Rams 2017 free agency talk

[Battlelyon]

2017 NFL Free Agents Tracker

UFA

Trumaine Johnson CB 27 LA TBD $13,952,000 Market Value
Kenny Britt WR 28 LA TBD $4,575,000 Market Value
Case Keenum QB 28 LA TBD $3,635,000
Brian Quick WR 27 LA TBD $1,750,000
Benny Cunningham RB 26 LA TBD $1,671,000
Greg Zuerlein K 29 LA TBD $1,250,000
Chase Reynolds RB 29 LA TBD $862,500
Cam Thomas DE 30 LA TBD $760,000
T.J. McDonald SS 25 LA TBD $731,570
Stedman Bailey WR 26 LA TBD $684,026

RFA

Dominique Easley DT 24 LA TBD $600,000
Ethan Westbrooks DT 26 LA TBD $516,667
Trey Watts RB 25 LA TBD

Who do you want to resign? Who do want to quickly show the door?

 

[Battlelyon]

If you are wondering for 2018

UFA

Tim Barnes C 28 LA TBD $2,800,000 UFA
Alec Ogletree OLB 25 LA TBD $1,757,509 UFA
Cody Davis FS 27 LA TBD $1,458,333 UFA
LaMarcus Joyner CB 26 LA TBD $1,257,545 UFA
Jake McQuaide LS 29 LA TBD $861,250 UFA
Tre Mason RB 23 LA TBD $745,235 UFA
David Arkin G 29 LA TBD $725,000 UFA
E.J. Gaines CB 24 LA TBD $581,918 UFA
Demetrius Rhaney C 24 LA TBD $566,474

RFA

Troy Hill CB 25 LA TBD $570,000
Darrell Williams T 23 LA TBD $527,500
Bradley Marquez WR 24 LA TBD $527,167
Malcolm Brown RB 23 LA TBD $495,000

Looking at this list, Ogletree, Joyner, Gaines, and McQuaide are must resigns.

 

[Battlelyon]

I think this is the offseason to renegotiate Aaron Donald's contract. Back load that contract, with a huge signing bonus.

Looking at Suh's contract for reference.

Suh was the top free agent on the 2015 market after five seasons with the Detroit Lions, and the Miami Dolphins made him the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history in March. His six-year, $114.3 million contract includes a $25 million signing bonus and $59.9 million in guaranteed money. - Sep 14, 2015

So I'm thinking 6 year for 130 million/ 35 million signing bonus/75 guaranteed money in that neighborhood

 

[Red_Chaos]

wait wait wait, we are still paying Mason after he abandoned us????

 

[27mtrcougar]

I think this is the offseason to renegotiate Aaron Donald's contract. Back load that contract, with a huge signing bonus.

Looking at Suh's contract for reference.

Suh was the top free agent on the 2015 market after five seasons with the Detroit Lions, and the Miami Dolphins made him the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history in March. His six-year, $114.3 million contract includes a $25 million signing bonus and $59.9 million in guaranteed money. - Sep 14, 2015

So I'm thinking 6 year for 130 million/ 35 million signing bonus/75 guaranteed money in that neighborhood

It will be interesting to see If Stan opens his wallet that much. We need to extend Ogletree too. He's going to command 8.5m a year I would think.

 

[Battlelyon]

wait wait wait, we are still paying Mason after he abandoned us????

Probably not, but who knows.

 

[27mtrcougar]

wait wait wait, we are still paying Mason after he abandoned us????

Yep the Rams never cut him. They can cut him now and save 750k

 

[RamsFan88]

2017 NFL Free Agents Tracker

UFA

Trumaine Johnson CB 27 LA TBD $13,952,000 Market Value
Kenny Britt WR 28 LA TBD $4,575,000 Market Value
Case Keenum QB 28 LA TBD $3,635,000
Brian Quick WR 27 LA TBD $1,750,000
Benny Cunningham RB 26 LA TBD $1,671,000
Greg Zuerlein K 29 LA TBD $1,250,000
Chase Reynolds RB 29 LA TBD $862,500
Cam Thomas DE 30 LA TBD $760,000
T.J. McDonald SS 25 LA TBD $731,570
Stedman Bailey WR 26 LA TBD $684,026

RFA

Dominique Easley DT 24 LA TBD $600,000
Ethan Westbrooks DT 26 LA TBD $516,667
Trey Watts RB 25 LA TBD

Who do you want to resign? Who do want to quickly show the door?

From the UFA: Johnson, McDonald,Zuerlein, Cunningham, Reynolds
From the RFA: Easley, Westbrooks

Everyone else can leave.

