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  • #1

    What I would do this offseason...

    I like the direction the Rams have taken so far, and this is what I would do this offseason. If the pieces fell like this, I'd be VERY pleased. These are just the bigger moves, more important picks in the draft, etc.

    Don't resign Alex Barron, he's useless, drop him. Also, lets let Leonard Little walk, unless he's willing to sign a cheep deal and be a rotational guy.

    Sign OJ to a long term deal.

    Sign Derrick Johnson (OLB from KC) and play him weak side, this is what he played in college and he excelled, he's young and was misused, he shouldn't be ridiculously expensive.

    Draft (obviously player rankings change, this is what I'd do based on a 7 round mock draft a saw today:

    1.01- Suh (DT)- best player available, fills a need, beast.
    2.01- Trent Williams (OT)- good enough and big enough to play RT
    3.01- Corey Wooten (DE)- excellent pass rusher and physical specimen
    4.01- Dan LeFevour (QB)- will sit behind Bulger/Null for a year, but has high upside despite being from a smaller school
    5.01- Dexter McCluster (WR)- will play from the slot, undersized but a playmaker, Percy Harvin Lite.
    PHI 5th rounder- Best OLB, CB, OG (depth)
    6.01- Best OLB, CB, OG (depth)
    7.01- Best OLB, CB, OG (depth)
    ATL 7th rounder- Best OLB, CB, OG (depth)

    So, next year, we'd start something like:

    QB- Bulger/ Null
    RB- S-Jax
    FB- Karney
    WR- Avery, Robinson, McCluster
    TE- Fells
    T- Jason Smith, Trent Williams
    OG- Bell, Greco
    C- Brown

    DE- Long, Wooten
    DT- Carricker, Suh
    OLB- Johnson, Vobora
    MLB- Laurinatuis
    CB- Bartell, Whoever wins the job at camp
    SS- Butler
    FS- Otagwe

    This is an ok offense (not great, but not completely terrible) with a much improved D. Our line will be the strong point of this team, which should help the run game and the pass game. QB's shouldn't have a lot of time to throw the ball leading to picks and over/under throws. Running games should be stopped with our great line and LB's should be freed up to make plays. This looks like about a 4-7 win team to me.

    Then, the year after, via FA and the draft, address the CB1 or 2 (depending where you value Bartell), OLB (replace Vobora, not a starter quality LB) and possible OG, TE, WR, SS. Hand the reigns over to LeFevour and become respectable again starting:

    QB- LeFevour
    RB- S-Jax
    FB-Karney
    WR- Avery, Robinson, McCluster
    TE- Fells/Someone Else
    T- Jason Smith, Trent Williams
    G- Jacob Bell/Someone Else, John Greco/Someone Else
    C- Jason Brown

    DE- Long, Wooten
    DT- Carricker, Suh
    OLB- Johnson, Someone Else
    MLB- Laurinatuis
    CB- Bartell, Someone Else
    SS- James Butler/ Someone Else
    FS- Otagwe

    This should be a 6-10 win team and should be enough improvement that Spags keeps his job and we become a force for the next few years.

    Thoughts? I feel that the Rams have a bunch of really solid depth players thrust into starting roles, but not a lot of legitimate talent. I think if we keep the solid players we have as depth and draft talent and sign FA's intelligently, we should be well on our way to a great squad.
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Re: What I would do this offseason...

    While your first three picks are good for the team, they are next to impossible in happening. I've seen mocks with both Mr. Williams and Mr. Wooten going in the first round.

    As far as Little is concerned, I would bring him back if he wants to play no matter what the price. We're going to have a ton of cap space next year, and I can't imagine we sign him for more than a one year contract, so why not? He's proven this year that he can still play at a pretty high level, and bringing him in situationally would allow him to keep healthy.

    I like the Derrick Johnson pickup. Is he going to be a FA this offseason?


    Nice mock all together though

    Comment

    • #3
      Re: What I would do this offseason...

      Nice work, rams_man! As someone who loves to do these offseason mocks, I can appreciate the work that went into it.

      I'm fine with dropping Barron. I've been critical of him for a while, and I actually thought he'd have a better year this season given that a contract was on the line. I don't think he'll ever get things together here, if anywhere. We can sign someone else better suited for the right side if we need to, though I'd be curious to see how Greco does there if he's not going to become a starter at guard.

      Derrick Johnson is an intriguing free agent name. Really, I think he could man either outside LB position. He has the size that Spagnuolo likes in his linebackers (or at least the size he's had success with) and he's probably looking to get out of KC and back into a starting line-up somewhere. I doubt he'd break the bank as well, so good job including him.

