What do you do next?

[Angry Ram]

See here's my thing with this....

John Johnson, Greg Gaines, Darious Williams, Nick Scott, Austin Corbett, Gerald Everett, David Long (expected), Morgan Fox, Sebastian Joseph-Day, A'Shawn Robinson (expected), Josh Reynolds, Troy Reeder, Taylor Rapp (expected), Samson Ebukam, Obo Okoronkwo. Matt Gay, David Edwards (expected) and Sony Michel.

That's 18 players. Just off the-top-of-my-head. Most were Rams' drafts picks; and NONE of them made it to their second contracts.

Honestly? All these guys are JAG - good. And saying they didn't make it to their 2nd contracts...well that's partially true. They all got pay days elsewhere. And really...which of these guys have made such an incredible impact for their second team that made the Rams regret the move? BTW Troy Reeder, Taylor Rapp, David Long aren't the most well liked players on here. They're ok. JAGs like 98% of the players.

Also, if the team was able to acquire these guys, develop them to point of other teams giving them multi-year, multi-million dollar contracts, what makes you think they don't have the ability to replace them with guys Like Earnest Brown, Bobby Brown, Earnest Jones (lots of Earnests and Browns there hmm); Derion Kendrick, Russ Yeast, etc.

Isn't that what people clamor for year after year after? Draft and develop, and not overpay because of the oh so precious cap, but when the Rams actually do that everyone loses their ever loving minds.

Don't Pick-and-Choose the Ones you DON'T Like.
Pick just SIX from the above group you DO Like, Wouldn't it be nice to have just 6 of those 18?

Ehhh not really. None of them jump out to me as a must keep. Rams keep their BEST players and replace their other guys with younger players. The talent margin isn't that different from a SJD to a Greg Gaines to potentially a Bobby Brown. Yes sometimes you get a Brycen Hopkins. Sometimes you get a Nick Scott. Just happens. Also it says more to me about the Rams FO and coaches to find and develop these guys and have the confidence to let them walk. I can guarantee the majority of those 18 players will be gone from their 2nd team in a couple years. They will end up journey-men have maybe 4-5 good years and then fade into obscurity. And it's not their fault. They're good players and I'm not trying to take away talent but it's reality and happens to almost every player that isn't a super stud.

This does not take into account the release, trade or retirement of Whitworth, Ramsey, Floyd, Woods, Gurley, Brockers and lesser players like Justin Hollins, Terrell Lewis, Terrell Burgess, Darrell Henderson and John Franklin-Meyers.

I didn't miss Robert Woods, Todd Gurley, or Michael Brockers...or any of the lesser players you mentioned. Whatever team Leonard Floyd ends up on guarantee he won't be an impact player. Rams made him from a Bears disappoint to a guy people are also yearning for.

Andrew Whitworth was expected. It's up to them to develop Joseph Noteboom or he'll be on his second team too. Such is NFL life. I already said my piece on Jalen Ramsey on the trade topic so while the name and the player is appreciated for his elite prior service, I'm not gonna miss him either.

 

[Turducken]

What concerns me is what do we have as a team.......today?

Maybe our practice squad are all-pro?

So far this is most perplexing off season I can remember.

Remember when we fell to 3-7 last season (after the Saints loss) and even though we weren't mathematically eliminated, we all knew the playoffs were out of reach?

I don't know about you, but I had a sense of relief moving forward. I still watched the games but I worried less about the score and more about things like Skowronek playing FB and TuTu finally catching some passes. It wasn't exhilarating, but it also wasn't miserable.

Next season starts with the same sort of expectations for me. A season of talent development and cap clearing.

Get ready to eat your broccoli.

