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[Retroram52]

At some point Cougie, you have to stop sending good-to-great players away (for whatever reason) for the hope of finding the next whomever. You are then in rebuilding mode and never taking the next step. The NE model is still the best. Five superbowls to our what, in the last decade? Five superbowls are pretty convincing evidence.

 

[Vitamike]

At some point Cougie, you have to stop sending good-to-great players away (for whatever reason) for the hope of finding the next whomever. You are then in rebuilding mode and never taking the next step. The NE model is still the best. *Five superbowls to our what, in the last decade? *Five superbowls are pretty convincing evidence.

And you are welcome Marshall!

 

[27mtrcougar]

At some point Cougie, you have to stop sending good-to-great players away (for whatever reason) for the hope of finding the next whomever. You are then in rebuilding mode and never taking the next step. The NE model is still the best. Five superbowls to our what, in the last decade? Five superbowls are pretty convincing evidence.

The Patriots don't have superstars except Tom Brady. If you remember last year they traded away their best player on defense to the Browns and another one to the Cardinals. So trading away Donald at his highest value right now would be more like the patriots way.

 

[Vitamike]

The Patriots don't have superstars except Tom Brady. If you remember last year they traded away their best player on defense to the Browns and another one to the Cardinals. So trading away Donald at his highest value right now would be more like the patriots way.

Except this obvious fact disagrees with your take....Donald is clearly the best player on the Rams, and Brady the clearly best player on the Patriots.

Now if the Pats decided to trade Brady in his prime, Marshall wouldn't need too many asterisks next to Pat Super Bowls.

 

[27mtrcougar]

Except this obvious fact disagrees with your take....Donald is clearly the best player on the Rams, and Brady the clearly best player on the Patriots.

Now if the Pats decided to trade Brady in his prime, Marshall wouldn't need too many asterisks next to Pat Super Bowls.

The quarterback position is quite different then DT. You can get a good DT pretty much anywhere in the first round. Quarterback you better be picking first or second and hope there's one in the draft that year. I'm just saying the Rams are up against the cap Right now. if it doesn't get better by next year they're not gonna be able to sign him and will get nothing for him when he leaves except a third round comp pick.

 

[Vitamike]

The quarterback position is quite different then DT. You can get a good DT pretty much anywhere in the first round. Quarterback you better be picking first or second and hope there's one in the draft that year. I'm just saying the Rams are up against the cap Right now. if it doesn't get better by next year they're not gonna be able to sign him and will get nothing for him when he leaves except a third round comp pick.

Thought you might say that, which means you totally missed the point, but to your point. Of the top 100 players in 2016 a total of 16 were QB's where only 6 were DT's. Also Brady was the second listed QB and Donald was the first listed DT.

 

[27mtrcougar]

Thought you might say that, which means you totally missed the point, but to your point. Of the top 100 players in 2016 a total of 16 were QB's where only 6 were DT's. Also Brady was the second listed QB and Donald was the first listed DT.

Would you rather have Tom Brady, Rodgers, Ryan, Carr, Big Ben or any other elite QB or Arron Donald? QB is more important. The Lions losing Suh didn't cripple their team. Taking away Matt Stafford would.

 

[Vitamike]

Would you rather have Tom Brady, Rodgers, Ryan, Carr, Big Ben or any other elite QB or Arron Donald? QB is more important. The Lions losing Suh didn't cripple their team. Taking away Matt Stafford would.

Dude you can really wander in these convos, can't you. Remember the convo was about trading away Donald now while he still has a high value, something you brought up I believe.

So, since we don't have an avenue to any of those QB's it's not even an option, but still our best player is a very valuable DT, by proof of the top 100 players.

Besides that, as Retro already inferred, Donald is on the cheap for the next year, and then we extend his 5th year option for a pretty good value too. He is one hell of a problem for defenses and trading him away at this point for picks is just foolish.

Oh I almost forgot, something you might not be considering, if we can't sign Donald when he does become a URFA we will get a very good compensatory pick. How much worse can that be than what you think we can trade him away for now?

 

[27mtrcougar]

Dude you can really wander in these convos, can't you. Remember the convo was about trading away Donald now while he still has a high value, something you brought up I believe.

So, since we don't have an avenue to any of those QB's it's not even an option, but still our best player is a very valuable DT, by proof of the top 100 players.

Besides that, as Retro already inferred, Donald is on the cheap for the next year, and then we extend his 5th year option for a pretty good value too. He is one hell of a problem for defenses and trading him away at this point for picks is just foolish.

Oh I almost forgot, something you might not be considering, if we can't sign Donald when he does become a URFA we will get a very good compensatory pick. How much worse can that be than what you think we can trade him away for now?

Once you get to that 5th option year his trade value will diminish a lot. I just think its something to consider because we aren't winning the SB in the next couple years with him and if we could land 3 high picks for him I think it would be more value to the team. Especially if we got a couple of studs on offense.

I believe a 3rd round pick is the highest comp pick you can receive for compensation.

 

[Vitamike]

Once you get to that 5th option year his trade value will diminish a lot. I just think its something to consider because we aren't winning the SB in the next couple years with him and if we could land 3 high picks for him I think it would be more value to the team. Especially if we got a couple of studs on offense.

I believe a 3rd round pick is the highest comp pick you can receive for compensation.

You're right, it would be a 3rd but you are losing two years of service to get a pick that trades up maybe 60 spots. No thanks, I'll see if the cap doesn't continue to rise!

