March 11 - a day of pros and cons.

[AvengerRam_old]

On March 11, 2004, the Rams matched offers to restricted free agents Jeremetrius Butler and Brandon Manumaleuna.

The Butler move seems, as many of us believed at the time, to have been an excellent decision. There is a shortage of competent CBs in this league, and the Rams have locked up a solid, if unspectacular, CB in Butler for a very reasonable price. With the injury to Travis Fisher, this move looks particularly wise.

Manumaleuna, on the other hand, continues to baffle me. Or, more specifically, I am baffled as to why the Rams have such faith in this guy. To me, he has never looked like a starting TE. And when I see dynamic players at the TE position like Todd Heap,Tony Gonzalez, Jeremy Shockey, Kellen Winslow, Alge Crumpler, Dallas Clark and Randy McMichael, I wonder why the Rams would invest in Manu.

[Nick]

Re: March 11 - a day of pros and cons.

Manumaleuna, on the other hand, continues to baffle me. Or, more specifically, I am baffled as to why the Rams have such faith in this guy. To me, he has never looked like a starting TE. And when I see dynamic players at the TE position like Todd Heap,Tony Gonzalez, Jeremy Shockey, Kellen Winslow, Alge Crumpler, Dallas Clark and Randy McMichael, I wonder why the Rams would invest in Manu.

I agree. Especially after we let Conwell go and were led to believe that the tight end wasn't an important enough part of the offense to warrant a big deal.

[txramsfan]

Re: March 11 - a day of pros and cons.

We didn't technically let Conwell go, he just accepted the Saints offer over ours which wasn't that far off from the Rams.

[DJRamFan]

Re: March 11 - a day of pros and cons.

I think they're still considering Manu a work-in-progress. There is a shortage of good, quality TE's.

[adarian_too]

Re: March 11 - a day of pros and cons.

I wonder why the Rams would invest in Manu.

sMartz was a TE in college so it doesn't surprise me that he thinks he knows what he is doing at that position. I think simply stubbornness prevents him from recognizing that is one of his blind sides.

[RAMMAN68]

Re: March 11 - a day of pros and cons.

As long as Manu can block decently it's all right for me. Cleeland is more of a receiving TE than Manu.