Thoughts on the off-season

[txramsfan]

This next year is it for the Rams. Back to a few years of mediocrity for a few years after 2002. Why?

1. O-Line. Will be depleted. Probably hang on to Pace and Timmerman is signed, but everyone else could be gone.

2. Faulk. Contract will be up. How much of the coffers do we give him after Warner's huge contract?

3. Salary cap. Heard somewhere we are way over the cap for 2003.

My ideas:

1. Draft O-line heavy this draft. Get set for the next 5 years.
2. Look hard at Canidate. If we aren't going to give Faulk the money, at least give Trung much more touches in 2003.
3. Let Hakim and Fletcher go, resign Little. Maybe move Fields to Fletcher's spot, look to the FA's to replace Hakim. We have to let some of these guys go, I hate it, but thats the reality behind the salary cap.

[Aries51]

I havent given a lot of thought to the off-season yet.Still numb from the Super Bowl.I agree with you on alot of points txramsfan,but I have to lean towards signing Fletcher.He is an emotional leader.I would love to see Little signed also,but if the cap wont allow it we need to pay attention to the talk of moving D.Lewis to defense end.Management may already be thinking about letting Little go.I also think we ought to let Dexter Mcleon go and pickup a corner thru the draft or consider making Bly a starter.I have always liked Dexter,but he has blown a lot of coverages this year.This is going to be an interesting off-season to say the least.

[DODRAM]

need to check but my understanding is that the whole Starting O line is signed for next year AND I think the one after, so that's safe.

Of the 3 free agents, there are likely to be 2 resigned, current favorites being Little & Fletcher. Hakim will be allowed to test the FA market and will in all likliehood be paid big bucks to start somewhere. I've heard washington might be interested

McCleon is not a bad corner but like any corner looks bad when he's beat. The corner makes a mistake and it's often 6 points on the board, we're not going to find a second Aeneas so lets stick with a guy who knows the system.

[majorram]

I found this report about the RAMS cap on the 'the STL.TODAY.com sports..'

this is what we have, 51 players under contract for next season for a total of $66,454,128 which fits OK as the CAP is $71.8 this year but for 2003:rolleyes: we have quite a prob!!!!

we have already commited $62,546,347 to only 19 players

Faulk=$12 million

Williams=$8.206 million

Bruce=$7.020 million

Warner=$8.353 million

so that already accounts for $35 million my god!!! Faulk total compension for the 2003 includes a $5 million deferred signing bonus,

Warners base salary more than doubles from $2.6 million in 2002 to $5.3 million in 2003 and he is also dew a $3 million in various bonuses each season through 2005...

I reckon that we will have one more shot until the old salary cap bites and I,m with you TX we must draft well for the coming years
and O-line would be high on my list!!too.

I think that we will let Az go, he had a good SB so his value will have gone up!! and I reckon he will test the open market. KC maybe.I hope that we keep Little and Fletch, passrushers are hard to come by and we have a good one in Little and Fletch what can you say the heart and soul of our D and he deserves to be rewarded!!

This off-season is going to be interesting but aleast we have the best management in the bussiness


steve
:ram:

[BruinJer]

Going by what I've seen from "Ma'dam Ram" and John Shaw for the past 20 years.... Kiss Marshall goodbye! Maybe they've changed their ways but I don't trust either one of them. These are the same people that let Eric Dickerson go for wasted draft picks. As far as the O-Line goes... That should be priority #1. We will go as far as the O-Line takes us.

[28rulz]

You don't really think they will let Faulk go do you. He is so valuable to the o. I for one would be dismayed if this occured. I agree that we can let Hakim go and not feel it, Little and Fletcher I would keep. I also think we need the heart that Fletcher gives, especially now. This will be interesting to see what happens. Has anyone heard anymore about Lovie and his future plans? I haven't wanted to watch TV since the SB..you know..all the media crap about the Rams.

[txramsfan]

Actually 28, in a weird distorted sort of salary cap way, it may make sense to let Faulk go after next season. Several reasons why:

1. We are going to have to rebuild to be competitive. Faulk may bring several top draft picks.

2. The salary cap hit is going to bring us down like the Cowboys I'm afraid. If drastic measures aren't taken, get ready for a year or two of losing seasons. Maybe more.

3. We may have to look at dumping other vets to become competitive also. Don't be shocked to see Holt, Wistrom, Fletcher, and maybe even Bruce in different uni's very soon.

