I'd break the bank to get...

[AvengerRam]

Who would you write a BIG check to, if you could have one, but only one, only one top FA?

[AvengerRam]

For my money, it has to be Haynesworth.

Can you imagine a DL of Long-Carriker-Haynesworth-Little?

Now that I'd like to see.

[Bar-bq]

Oh, man.

I'd break the bank for either Haynesworth or Gross and would be over the moon with either. My vote goes to Gross, just to keep things even.

[C-Mob 71]

This was a tough one, because I believe Haynesworth is a special, special player and can really take control and dominate a game. But I think we would have one of the most feared running games in the NFL if we add Gross and Andre Smith to pave the way for Jackson. But man that D line would be imposing...

[bigredman]

We can't look back at 2008 and evaluate this team to determine what moves to make, we need to look forward and determine what team we want to become. No piece here and another piece there is going to make us competitive. This team is a hodge podge of different philosophies competing against each other, hence the record.

Devaney is going to have to make up his mind what kind of product does he want to put on the field. A hard nosed defensive, no frills on offense kind of team? A finesse team that scores points and keeps the other team from scoring more? Or a balanced team that can pick up defensively when the offense is struggling and vis versa?

To be sure, what every team needs is a base. We have no base really. There must be a nucleus of talented leaders on both the offense and defense making the plays that inspire the rest of the team to play above their natural talent. To draw that spectacular play out of each player sometime each game.

We have talent, but no leaders. What made 1999 so special was that we had Warner's brilliant talent and his leadership raising the play of all those around him, and we had Fletcher's big hearted talent on defense inspiring hard hitting, don't stop until the whistle blows toughness that made a marginally talented group world champions by stopping the Titans on the one yard line.

Take a look back at those Super Bowl teams and there is magic about their season. I hope we catch lightening in the bottle again and come up with the right chemistry that will bring this franchise back to it's former glory and keep it there. I'm excited by that possibility, but just as weary that a wrong move can keep us in the cellar for many years to come. Let's all hope for the former!

[RAMarkable]

Who would you write a BIG check to, if you could have one, but only one, only one top FA?

While I would certainly be ecstatic with either Haynesworth or Gross, Julius Peppers is the kind of player that only comes around once in a while. I would definitely write a BIG check to get him.

WHAT SAY YE?

[39thebeast]

definately Haynesworth IMO no one else is close, he is the most dominant defensive lineman in the league and maybe the best defensive player, If he wasn't injured he could have won defensive player of the year

[Mooselini]

Jordan Gross hands down!!!

He's in his sixth season. He's a probowl player. And he could easily be a Ram for six more years!

This way...you're looking at this assumed line up

Pace - Bell - Rookie/FA - A. Smith - Gross

When Pace retires

Gross - Bell - Rookie/FA - Greco/Barron - A. Smith

That is an assumed line up. You can substitute Greco, Cogs, Setterstrom, Schuening, Goldberg and Romberg.

[Bar-bq]

When Pace retires

Gross - Bell - Rookie/FA - Greco/Barron - A. Smith

That is an assumed line up. You can substitute Greco, Cogs, Setterstrom, Schuening, Goldberg and Romberg.

Gross had been tried at LT in Carolina early in his career and it didn't exactly work. You might want to switch that around.

[The Rat King]

I'd love to see Nnamdi Asomugha out there in the secondary. A shutdown corner is impossible to find these days. Either him or Boldin. We need someone to help Torry as his career reaches its end.

[Nick]

There's no way I'd break the bank to get Albert Haynesworth.

Not only has he not been able to complete a full season as a starter, but he really didn't emerge as a top caliber player until '07 and '08, both contract years for him. Prior to that, he was a pretty inconsistent player.

In 2007, again a contract year, he was only on the field for 53% of the snaps. There's two ways to look at that. One, that could be a testament to his dominant performance when he is on the field. But on the other hand, do you break the bank for a guy who has to come off the field more than you'd like?

Furthermore, I think there are some character issues there that I just don't feel comfortable with. Citing an ESPN article, he was suspended for half of a game in college after getting into a fight with a teammate, leaving the field, and returning with a long pole in hand. When he was coming out as a prospect, one of the reasons he slipped to Tennessee to begin with was maturity questions. He kicked center Justin Hartwig during the Titans' '03 training camp, perhaps a precursor to him severely stomping on Dallas center Andre Gurode's head in 2006, which earned him a huge five-game suspension. He had road rage charges in 2006 that were dismissed, and in March of this year, Haynesworth was pulled over in his Escalade for going 103 mph in a 70 zone.

The Rams need more size on the interior of the line as well as pass rush help, and Haynesworth looks like the kind of player that could add that dimension. But I see too many concerning things about him to throw a lot of money at him, even in a hypothetical situation.

So that leaves Gross and Peppers. When it comes to Gross, I think he's one of the top right tackles in this league. I'm not as confident in him as a left tackle, though he can play there. Still, if you're going to be breaking the bank on a guy, don't you want it to be the blind side blocker? If we signed Gross, I'd want him to stay on the right side where he's best suited. The Rams would have a nice set of bookend tackles if they signed Gross and then took the best OT with the second overall pick, but that's a heck of a lot of money to have invested at the position too. Can they afford it?

Ultimately I think the choice for me is Peppers. The guy is a monster at defensive end, and would be a force opposite of Chris Long on our defensive line. Seven years in the NFL, and he's posted double-digit sacks in five of them. He had a career year this season with 14.5 sacks. On top of that, he's not your traditional undersized pass rushing defensive end. At 6'7' 283 pounds, he's not going to get washed out by offensive tackles like smaller rush ends are. The only problem with Peppers is his age. He turns 29 years old in four days, so I think there should be a discussion as to how much longer he's going to keep up this kind of productivity. That being said, I don't think he's suddenly going to turn into a five-sack guy in the next year or two. I think he's versatile and athletic enough that he should be able to maintain his productivity for the majority of a new deal, and would certainly give us more help on the defensive line, where we need to get bigger and better.

[Azul e Oro]

I voted for no one player, given the choices of only linemen.A rotation of capable guys is what makes a D-line consistently successful. At least, that's the lesson I get from The Giants' continued success this year after the personnel changes/injuries.

Gross, as pointed out above, is better as a RT than LT-the only line position considered by the NFL in general as worthy of franchise player type moolah. Unless your QB is a southpaw,that is.
All of these guys are good players but the cohesion and depth of the units they play on has got to be a part of the reason why they have become exceptional.

I'm bitterly tired of that sinking feeling when I read that any one Ram lineman has gone down with an injury because I know there isn't anyone behind him or beside him who can pick up the slack.

[txramsfan]

The Rams can't do anything unless they protect the QB or open holes for Jackson. Gross needs to be an option the Rams need to look at.

[C-Mob 71]

I may be biased, but as far as the running game goes I think both the right and left tackles are extremely important. And sure you need that blind side protected, but don't you also need the right side protected too? I think we draft Andre as Pace' eventual successor and pick up Gross to finally slam the revolving door that is St. Louis Rams right tackle shut. I love Alex, and I still wish him the best, hopefully he finally comes into his own and plays his natural LT position and we will have drafted the best guard in the NFL.

(Just saw Warner on sportscenter and teared up I want Kurt back...)

[eldfan]

Albert Haynesworth we need someone in the middle of our Dline the run D was so bad I would love to see him.