Why I'm still pissed off about this off season

[OldSchool]

First off let me say one thing. I have no problem with Matt Stafford I think he's a fine QB he's not in my top 10 and I don't know that he makes us a contender by himself with our other issues. He's my favorite baseball players best friend and I hope he wins for us. I don't care that Jared Goff is on the Lions now I don't and won't root for him or them I'm a Rams fan. The line I use for every free agent still holds true. I wish them nothing but the best and hope they succeed unless they're playing us.

My problem is this is the second time the media has said we've gone all in on a closing window. The first was when McVay took over the team and we had a QB and RB on rookie deals. They went hog wild in free agency and the trade market and brought in a bunch of big names. This round of pushing all the chips to the middle of the table ended with a SB loss that's fine it happens. Lesson learned?

We followed that disappointing loss and performance by McVay's offense by signing Todd Gurley and Brandin Cooks to long term big money deals and continued to wheel and deal and bring in more big name trades/free agents. People say you can't predict Gurleys knee going the way it did but his knee issues were nothing new he had them in college. We signed him before his rookie deal was up and he never played a down on his high priced extension. Lesson learned?

Brandin Cooks came to the Rams as a big play WR capable of taking the top off the defense and expanding the Rams offense. He succeeded at that role and we were a better team with him in it. He also came to us with concussion issues but we sent a 1st round pick to the Pats of all teams to get him knowing he was a good player but also knowing concussions were a major issue. We did this time at least get one year out of the big extension before sending the player and a $36 million dead cap hit that cost us a 1st rounder to the Texans for a 2nd round pick and a 4th rounder in 2022. Lesson learned?

Then a full year before his rookie deal was up we signed Jared Goff to a monster contract which again the player never played a down for us under that new contract. McVay again responsible for an extension before it's needed on a player he couldn't make work in the offense only to bail on the player. This time sending away picks because the contract was deemed so bad that we had to give the Lions our QB and 2 future first round draft picks plus a 3rd rounder this year.

McVay and Snead have done wonders to rebuild the Rams from the years of futility after the GSOT. But as a fan of this team for 40+ years I don't want him ever to resign another player on offense especially as early as he did with Jared.

Had they not given Gurley and Cooks those big contracts maybe Roger Saffold is still in Horns and our OLine is much better. Maybe Greg Zeurlein is sill a Ram even though eventually we got Rudy Gay who seems like a good kicker. Maybe we're able to afford a few nice free agents to make the team better.

Had they waited until the end of the 2019 season we could have ridden Jared on his 5th year option and it would have saved us money this past season and beyond. It also would have cost us less to trade for Stafford since we didn't have to pay the Lions to take on that contract. Hell maybe we're able to trade for him before this season and it cost us a lot less.

I love the Rams as much as anybody around here but these continued swings and misses with signing our own offensive players, McVay's expertise and his side of the ball is where these problems happen, is really alarming. This is the 2nd time they've gone all in for a SB win instead of built up a solid team around pieces. Hope this run ends better than the last one and hold your breath if we sign any offensive player to an extension.

 

[Gandalf]

Very well said.

I am looking forward to the new year with Stafford, I think we'll be better. But, imagine having Stafford and keeping most of your picks and having a shit ton of cap. Damn! we could have a fucking good team with draft picks and no holes.

 

[OldSchool]

Very well said.

I am looking forward to the new year with Stafford, I think we'll be better. But, imagine having Stafford and keeping most of your picks and having a shit ton of cap. Damn! we could have a fucking good team with draft picks and no holes.

That's all I'm trying to say and have been saying for weeks. Imagine what we could do if these guys were good at signing offensive players to contract and could get the most out of those players.

 

[Corbin]

Weren't you becoming a Jags fan or something?

 

[OldSchool]

Weren't you becoming a Jags fan or something?

Nope as usual you have no idea what you're talking about. Thank you for keeping the post streak of this alive though. If you paid attention you'd know exactly how I feel about the Jags and their owner but it's all good keep playing your game.

 

[Corbin]

Nope as usual you have no idea what you're talking about. Thank you for keeping the post streak of this alive though. If you paid attention you'd know exactly how I feel about the Jags and their owner but it's all good keep playing your game.