[RamWraith]

I THINK

I believe Faulk will retire after next season. I think it was on the back of his mind this season if we would have won the show. After next season it will be his last :upset:

[28rulz]

:upset: I know you are both pretty on target...I just hate it because he is my pick to watch if you take away all the teams. But I did hear Faulk make several comments towards retireing, I don't know how much more his knees can take. And he is intelligent enough to want to stop while he can walk. And as far as salaries and salary caps go I am just beginning to understand all that and as much as I hate it you may be right ...we do need to make room for new plyers and Bruce may be one to go. I think he's been very patient with sharing the ball. But I felt a lot of frustrstion behind the interview I read. Only time will tell. Again, any news on Lovie?

[MsWistRAM]

I think J-man is right. There's not many years left on Faulk's knees anyway, so he may be looking to make next season his last. I think we should groom Trung as his replacement.

Tx, don't even joke about Wistrom. Seriously though, any considerations like that would be a few years down the way. We need to keep the backbone of the D intact since it's made so much improvement. Too many changes might bring it down again. I think Lewis in Little's place could work...in a couple of years, but not just yet. Him and Fletcher (I can see Fletch retiring with this organization like Agnew did) I don't think will be going anywhere. It would surprise me if they did.

I worry about the salary cap issue as well. Did Warner even consider the effects his salary could have on the team when he resigned? If it effects the team, eventually it effects him as well. If the team falls apart, his pretty face won't be needed on any soup labels anymore. Just a thought.

This all definitely isn't my forte. I'll be sitting back waiting to see how things develop with a lot of interest. People say the season is over, but really, for me, it's just beginning.

[RamWraith]

Warner

Warner contract is not that huge to be honest for the quality quaterback. Bledsoe signed for 100 mil.

Our problem lyes we have a large amount of people due to make big money. This is what happens when you get a lot of great talent on a team, all the money is do at once, you start to hit the excelerated part of the contracts in the later years :mad:

I am not sure of how much of this money is guarenteed as the only thing in the NFL that is guarenteed is signing bonus.

[txramsfan]

Now that I have been depressed WAY TOO LONG, its time to focus on the positives. Not the positives of the game or last season, the positives going INTO next season.

1. Young Defense. Wow, what is the average age of our D, 19? Can they shave? Think about it:

S - Archuleta - He probably still gets carded at R rated movies.
CB - Bly - One of the long tooths of this unit. And he just turned 24.
CB - Butler - Rookie that was impressing all the coaches
LB - Polley - Just turned 24 and should be the Rams Rookie of the Year
FS - Sorenson - Didn't play much on D but was solid on special teams. Rookie from Virginia.
DL - Young - Where did he come from? Did Kurt signal him in or something?
DL - Lewis - Was hurt but showed promise.
DL - Pickett - Jury is still out.

Lots of hope there, not to mention solid veteran leadership from Williams. Now that I think about it, I like our chances defensively for awhile. Maybe the Rams have figured out the new formula for success: Draft one side of the ball mainly every year. Heavily draft one side.

This year, O Line help definately should be on the war room board. And, I would make it a high priority to go after one of these FA's for the O-Line:

Flozell Adams - Dallas Cowboys
Jason Fabini - NY Jets
Tarik Glenn - Colts
Jeremy Newberry - Whiners
Tony Semple - Lions

Hey, time to go show everyone why our front office is the best. Charlie Armey, don't you go ANYWHERE but Rams Park. LOL


:lid:

[hpbadger]

keep armey

I agree the best thing the Rams can do is keep Charles Armey. Does anyone think the Rams will try to bring in a taller/stronger reciever to replace Hakim? Looks like the Pats showed that strong DBs can disrupt the pass routes. Maybe the Rams can get Bidwell to send David Boston.

[TIMLAN2057]

Sure thing: the front office needs to start girding for 2003 and make some hard choices.

I agree that next year may be the last season in this particular window of opportunity. Oh, for the old days when you could keep a team together for 10 years.

The salary cap is very real. My god, look at all the names on the expansion draft list. Michael Strahan, for one, the Aints have both Willie Roaf and Rickey Williams on there . . . the Texans could assemble an interesting team before they sign the first free agent.

[TIMLAN2057]

Ooops. Sorry guys. That's G Wally Williams and NOT RB Rickey Williams on the Aints' list of unprotected players.

Did hear that R Williams is possible trade bait though . . possibly to Miami. :ram: