Time to make a splash

[BonifayRam]

One of the quickest ways to "Cap Hell" is overspending on Free Agents, especially ones who are not upper echelon. With several important Rams contracts coming due next year, much wiser to invest the $$ and protect your own.

I agree with you 100%. Snead has drafted two centers the last two drafts. Much has been posted on both of them. Yes both did have very early injuries. Rhaney is only 22 yrs old & Barrett is only 24 yrs old.

It would seem that the miserable center Scott Wells 3 yr saga has bled over to these two. I think that's unfair. I have no ideal why Fisher continued to start the weak pathetic Wells over other center options that may finally become clear at some point in time but now a very big mystery. Our main reserve center Tim Barnes may have had several shoulder injuries to deal with last season that really effected his play in 2014.

Rhaney could do nothing because he was on the IR. Barrett has the back surgery & those things just take large amounts of time to heal....& it could be that extended amounts of full time work was not recommended just have no ideal.

But both of these centers have a history of very good play, one from a major college with extensive big games in his resume & the other the opposite but sure sparkled in the combine.

I really think that it would be foolish & a waste of Ram investments to flush these three above centers fully down the drain & write them off so fast.

If the center was such a major concern for Snead & Fisher why would they have released their starting center (Wells) & let their top reserve center (Barnes) test his value on the free agent market & then let another back up center (Person) depart.....& not have a in line waiting UFA center already signed?

 

[Irish]

What about Greg Robinson the anchor at left tackle for the next decade?

Robinson doesn't count, as he was a non brainer.

And I wouldn't be so quick to anoint Robinson as the next left tackle for the next decade. He has a long way to go to get to superstar level, and although he progressed last year, it still isn't set in stone. A lot has to happen right to get him to where we want/need him to be.

 

[drasconis]

Would it be the end of the world if Barks re-signed and we went into the draft aiming to get two starters on the o line instead of three?

My concern here is actually getting two starter worthy guys. What are the odds of getting 2 guys who can actually start out of one draft. Heck, most first rounders are projects who if they work out make plenty of mistakes their first few years. The wash out rate is significant for 1st rounders much less later rounders (which with 2 O-lineman means one is a later rounder). Add in the fact that these guys are being stacked next to one another so errors will likely compound themselves (the guy next to them may not be able to help/correct them).

I just would prefere not to be dumping 2 new guys on the line and hope we get them up to speed, and I think it could be a very risky way to enter a season.

 

[Fatbot]

It would seem that the miserable center Scott Wells 3 yr saga has bled over to these two.

Great way to put it! I alternate between mania and acceptance. Before I was hoping to overspend on Hudson or Wis, right now i'm in one of my acceptance moods. If GB and NE can have great offenses with rookie C, the Rams are going to be more than fine with Jones or Rhaney. They still might come away with free agents Blalock and Barksdale. If so we're looking at going into the draft with more comfort and options, and a very realistic draft where there should be some good talent and no need to reach:
rd1: BPA (OT/elite WR if there?)
rd2: OG
rd3: swing OT or C
rd 4: BPA (even QB?)

 

[BonifayRam]

Would it be the end of the world if Barks re-signed and we went into the draft aiming to get two starters on the o line instead of three?

No.
IF Barksdale finally discovers that he was foolish to trash can the several Rams team contract offers & that his original contract demands were way out of the actual free market price for limited starting OL'er that he is.....

But in truth Barksdale is not a good starting OL'er as most have decried here. Why do we want to dump extensive amounts of valuable priceless cap $$$ in a below par ORT just to spare ourselves the worry of filling two starting OL'ers instead of three?

I was hoping that most here would want to improve the starting OL not keep it like it was...pathetically weak!

I guess in my Ram world I would like to have JB return but I want him as a real reasonable rate for the main reason .....to be the stop gap starting ORT until the newly talented drafted Offensive Right Tackle/swing OT is ready to take fully over for Barksdale. That's what I want then Barksdale can be the top ORT reserve. If there is an injury to our OLT then this talented ORT can swing to OLT(Something that Barksdale can not do) & then Barks can step in for this rookie.

 

[Yamahopper]

No.
IF Barksdale finally discovers that he was foolish to trash can the several Rams team contract offers & that his original contract demands were way out of the actual free market price for limited starting OL'er that he is.....

But in truth Barksdale is not a good starting OL'er as most have decried here. Why do we want to dump extensive amounts of valuable priceless cap $$$ in a below par ORT just to spare ourselves the worry of filling two starting OL'ers instead of three?

I was hoping that most here would want to improve the starting OL not keep it like it was...pathetically weak!

I agree with you. In all the FA frenzy where's the news of Barks making visits and fielding offers. This was a very shallow T FA class and really nothing on him. Either he's overvalued his services or the rest of the league has seen enough of his tape.
I really don't want him back as a starter. Maybe a backup. Maybe.

Whats left n the FA class is, and there wasn't that much to start with is low hanging fruit. They will be there a month from now and even cheaper.

As far as Jones. Not giving him snaps at end of the season said a lot to me. The Lisfranc injury he had in college might be holding him back. Sometimes a foot is never the same after that. And feet are everything to a Olineman.
I hope Rainey spent a lot of time in the weight room this offseason working on his core. He needs it.

Never fear Hooey is still out there somewhere, And really if they go into the season as they are now can the line be much worse?