Somebody who doesn't know what they are talking about? Where is that Sam Sloman thread at?

Wait I forgot, people like yourself are professional NFL talent evaluators.

 

[ottoman89]

Seems like they signed Gurley when he was an MVP candidate, and then his knee really became an issue after.

Signed Cooks and then he was seemingly one concussion away from being done.

Signed Goff when he was escalating his play and then for whatever reasons, it really dropped the last 2 seasons.

Maybe it's just bad luck, or trying to be too player friendly.

I can't say I disagree with your post, because at the end of the day, that's why we're in cap hell with this dead cap.

 

[OldSchool]

Somebody who doesn't know what they are talking about? Where is that Sam Sloman thread at?

Wait I forgot, people like yourself are professional NFL talent evaluators.

I'm curious if you really remember what anybody said in that thread or you're just pulling things from memory and twisting them for a narrative? Would you like a reminder? I am not going to look it up for exact quotes but I would wager that there were a few themes in the discussion.

Sloman is not kicking well enough right now and needs to get better.

Sloman isn't the only rookie kicker to struggle but he needs to get better ( I think GZ's early struggles were pointed out and how he turned it around until this year)

Give the kid time but he needs to get better because the way it's going isn't good enough

Sound familiar? You're welcome to go back if you care to waste your time but I'm pretty sure myself Memento and a few dozen others were all saying things along this line. Oh and the fact that there didn't appear to be anybody available that were much better. Remember we hadn't signed Gay yet and he also was a rookie kicker who was cut. Lucky for us he seemed to have turned it around good thing a coaching staff was patient and gave him a 2nd chance. Nobody was calling Sloman great and the only fan club was an anti-fan club. Just like nobody called Jared an All Pro or HoFer but lets not stop you. Thank you for sticking to the topic of the thread though oh....

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

First off let me say one thing. I have no problem with Matt Stafford I think he's a fine QB he's not in my top 10 and I don't know that he makes us a contender by himself with our other issues. He's my favorite baseball players best friend and I hope he wins for us. I don't care that Jared Goff is on the Lions now I don't and won't root for him or them I'm a Rams fan. The line I use for every free agent still holds true. I wish them nothing but the best and hope they succeed unless they're playing us.

My problem is this is the second time the media has said we've gone all in on a closing window. The first was when McVay took over the team and we had a QB and RB on rookie deals. They went hog wild in free agency and the trade market and brought in a bunch of big names. This round of pushing all the chips to the middle of the table ended with a SB loss that's fine it happens. Lesson learned?

We followed that disappointing loss and performance by McVay's offense by signing Todd Gurley and Brandin Cooks to long term big money deals and continued to wheel and deal and bring in more big name trades/free agents. People say you can't predict Gurleys knee going the way it did but his knee issues were nothing new he had them in college. We signed him before his rookie deal was up and he never played a down on his high priced extension. Lesson learned?

Brandin Cooks came to the Rams as a big play WR capable of taking the top off the defense and expanding the Rams offense. He succeeded at that role and we were a better team with him in it. He also came to us with concussion issues but we sent a 1st round pick to the Pats of all teams to get him knowing he was a good player but also knowing concussions were a major issue. We did this time at least get one year out of the big extension before sending the player and a $36 million dead cap hit that cost us a 1st rounder to the Texans for a 2nd round pick and a 4th rounder in 2022. Lesson learned?

Then a full year before his rookie deal was up we signed Jared Goff to a monster contract which again the player never played a down for us under that new contract. McVay again responsible for an extension before it's needed on a player he couldn't make work in the offense only to bail on the player. This time sending away picks because the contract was deemed so bad that we had to give the Lions our QB and 2 future first round draft picks plus a 3rd rounder this year.

McVay and Snead have done wonders to rebuild the Rams from the years of futility after the GSOT. But as a fan of this team for 40+ years I don't want him ever to resign another player on offense especially as early as he did with Jared.