 

[Retroram52]

I agree RF88!

 

[shopson67]

Yep the Rams never cut him. They can cut him now and save 750k

Not sure how being on the "did not report" list affects your salary. Would certainly seem to indicate you don't get paid, but still count towards the cap?

 

[27mtrcougar]

Not sure how being on the "did not report" list affects your salary. Would certainly seem to indicate you don't get paid, but still count towards the cap?

Im not sure I guess its how the contract was written up.

 

[Battlelyon]

5 veteran free agents who could add experience to very young Rams roster
By Tanya Ray Fox January 30, 2017 9:03 pm ET


For the last five consecutive seasons, the Rams have had the youngest roster in the NFL. In 2016, the average age of their final 53-man team at the start of September was just 25 years old.

That’s great in terms of being able to maximize the prime of their best players’ careers, but as we saw during the entirety of the Jeff Fisher era, the team needs more than just kids with a lot of potential.

Which defensive back free agents should Rams target in offseason?
The Los Angeles Rams have a youth problem, plain and simple, and their best chance at remedying that is by adding veteran leadership and experience from the crop free agents this off-season.

With the addition of the fresh and innovative Sean McVay and the longtime defensive genius of coordinator Wade Phillips to the coaching staff, the team is well on their way to turning things around.

The Rams also already have elite young players in place, including Todd Gurley, Aaron Donald and Johnny Hekker. So, armed with the promise of new beginnings and the fact that L.A. is an attractive place to work and live, here are five veteran free agents that the Rams could try to entice in the off-season.

Which free agent wide receivers should the Rams target this offseason?
Julius Peppers (DE) Green Bay Packers
At age 37, Peppers is one of the oldest free agents at any position. However the future Hall of Famer also presents a huge opportunity to any team that can get him for the right price.

Remember when Junior Seau played out the end of his career in New England as a beloved leader and mentor for their young defense? That’s exactly what Peppers could do for the talented Rams unit. Oh yeah, and he had 7.5 sacks in 2016.

Frostee Rucker (DE) Arizona Cardinals
Rucker may not have the explosiveness of an elite pass rusher like Peppers and Donald, but what he lacks there he more than makes up for in consistency when he’s healthy.

He has battled injuries over the course of his 10-season career, but he’s also spent the past four seasons with a great defensive unit on the Cardinals. Rucker knows all too well about what it will take to succeed in the NFC West.

Wade Phillips plans to implement his 'hybrid 3-4 defense' with the Rams
Matt Cassel (QB) Tennessee Titans
Say what you will about ole Matthew but the man has seen it all. Cassel played in college behind Carson Palmer and then in the pros behind Tom Brady before he got his chance to be a regular starter for years.

Now while he is definitely not cut out to be a successful NFL starting quarterback, he’s a serviceable backup. More importantly, he could provide a major service as a mentor to someone like Jared Goff.

Pierre Garcon (WR) Washington
Garcon is coming off the second 1,000-yard season of his career, and the offensive coordinator that oversaw the resurgence in his productivity was none other than Sean McVay.

Not only would it be great to reunite him with his former OC, but the only person who truly thrived on the 2016 offense was veteran wide receiver Kenny Britt. Perhaps another vet on the other side of the ball could be the safety blanket that an unsure Goff needs to help him gain some confidence.

DeAngelo Williams (RB) Pittsburgh Steelers
Once upon a time Williams was one of the best running backs in the NFL. In 2016, he proved that he can back up the best in the league (Le’Veon Bell) and still be a threat in his own right.

After a rough sophomore season for Todd Gurley, Williams could provide the guidance and maybe even friendly competition that Gurley needs to get back on track. Plus, a strong one-two punch at running back would be a game-changer for an offense that hasn’t had a chance at anything like that in a long time.

 

[Battlelyon]

The Rams' offensive line needs a major overhaul

From now until the start of free agency, on March 7, we'll take a position-by-position look at the Los Angeles Rams in eight installments. The Rams -- coming off a 4-12 season that prompted the hiring of rookie head coach Sean McVay -- have about $40 million in cap space but do not have a first-round pick. They also have a lot of needs, all of which can feel a little overwhelming without breaking it down by section. We'll do that here. Next up: the offensive line. (Previous: WR/TE, DL.)

