RamsSB99 Mock Plan B

[RamsSB99]

Plan B would be to sign a good LT such as Jake Long and provide some weapons that can put points on the scoreboard.

Drafting Jonathan Cooper who can play left guard or center at a high level would be ideal for our LG spot. Rok should be fully healed and could compete for the RG spot if we let H. Dahl go so we can free some more cap space to help sign Jake Long for LT. Tavon Austin would help everyone forget about Amendola and be a weapon on special teams. Vance McDonald could be a weapon in passing and blocking. Rogers is a fearless receiver who is good at blocking for the run game and could compete with Quick for a starting spot at WR. Sanders Commings will be able to replace Dahl and provide size and speed. Devonte Holloman could compete for a starting linebacker position. Robert Gaines is a huge strong man who could be a backup at G and OT. He has the potential to develop into a good tackle but is raw and would be a backup to start. Cooper Taylor has good size, would add depth to the strong safety position, and be good on special teams.

Draft
1 (16) Jonathan Cooper G/C 6'3 315 35 bench
1 (22) Tavon Austin WR 5'8 175
2 Vance McDonald TE 6'4 265 31 bench 4.69 40
3 Da' Rick Rogers WR 6'3 215 4.52 40
4 Sanders Commings CB/FS 6'2 220
5 DeVonte Holloman OLB 6'2 245 Alternate: Lerentee McCray OLB 6'2 250
6 Robert Gaines OT 6'6 335 28 bench 36.28 arms
7 Cooper Taylor SS 6'4 230 Alternate: Ray Ray Armstrong SS 6'4 220

Cut: (17.4 mil)
Steven Jackson 6'2 235 29 Saves 7mil
Wayne Hunter 6'5 320 31 Saves 3.9mil
Quintin Mikell 5’10 205 31 Saves 3mil
Harvey Dahl 6’5 305 30 Saves 3.5mil

Sign
Jake Long LT 6'7 320 28

Resign
William Hayes DE 6'3 275 27
Robert Turner OG/OC 6'4 310 28

Offense: (25)
(10)
QB (2) – Sam Bradford 6’4 230 24, Austin Davis 6'2 220 23
RB (3) –Daryl Richardson 5'11 200 4.38 40, Isaiah Pead 5'10 200 4.41 40, FA Backup
FB (1) - Terrance Ganaway 6'1 240 24 4.55
TE1 (4) –Lance Kendricks 6’3 250 24 4.50 40, Matthew Mulligan 6'4 265 27
TE2 - Vance McDonald 6'4 265 31 bench 4.69 40, Cory Harkey 6'4 260 22

(6)
WR1 – Chris Givens 5'11 200 4.35 40
WR2 - Da' Rick Rogers 6'3 215 4.52 40, Brian Quick 6'4 220
WR3 - Tavon Austin 5'8 175, Austin Pettis 6’2 210 4.6 40, FA Backup

(9)
LT – Jake Long 6'7 320 28, Joe Barksdale 6'5 330 24
LG– Jonathan Cooper 6'3 315 35 bench, Shelley Smith 6'4 305 25
C – Scott Wells 6'2 300 32, Robert Turner OG/OC 6'4 310 28
RG– Rokevious Watkins 6'4 340, Robert Gaines OT/OG 6'6 335
RT - Rodger Saffold 6’5 325 23, Robert Gaines OT/OG 6'6 335

Defense: (25)
DL (9)
DE(4) – Chris Long 6'3 275 27, Eugene Sims 6'6 250 26
DT(5) – Kendall Langford 6'6 295 26, Jermelle Cudjo 6'2 310 25
DT- Michael Brockers 6'5 325, Matt Conrath 6'7 290 (23) , FA Backup
DE – Robert Quinn 6’4 270 4.57 40 21, William Hayes 6'3 275 27

LB (6)
SLB– DeVonte Holloman 6'2 245, Sammy Brown 6'2 245 22
MLB– James Laurinatis 6’2 245 25, Josh Hull 6'3 240 24
WLB–Jo-Lonn Dunbar 6'0 230 27, Justin Cole 6'3 240 24

DB (5)
LCB – Cortland Finnegan 5'10 188 28
RCB – Janoris Jenkins 5-10 195, FA Backup
NCB- Trumaine Johnson 6'2 205, Quinton Pointer 5'9 195

S(5)
FS – Sanders Commings 6'2 220, Rodney McLeod 5'11 185 (22)
SS – Darian Stewart 5’11 215 23, Cooper Taylor 6'4 230, Matt Daniels 6'1 210 22

Special Teams (3)
P- Johnny Hekker 6'6 230
K- Zuerlein Greg 6'0 190
LS – Jake McQuaide 6'2 247 24
KR/PR- Tavon Austin 5'8 175

[richtree]

I like this one...good thoughts...just sub Rogers with Dobson

[RamsSB99]

I like this one...good thoughts...just sub Rogers with Dobson

You mentioned Phil Loadholt as a RT option in another thread. I would take Loadholt for RT if we didn't get Long and he might be a tad cheaper.

