The “Who’ll be back in 2022” Poll (Version 1.0)

[iamme33]

should havenstien be on this pole to

 

[AvengerRam]

should havenstien be on this pole to

I don't think so. He's not set to be a free agent, and he's certainly not going to retire. And, unlike Johnny Hekker, who has a dead cap number of $2.1M and could be replaced with a Day 3 selection/undrafted FA, Havenstein would has a $4.6M dead cap number for 2022 and would be much tougher to replace.

That's not to say that the Rams won't surprise me and let him go. They've certainly surprised me before. But, right now, I don't see the logic in letting a 30 year old (he'll turn 30 this offseason) quality starting RT who is making less than $10M per year go, particularly when two starting OL (Allen, Corbett) will be UFAs, another will likely retire (Whitworth), and his backup (Noteboom) is set to be a UFA as well.

 

[fanotodd]

I’m a fan of continuity, changing too much in one year leads to chaos.

Indeed. See this year’s defense—including the DC.

 

[CGI_Ram]

Same but I swapped Corbett with Allen. I think Center is harder to replace.

I wrestled with that. My thinking is Allen might be good (and my opinion could go up or down with so many games left to play)… but, they were open to Corbin at C to start the off-season… And Corbin has been a tank for a couple of years at G…. Therefore…

I think his versatility, Shelton’s potential (why not… Allen emerged) and the ability to grab a top center where we are drafting anyway… makes keeping Corbin the priority.

 

[snackdaddy]

Noteboom has been a backup the whole 4 years. He shouldn't cost much to bring back. And he does seem better suited for tackle than guard.

I think they'll bring back Corbett. They need as much continuity on the line as they can get.

They should do what they can to bring back Miller. They gave up some picks for him. Don't want to make that for a half year rental.

OBJ would be nice but he'd be the proverbial luxury we can't afford. I imagine someone will offer him more money that we can pay. Even though he hasn't been as good the past couple years. The potential is high he can be good again with the right team.

I don't know if Big Whit will retire or not. If he does retire they would need to keep Noteboom.

Darius Williams has not had the kind of year he had last year. He might not be as expensive as we thought.

SJD is a solid player. He's played pretty well for a late round pick. I hope they re-sign him. But if some team want to be pay him like a legit high end starter we might not be able to.

I have no idea why Hekker's play has declined the past couple years. He'll be 32 next season. I wouldn't think a punter's skills would decline at that age. I think its possible this is his last year as a Ram.

Allen and Michel are nothing more than JAGS. I think they need to upgrade the center position. With Akers returning and Henderson I don't see the need for Michel.

 

[fanotodd]

If Whit comes back (and he just might), Noteboom is gone. There are 2 Tackles in the bullpen right now with Jackson and Anchrum. Why spend FA $$ for a backup?

Hekker: Rams traded the wrong punter. He will have to outkick his competition in camp next year.

Allen: He goes back and forth. Dunno if it’s a learning process or he just isn’t a full-time starter. Either way, it makes re-signing Corbett necessary. Corbett can play all over the interior.

Michel: He’ll make it to camp, at least. If the cost isn’t high, why wouldn’t you want to keep him with Akers and Henderson? The RB position would be set.

SJD: This is really the big one. With the emergence of Gaines, the Rams might let him walk, but I know I’D try to keep him. The $$ might be there. Just haven’t seen enough outta his potential replacements.

Miller: Not seeing it. Dumb trade, at this point. Hollins is set to be back next week.

OB Gyn: Would he be able to accept a role as a #3 or 4 WR? I’m not bailing on Woods just yet and anybody that is should be ashamed of themselves—he’s one of the more significant “heartbeat” players on this team. McVay went after him immediately upon hire.

DW: Tough one to figure. The secondary is not playing well and that leaves little room for re-signing players who are struggling. It’s now a position in rebuild. The Rams have been throwing everyone back there, looking for the right combo.

