Rams Offseason thread

I understand junkie about the questions around the receivers.  Fisher also knew that and that is why he drafted Quick and Givens last draft.  Givens showed some deep threat but Quick wasn't quick to catch on to the offense.  We all can agree though, that is the OL that needs the biggest boost.  As an old Rams fan, I remember when we moved the ball with muscle and the Rams strenght was in the offensive and defensive lines.  Somewhere in the past the Rams left the Line idea.  Even in the Super Bowl years, the line wasn't really the strength, it was skilled positions.  Now just like all Rams fans I need to see if Sam Bradford is the QB of the future, a OC more than a year at a time, a good running game and receivers that will catch the ball.  I think this next season is the test for Bradford.  Not the Rams record so to speak, but the % of completions.  Any thing over 70% he stays, under, it is the draft for a QB, just my opinion.  So with all that said, I want the OL worked first, then the SS and FS.  A RB and then a WR if one sticks out.  Put a line up there and if Sam can't complete passes behind it, say goodbye.

I don't know. I think Pace, McCallum, and Timmerman were all solid (potentially pro-bowl caliber) blockers that gave Warner time to run the Greatest Show on Turf. Since then, the Rams have simply misfired on draft choices as replacements: Alex Barron #1 2005, Richie Incognito #3 2005, Jason Smith #1 2009. In addition, they brought in a few middle-to-top tier FAs that failed: Jason Brown, Jacob Bell and bam, before you know it the core of your offense becomes the weakness and futility is born. How Steven Jackson managed to attain 1,000 yards every year is astonishing considering the feeble and patchwork offensive lines he's had to work with. As it stands, the line still isn't great, but I think its one OT away from being good.

SJ, I'm not sold on Keenan Allen because of the injury factor. I can see another Donnie Avery with the injuries there. Patterson at 22, maybe, but I still think Reid or Elam would be better. I could go for Patterson at 22 if I'm convinced Jefferson will be there at 48 and Long in the 3rd. Otherwise I would still rather go OG, safety, OT(which is an emphasis on offense). 

Blue, 70% is awful high. Even Peyton Manning has never had a season of 70%. 

Well mutigers, OK I will give you 70% is high, but catch my drift, I think the 50+% is unsuccessful and will cost him if he can't do better.  He just hasn't had a OL that I can say has given him a better than even chance of being successful.  Give him a stud line and another year of Gibson, Givens, Quick, Amendola, Kendricks and backs out of the backfield, he should improve.  The line would also help the running game and the TDs from it and that has been poor also. 

I also question if there is a Julio Jones in the draft.  I also would like a stud but to take a chance on a WR with the first couple of picks when we need OL men and safeties now is a hope and prey approach.  I would dreather take one of the two big TEs first instead of taking a chance on the WR.  We do need to score more, we all know that, but when we can't score on the ground, it is the line that needs to be fixed.

Also my comment about not having a good line in the Super Bowl years meant I just did not consider it a stud line, some parts were good, Pace Timmerman etc but it was the skilled positions of Holt, Bruce, Warner and Marshal that made it go.  Warner's quick release helped make the passing easier and Marshal's running opened up the field.

Pigpen, I agree that Bradford needs to improve, but yes 70% is very unrealistic. Maybe mid 60% is more reachable, but even that I'm not sure of. Bradford throws a lot of short, safe passes now and he barely completes 60%. As far as our oline of the superbowl years, I don't think they were that good, Warner, even with his quick release got sacked a lot! And a lot of it was his blind side which would ave been Pace's side. I always thought Pace was overrated. Now the oline of the late 60's early 70's was pretty much a Probowl line with Slater, Mack, Iman, Harrah, Saul, Brown, Pankey, Cowan, Smith, and I'm sure I'm leaving someone out. But all of these guys were ProBowlers, some numerous times. Now we can't even get one guy with that kind of talent! Bottom line is we need offensive lineman, PERIOD!

the Rams had an elite LT in pace, and an above average RG in timmerman. the rest were average at best. but the real issue with pressue is we gave them no help. we almost never had a FB or TE in pass blocking, the most help the got was marshall. add in that we often ran complicated routes that took time to set up, and warner was going to be a sitting duck no matter who the offensive line was. the fact that he got hit after he threw the ball rather then before is a major complement to the offensive line. 