Loadholt would be great in the running game. 6'8 345.

[mcpeepants232003]

don't want Long. He'll want huge money and he hasn't produced like he used to.

That being said any mock that ends with us getting Austin and Cooper in round 1 makes me happy. Certainly wouldn't go TE in round 2 though.

If we are going to get playmakers why not draft another WR in round 2? Certainly Justin Hunter or Nuk would open up the offense more than any TE not name Eifert/Erftz?

[CRAZYHORNS]

don't want Long. He'll want huge money and he hasn't produced like he used to.That being said any mock that ends with us getting Austin and Cooper in round 1 makes me happy. Certainly wouldn't go TE in round 2 though.

If we are going to get playmakers why not draft another WR in round 2? Certainly Justin Hunter or Nuk would open up the offense more than any TE not name Eifert/Erftz?

I agree I do not want Long. Those who have not seen him play in the last couple of years should do a little homework. Long has been challenge with stopping speed off the edge. Due to his struggles with speed off the edge he seems to be cheating a bit in his mechanics to support the edge but then it makes him much more valunerable to the inside power move. Long is no longer a top performing LT he once was.

I do not think Long will give us the consistency that the Rams need at LT. In fact if the Rams spend the big money on this guy I would very much be concern about the new regime and the choices they are making if they sign Mr. Long unless he comes cheap which I highly doubt.

[Tampa_Ram]

nicely done 99. not a bad way to go for the offseason.

[Bar-bq]

This is mega-different. It's not for me, but props to you for thinking outside the box.

Personally, I don't want to blow anything up - Harvey Dahl was at the very least not the worst Dahl to play for the Rams last season, and I think he should stick around. Saffold had played at left tackle his entire career - I wouldn't be comfortable moving him.

With that said, if we were to draft Cooper and Austin in the first round I'd be completely fine with it: just not under the circumstances you propose.

[RosieJones]

don't want Long. He'll want huge money and he hasn't produced like he used to.

That being said any mock that ends with us getting Austin and Cooper in round 1 makes me happy. Certainly wouldn't go TE in round 2 though.

If we are going to get playmakers why not draft another WR in round 2? Certainly Justin Hunter or Nuk would open up the offense more than any TE not name Eifert/Erftz?

While getting one of the the big E's would be nice, I'd be just as happy if the Rams came away with McDonald, Escobar, or Kelce(sp?) as well. I think they're all going to be very good pros.

[mde8352gorams]

I've got to agree with bar-bq. I'm not comfortable slotting Saffold and Watking on the right side when they've not played there before. Plus don't forget next year is a contract year for Saffold, you will want to see what he's got at LT prior to making any type of contract commitment. I also don't want Jake Long for the type of money he's likely to want. We can do better in the draft.

I do like McDonald at TE, I've been looking at his stats lately. Definitely a receiving TE, needs to be coached a bit on the blocking aspect. Da' Rick Rogers scares me due to his off-field issues. I wouldn't want to see him carpooling to work with Janoris Jenkins.

Go Rams!

[Vinnie25]

Forget about Jake Long, make all the same cuts except Harvey Dahl (keeping him at RG), keep Saffold at LT and Rok at LG, draft Tavon Austin, a Safety, and a RT (preferably Fluker or Kyle Long) in the first couple rounds, and sign the best available Safety or OLB in FA... sounds easy enough right?

[RamsSB99]

For those that dont like signing long what about Phil Loadholt instead? I think if we can get a proven OT in free agency we can then draft playmakers in the first three rounds along with a guard. I have read where with the cuts I mentioned and if we decided to tweak one or more of the following contracts to Laurinatis, Finnegan, or Chris Longs contract we could have well over $20 mil in cap space.