 

[Memento]

Voted OBJ, Corbett, and Noteboom.

SJD, as much as I wish he'd stay, will likely get a huge payday elsewhere and garner us a high comp pick. Whitworth will retire after we win the Super Bowl this year. Michel is a stopgap. Williams, while his play hasn't been good, will likely earn a good comp pick. As for Allen, re-signing Corbett and OBJ squeezes him out. Miller was a good trade, but I doubt we re-sign him. And as much as I love Hekker, I don't know what to think about special teams. I don't know if it's the punt coverage, but he's gotta cost a lot of money.

I also think that we end up trading Woods. With a younger receiver in OBJ, Woods is kind of redundant, and I honestly think that even with his injury, he could get at least a second.

 

[Kupped]

Gaines emergence would seem to solidify that we won’t see both SJD & Robinson on the Rams next year… depending on how they feel about Brown and a possibly emerging Copeland, we may not see either.

Do you even have Long and Burgess on the roster if they can’t get on the field this year?

It looks like the Rams can open up a ton of money next year with restructuring and the Stafford contract extension. Not enough to keep everyone, but a lot.

Biggest question, to me, is left tackle.
After that? I think you’re almost forced to re-sign Miller because of what you spent & because you get very limited comp back, if any, if he moves on.

From there, you probably look to Corbett, then Darious Williams. I really wonder what his market is after this season. I wouldn’t overpay.. his size brings some limitations and you invested in Rochell. I think I’d look for a safety & slot bargain.. someone in Hill’s pay range, rather than go high.

Michel would be nice to keep around.

You have to pay Gay.

Allen is a maybe, dirt cheap only.

They can probably play enough games with the cap to make another run with a mostly intact roster.

The biggest needs, other than LT, would be IOL & defensive backfield, to me.

Who knew choosing DJax over Hill could have so much impact?

 

[Rams43]

My votes:

Whitworth: no (retire).
Hekker: no (we'll go with a cheaper option).
Allen: yes (cost effective option/won't need to break the bank).
Corbett: yes (same as Allen).
Michel: no (Akers returns).
Miller: yes (I think he'll want to stay and will work with us).
OBJ: a somewhat hesitant yes but, with Woods' injury, I think we find a way.
SJD: yes (an affordable quality player).
Noteboom: Yes (Whit's replacement)
DWill: No at this point. He'll need a strong finish to change my mind.

‘Nice thread topic.

‘As of December 9 I’m largely in agreement with your takes, Avenger.

Here are my only disagreements and some are very slight, at that.

Von Miller hasn’t earned it, frankly. Best to write off the picks and Miller. Not like our cupboard is exactly bare at edge anymore.

I think OBJ is a goner. Woods, Kupp, and the emerging Jefferson is a helluva threesome. Intrigued by the Harris kid, too.

SJD seems iffy to me, especially now that Gaines is blowing things up.

like I said, I think you nailed the other guys.

 

[Merlin]

should havenstien be on this pole to

Havenstein on a pole would not be good.

 

[1maGoh]

I don't think that's an option. Rams have money coming off the books. So they are going to have a FA heavy offseason with middle of the road types to supplement the roster holes and maybe one big money type at say LT or ROLB.

Von might be that ROLB big money type depends on how he plays. And if they don't like what's out there at LT they might just tag Boom and let him start one season to prove he can do it before they pay him big money but either way the positions where everything sort of orbits around are the cornerstone spots like LT and OLB. The remainder they'll fill with depth guys moving up or FA.

Now TE may also be interesting. But that fits the offensive toy pick that McVay tends to love with his earliest pick so we'll see. Rams should be able to add a middling type or a castoff who can function as TE2 if they aren't looking to upgrade TE1.