Well put Stevie..... well put!! 

I still don't think Warners line was that good, I think it was more of Warner throwing to spots and he got rid of the ball quicker than most QB's do. True he could throw to a spot ,because he could relie on Bruce and Holt to be there!

LT- Orlando Pace...elite and all world until Corey Stringer passed away
LG- Tom Nutten... average and underrated
C- Andy McCollum...above average...former new orleans 1st rounder if I remember correctly
RG- Adam Timmerman...elite...stolen from Green Bay
RT- Fred Miller...average+....started for quite a few years after he left STL

That was a perfect O-Line.
If you want elite guys in every single spot then you eventually have to pay them elite money and that doesn't work in the cap era.
What we had was a few elite guys here and there and behind them a tremendous group of role players.

Back in the greatest show on turfs hay day if we had the lead and the ball with just a cpl minutes left we'd load up a cpl TE's, a FB and let Marshall pound the rock. It worked because of the total group we had.

It wasn't just Torry and Isaac making plays, but Ricky Proehl was making clutch 3rd down grabs. Az Zaheer Akim was making huge plays working the slots. Roland Williams and Ernie Conwell made 1st downs and occasional big plays. Heck even Jeff Robinson was a good goalline TE making some clutch grabs.
That wasn't a team of just a couple elite guys but an overall excellent group that was molded by Coach Vermeil and his veteran staff.
Thats the best thing about what we have going right now. A veteran coaching staff to mold the youngsters.




has anyone heard if Fisher has considered bringing in Ray Horton to interview for the DC spot?

SKERZ, Ray Horton took the job for the Browns like 2 weeks ago to be their DC. I did read today that the Rams will hire Frank Bush, former linebackers coach for the Tennessee Titans and one-time defensive coordinator of the Houston Texans to be the LB's coach to replace Blake Williams. As far as I can tell, Rob Ryan will be the next DC for the Rams.

Yes Jballa, that was made official this afternoon.. Rob Ryan is the new DC for the St Louis Rams. I,for one, like the hire. He will fit right in with the character of the defense and I think he will work some 4-3 AND some 3-4 schemes in the mix. We have the personel.

Last year the Rams had the Fisher stache as a giveaway. This year can we get the Ryan hair?

Possible FA LT's

1. Ryan Clady: no way he won't be franchised to protect Peyton Manning's blindside.
2. Branden Albert: can't imagine Albert gets out of KC.(probably franchised)
3. Jake Long: Finished the last 2 seasons on IR. During those seasons he was ranked around 70th of active NFL tackles in regards to blocking efficiency. Highly doubtful he gets franchised. May be available, but is there a point if he's swirling the drain careerwise?
4. Jermon Bushrod: Saints cap crunch could mean he becomes a FA. This has to be a guy that the Rams look at during free agency.
5. Max Starks: 30yo has some years left, but there's a dramatic drop in talent comparing him to Clady or Bushrod.



I posted those 5 guys because Fisher, the LT out of central Michigan has been tearing it up during seniorbowl practice. Enough so that he is expected now to go in the top 10. If he gets out of the top 10, San Diego takes him at #11. This means the only 2 high end LT's(Fisher and Joeckel) in the draft will be gone before #16.

If we were able to get a guy like Bushrod in free agency...that'd make it easy to take Chance warmack at 16. taking care of the 2 O-line needs. If we did sign Bushrod, then Quintin Mikell would be a cap casualty or he would hafta take a realistic wage drop which is unlikely.
That puts us in a spot that we'd need 2 safeties now.

At 21 take SS Matt Elam out of Florida.

