Next up for Rams is finding players

[RamWraith]

By Jim Thomas
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Sunday, Feb. 08 2009
The front-office pieces are in place, with a "cap guy" (Kevin Demoff) and a pro
personnel director (Mike Williams) recently hired and currently on duty at Rams
Park.

As early as Monday, coach Steve Spagnuolo could announce what are believed to
be the final two hires on his staff — a quality control coach on offense and a
cornerbacks coach on defense.

So now it's time to find some players for a Rams franchise that has lost 27 of
its last 32 contests. This past week, much of the focus shifted from putting
together a staff to evaluating personnel. Williams and many of the coaches
spent hours grinding away on tape of prospective free agents.

Trouble is, the Rams are a modest $14 million under the 2009 salary cap ceiling
of $123 million. At first blush, $14 million seems like a decent war chest. But
the Rams' rookie salary cap — the amount of money they will be allocated to
sign draft picks — projects at about $6 million this year.

Much of the remaining money will be needed to re-sign pending free agents
Oshiomogho Atogwe, a safety, and cornerback Ron Bartell. (All indications are
that they remain top priorities for the Rams, even with the hiring of a new
head coach.)

And if the Rams end up placing the franchise tag on Atogwe, that designation
alone eats up $6.34 million of cap space.

So what does that leave for signing outside players once the free agency and
trading period begins Feb. 27?

Not much.

Devaney, Spagnuolo and Demoff have tough decisions to make if they want to
clear cap room to be active in free agency. Where will the money come from?

Currently, five Rams count at least $7.4 million each against the cap in 2009:
wide receiver Torry Holt ($10.2 million), offensive tackle Orlando Pace ($9
million), quarterback Marc Bulger ($8.5 million), defensive end Leonard Little
($7.6 million) and running back Steven Jackson ($7.4 million). Combined, those
five players account for $42.7 million, or nearly 35 percent of the team's 2009
cap space.

Despite his detractors, Jackson remains the team's best player. He's not going
anywhere. Bulger has had two down years in a row, and it would be
understandable if Spagnuolo wondered whether Bulger truly is a franchise-type
quarterback. But the cap hit from trading or releasing him is prohibitive.

Regarding Little's cap count, the Rams would save only a modest $2.5 million by
cutting or trading him. So it doesn't make much sense to dispatch him,
particularly because he remains the team's top pass rusher when healthy.

That bring us to Holt and Pace. The Rams would free up $8 million of cap space
by cutting or trading Holt by June 1. They'd save $6 million by cutting or
trading Pace by June 1.

So in essence, the Rams would double their cap room — from $14 million to $28
million — by dispatching Pace and Holt. These would not be easy decisions. Pace
and Holt have been to seven Pro Bowls a piece. They were mainstays of the
Greatest Show on Turf squads. They have conducted themselves in exemplary
fashion on and off the field in St. Louis.

But with the arrival of Spagnuolo, the franchise is two coaching tenures
removed from the "glory days" of Rams football. Will the wave of change
sweeping over Rams Park extend to Pace and Holt — a pair of Hall of Fame
candidates?

NFL scouts, front office executives and coaches offer a variety of opinions
regarding Pace. Some feel he's near the end of a great 12-year career and
doesn't have much left. Others feel he's still an effective player, although
not what he was a few years back.

The danger, of course, potentially comes from casting Pace, 33, aside too soon.
The best recent example is left tackle Willie Roaf, who enjoyed several fine
seasons with Kansas City after being tossed aside by New Orleans.

And if Pace goes, the Rams' hand would be forced. They'd have to add a starting
tackle via free agency, the draft or trade.

Holt, 32, doesn't have the deep speed he once had, in part because of knee
problems and in part because of advancing age. But he was misused and
underutilized for much of the '08 season by a Rams staff that seemed intent on
force-feeding Donnie Avery into the No. 1 receiver role.

Over the last month of the season, Holt flashed some of his old form. His
production over the last four games would have translated into 76 catches for
1,080 yards over a full season.

If Holt goes, would the Rams be comfortable depending on youngsters Avery,
Keenan Burton and Derek Stanley, plus disappointing veteran Drew Bennett, as
their core receivers? Holt's departure might tilt the Rams strongly toward
taking Texas Tech's Michael Crabtree with the No. 2 overall pick. Or trading
down for Missouri's Jeremy Maclin, who's widely regarded as the next-best wide
receiver in the draft behind Crabtree.

At the Senior Bowl last month, one veteran scout said the word was that the
Rams were floating the names of Pace and Holt as available via trade for a
third-round pick.

