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If the Rams are ready for a "fire sale," here's my plan.

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  • #1

    If the Rams are ready for a "fire sale," here's my plan.

    Its obvious that, in the process of separating from the failures of the old regime, the new regime has left a roster that simply does not have enough playmakers. While it is important that the team keep fighting, they must also consider cashing in a few chips, if possible, to provide more opportunities to acquire talent in the future.

    I'll start with my list of players who, barring a deal so lopsided that it can't be passed up, are "untouchable." They are: Steven Jackson, Mike Karney, Jason Smith, Jason Brown, Donnie Avery (too few WRs to even consider moving him), Chris Long (you can't convince me that we should give up on him, so don't bother trying), James Laurinaitis, Will Witherspoon, Ron Bartell, O.J. Atogwe, James Butler and Donnie Jones.

    With that said, here are my candidates for trades:

    Marc Bulger
    I think we all saw this week why Marc Bulger is the starter and Kyle Boller is not. That said, Marc can't save this team, and in the long-run, the Rams must take a franchise QB in the draft. If the Rams wait until the end of the season, I doubt Bulger would have much trade value. However, for a team desparate for a QB now due to injuries or poor play by a starter (Dallas, maybe?), Bulger could be a good option. Put him behind a strong O line and with good receivers, and he can still produce.

    Leonard Little
    In my mind, he is no longer an every down player, and I believe his presence is holding Chris Long back to an extent. For a contender, though, he could be a great addition as a situational pass rusher. With his expiring contract, the financial burden would be manageable as well.

    Alex Barron
    I'd be on the phone with the Saints right now, as they just lost Jamaal Brown for the season. Barron is not the Rams' future at LT (Smith is), and he's going to want too much money next offseason to keep as a RT. Let's see what Greco can do.

    Randy McMichael
    Not sure if anyone would take him at this point, but I'd take whatever we can get.

    Richie Incognito
    Can't trade him and Barron, as the O line would be too thin, but if Barron can't be moved, maybe some team would take him on as a reclamation project. Probably not... well, maybe the Raiders.

    Jacob Bell
    Nobody's going to take his contract, but if I'm wrong, make us an offer.

    There are others I'd be willing to trade, but doubt would prompt any interest.
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Re: If the Rams are ready for a "fire sale," here's my plan.

    If Bulger got traded to another team, I would be happy. Not because that I don't like him, I actually like the guy, and am a fan of him. I would be happy because this guy has taken so much beating, punishment and revulsion from fans here that he deserves to resurrect his career on another team. If he does play successfully on another team, I'll be very happy for him, and the Bulger haters will crawl back into their little caves, knowing that all along they were wrong for blaming this guy for our team's problems.


    McMichael has to go. Fells and Bajema should take over for him nicely.

    For Bell, if we can trade him, I'm all for it. He's not a standout. If he does standout, its because he made a terrible play. He's not a very big guard. He's actually pretty undersized. He gets very limited push in running plays, and on passing plays the bigger D-linemen just bulldoze him out of the way.

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    • #3
      Re: If the Rams are ready for a "fire sale," here's my plan.

      I doubt we would get anything for any of them except Little, and i would rather keep him around as a situational rusher like you suggested.

      I think the Rams would be better off starting Long and Hall at DE and bringing Little in
      Still need to see Adeyanju get a shot though, no reason to keep him benched
      @EssexRam_

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      • #4
        Re: If the Rams are ready for a "fire sale," here's my plan.

        Id almost trade Steven Jackson for draft picks at this point

        Comment

        • #5
          Re: If the Rams are ready for a "fire sale," here's my plan.

          Dallas has Kitna why would they want Bulgers BIG $$$$$ CONTRACT?

          Unreasonable to think teams will be willing to acquire these BIG $$$$$ contracts on players that at best have BIG ??????????? MARKS.

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          • #6
            Re: If the Rams are ready for a "fire sale," here's my plan.

            First of all, Dallas has never demonstrated a big concern over money.

            Second... Kitna?

            Comment

            • #7
              Re: If the Rams are ready for a "fire sale," here's my plan.