Key returnees: Greg Robinson, Rodger Saffold, Rob Havenstein, Tim Barnes, Jamon Brown, Cody Wichmann, Andrew Donnal

Notable free agents: N/A

Top free agents available (for now): Kevin Zeitler (G), Rick Wagner (RT), T.J. Lang (G), Andrew Whitworth (LT), Larry Warford (G), Riley Reiff (RT)

Key stat: The Rams' offensive line allowed 25 sacks of Jared Goff over the last six games, the most in the NFL during that stretch. That averages out to more than four sacks a game. Over the course of a full season, that rounds off to 67 sacks, which would have been the fourth-highest total in history. Only David Carr (76 with the Texans in 2002, 68 with the Texans in 2005) and Randall Cunningham (72 with the Eagles in 1986) absorbed more sacks in a season.

Was it scheme or talent? Did they draft the wrong players, or did they simply not develop them well enough? These are the questions the Rams must answer about their offensive line, which took a major step back in a season hindered mostly by an inability to protect the quarterback or open space for running back Todd Gurley. The Rams drafted seven offensive linemen from 2014 to '15, but none of them necessarily played well in 2016.

Their first step is to figure out what to do with Robinson, who has struggled mightily at left tackle since being drafted second overall in 2014. They could give him another shot at left tackle, this time under the direction of new offensive line coach Aaron Kromer, who replaces Paul Boudreau. They could also move him to guard, or release him outright.

That decision will set the tone for everything else. The strong likelihood is that the Rams will need a new left tackle, a position that could either be filled by Saffold or a free agent like Whitworth. But they also have to figure out why Havenstein, a second-round pick in 2015, seemed to fall off so dramatically in his second season. They also have to settle on a right guard, a position where Wichmann, Brown and Donnal all started in 2016. And they have to determine whether Barnes is the right fit at center.

McVay will probably implement some of the outside-zone concepts he initially inherited from Mike and Kyle Shanahan, but the Rams must improve their personnel in order to run it effectively.

 

[shopson67]

5 veteran free agents who could add experience to very young Rams roster
By Tanya Ray Fox January 30, 2017 9:03 pm ET


For the last five consecutive seasons, the Rams have had the youngest roster in the NFL. In 2016, the average age of their final 53-man team at the start of September was just 25 years old.

That’s great in terms of being able to maximize the prime of their best players’ careers, but as we saw during the entirety of the Jeff Fisher era, the team needs more than just kids with a lot of potential.

Which defensive back free agents should Rams target in offseason?
The Los Angeles Rams have a youth problem, plain and simple, and their best chance at remedying that is by adding veteran leadership and experience from the crop free agents this off-season.

With the addition of the fresh and innovative Sean McVay and the longtime defensive genius of coordinator Wade Phillips to the coaching staff, the team is well on their way to turning things around.

The Rams also already have elite young players in place, including Todd Gurley, Aaron Donald and Johnny Hekker. So, armed with the promise of new beginnings and the fact that L.A. is an attractive place to work and live, here are five veteran free agents that the Rams could try to entice in the off-season.

Which free agent wide receivers should the Rams target this offseason?
Julius Peppers (DE) Green Bay Packers
At age 37, Peppers is one of the oldest free agents at any position. However the future Hall of Famer also presents a huge opportunity to any team that can get him for the right price.

Remember when Junior Seau played out the end of his career in New England as a beloved leader and mentor for their young defense? That’s exactly what Peppers could do for the talented Rams unit. Oh yeah, and he had 7.5 sacks in 2016.

Frostee Rucker (DE) Arizona Cardinals
Rucker may not have the explosiveness of an elite pass rusher like Peppers and Donald, but what he lacks there he more than makes up for in consistency when he’s healthy.

He has battled injuries over the course of his 10-season career, but he’s also spent the past four seasons with a great defensive unit on the Cardinals. Rucker knows all too well about what it will take to succeed in the NFC West.

Wade Phillips plans to implement his 'hybrid 3-4 defense' with the Rams
Matt Cassel (QB) Tennessee Titans
Say what you will about ole Matthew but the man has seen it all. Cassel played in college behind Carson Palmer and then in the pros behind Tom Brady before he got his chance to be a regular starter for years.

Now while he is definitely not cut out to be a successful NFL starting quarterback, he’s a serviceable backup. More importantly, he could provide a major service as a mentor to someone like Jared Goff.

Pierre Garcon (WR) Washington
Garcon is coming off the second 1,000-yard season of his career, and the offensive coordinator that oversaw the resurgence in his productivity was none other than Sean McVay.

Not only would it be great to reunite him with his former OC, but the only person who truly thrived on the 2016 offense was veteran wide receiver Kenny Britt. Perhaps another vet on the other side of the ball could be the safety blanket that an unsure Goff needs to help him gain some confidence.

DeAngelo Williams (RB) Pittsburgh Steelers
Once upon a time Williams was one of the best running backs in the NFL. In 2016, he proved that he can back up the best in the league (Le’Veon Bell) and still be a threat in his own right.

