, some would say crazy, before. Is Snead crazy? Maybe. Is he gambling? Probably. Is he taking a big risk? Almost certainly.

The Rams are all in on Goff. There is no way out now after paying him and then stripping themselves of their next two first round picks. If Goff falls apart, the Rams will be a mess for at least 5 years. They put all their eggs in one basket and killed the goose.

They also have to figure out how they are going to support their handful of super salary players with quality players on cheap contracts without any first round picks, and no room to add any high price FAs.

Now, I’m not saying that it won’t work. What I’m saying is that Snead has some huge balls to try something this risky, something that has never been done before, and on the surface looks scary as hell.

 

[FrantikRam]

What have the Titans done with all the picks they got from us?

What did the Browns do with their first round picks for years?

Think the Jaguars would go back in time and trade firsts for established stars instead of drafting the guys that now play for us?

People have always overvalued first round picks.

 

[badnews]

Draft picks are much cheaper than a Jalen Ramsey.
Teams like the Bengals and Dolphins and the Rams of a few years ago are naturally going to try to convince their fans of the great value of a 1st rd draft pick and to sell that pick to their fans as a reason to believe next year will be better because "look who we drafted!"

The reality is draft picks ARE worth a lot more to teams who are always terrible - they are the cheapest way to buy hope and fan interest.

The NFL is evolving and paradigms are going to shift.

To me, the key is acquiring the best possible talent under 25 and signing them long term with heavy cash up front in the guarantee. Not every team can afford to do business like that but SK can and does.

In order to lock up the Donalds, Goffs and Ramsey, they have to have some understanding from the other parties so the payouts are offset and most importantly, you have to be able to develop role players and find quality castoffs and draft well.

Basically, if you can develop some mid round and later picks into quality players, you will be good and if you can't, no big signings are going to make you a contender.

 

[12intheBox]

Time will tell

 

[kurtfaulk]

What have the Titans done with all the picks they got from us?

What did the Browns do with their first round picks for years?

Think the Jaguars would go back in time and trade firsts for established stars instead of drafting the guys that now play for us?

People have always overvalued first round picks.

What did the rams do with their haul from the rg3 trade? Not much.

.

 

[SteezyEndo]

Do you mean Modus Operandi?.

I hope its finding a way to be competitive and start winning. We could be in for some 7-9 bs if we don’t turn it around.

 

[RamsFanCK]

I’ve been hearing on a few podcasts and shows that Snead may be plying a long game that includes the possibility that the cap goes up a few percentage points with the new CBA.

I also love that we are trading picks for players with a year or two left on their rookie contract, it gives us flexibility to “jump ship” if the player isn’t a good fit or just doesn’t deserve the contract. They can always trade a player away as well if they feel its best for the future of the team as lo g as they structure contracts in such a way that elevates dead money and becomes appealing to other teams later in the contract.

Im nervous too, but there are definitely positives

 

[oldnotdead]

All the Rams gave up was the equivalent of a #11 draft pick for Jalen. Are people saying he's not worth that? You can draft a CB at 10 but chances are you aren't getting an elite talent which Jalen is.

So what is really bothering people? Who cares about a couple of draft picks at the tail end of the first round when you can get an elite talent that will make your defense heads up better? Sorry I'm still shaking my head at all moaning over a couple of low end 1st round picks.

The guys projected not to be re-signed next year more than clears enough cap.

 

[VegasRam]

I've been trying to come to a resolution on what was making me feel so uncomfortable about this trade. On one hand, I love the idea of having a shutdown corner. On the other hand, it felt strangely unnerving that we may have violated the "don't mortgage the future" rule in a way never before seen.

Up until now, up until the Ramsey trade, the Rams hadn’t done anything that out of the ordinary. They traded a bunch of high picks for a QB. Well, that’s not unusual. They added a bunch of high priced FAs while their QB was on a rookie contract. Well, that’s been the norm for a while now. But then, they paid their QB big money and all the big deals were supposed to stop. All the trading away of high picks was supposed to stop. They were supposed to conform to the norm that once you pay your QB big money, you needed to keep all your high picks so you could add cheap quality labor.

It’s been thought that you couldn’t be successful tying up all your salary cap in a handful of players and not have many quality players on cheap contracts. I’m not a cap expert, but I suspect once the Rams sign Ramsey to a big contract either this year or next, they will have more money tied up in fewer players than any other team. On top of that they will also have fewer quality players on rookie contracts than any other team, and no first round picks to help them abate that situation.

I don't believe this has never been done successfully in the cap era. No one has been this aggressive, some would say crazy, before. Is Snead crazy? Maybe. Is he gambling? Probably. Is he taking a big risk? Almost certainly.

The Rams are all in on Goff. There is no way out now after paying him and then stripping themselves of their next two first round picks. If Goff falls apart, the Rams will be a mess for at least 5 years. They put all their eggs in one basket and killed the goose.

They also have to figure out how they are going to support their handful of super salary players with quality players on cheap contracts without any first round picks, and no room to add any high price FAs.

Now, I’m not saying that it won’t work. What I’m saying is that Snead has some huge balls to try something this risky, something that has never been done before, and on the surface looks scary as hell.

Your whole premise is bogus because you keep referring to these “invaluable”, “our future’s gone/mortgaged”, first round picks, which in reality, just aren’t.
Your other thousand words are based on a false premise.