League sources told the Post-Dispatch that an NFL club — believed to be
Tennessee — was offering a first-round pick for Holt before the trading
deadline last fall. The Rams decided against making the trade, the source said.

Of course, another option to free up cap space is simply restructuring the
contracts of Pace and Holt. The agents for Pace and Holt did not return phone
messages left Thursday and Friday.

The trading period doesn't resume until Feb. 27. If the Rams are intent on
using a trade of Pace or Holt to free up cap space for free agency, the players
would have to be moved right around that time.

It would make no sense to wait until April, just before the draft, to make the
trade, because by then all of the top free agents will be gone. Invariably,
most of the ever-dwindling number of quality free agents are off the shelves by
mid-March.

Teams can begin releasing players Monday to free up cap space. And there are
cap-saving options on the roster other than Pace and Holt, although none that
would free up as much money. For example, releasing strong safety Corey Chavous
would save $1.2 million. Releasing linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa would free up
$2.25 million.

If the Rams decide to go in another direction for a backup quarterback,
releasing Trent Green would save $1.3 million. And releasing defensive tackle
Claude Wroten, who was suspended for the entire '08 season for violating the
NFL's substance abuse policy, would free up $726,000.

[blood85]

Let most of these guys go, Pace,Holt, Chavous.....it's time to ReLoad. The truth hurts, but the future of the team depends on it. It's a cruel business. Bottomline.

[Mooselini]

If we cut Pisa, it's going to be a huge mistake. The guy still has it, and he's only going to free up as much as Little will free up. Keep both of these guys.

As for Holt and Pace, I don't mind Pace leaving. He's been a great Ram. But we need to find his replacement anyways...

[eldfan]

We got old fast Holts want out anyway so I see him gone. I wounder If they would ask Bulger to restructure his deal.

[AvengerRam]

Releasing any of these players is only a good idea if the cap room is then well spent.

For example, if you cut Holt, and doing so allows you to sign a top OL (i.e. Jordan Gross), which then allows you to have the freedom to consider Michael Crabtree in the draft, that makes sense.

If you cut Holt and don't sign any significant FA, then I don't really see the point.

Same thing with Pace. If you cut him, you pretty much have to either sign a guy like Gross or draft an OT in the first round. Let's say you decide to take Monroe with the second pick. The money then saved from cutting Pace could be used to sign a top center or maybe even raid the Cardinals roster by going after Boldin or Dansby.

In the end, it has to be a double-move.

[bruce4life]

WOW Boldin in a rams uni now that sounds like fun to me

[Jockelite]

WOW Boldin in a rams uni now that sounds like fun to me

I think kidnapping him is the only way he will come here, but I really like the draft Crabtree idea!

[locazn]

It would be sad to see our future hall of famers go (Pace and Holt). But that's the NFL , go Rams 09 !!!!

[39thebeast]

I don't know why people think cutting Holt automatically means Crabtree. I think we would still go offensive line with the first pick and go after a LB in FA. Cutting Holt to me, just means we are going to run the ball more and focus on building a better defense

[Canadian Rams Fan]

Releasing any of these players is only a good idea if the cap room is then well spent.

For example, if you cut Holt, and doing so allows you to sign a top OL (i.e. Jordan Gross), which then allows you to have the freedom to consider Michael Crabtree in the draft, that makes sense.

If you cut Holt and don't sign any significant FA, then I don't really see the point.

Same thing with Pace. If you cut him, you pretty much have to either sign a guy like Gross or draft an OT in the first round. Let's say you decide to take Monroe with the second pick. The money then saved from cutting Pace could be used to sign a top center or maybe even raid the Cardinals roster by going after Boldin or Dansby.

In the end, it has to be a double-move.

I agree with you 100%. As well the Rams can go over the cap as long as they get to or under before the deadline. I would love to see Boldin in a Rams uniform. I cant also help but think about the possibility of Osuamaga from the Raiders(C.B) and what about Lito Sheppard the guy is unhappy in Philly he would be such a compliment to Ron Bartell. We still need a strong safety whether it be F.A of the draft. If we are to get better at stopping the run we need a Strong Safety.

[HornIt]

If we cut Pisa, it's going to be a huge mistake. The guy still has it, and he's only going to free up as much as Little will free up. Keep both of these guys.

As for Holt and Pace, I don't mind Pace leaving. He's been a great Ram. But we need to find his replacement anyways...

Where's Pisa going to play? Witherspoon is moving over to the WILL.

Unless you expect the rebuilding to happen in one year and the Rams will have a serious shot at some hardware next year, now is the time to move on without the expensive, old vets. Hopefully they can get something of value for them in trade.