              Originally posted by AV
              I think we all saw this week why Marc Bulger is the starter and Kyle Boller is not.
              Ooh, AV I'm afraid "we all" might be too broad a grouping. There are those who will pin this loss on Bulger as well. In fact, it's just a matter of time until someone says.......Bulger has led us to a 5-31 record over the last two plus years. Or some other made-up pseudo-stat.

              I believe the disease of Bulger Derangement Syndrome is terminal. There is no cure.
              The more things change, the more they stay the same.

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              • #8
                Re: If the Rams are ready for a "fire sale," here's my plan.

                I remember when Bulger was going to throw for 4,000 yards and the Rams were going to go 8-8. Ah the good old days of not needing talent if you have the west coast offense.

                The Rams can't trade anyone with a large cap figure after 2009. They don't have the cap space available to realize the cap hit so the NFL would never allow it. They can't roll cap space forward to 2010 because it is prohibited without a cap in 2010 being in place.

                How do you trade Barron after you just benched him?

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                • #9
                  Re: If the Rams are ready for a "fire sale," here's my plan.

                  I think it comes down to knowing people. If Spags has connections, maybe a deal can be worked out with these trades. But I personally don't know if anyone will be willing to take any of these players.
                  Always and Forever a fan of the St. Louis Rams

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                  • #10
                    Re: If the Rams are ready for a "fire sale," here's my plan.

                    Originally posted by txramsfan View Post
                    Id almost trade Steven Jackson for draft picks at this point
                    There is something to be said about this idea. Most of your "franchise changing trades" usually involve runningbacks. Jackson is considered a great back. He could get us some real talent on offensive line and mid round draft picks in return. With our record, we should be able to get a franchise QB of the future and a good running back in the draft.

                    I also agree regarding Bulger. Let the guy re-energize his career elsewhere. He's just going to get killed in St. Louis. He too would bring maybe a quality defensive lineman and some draft picks.

                    The rest of the suggested players in my opinion wouldn't bring us anything but late round picks.

                    It's time for our front office to get on those phones and build this franchise with what little assets we have to bargain with. I'm not sure how it all works within the cap rules regarding trades, but it can't be the same as outright cutting someone.
                    Last edited by bigredman; -10-05-2009, 09:50 AM.

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                    • #11
                      Re: If the Rams are ready for a "fire sale," here's my plan.

                      Originally posted by RebelYell View Post
                      The Rams can't trade anyone with a large cap figure after 2009. They don't have the cap space available to realize the cap hit so the NFL would never allow it. They can't roll cap space forward to 2010 because it is prohibited without a cap in 2010 being in place.
                      Barron, Incognito and Little all have expiring contracts.

                      How do you trade Barron after you just benched him?
                      You find a team that believes that he is better than what they already have on their roster.

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                      • AvengerRam_old
                        Stay or Go? My current list for some of the veterans.
                        by AvengerRam_old
                        Here's my current "stay or go" list for 2010:

                        Marc Bulger: STAY (I think)
                        The Rams need to draft a QB of the future in the first two rounds of the 2010 draft. I don't expect to change my mind about that one. But do we let Bulger go? If we can trade him for value... absolutely. If dumping his salary means bringing in a quality FA... probably. Otherwise, it seems to me that we need at least one established starting QB on the roster, and I'm not a big Boller fan.

                        Richie Incognito: GO
                        Have the Rams missed a beat with Adam Goldberg playing OG? No. If anything, the line has played better while Richie's been hurt. As his contract is up, I don't see bidding much to keep him. He seems destined to be a Raider.

                        Alex Barron: STAY???
                        As well has he has played lately (and he has played well), I can't see giving him a long-term LT deal. Not with the emerging J.Smith on the roster. But, do we let him go for nothing? Cap-permitting, I'd say we consider a franchise tag to hold him, and then try to trade him. If we can't, I could think of worse things than another year of Barron and Smith on the edges.

                        Randy McMichael: GO
                        Is there anything that McMichael does that Fells and Bajema can't do for half the price?