 

[Soul Surfer]

A surefire proven player is worth more than two first-round draft picks.

You have removed the bust factor.

The trick is to re-sign that player and make the deal worth it.
Having a player for a year-and-a-half is NOT worth two first-round draft picks.

 

[PhillyRam]

The funny critique I keep hearing is that the Rams will go 5 yrs without a first round pick.

Yet, the Rams probably have more first round picks on their team than any other team. So its not like they are not adding first round talent.

Ramsey
Cooks
Goff
Fowler
Bortles
Gurley
Donald
Brockers

 

[Merlin]

Each trade is it's own deal Max. I don't want to grade this one with bias. I will admit that constantly moving early picks is unsustainable. But when will that happen? And with the cap increase are we pushing our luck? I think this is where Kevin Demoff is going to really earn his keep and I think he knows what he is doing.

But anyway. Snead missed on Peters, although it could be argued that a Super Bowl run was a success. When it happened I was good with it even though I did think he'd be a rental. But what I didn't realize is how undisciplined he was. In the end if he'd played the call enough he'd still be a Ram.

The key with Ramsey is lock him up. That's it. Get it done. After that I think this kid will settle down a bit and have full buy-in to this process the Rams have going. And IMO doing it now is the way to go. Don't let him look back after the season and have his agent whispering in his ear about trying the market, putting doubts in his head.

IF the Rams hit on Ramsey this is going to be a great trade for us on its own merits.

 

[“Turbo set!”]

My concern is not necessarily giving up the picks but how to pay all these star players.

 

[kurtfaulk]

The funny critique I keep hearing is that the Rams will go 5 yrs without a first round pick.

Yet, the Rams probably have more first round picks on their team than any other team. So its not like they are not adding first round talent.

Ramsey
Cooks
Goff
Fowler
Bortles
Gurley
Donald
Brockers

The players on your team locked up long term don't matter. Only future 1sts. They're all the rage.

.

 

[Steve808]

First round picks didn't help us much with Fisher in charge, although he did draft some talent.

But if McVay and Snead built a winning culture, we can attract good free agents who want to play for a contender. It looks like the Rams have a solid "core" of good players. But it will be essential to continue to reload the fringe players with good talent and diamonds in the rough.

Cooper Kupp and JJ were third round selections and they are solid starters so I'm optimistic that the Rams can right the ship for another run.

Does anyone know what injuries Talib and JJ have? Will they return in time for the playoffs?

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

I see both sides to the argument. Ramsey will be well worth it, if he gets signed long term. If not, or he ends up wanting traded from the Rams like he did the Jaguars, then his value drops and Snead lost on the trade. I doubt that happens though.

The only concern I have is putting all of their eggs in one basket. There are some glaring holes to fill now and in the future. OLine and Dline are concerns and while you might get lucky on a pick here or there, it's generally difficult to find real difference makers after the 50th pick in most drafts. Late first round picks or early seconds are good places to pick Offensive linemen. In most drafts very good Dlinemen are gone by the middle of round one. This last draft was an unusual exception regarding Dline.

I'd be more comfortable if I had more faith in Sneads drafting strategies. I've been a "best player available at a position of need" guy for a long time. When I see him trade back and amass fourth, fifth, and sixth round picks, while passing on players who I think are top quality and would fill holes, it drives me nuts. Passing on Wagner made me sick, and what for? Another pick in round 5 that was wasted on a project? We keep hearing about how good he is with late round picks and UDFA's. I don't see enough success to fill the gaping holes that are coming in the future. And with an expanding cap players will just want more money. So, that won't give them an edge in free agency.

 

[tempests]

Drafting well is still the best way to replenish talent and maintain a solid core of young players. Five straight years where the Rams don't or won't have a first round pick to use where every other team does. Don't see the advantage in that.

Downplay the importance of first round picks but it seems clear to me that the Rams mismanagement of the draft during the 2000s led to the GSOT rotting from within and finding impact players in the first round again (Quinn, Brockers, Donald, Gurley and Goff) is what led them end their long postseason drought. Yes, the Rams have first round picks currently on their roster but several (Fowler, Bortles, Brockers) figure to be gone soon and others(Cooks, Gurley) face an uncertain future with the team. They're going to need to be replaced.

 

[max]

The funny critique I keep hearing is that the Rams will go 5 yrs without a first round pick.

Yet, the Rams probably have more first round picks on their team than any other team. So its not like they are not adding first round talent.

Ramsey
Cooks
Goff
Fowler
Bortles
Gurley
Donald
Brockers

I appreciate your point, but the issue is we have all high paid first rounders. That’s quite different from first rounders on rookie contracts.

For example, The Niners right now have a terrific DL composed of first rounders on rookie contracts. That gives them the ability to add quality FAs a lot easier than we can.

The Rams have almost zero room for error with so much money tied up in a handful of players and no first round picks the next 2 years.

Can it work? It’s possible, but it’s never been done before in the cap era. And that’s my key point.

 

[Ramstien]

The Rams have almost zero room for error with so much money tied up in a handful of players and no first round picks the next 2 years.

Can it work? It’s possible, but it’s never been done before in the cap era. And that’s my key point.

In Sneed we trust!

 

[bubbaramfan]

Salery Cap? What Salery Cap?