 

[Neil039]

@Riverumbbq
You didn’t ask me but I did one and thought I’d show it. I don’t think it’s shabby. I believe 5-6 guys can get playing time in 2023

 

[Riverumbbq]

@Riverumbbq
You didn’t ask me but I did one and thought I’d show it. I don’t think it’s shabby. I believe 5-6 guys can get playing time in 2023

View attachment 59215

I see a lot of folks are emphasizing an OT with our top pick, I just get the feeling that McVay is going to stick with Jackson, Noteboom & hopefully Nsekhe for the upcoming season. I could see a developmental mid-round OT who will possibly make Noteboom obsolete next year or even compete for Havenstein's job in 2024. With both Higbee & Hopkins entering free agency at the end of 2023, I'd place a much higher degree of importance at TE. Luke Wypler is a quality Center prospect, but we already, unfortunately, appear to be going with Allen/Shelton, and he's too small to play OG this season imo. If both Wolford & Perkins are history, who is our back-up QB ?

 

[Flatlyner]

CGI:

Response #2
If the niners haven’t inked him to a new deal by next year…we make a run at bosa. The Rams have been filling their war chest with high picks and $$ for ‘24. There’s gonna be a lotta guys on rookie deals between the drafts of ‘22 and ‘23. The Rams will be able to make a large acquisition.

Can you imagine Donald between uzomah and bosa? The scariest defense this century?

So there it is—reload the offense this year (OL, RB, TE?), get some experience for those guys in the secondary, draft a #1 WR next year and go big for an established defensive monster in ‘24.

I'd say there is 0% chance that the whiners let him just walk. They would slap that franchise tag on him quickly and, actually, save money. You know he's going to want the biggest contract ever given out for a defensive lineman. They always reset the market.

 

[Merlin]

At this point they can take almost any position and it's a need.

 

[Allen2McVay]

See here's my thing with this....

Honestly? All these guys are JAG - good.

Some good points. Just going to push-back on a couple.

The term Just-A-Guy (JAG) is greatly over-used on this forum, in my opinion.

There's average, better-than-average, good, very good. Teams need good players; and I don't see a lot on the current roster.

I will do what I asked.
My six to have back would be Gaines, Darious Williams, a safety (John Johnson or Scott), an Edge (Ebukam or Okoronkwo), Corbett and Everett. The roster would be much stronger, with these six good players.

I just remembered how strongly we disagreed on the impact and importance of the salary cap a couple weeks ago. We are probably not going to agree on much.

 

[PhillyRam]

An, THAT pick. Yes, I see your point.

Still means pick 36 is the pick that gets you a late 3rd or 4th so you don't reach in rd 3.

 

[Angry Ram]

The term Just-A-Guy (JAG) is greatly over-used on this forum, in my opinion.

There's average, better-than-average, good, very good. Teams need good players; and I don't see a lot on the current roster.

JAG isn't necessarily a negative term tho. 98% of the players are in that category. Then 1% for the super studs and another 1% for "wtf" players. Like Eli Apple. Most players are good, but that's my point. No re-signing these guys isn't a big deal to me....you can replace these guys with other guys. And the Rams have proven they can do that.

I will do what I asked.
My six to have back would be Gaines, Darious Williams, a safety (John Johnson or Scott), an Edge (Ebukam or Okoronkwo), Corbett and Everett. The roster would be much stronger, with these six good players.

IDK man...i just dont think these are huge losses. Sure if i HAD to pick them then yeah i'd probably agree with you here, but i just dont see these guys as that would make their units significantly better. i think these guys are being overvalued. Again not saying they aren't "good" but these guys can be replaced w/ Bobby Brown or someone else w/ equal impact.

I just remembered how strongly we disagreed on the impact and importance of the salary cap a couple weeks ago. We are probably not going to agree on much.

Speaking of....all this cap and team building stuff in March/April...none of this shit really matters come September - December. Like almost all teams are using UDFAs, second stringers to frantically replace guys getting hurt over and over.

I said in other threads. Bullet point lists of picks and position and being in the top 10 on overthecap.com looks good but then they become players. Most are on the same talent line. I just dont see the need to get all this angst over the players the Rams aren't resigning.