The other safety spot we could take FS Kenyon Rambo in the 3rd.(that'd give us one hell of a young & talented secondary)

Second Round it'd hafta be a RB or OLB depending on if SJ is still here and whats available.

This makes it tough to fix the starting OLB and #1 WR need, but it's unlikely there are any #1 WR's in this draft anyway.

opinions?

Would you guys rather resign SJax or get a rookie RB in the draft? 

I've also been looking into cap space. Im not an expert in cap space and what we'd have to do to increase that but right now we're sitting at 1.9 million or so.  

Resign Jackson for 2 years and decrease his roll to bruser at the goal line.  Jackson wants to stay, make it happen.  Go OL, SS, FS and OLB in the draft.

Cap space can be opened through restructured contracts. They'll figure out a way to keep SJ39. 

I think they will mutigers, we know Steven Jackson wants to stay and he still has game.  We also know that both Richardson first part of the season and Pead late in the season, started to get more work.  I see it getting done, I am wondering more about Amendola than Jackson.  Just a thought guys, Amendola is fine but hurt a lot, Welker is a FA, I say sign him.  Not the big receiver some want but does this not really help the offense?

I love Danny Amendola, but that doesn't mean the Rams need 2 of them. I don't pursue Welker because of that. 

I think the point was to sign Welker and NOT Amendola!!

Exactly ksu, both are FAs and I know there is a bigger price tag for Welker but does stay on the field more outside the broken leg a couple years ago.  Still 100+ catches and anose for the end zone. Just a thought given Amendola's injuries.

No need to sign middle aged FA's!!  Scott Wells??   Drew Bennett?


Greg Jennings - NO

Welker - NO




NO NO NO!

Sign William Moore or Jarius Byrd - both All Pros unfortunately.        And I think we could get Amendola for cheaper than you think.  if not, someone can fill in that space. 

Good thinking SportsJunkie. I don't think we need to sign William Moore or Jarius Byrd. If the team drafts a Vacarro or Elam, why not sign a guy like Kenny Phillips or Louis Delmas for cheap. I know they are injury but so is Moore. Injuries are a part of the game. Kenny Phillips is a big time talent though. So is Delmas but that kid has a physical style like Cortland Finnegan. Delmas just needs to stay healthy and I bet he can find himself being an All Pro. This draft class has a ton on talent at S but the question is, will the Rams draft 2 safety's and be inexperienced on the back end of the defense??? Trumaine Johnson and Janoris Jenkins have only 1 year of experience and the team needs to have at least 1 safety with experience to show the young guys the tricks and trades of pro football.

As for Danny Amendola, he could be brought back for cheap IMO. He is injury prone but tough as nails though. Just think about it, none of the Titans teams that Fisher coached had super elite WR's. They had solid-above average WR's who could be counted to make plays. Derrick Mason was really the only WR on those teams who teams could actually fear outside of Frank Wycheck at TE

Guys good points on the Welker versus Amendola debate, I only brought it up as a talking point between two of the same but one on the field and one off injured.  I like Amendola and if he could stay on the field, I would want him.  Pettis does not have the same influence with Bradford when Amendola is on the sideline.  As far as safeties, we do need two.  I also don't think that drafting both is a great idea.  One yes but two might take us back a bit but with Dahl back there anyone would be better.  I like Elam myself but Vacarro is fine as are a couple of guys we could get in the 3rd or 4th rounds.  As far as O-Line, I also think Fisher will be gone by number 16 and it has been said that Warmack would be gone also.  I think when draft day comes, O-Lineman are pushed back a bit in favor of big defensive stoppers.  Media will push guys all around prior to the draft but coaches look at game changers when selecting in the 1st round.  Fisher might even get overlooked but I think the Chargers get him with number 11.  I do think Warmack will be there at number 16 and it will be Fisher's call if he wants to spend our first choise on a OG no matter how good he might be.  I like the idea that if Fisher, Warmack and all the big OL are gone, to move back for more picks as long as we get that big safety at some point.