                        Leonard Little: GO
                        Don't let the 5 sacks fool you. He has 18 tackles this season. That's 2 per game. By comparison, Long has 28. Little has given the Rams a lot of good years, but its time to move on. If we need a veteran, Hall is likely a cheaper option.

                        O.J. Atogwe: STAY
                        Say what you want about him, but he is still probably the top defensive playmaker on the team. You build around guys like him.
                        -11-16-2009, 04:27 PM
                      • RamsInfiniti
                        'Tis early, but barring injuries, here's a POTENTIAL opening day roster ...
                        by RamsInfiniti
                        Just wanted to see what it looks like on paper. I don't even know yet, because I am doing this on the fly.

                        Let's assume the following:

                        1. No significant injuries
                        2. Rams cut/trade Pace
                        3. Rams cut/trade Holt
                        4. Rams move down in draft and select T Andre Smith (Alabama) as he slips significantly, despite a great pro day performance. Draft James Lauranitis with extra pick to play the middle.
                        5. Tye Hill is able to pull it together

                        Offense

                        QB - Marc Bulger
                        RB - Steven Jackson
                        FB - Mike Kerney
                        LT - Alex Barron
                        LG - Jacob Bell
                        C- Jason Brown
                        RG - John Greco
                        RT - Andre Smith
                        TE- Randy McMichael
                        WR1 - Donnie Avery
                        WR2 - Keenan Burton

                        Defense

                        DE - Chris Long
                        UT - Adam Carriker
                        NT - Clifton Ryan
                        DE - Leonard Little
                        WLB - Will Witherspoon
                        MLB - James Lauranitis
                        SLB - Chris Draft
                        CB - Ronald Bartell
                        CB - Tye Hill
                        FS - O.J. Atogwe
                        SS - James Butler

                        I don't know, but seemingly looks much, much better than last year. A young team that learns on the fly, should easily pull 5-6 wins. If players develop rapidly, could get 8 or more. Have two shots at LT here. Either Barron pans out, or you plug in Smith over there. It's up the air as to the draft picks, but hey, I pulled something out my hat ....
                        -03-09-2009, 08:52 PM
                      • RamsFan16
                        What we have, what we need ( Long )
                        by RamsFan16
                        What we have, and what we need

                        Offensively, the Rams have a lot of potential, unfortunately that doesn’t automatically translate to All Pro talent. As cornerstones, we have several. Starting with the Offensive Line, we have Jason Brown, and Jason Smith. Both young, and talented, with room to improve. Jason Smith the rookie RT has had a few injuries this season, with the most recent being a severe concussion. Prior to the injury, he was playing at a very high level. While run blocking, Smith was a absolute bulldozer, driving opponents back, pancaking them, and being relentless. While in pass protection, he showed much improvement. He started out slow and got had a “Welcome to the NFL, Rookie!” moment when Julius Peppers made a comedian out of Smith. Other than that one play, Smith has been solid in pass protection, and outstanding in the running game. The Rams are set at C, and RT, and some could say LG for the future. Yes, LG, Jacob Bell has been playing much better this season, believe it or not. Starting lineman Alex Barron ( LT ) and Richie Incognito ( RG ) have expiring contracts at the end of the season, with that, the question “Do the Rams bring them back?” comes up. Granted, they make boneheaded penalties on occasion, they’re players, they’ve becoming accustomed to this scheme and other than penalties have played at a “winning level”. Even if they’re not guaranteed a starting spot, bring them back. A team with enough holes the way it is does not need to create anymore for themselves. At worst, the two of them will be solid backups. Bring in some draft picks, or Free Agents to compete with them, make them earn it, but we cannot just let them walk, and create 2 holes on the line when they’ve gelled together pretty well as of late
                        .
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                      • chiguy
                        Positions I Feel Good About
                        by chiguy
                        The positions on the roster I feel OK about:

                        1. MLB. The kid is good.

                        2. Safety. Dahl has been good in Butler's absence.

                        3. Center. Not dominant, but he ain't the problem either.

                        4. Cornerback. We still need another one, but our CBs don't get embarrassed each week.

                        5. Number #2 Receiver. Between Robinson and Avery, one of them is bound to be good enough for that.

                        6. Defensive End. I don't feel great about this because of our lack pass rush, but our DEs have been good against the run. Long in particular looks like a good one against the run. I bet he'd get to the passer with real help elsewhere.