Here is what was said about Laurinatis on Yahoo Sports:

In terms of restructures, the lucrative, long-term extension signed Laurinaitis before the start of the regular season was structured in such a way that a slight tweak would create a lot of cap space in 2013. Laurinaitis is scheduled to receive a fully guaranteed $11 million roster bonus on March 16, which could be converted to a signing bonus and prorated through the end of the current deal (2017). The move would lower his 2013 cap number to $3.2 million, a cap savings of $9.4 million this season, while adding very little prorated amounts to future seasons.

[sosa39rams]

For those that dont like signing long what about Phil Loadholt instead? I think if we can get a proven OT in free agency we can then draft playmakers in the first three rounds along with a guard. I have read where with the cuts I mentioned and if we decided to tweak one or more of the following contracts to Laurinatis, Finnegan, or Chris Longs contract we could have well over $20 mil in cap space.

Here is what was said about Laurinatis on Yahoo Sports:

In terms of restructures, the lucrative, long-term extension signed Laurinaitis before the start of the regular season was structured in such a way that a slight tweak would create a lot of cap space in 2013. Laurinaitis is scheduled to receive a fully guaranteed $11 million roster bonus on March 16, which could be converted to a signing bonus and prorated through the end of the current deal (2017). The move would lower his 2013 cap number to $3.2 million, a cap savings of $9.4 million this season, while adding very little prorated amounts to future seasons.

I'd love to sign Loadholt. He is a beast at RT. Massive guy, plus he would come much cheaper than a LT. If I was forced to sign a T in FA I'd try and get one of the "pure" RT guys (Loadholt, Andre Smith, Sebastian Vollmer).

[shower beers]

Agree with all the hesitation about moving Saffold to RT. It seems like to some people it's just as simple as writing his name on the RT spot of the depth chart, and he'll be fine. I don't think that's the case. He's been a LT and has the skillset and frame of a LT. He's not a big mauler that a RT usually represents. I think we'd invite more problems to our line if we did this.

[TekeRam]

don't want Long. He'll want huge money and he hasn't produced like he used to.

That being said any mock that ends with us getting Austin and Cooper in round 1 makes me happy. Certainly wouldn't go TE in round 2 though.

If we are going to get playmakers why not draft another WR in round 2? Certainly Justin Hunter or Nuk would open up the offense more than any TE not name Eifert/Erftz?

1. Yes, absolutely yes. He's going to want premier LT money but with his struggles against speed seems like he should kick to the right side. Not going to try to talk him into that kind of money. If Loadholt is available and comes with a reasonable demand, then I'm ok with chasing him, but I don't feel like signing a big money RT when we have a LT that maybe needs a contract next year.

2. I'm still against 1st round WR's, though I know it's a matter of opinion on how to best open up the passing game. I'm more in favor of a TE because they are such variable weapons. They can block in the run game better than a WR and can still be open over the middle and down the seam because of their jump ball skills(I'm looking at you big 3 E's). Austin won't be there at our 2nd pick, so if we have our heart set on him, I'd be fine with him at 22, but don't like the value for a small WR myself.

As for Cooper at #16, the value is absolutely horrible. If the draft were before FA, I'd absolutely go with Fluker, keep Dahl and look for a G/C in free agency or later in the draft. Johnson or Fluker have possible value at 16, Cooper does not.

3. Why do playmakers have to be WR's? Why can't we let Givens and Quick and even Pettis in the slot develop into starters? Are we going to start playing a spread, 3 and 4 WR offense? Or are we going to continue to play a more traditional 21 or 12 personnel base set? Even the spread-happy Patriots play a 12 base set with Gronk and Hernandez. That is what I'd like to see with Eifert and Kendricks being dynamic targets all over the field, creating mismatches.

[mde8352gorams]

Teke, I agree with your points about Loadholt, but I don't think he's affordable to us and the Vikes are going to make every effort to re-sign him after the kind of year AP had.

I was in the same boat with you about a WR in round 1,but based on where we're drafting that may be what is the best value for us. Plus we may lose Amendola so we'll need a solid replacement. I'm leaning toward Keenan Allen, if he checks out medically. He could be a good WR for us because of his physicality against the press CB's in Seattle and elsewhere in the league. Plus he makes contested catches like Anquan Boldin.

Disagree with you on Cooper. Had a pretty good Combine, he offers versatility G/C and is a better value than Fluker who has weight issues from what I've read. Fluker is a pure RT and that lessens his value in round 1. Frankly I would prefer getting Kyle Long because he can go at OG or RT, plays nasty and has good bloodlines.

I agree on the TE strategy, Eifert would be a solid starter for us plus he can play wide out because of his athleticism. Would work for me if K. Allen isn't there at 16.

Go Rams!