Had they not given Gurley and Cooks those big contracts maybe Roger Saffold is still in Horns and our OLine is much better. Maybe Greg Zeurlein is sill a Ram even though eventually we got Rudy Gay who seems like a good kicker. Maybe we're able to afford a few nice free agents to make the team better.

Had they waited until the end of the 2019 season we could have ridden Jared on his 5th year option and it would have saved us money this past season and beyond. It also would have cost us less to trade for Stafford since we didn't have to pay the Lions to take on that contract. Hell maybe we're able to trade for him before this season and it cost us a lot less.

I love the Rams as much as anybody around here but these continued swings and misses with signing our own offensive players, McVay's expertise and his side of the ball is where these problems happen, is really alarming. This is the 2nd time they've gone all in for a SB win instead of built up a solid team around pieces. Hope this run ends better than the last one and hold your breath if we sign any offensive player to an extension.

It sounds like why your pissed of about this last three or four off seasons.

Maybe this show that the Rams are all in on one particular season, but they will be all in on any given season.

 

[Boston Ram]

First off let me say one thing. I have no problem with Matt Stafford I think he's a fine QB he's not in my top 10 and I don't know that he makes us a contender by himself with our other issues. He's my favorite baseball players best friend and I hope he wins for us. I don't care that Jared Goff is on the Lions now I don't and won't root for him or them I'm a Rams fan. The line I use for every free agent still holds true. I wish them nothing but the best and hope they succeed unless they're playing us.

My problem is this is the second time the media has said we've gone all in on a closing window. The first was when McVay took over the team and we had a QB and RB on rookie deals. They went hog wild in free agency and the trade market and brought in a bunch of big names. This round of pushing all the chips to the middle of the table ended with a SB loss that's fine it happens. Lesson learned?

We followed that disappointing loss and performance by McVay's offense by signing Todd Gurley and Brandin Cooks to long term big money deals and continued to wheel and deal and bring in more big name trades/free agents. People say you can't predict Gurleys knee going the way it did but his knee issues were nothing new he had them in college. We signed him before his rookie deal was up and he never played a down on his high priced extension. Lesson learned?

Brandin Cooks came to the Rams as a big play WR capable of taking the top off the defense and expanding the Rams offense. He succeeded at that role and we were a better team with him in it. He also came to us with concussion issues but we sent a 1st round pick to the Pats of all teams to get him knowing he was a good player but also knowing concussions were a major issue. We did this time at least get one year out of the big extension before sending the player and a $36 million dead cap hit that cost us a 1st rounder to the Texans for a 2nd round pick and a 4th rounder in 2022. Lesson learned?

Then a full year before his rookie deal was up we signed Jared Goff to a monster contract which again the player never played a down for us under that new contract. McVay again responsible for an extension before it's needed on a player he couldn't make work in the offense only to bail on the player. This time sending away picks because the contract was deemed so bad that we had to give the Lions our QB and 2 future first round draft picks plus a 3rd rounder this year.

McVay and Snead have done wonders to rebuild the Rams from the years of futility after the GSOT. But as a fan of this team for 40+ years I don't want him ever to resign another player on offense especially as early as he did with Jared.

Had they not given Gurley and Cooks those big contracts maybe Roger Saffold is still in Horns and our OLine is much better. Maybe Greg Zeurlein is sill a Ram even though eventually we got Rudy Gay who seems like a good kicker. Maybe we're able to afford a few nice free agents to make the team better.

Had they waited until the end of the 2019 season we could have ridden Jared on his 5th year option and it would have saved us money this past season and beyond. It also would have cost us less to trade for Stafford since we didn't have to pay the Lions to take on that contract. Hell maybe we're able to trade for him before this season and it cost us a lot less.

I love the Rams as much as anybody around here but these continued swings and misses with signing our own offensive players, McVay's expertise and his side of the ball is where these problems happen, is really alarming. This is the 2nd time they've gone all in for a SB win instead of built up a solid team around pieces. Hope this run ends better than the last one and hold your breath if we sign any offensive player to an extension.

I have to be honest, it’s refreshing to see you post something like this. I got railed when I suggested I didn’t like the Cooks and Gurley deals. I said never give a RB or a 5’8” receiver a 2nd deal and almost puked in my mouth when Gurley signed a market setting deal at that position.