                        Positions I feel only so-so about:

                        1. DT. They're better this year, but dominant they ain't.

                        2. WLB. Witherspoon is fine, but he doesn't stand out like he did two years ago either. He isn't worth the big money he's getting paid, but at least he shows up and does his job.

                        3. RB. People will hate this being listed there, but I wonder how many more productive seasons Jackson will have and we have nothing behind. If he goes down, our offense would be beyond bad.

                        4. OT. Two first rounders starting (when Smith is healthy), but no dominance there. Jury is clearly out on Smith and Barron is at best mediocre.


                        The worst positions:

                        1. QB. Combine Boller's athleticism and moxie with Bulger's accuracy, and you'd have a decent quarterback. Sadly, they're separate people.

                        2. TE. McMichaels has the dropsies and Fells still can't earn starting time.

                        3. FB...unimpressed by Karney.

                        4. SLB. Lennon...no. Vorba...no. Grant? Probably not.

                        5. #1WR. Do we have an NFL #1 on the roster? I haven't seen him yet.

                        6. OG. Bell has been awful (RT next year?) and I don't understand anyone's fascination with Incognito....
                        -10-11-2009, 09:15 PM
                      • RamsInfiniti
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                        Here's my take on the offense:

                        Quarterbacks - Is there any man on the face of the earth happier than Marc Bulger? Hard to tell how "happy" he really is I guess, but considering the debacle of the past two years, he must be gleaming. A revamped offensive line, a real fullback, a new coaching staff, a real front office, and an offensive system that has his name written all over it. Bulger's accuracy and quick release make him perfect for Shurmur's system. If his confidence comes back, Bulger should easily rebound to near Pro-Bowl form. Of course, this is contingent on the development of a very young group of wideouts. Boller is a solid backup, and that is just that. He is good enough to keep us in games should Bulger go down, but I doubt we can win with this game long term. Regardless, definitely a significant upgrade over Trent Green, a Saunders guy who clearly can no longer perform in this league. I cannot see Null beating out Berlin for the 3rd spot, but that battle is irrelevant at this point. Neither is likely the QB of the future here, we'll grab that guy in next year's draft.

                        Running Backs - You would be hard pressed to find a more talented back in the league than S.J.. He has all the tools to be the absolute best running back in the league. He runs hard, catches the ball well, and can turn nothing into something big. If he can stay healthy and stay on the field, we can stay in most games. He has an opportunity to shut up all the naysayers with a big year, and behind this line, he should be gold. Darby, Pittman, and Leonard are a trio of servicable backs, but none stand out as a top prospect for the #2 role. Darby is a hard running, good pass catcher, and good blocker but lacks the explosiveness to break the big play. Pittman is shifty and quick, a nice change of pace from Jackson, but lacks Darby's hands and blocking abilities. Leonard is a jack of all trades, but isn't superior to either of the other two in any area. Obgonnaya seems to be a hard downhill runner with great hands. Darby and Leonard are servicable special teams players, so I am calling Pittman the odd man out here, if anything because WCO backs need great hands. Karney is a hammer in the backfield and should be our best FB since the other "hammer", James Hodgins. He can be a threat out of the backfield.

                        Wide Receivers - Wow, have you ever seen a team go into the season with a younger group of wideouts? Avery developed nicely last year, proving that he can be both a deep threat and a solid go to guy. His route running increased as the season went on and his hands were far better than expected, resulting in several spectacular grabs. He may not be a #1 at this point in his career, but he is going to have to pretend to be this season. Burton struggled with injuries early on, but has all the skills to be an Isaac Bruce type. He looked superb in preseason and is a very nice route runner. It would not surprise me, if healthy,...
                        -04-27-2009, 11:43 AM
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