      Right now, I think the chances of both Williams and Wootton being there in the second and third rounds respectively are pretty slim. In my December mock, I had both of them in the first round (top 15 as well, I believe); if Williams is viewed purely as a right tackle, he may slip to the second, but I'm not sure Wootton lasts into the third. Furthermore, I kind of wonder if he isn't a strong side end like Chris Long.

      LeFevour in the fourth is probably a good value pick, but I worry about him as a pro prospect. I want to see how his arm looks in workouts this offseason, as I question whether he's strong enough to make all the NFL throws. Maybe that's a concern that's minimized in our system since it's more short passes, but you've still got to be able to hit some deep in this league.

      I'm not sure how I feel about McCluster. Clearly the guy knows how to make plays in a variety of roles, but I think he's a bit of a project as a receiver at the next level. You wonder how many pro routes he's had to run in that Ole Miss offense, and how well/quickly he'll transition to the next level. I think he'd probably be a good option on some of those WR quick screens we like to run, but I can't help but wonder if there wouldn't be a better option at receiver earlier on, maybe in the second or third.

      All in all, good work though! I like the way you're thinking with a lot of these moves!

      Comment

      • #4
        Re: What I would do this offseason...

        Sign Derrick Johnson (OLB from KC) and play him weak side, this is what he played in college and he excelled, he's young and was misused, he shouldn't be ridiculously expensive.
        Nice pickup. Very doable and logical IMO.
        The more things change, the more they stay the same.

        Comment

        • #5
          Re: What I would do this offseason...

          Great work... but with $35 million in cap space I hope we sign more players than OJ and Johnson in Free Agency.

          Comment

          • #6
            Re: What I would do this offseason...

            I think Wooten would be a steal in the 3rd as well, but I really haven't looked too much at valuing prospects. I took a 7 round mock draft someone did on another forum and looked at who was available when we picked and went from there.

            Should Trent Williams and Wooten both have a second round grade, I think we would be wise to take Wooten and I'm sure we could find a RT in the first pick of the third round (not far from where the Vikings selected Loadholt last season). I think this is largely dependent on where Trent Williams projects to play. If he is projected as a LT, then he'll be highly regarded, but if questions come up about his footwork (like Loadholt), he (or a LT who is more likely a RT) should be there for us in the 3rd. We could also consider packaging our 3rd and extra 5th rounder to move into the mid second and nab both of them, should their stocks fall slightly.

            I like this route because it addresses the lines on both sides of the ball. It makes us young and very good in the trenches which is necessary for success in this league. Also, it doesn't attempt to fix everything at once, we start by solidifying the lines and getting our QB of the future and another playmaker to groom. Then we solidify the rest of the D the next year, plug in the QB whose started the pro development process and go from there.

            As for the other topics of interest:

            Derrick Johnson: Yes, he's a free agent and there is no way he will resign in KC after loosing his starting job. The problem there wasn't talent, it was system. He played weakside at Texas in college and was a tackling machine and also had the best technique stripping the ball I've ever seen. I have always been a fan of his and I think he'd be a HUGE upgrade working with Spags and beside James. He's got amazing size and good speed and putting him behind our soon to be great d-line would really show it off.

            Little: Like I said, if the price is right and he wouldn't mind playing in a rotational role, then I would support signing him so he could finish his career off as a Ram. He'd have to know that we are going in a younger direction and he's not going to be a center piece any longer. If he embraces that and works with the young guys well, I will take that not a problem.

            LeFevour: Is one of my favorite lower ranked QB prospects in this draft. I think that his school has let him fly somewhat under the radar, but I do think he will look good in workouts. I almost hope he doesn't though, that way we can nab him, let him sit for a year and then unleash him. He'd be a very good WCO QB, accurate, decent size, decent arm and probably the best leadership ability in this draft outside of Tebow.

            McCluster: Yes, you are correct, he's not a polished route runner, he's super fast, but hasn't run pro style routes, he probably will have trouble with that in the pros... those sound like the same knocks that Percy Harvin and Mike Crabtree had on them. These types of players do succeed in the NFL, and I'm not saying Dexter has the same talent level, but he is a versatile weapon and can make plays. You can teach routes, you can't teach agility, speed and play making ability.

            Comment

            • #7
              Re: What I would do this offseason...

              I like it but I think we do a lot more than just 2 signings for free agency...
              Always and Forever a fan of the St. Louis Rams

              Comment

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              • RamsFan16
                RamsFan16's midseason Mock offseason
                by RamsFan16
                I figured it's midseason, making it the right time for a midseason mock, right? Let's begin!