Goff deal was also signed too soon but everyone said we got ahead of the market on those deals.

Now we are faced with a QB with 2 years left on his deal and have 2 years to find his replacement but no 1st round picks.

most frustrating for me is this FO does a great job drafting. Imagine what they would do with some premium picks?!

 

[Bearrister]

Goff deal was also signed too soon but everyone said we got ahead of the market on those deals.

Now we are faced with a QB with 2 years left on his deal and have 2 years to find his replacement but no 1st round picks.

If Stafford play as well as we hope he will, I wonder what kind of contract we’ll negotiate with him. His current deal was a 5-year $130-something million contract, and the QB market is only getting more expensive.

Given Stafford’s relatively short time remaining on his current deal, it’d make sense for the Rams to draft QBs this and maybe even next year. Possibly use 2nd or 3rd round picks if we like someone enough. We need a back-up and someone to develop in case Stafford doesn’t work out and/or he becomes too expensive.

 

[Merlin]

As always OS your best material is the stuff where you avoid the passive-aggressive digs. Well done my man and I think you're in for a great season.

Good days ahead. Chin up.

 

[Ramstien]

People like to treat these first round picks as if they are gold. The fact is the draft is a crap shoot and many of them flop. Anyone remember Greg Robinson?

 

[XXXIVwin]

Scoreboard.

Results.

I just don’t get it, especially for those of us who have followed this team for decades. We have seen the wasteland of the 90s, and the wasteland of 2005-2016.

What McVay and Snead are doing WORKS.

It may be messy, may be mistakes, but it WORKS.

Four winning seasons in four years. Serious SB contenders in 2018, and all signs now point to serious SB contenders in 2021.

I’ll post a longer point-by-point rebuttal to the OP in a day or two, but for now I’ll just point to the W-L record and say “Scoreboard.”

 

[Memento]

People like to treat these first round picks as if they are gold. The fact the draft is a crap shoot any many of them flop. Anyone remember Greg Robinson?

What about Aaron Donald? What about Jalen Ramsey? What about Torry Holt? What about Steven Jackson, Marshall Faulk, and Eric Dickerson?

 

[Ram Ts]

Hopefully the FO will learn from this and see that it’s very costly to make mistake on big contracts especially ones that are done before it’s even necessary. As opposed to them continuing to think they can always get out of their messes by trading top picks, etc. Life is so much about learning from your mistakes and being better going forward.

 

[SoCalRam78]

I was firmly against the Goff extension. Didn’t surprise me at all he began to struggle. Even during his first two McVay years I thought he wasn’t that good despite the paper numbers.

Gurley got hurt. Cooks got banged around too tho he was solid this year in Houston. Bad deals as well.

Rams did the right thing tho. AD and Ramsey aren’t going to dominate forever. Give them a QB. The worst thing they could have done is stick with Goff for another 1-2 years because of his contract. You can’t over come a mediocre QB.

 

[Memphis Ram]

I wouldn't have traded for Cooks. I wouldn't have extended Goff or Gurley before the final season of their contracts. Of course, we don't know if there was any pressure put on by the players and/or agents at the time either. I'm sure an organization trying to build a new stadium and put butts in the seats didn't need the headache of any potential holdouts.

I don't begrudge the Rams for trying to get ahead of the market in signing some of these guys, because if they continued to play well they may not have been able to stomach their contracts at a later date.

No one is perfect and personnel mistakes can be made. The key is being smart enough to get out of those deals and maintain a strong team which they have done.

 

[hotanez]

I like that the Rams found a away to improve at QB and move Goff. I waited for the kid to use the loss in the SB to improve and comeback with a vengeance. Never happened and thar sucks but McVay and Snead need to look in the mirror and understand that these 3 contract extensions were major fuckups. They need to do better there and not sign players to deals that will tie up the teams payroll. Please no more contract extensions when there's multiple years left on the original.

 

[Barrison]

People like to treat these first round picks as if they are gold. The fact is the draft is a crap shoot and many of them flop. Anyone remember Greg Robinson?

How about Jason Smith, our pick right after Stafford lol