I won't guaranty anything until a cap expert weighs in (because I am definitely not one), but I don't think we have that much money to spend next year. I was looking at the numbers at the beginning of the season and unless the call jumps way up, as in above where it would be next year if the was no decrease in cap this year, we're going to be tight against it. That's with a total of 39 players signed. I'm expecting us to have to fill out another 14 players plus practice squad with about 5 million dollars. That means we're going to see lots of cuts or extensions or something.

I could always be wrong. Again, I haven't looked in a few months and I'm no expert by any means.

 

[Kupped]

I won't guaranty anything until a cap expert weighs in (because I am definitely not one), but I don't think we have that much money to spend next year. I was looking at the numbers at the beginning of the season and unless the call jumps way up, as in above where it would be next year if the was no decrease in cap this year, we're going to be tight against it. That's with a total of 39 players signed. I'm expecting us to have to fill out another 14 players plus practice squad with about 5 million dollars. That means we're going to see lots of cuts or extensions or something.

I could always be wrong. Again, I haven't looked in a few months and I'm no expert by any means.

There are multiple contracts that can be converted to open up space, there’s the issue of whether Whit comes back and then if he renegotiates… there’s the Stafford extension to create space.

They can open up a decent amount of money, it’s a question of whether they want to.

 

[OldSchool]

Voted :
Corbett
Miller
SJD
Michel
OBJ
Noteboom

Think Whit retires they let Allen walk and Shelton takes over. Hekker likely could have or should have been a cost cutting move this year so I think they do it in 2022. Williams fell flat this year let somebody else pay him imo.

 

[OldSchool]

I don't think so. He's not set to be a free agent, and he's certainly not going to retire. And, unlike Johnny Hekker, who has a dead cap number of $2.1M and could be replaced with a Day 3 selection/undrafted FA, Havenstein would has a $4.6M dead cap number for 2022 and would be much tougher to replace.

That's not to say that the Rams won't surprise me and let him go. They've certainly surprised me before. But, right now, I don't see the logic in letting a 30 year old (he'll turn 30 this offseason) quality starting RT who is making less than $10M per year go, particularly when two starting OL (Allen, Corbett) will be UFAs, another will likely retire (Whitworth), and his backup (Noteboom) is set to be a UFA as well.

Looking at it he does have a dead cap hit but his base pay is $7.25 million next year so it's a bit of cap savings. But like you say he'd be tough to replace and have generally had a good year. Add in it's the last year of his deal and I can't see them moving on. A possible replacement as a day 3 pick maybe but I'd wager he retires a Ram at this point.

 

[Merlin]

I won't guaranty anything until a cap expert weighs in (because I am definitely not one), but I don't think we have that much money to spend next year. I was looking at the numbers at the beginning of the season and unless the call jumps way up, as in above where it would be next year if the was no decrease in cap this year, we're going to be tight against it. That's with a total of 39 players signed. I'm expecting us to have to fill out another 14 players plus practice squad with about 5 million dollars. That means we're going to see lots of cuts or extensions or something.

I could always be wrong. Again, I haven't looked in a few months and I'm no expert by any means.

Yeah I'll be honest: I don't sweat cap any more. So it's likely you're right if you looked it up.

Also one of the reasons I no longer worry about it is because the Rams do whatever they want it seems. Whoever they want to keep they will, so I try to focus moreso on which guys seem like bang for the buck vs depth quality.

Oh and re: them signing holes in FA that still seems likely to me. If the cap is tight then they just focus on the budget types and prove-it contracts which tbh seem to work pretty well at times. We don't need to fill the stars as we have those guys. Just the role players.

 

[SeminoleRam]

I know this vote will get heavily criticized but I vote for all of them to get re-signed!! I thought I read somewhere that the Rams should get some good cap relief next season and I would like to see some of these free agents give the Rams REASONABLE DEALS to stay with them! I do think there is a good possibility that Whitworth will retire after this season especially IF the Rams WIN the Super Bowl!!!

Just keeping my fingers crossed that Les Snead can work some of his magic in re-signing these players!!!