                ------------

                Resign
                - DT Clifton Ryan:
                The dude is starting to become a very good player, for those who watch all the games, you know exactly what I'm talking about. The last 3 weeks he's really clicked. He's in the backfield making plays, and he's plugging up gaps and getting penetration on running plays. He's even showed a few times the ability to rush the passer, with another solid Defensive Lineman, his skills would be nationally known. He's still young and hasn't entered his prime, he's just beginning to touch is potential. He's a cornerstone to our future.

                - CB Jonathan Wade:
                He's a solid Nickelback for us, he's been doing solid this season, nothing spectacular but he's got the size and speed to hang with the faster slot receivers. He again hasn't hit his potential yet and is entering his prime, which should set up for a nice turue with us.

                - S Craig Dahl:
                Craig has been very good for us since joining the Rams. He's arguably been our best performer at safety. Last week really showed us what he can do when early in the game against the Colts, Dahl blew up a toss play in the backfield for a loss of yards, making a great open field tackle. He hasn't been a liability in coverage either, he's not going to be expensive which is a big positive.

                - LB Larry Grant
                He's been solid, he's young and has been decent for us, he'll come cheap and could potentially start at SLB for us.

                - T Alex Barron
                As badly as some of us want him to leave, he hasn't been bad this year, and he hasn't been great. He's not going to demand a lot of money and can provide good depth and potential starting ability again next year. He needs a strong finish to get a decent contract. He's young as well.

                - Richie Incognito
                He's a decent player, and knows the system. He's showed flashes of Pro Bowl talent but has been inconsistent. He's young and could provide starter/depth ability.

                A hard decision, but let OJ Atogwe test the market, he's been a turnover machine the past 2 seasons, but this season he isn't getting them. When he gets turnovers he's good, but when he doesn't, he's bad. He continues to be out of position, take poor angles and miss a lot of tackles while trying to punch the ball out. Someone will probably overpay for him, and I don't want it to be us. He's going to be 30 next year as well.

                Cut:
                RB Kenneth Darby
                TE Randy McMichael
                OG Jacob Bell
                WR Tim Carter
                WR Ruvell Martin
                S David Roach


                Free Agency
                DE Aaron Kampman
                - Most likely wont' be resigning in Green Bay, he's a very good DE in the 4-3 scheme. He can provide some nice help in the Pass Rushing game for us, he's currently in the 3-4 scheme which is not him. A move back...
                -10-27-2009, 11:30 PM
              • BarronWade
                BarronWade's mock off-season
                by BarronWade
                So right now we are 0-7 and this is the way i think our off season will go down

                First: Pat Shurmur is released (finally). Giants RB coach Jerald Ingram fills that spot hopefully he can do something.

                Second: Bulger reconstructs his contract to keep his job as Rams starter (for now).

                RE-SIGN:
                TE Dan Fells about 3-4 yrs.
                Receiving TE can help if we cannot get a good receiver in the draft. Even if we do Fells is a good 2nd catching TE like Shincoe was in NY.

                OG/C Richie Incognito about 1-2 yrs
                At this point we do not need to create a whole at Guard. So we get cogs for the short term and find a suitable starter in the next yr or 2.

                DE James Hall 1yr
                I think Little will either retire or spend one more year elsewhere. So we need a veteran leader and Hall has played well for us.

                DT Cliff Ryan 4-5 yrs
                Give me 1 reason why we wont re-sign our best DT that is only 25 right now.

                DB John Wade 1 yr
                He is a restricted free agent so we will obviously tender him if someone else wants him they give us a 1st rounder. or 3rd depending on how much we tender him.

                S Craig Dahl 2-3 yrs
                pleasant surprise for us.

                OJ Atogwe 2 yrs
                I think if we cannot re-sign him we will just put the franchise on him then he will negotiate a deal for about 2 yrs and see the direction of the team.

                Key Depatures:
                DE Leonard Little (see james hall)
                OG Jacob Bell (i dont see him reconstructing his deal which will get him cut)
                TE Randy McMicheal (good riddance)
                OT Alex Barron (penalties aside he is having a good year; i think we low ball him and some team gives him big bucks and a long term deal because of his size and talent. )
                OLB Paris Lenon (why would we resign an average 32 yr old.
                QB Kyle Boller (he could not protect the Boll)
                DE Victor Adeyenju (we kept on keeping him inactive i dont think spags likes him)
                RB Ken Darby (not as good a blocker as last year)

                NOTE: For all of you that think we can sign Breaston or Moore: why would young receivers destined for a good future come to the Rams that have QB issues?