After a rough sophomore season for Todd Gurley, Williams could provide the guidance and maybe even friendly competition that Gurley needs to get back on track. Plus, a strong one-two punch at running back would be a game-changer for an offense that hasn’t had a chance at anything like that in a long time.

Are the Rams now the halfway house to the retirement home? The only guy here I would consider is Garcon.

 

[shopson67]

The Rams' offensive line needs a major overhaul

From now until the start of free agency, on March 7, we'll take a position-by-position look at the Los Angeles Rams in eight installments. The Rams -- coming off a 4-12 season that prompted the hiring of rookie head coach Sean McVay -- have about $40 million in cap space but do not have a first-round pick. They also have a lot of needs, all of which can feel a little overwhelming without breaking it down by section. We'll do that here. Next up: the offensive line. (Previous: WR/TE, DL.)

Key returnees: Greg Robinson, Rodger Saffold, Rob Havenstein, Tim Barnes, Jamon Brown, Cody Wichmann, Andrew Donnal

Notable free agents: N/A

Top free agents available (for now): Kevin Zeitler (G), Rick Wagner (RT), T.J. Lang (G), Andrew Whitworth (LT), Larry Warford (G), Riley Reiff (RT)

Key stat: The Rams' offensive line allowed 25 sacks of Jared Goff over the last six games, the most in the NFL during that stretch. That averages out to more than four sacks a game. Over the course of a full season, that rounds off to 67 sacks, which would have been the fourth-highest total in history. Only David Carr (76 with the Texans in 2002, 68 with the Texans in 2005) and Randall Cunningham (72 with the Eagles in 1986) absorbed more sacks in a season.

Was it scheme or talent? Did they draft the wrong players, or did they simply not develop them well enough? These are the questions the Rams must answer about their offensive line, which took a major step back in a season hindered mostly by an inability to protect the quarterback or open space for running back Todd Gurley. The Rams drafted seven offensive linemen from 2014 to '15, but none of them necessarily played well in 2016.

Their first step is to figure out what to do with Robinson, who has struggled mightily at left tackle since being drafted second overall in 2014. They could give him another shot at left tackle, this time under the direction of new offensive line coach Aaron Kromer, who replaces Paul Boudreau. They could also move him to guard, or release him outright.

That decision will set the tone for everything else. The strong likelihood is that the Rams will need a new left tackle, a position that could either be filled by Saffold or a free agent like Whitworth. But they also have to figure out why Havenstein, a second-round pick in 2015, seemed to fall off so dramatically in his second season. They also have to settle on a right guard, a position where Wichmann, Brown and Donnal all started in 2016. And they have to determine whether Barnes is the right fit at center.

McVay will probably implement some of the outside-zone concepts he initially inherited from Mike and Kyle Shanahan, but the Rams must improve their personnel in order to run it effectively.

The Rams current O-line was drafted for power, not a good fit for zone blocking (even though Fisher tried to convert to zone last year anyway).

 

[Retroram52]

Yep, we are going to see a change in the roster. Phillips has way too many D-lineman and too few LBs. McVay should have went with Kevin Greene as his DC.

 

[RamsFan88]

Yep, we are going to see a change in the roster. Phillips has way too many D-lineman and too few LBs. McVay should have went with Kevin Greene as his DC.

Why? Phillips might be the best DC in the league.

 

[Battlelyon]

Why? Phillips might be the best DC in the league.

I know I was confused, well then, we keep Wade Phillips type players and get new one. Besides Ke4vin Greene doesn't have enough experience coaching and has been out of this league the last 4 seasons.

 

[Retroram52]

Let me get this straight, Battlelyon. Kevin Greene has five years experience as a LBs coach with Green Bay, the Rams hire Sean McVay, who has less than three years as an assistant coach, and you're concerned that Greene has insufficient experience to be a DC? Compared to Phillips that might be true, but Greene has the experience to be a DC in the NFL.

 

[shopson67]

I think we're focused too much on the supposed 3-4 that Phillips prefers. Phillips' version of the 3-4, normally a 2 gap read and react d-line, is actually a 1 gap (more like a 4-3) with all defensive linemen attacking. It's basically a 4-3 "under", or a 4-3 played with 3-4 personnel. Rams DEs may not be perfect fits, but Wade also is known to tailor his defense to his rosters' strengths.

Rams will need to add a LB regardless, as Wade is unlikely to play exclusively big nickel like his predecessor. That LB will likely be more of an EDGE guy than an ILB, although the Rams may need to add an ILB as well for running downs, given Barron's build.