Bell

[RamWraith]

I believe this is the last day for anyone to claim Bell. Anyone know if this is true?? It is being reported that no one has shown any interest in him as of yet.

comments from Hadley:
Hadley talked like he has seen Bell play quite a bit and the book on him is that he has a lot athletic ability, but he simply got too big and as a result lost some mobility and missed too many tackles last year. So it sounds like he needs to get in better shape if he is to be a factor. Not necessarily lose weight, but get in better overall shape.

[adarian_too]

Re: Bell

You really don't want Bell do you? Already enough money invested in DTs that everyone is waiting to produce. You really want Trotter, LB, don't you? More established depth at LB will solidify the run support that was lacking.

[RAMMAN68]

Re: Bell

Another high priced DT that no one wants? No thanx, I think the Rams have plenty of talent on defense to do the job.

[general counsel]

Re: Bell

He is not "high priced" and that is the point. We are signing him for 638k which is very, very low rent. We are not looking for him to be an every down guy, merely contribute against the run. There is upside there and larry marmie has coached him for three years and is the best position to know. I think it is a nice fill in signing. I wouldnt pay big money for him either, but thats just not the case. If the issue is getting him in shape, turn Bill Kollar loose on him and he will either get his butt in shape or wind up getting waived.

Lots of upside, very little downside.

ramming speed to all

general counsel

[coy bacon]

Re: Bell

I gotta agree with Adarian. The Ram's FO looks like a bunch of clowns with all the DT mess. 3 first round draft picks and mostly mediocre results (Pickett is average, only average). Two very good DTs are gone, (Young, Zgonnia), and we kept the sour apples. Bad moves by the FO. Now they sign another underperforming DT? I hope not.

Rotate the current DTs, perhaps the sum of their talents will get us to average, or go out and get a real DT. If you just want backups, get a couple good LBs instead.
sigh.

[Curly Horns]

Re: Bell

I don't know anythging about Bell. Thanks for the info on Bell from Hadley, whoever Hadley is. (sorry mokler, I only know he is some kind of radio personality...I think?)

I don't think a LB with a suspect knee, that nobody else seems to want, is the answer. I think the answer with the DTs will lie with Marmie. Smith was too obsessed with his weight policy and it probably did more harm than good.

[adarian_too]

Re: Bell

Injury questions about Trotter? Missed only 4 games in the last 4 years and none last year. He is in the top 15 of tackles during the last 4 years ahead of people like Arrington, Claiborne, Brooking, Armstead. http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/stats/...LL?&_3:col_1=5

As far as what others want? Someone on another thread mentioned Trotter wanted 3/3.5 M per year. Maybe that's the source of the fear factor. Frankly now that the cash weight of KW is gone, I'd sink some of that into a cap friendly deal. As much as we enjoyed hyping T-3, I think the're value was over-stated. Injury prone, small, and Polley is probably FA bound.

Few agreed with me last year when I insisted Seau would be what the D needed. Well, my FA acquisition for this year would be Trotter. Just because Snyder keeps throwing money around new FAs doesn't mean Trotter had a down year last year. In fact his stats were quite comparable all around and in comparison to the T-3 far surpassed them.

So, if standing pat is part of the answer then stand pat at DT and strengthen the LB corps.

[coy bacon]

Re: Bell

Yep, what Adarian said.

[jjsram]

Re: Bell

What adarian too said, too. Maybe it is time for the FO to spend a couple of dollars (cap friendly deal) on the defensive side.

[Curly Horns]

Re: Bell

Well I will see your two "what adarian said" and raise you a "what I say"

Yearning for seau last season, one in which he did no better than our young Pisa, only proves that this off-seasons yearns for trotter are more than likely misplaced. At some point in time it is prudent to go with the youth, especially when the disabled and aged player guarantees no better results.

Seau: 15 games - 66 tackles - 3 sacks - 0 int - old and quickly fading

Pisa: 16 games - 63 tackles - 2 sacks - 3 int - a rookie with major upside

Trotter tore up his right knee three-quarters of the way into the 2002 season, and that marked just the latest knee injury, a problem that began for him in college at Stephen F. Austin. He rehabilitated well enough to make 16 starts in '03, but the Redskins staff felt his play had dropped precipitously below his compensation level.
While teams around the league might question the Redskins' acumen in most personnel matters, and feel their discarding of Trotter was hasty, there are enough questions about Trotter that even interested clubs will proceed with some caution. Assuming that Trotter is physically sound, one of those teams might reel in a bargain, since the high-character linebacker is more concerned about redemption than remuneration at this point.
Leaguewide consensus appears to be that while Trotter is no longer a Pro Bowl defender, neither is he a guy who belongs on the NFL scrap heap. What teams will seek to identify in coming days, it seems, is precisely where he fits in the middle of those levels.

Sorry, but I just don't see trotter as a major upgrade over the youth that the Rams currently have at MLB. If trotter were to come way down in asking price it "might" be worth further consideration.

[serkicker32]

Re: Bell

i will agree with you ferter, he would not be a big enough upgrade to discard thomas, who was a 1st round draft pick. I really dont think that we need to invest even more money in the MLB position or it might start to look like our DT's cap wise.

[jjsram]

Re: Bell

Trotter's stats from last year:

16 games — 113 tackles — 1.5 sacks — 1 fumble recovered — 1 interception.

Yes, I think he would be a major upgrade at the right price.

[serkicker32]

Re: Bell

Thomas
12 games - 71 tackles - 2 sacks - 1 fumble recovered
and that was his first year at MLB for us, plus i would put money on it that he is faster and more agile than Trotter and will only get better.

[Curly Horns]

Re: Bell

I really don't like the tackles stat, because every site seems to have a different total and there is no stat, that I have found, on missed tackles. Also, I don't count assists, because I feel they are too subjective. I look at the tackles stat as a gauge, but it really doesn't tell the whole picture.

As serkicker points out, there are many other variables and I agree that Thomas has more upside than trotter. I will say, Thomas does need to improve and stay healthy. Also, looking at the roster, there does not appear to be any depth behind Thomas. Exactly what the Rams have in mind, as far as depth at MLB, is a mystery to me.

[txramsfan]

Re: Bell

Well, first of all, we can't afford Trotter. We now have enough to sign the Rookies and work with Pace. The Front Office's first and foremost task is to try to get Pace signed to a long term deal without giving him Fort Knox.

DT's to me are run stuffers. Not worried so much about sacks from DT's as I am that they get pressure. However, they are the first line of defense against the run and they have to plug the holes, something that was lacking last year. Maybe it was because they were light, they always seemed to be outmuscled at the line of scrimmage. Bell is cheap and can't hurt.