                Key Arrivals:
                DT Barry Coefield
                This is a popular one because the G-men have depth on DL and Coefield will start with the Rams. He has conections with Spags.

                LB Chris Gocong
                He has connections with spags. He is a big LB. THe eagles just got spoon so they probably wont keep him. Your probably thinking why would he switch to OLB and come to the Rams. This will be the guy we give alot of money/ incentives to. He will be our "major" FA acquisition.

                WR Dominik Hixon
                unlike us the Giants have young receivers that are all flourishing and Hixon may be dropped in favor of Smith, Manningham and Nicks. We are in need of WRs and...
                -10-29-2009, 04:20 PM
              • rams_man13
                My Mock Offseason
                by rams_man13
                Let me know what you think, if this is possible, etc.

                Resign:

                - James Hall, DE (cheap, good rotational guy)
                - Gary Gibson, DT (good depth, cheap)
                - Clifton Ryan, DT (good DT, developing)
                - OJ Atogwe, FS (ballhawk in the secondary, one of our better D players)
                - Mark Setterstrom, OG (Decent backup on the OL)
                - Daniel Fells, TE (showed some flashes, looks like a good back-up)

                Cut:
                - Alex Barron, LT (bust, will want LT money, hurts the team with drive killing mental mistakes)
                - Leonard Little, DE (older, will want starting DE money, time to move on)
                - Randy McMichael, TE (not a good TE anymore)
                - Marc Bulger, QB (he's old, expensive and can't be relied on anymore)

                Free Agents:
                - Leon Washington, RB (good change of pace back, explosive, good in the return game, will come cheeper because of injury)
                - Tony Scheffler, TE (balanced TE who has excellent hands and decent blocking skills, feud with McDaniels will make him available from the Broncos)
                - Chad Pennington, QB (he's a one year stop gap to groom whatever QB we draft in the later rounds this year, he'll be cheap coming off surgery and should still have enough of a noodle arm to work in our west coast offense)
                - David Baas, OG (Big, run blocking RG to replace Richie)
                - Adam Terry, OT (Mammoth OT who will provide good depth/spot starting)
                - Thomas Howard, OLB (Great cover LB, will be dropped by the Raiders as a scapegoat for their struggles in stopping the run)
                - Derrick Johnson, MLB (I'm suggesting we move him to OLB where he dominated in college, I believe he's being misused right now)
                - Richard Marshall, CB (physical corner who supports the run, a traditional Spags guy)

                Draft:

                1.01- Ndamukong Suh, DT (Beast, BPA, Position of Need)
                2.01- Demaryius Thomas, WR (Ideal size, good speed and hands, WAS the Georgia Tech passing game)
                3.01- Greg Hardy, DE (Good size and speed, a solid pass rusher to work opposite Chris Long)
                4.01- Ciron Black, OT (Drops because he's not projected as a LT despite playing it all through college, dominant run blocker and instant RT starter)
                5.01- Dan LeFevour, QB (He's got a good chance to succeed at a cheap price, throw him in there and see if he can make something happen, if not, Jake Locker next year)

                2010 St. Louis Rams Depth Chart:

                QB- Chad Pennington, Dan LeFevour, Keith Null
                RB- Steven Jackson, Leon Washington, Chris Ogbonnaya
                FB- Mike Karney
                WR- Laurent Robinson, Donnie Avery, Demaryius Thomas, Brandon Gibson, Danny Amendola
                TE- Tony Scheffler, Daniel Fells, Billy Bajema
                LT- Jason Smith, Adam Terry, Adam Goldburg
                LB- Jacob Bell, Mark Setterstrom, Roger Allen III
                C- Jason Brown, Mark Setterstrom
                RG- David Baas, John Greco, Mark Setterstrom
                RT- Ciron Black,...
                -01-21-2010, 09:21 AM
              • Harry S. Truman
                Mock Draft- Off-Season
                by Harry S. Truman
                First, here's my predicted free agent signings..

                - Chase Blackburn
                OLB
                Giants

                - He's a steady tackler, not much of a pass rusher, but he's consistent all around otherwise. On top of things, he's got a good work ethic, and is familiar with a Spagnulo run defense. At 26, he's still got some upside yet.

                - Leigh Bodden
                CB
                Patriots

                - Bodden was New England's best DB in 2009, picking off 5 passes, while racking up 55 tackles and more importantly helping New England improve their pass defense, and was crucial in helping the Pats cut their allowed passing touchdown numbers.

                - Charlie Whitehurst
                QB
                Chargers

                Has a good arm with accuracy, good size for the position and has spent his first three seasons in the NFL learning behind one of the NFL's best young QB (Phillip Rivers) and a very good QB developer as Head Coach (Norv Turner).

                Rivers has actually gone on record and said that Whitehurst is overdue for a starting QB opportunity, and stated when he gets the chance, some team will be glad they gave him that shot.

                I view Whitehurst as a low risk, high reward pickup. He likely won't cost much, and if he develops, the Rams have their QB situation solved. If not, it was a low risk signing and they can focus their attentions to adding a QB in the first in next year's draft.

                Re-sign

                O.J. Atogwe
                Alex Barron
                Leonard Little

                Lastly.. Bring back Bulger as a backup.

                And.. The draft.

                Round 1
                - Ndamukong Suh
                DT
                Nebraska

                Suh is just what the doctor ordered for this defense. I think they've already got some pieces in place for future success, Suh will be the addition that could make them that much stronger. Suh, Long and Laurinitis is a very solid core, and one that could be dangerous for years to come.

                Traditionally, teams don't spend #1 overall picks, and the money associated with it on Defensive Tackles.. Then again, Suh isn't your traditional DT.

                Round 2
                - Brandon LaFell
                WR
                LSU

                I think WR is the biggest weakness on the Rams offense. While I like Donnie Avery, they need more.

                I think LaFell could quietly, when it's all said and done, become the best of this class. He has good route running skills and leaping ability; good size; good field vision and body control; has a competitive streak a mile long; is very productive and gets good YPC numbers because of his ability to break tackles and take hits. He's not going to ever win a foot race. He isn't slow by any means, but his timed sped won't ever wow you, however his other intangibles more than make up for the "lack of speed".

                He reminds me a large amount of Dwayne Bowe (and not just because both went to LSU). Bowe has quietly had a very good start to his career...
                -02-11-2010, 04:33 PM
              • 39thebeast
                Pre Bowl Mock draft
                by 39thebeast
                Free Agents
                O.J. Otogwe, FS, Rams- Gotta bring him back. One of the better play making safeties in the league

                Thomas Howard, OLB, Raiders- Great LB, fast(plays for all Davis what do you expect) big hitter, decent pass rusher. Where he excels in comparison to other LBs is coverage. As a former safety he has the size and speed to perfectly match up against TE's. Rams don't know how to cover TE's so this will help. The Raiders don't know what they are doing so his stats have gone down playing more on the strong side. He is a pure WLB and would be a good compliment to Lauranatis.

                Tavaris Jackson, QB, Vikings- He has got potential, mobility for the system, and has learned to make better decisions. He is starting right now if Brett Farve was a decisive person. Are the Vikings still 11-2? Maybe

                Tony Schefler, TE, Broncos-                 Really underutilized in Denver, will lower asking price. Ton of talent as receiver exactly what the rams need in the red zone and passing game in general.

                Zach Strief, OT, Saints-                 last thing the Rams want to do is spend another boatload of cash on another offensive lineman. Strief great size 6'7 325 cheaper option who could surprise at RT. Goldberg really played his best at RG he will start their for now.

                Karl Paymah, CB, Vikings-                 Bigger more physical corner spags wants. Can start until Fletcher comes back then be a really good nickel

                Leonard Little, DE, Rams                - Brought back cheap 1 year deal, provides a pass rush until a younger guy develops.



                1. Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska-



                Beast what can I say. A line with Long, Ryan, Suh, and a RE. Great young defensive line, with the potential to be dominant.



                2. Colt McCoy, QB, Texas


                Mobil, great leader. He will definately need some time to transition from the spread to a pro style offense. Might not have the arm, but he has the intangibles to be a good QB.



                3. Danario Alexander, WR, Missouri


                Big receiver the Rams currently don't have. 6-5 with great hands and is definately a threat in the red zone. Beastly local Mizzou boy. Adds another element to what our other young guys offer.



                4. Danny Batten, DE, South Dakota State


                After raiding the big 12 from its best players the Rams go to South Dakota State. Batten one of the best pass rushers in D II. Future at RE and will instantly rotate in as a pass rusher. With Long, Ryan, Suh if Batten develops. Dare I say it fearsome foursome part deux?



                5. Vladimir Ducase, OL, Massachusetts


                Plays LT at Massachusetts, but would probably play guard or RT in the pros. 6-5 330 he is a behemoth. Great run blocker and good in pass protection. Probably would be the future at RG since Goldberg is only signed through...
                -12-15-2009, 10:26 PM
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