 

[Tano]

@Riverumbbq
You didn’t ask me but I did one and thought I’d show it. I don’t think it’s shabby. I believe 5-6 guys can get playing time in 2023

View attachment 59215

Man - you can't pick a kicker on one of the last picks in the draft without getting a C+

 

[Tano]

Man - you can't pick a kicker on one of the last picks in the draft without getting a C+

Oh and that would be a kick ass draft for me

 

[Allen2McVay]

JAG isn't necessarily a negative term tho. 98% of the players are in that category. Then 1% for the super studs and another 1% for "wtf" players. Like Eli Apple. Most players are good, but that's my point. Not re-signing these guys isn't a big deal to me....you can replace these guys with other guys. And the Rams have proven they can do that.

Are you saying 98% of NFL players ... which is most all of them ... are essentially inter-changeable?

 

[Angry Ram]

Are you saying 98% of NFL players ... which is most all of them ... are essentially inter-changeable?

Yeah. Isn't the cliché the talent line is really similar across all 32 teams w/ the exception of the elite? The Aaron Donalds of the world.

And the Rams have shown they can do just. It may not be a simple smooth train, but it's an assembly line and i think they've done a fine job at it:

Rodney McLeod - John Johnson - Nick Scott

Trumaine Johnson - Marcus Peters (ick) - Darious Williams - Derion Kendrick or whoever else.

Cory Littleton - Dante Fowler - Leonard Floyd

There's no reason to think that this model can't continue.

 

[Allen2McVay]

Yeah. Isn't the cliché the talent line is really similar across all 32 teams w/ the exception of the elite? The Aaron Donalds of the world

The idea that 98% of NFL players are Interchangeable and Just Average Guys (JAGs) is ridiculous to me.

But that’s your opinion.

We completely disagreed on the impact and importance of the Salary Cap. Guess it figures we would be on opposite ends of the spectrum here too.

 

[Angry Ram]

The idea that 98% of NFL players are Interchangeable and Just Average Guys (JAGs) is ridiculous to me.

But that’s your opinion.

We completely disagreed on the impact and importance of the Salary Cap. Guess it figures we would be on opposite ends of the spectrum here too.

Again talent level between teams is mostly the same sans the few super studs on each squad. I'll put it another way.

Let's say, for example, a team every year as 10 draft picks on average. Four will be out of the league in 2 years, 3 or 4 will bounce around teams for 6-8 years (and maybe a decade if they're lucky), and the other 2 will be long-term starters (if you're lucky)

In other words, 50% of the players taken each draft will be gone from the original team and filled with what? You have to fill a 53 man team. Those players that are cut from other teams. Players on other teams' practice squads. And of course UDFAs. It sounds rough to say, but these players get passed around 3-5 years between teams so much that they ultimately become filler players. JAGs. Some may be better than another, but not that much so otherwise they would be starter or part of the super stud group.

I guess what I'm saying makes one team's lower 2/3rd significantly better than another?

 

[WestCoastRam]

We’ve released some players.

We’ve traded some players.

There may be more to come, like A Rob.

We don’t have much cap space. 2024 we do. But now we don’t, unless we spend early.

We have 11 draft picks.

How much do you press the pedal this 2023 offseason?

What is your next move?

We should probably just draft extremely well for one year and have Geno Smith at QB.

 

[Allen2McVay]

Again talent level between teams is mostly the same sans the few super studs on each squad.

I just don't agree with that statement. I mean, really .... Really ... REALLY ... Don't Agree.


Same as couple weeks ago when you posted:
"I think at this point people should know the cap doesn't really mean anything."

Same as the other day when you posted:
"JAG isn't necessarily a negative term tho. 98% of the players are in that category. "

 

[Angry Ram]

I just don't agree with that statement. I mean, really .... Really ... REALLY ... Don't Agree.


Same as couple weeks ago when you posted:
"I think at this point people should know the cap doesn't really mean anything."

Same as the other day when you posted:
"JAG isn't necessarily a negative term tho. 98% of the players are in that category. "

I mean i gave examples to each those.

Tell me how the majority of team x's filler is better then team y's?

And yeah the CAP...i never lose sleep or worry over it. Guarantee if they had Cooper Kupp up for a new deal today they'd make it work. They've always have.

And yeah JAG isn't necessarily bad. Players come. Players go.