 

[27mtrcougar]

You're right, it would be a 3rd but you are losing two years of service to get a pick that trades up maybe 60 spots. No thanks, I'll see if the cap doesn't continue to rise!

CAP will keep going up but so will the contracts. Did you see some of them today? A Full back got 21m. Not sure what you mean about 60 spots? I was talking about getting 2 1st rd picks and a 2nd rd pick. 3 potential starters.

 

[Vitamike]

CAP will keep going up but so will the contracts. Did you see some of them today? A Full back got 21m. Not sure what you mean about 60 spots? I was talking about getting 2 1st rd picks and a 2nd rd pick. 3 potential starters.

Who do you think would give up two firsts and a second?

 

[27mtrcougar]

Who do you think would give up two firsts and a second?

Not sure but I think its a possibility for the best DT in the game. Maybe teams like Dallas who are solid but needs help on D to push them over that edge to be a real contender. If I don't get that then I'm not trading him.

 

[Rambunctious]

The Patriots don't have superstars except Tom Brady. If you remember last year they traded away their best player on defense to the Browns and another one to the Cardinals. So trading away Donald at his highest value right now would be more like the patriots way

Ram fans would burn the city down if they dealt Donald, even if they got 5 good players and 5 draft picks for him.

 

[Vitamike]

Nice story on the Free Agency thought process from McVay's viewpoint...

Rams' roster will look very different in 2017 Alden Gonzalez ESPN Staff Writer

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Rams entered the first full day of the new league year with upwards of $20 million in salary-cap space, but they navigated a complex path to get there.

It began by signing a couple of free agents, veteran left tackle Andrew Whitworth and former USC receiver Robert Woods, both of whom received $15 million guaranteed. And it ended with them parting ways with four key veteran players, trading defensive end William Hayes to the Dolphins and releasing three others -- tight end Lance Kendricks, center Tim Barnes and defensive lineman Eugene Sims, who was let go after a failed physical.

After accounting for upcoming draft picks, the Rams have up to $15 million to spend on outside free agents, and they need to address their depth at several areas -- receiver, tight end, defensive line, linebacker and the secondary.

Most glaringly, though, they need a center.

Wide receiver Robert Woods will be among the new faces on the Rams' roster in 2017. Bill Streicher/USA Today Sports


The Rams have only one potential replacement for Barnes in-house with former seventh-round pick Demetrius Rhaney, who has barely played during the last three years. The best free agent available is Nick Mangold, who is coming off a serious foot injury. And the Rams have other needs in the draft, most notably defensive back, with strong safety T.J. McDonald not expected to return.

"That's something that we're evaluating right now," Rams coach Sean McVay said about finding a starting center. "There are some guys on the roster that you feel can kind of play inside and play at that center position.”

McVay added the Rams will look to "cross-train" some of their guards at center, a list that will probably include Jamon Brown and Cody Wichmann. With Whitworth now protecting the blindside of franchise quarterback Jared Goff, Greg Robinson, the former No. 2 overall pick, is expected to move to the right side, either to tackle or guard, a decision that partly rests on the improvement of young right tackle Rob Havenstein.

The Rams spoke to Robinson on Thursday about the transition and McVay said he's "up for the challenge," though it will be a difficult one.

"You have to have a starting point," McVay said, "and the starting point is we're going to give Greg a chance to play at that right tackle spot and see where we go from there."

The Rams introduced Whitworth and Woods at the team facility Friday afternoon, unveiling two players who represented the team's two greatest needs. Woods essentially replaces Kenny Britt, who left for the Browns. But the Rams still have needs at receiver and tight end. Outside of Woods and Tavon Austin, the Rams have unproven players at both positions, most notably Pharoh Cooper and Tyler Higbee, two fourth-round picks who were hardly targeted as rookies.

The Rams could also use some size.

None of the receivers expected to get snaps are taller than 6-foot-1.

"We're looking for good football players," McVay said. "Those guys come in all shapes and sizes."

The Rams have franchised cornerback Trumaine Johnson for a second straight year, a move that will pay him close to $17 million. But they're open to trade offers, which could give them more flexibility to address the eroding depth in their secondary. They also need at least one other outside linebacker, now that the Rams are transitioning from a 4-3 to a 3-4 under new defensive coordinator Wade Phillips. And they're in sudden need of defensive-line help.

Veteran defensive end Robert Quinn is converting to an outside linebacker -- though McVay said he will continue to rush the quarterback, with a role similar to that of the Broncos' DeMarcus Ware -- so Aaron Donald and Michael Brockers are the only starting defensive linemen returning, with very little depth behind them. The Rams put an original-round tender on Dominique Easley and the right of first refusal on Ethan Westbrooks, two restricted free agents. But Westbrooks is coming off an arrest on suspicion of domestic violence, which McVay said the Rams are "continuing to gather information" on.

Regardless of how it plays out, the Rams' roster will look very different next year, as was to be expected.

Britt, Hayes, Kendricks, Barnes and Sims are gone. McDonald is expected to join them, as is third-down running back Benny Cunningham, former No. 33 overall pick Brian Quick and ex-starting quarterback Case Keenum. Johnson could eventually find himself elsewhere, too.

Jeff Fisher's men are leaving quickly.

"I don’t think it had anything to do with that," McVay said. "I think it was just, when we looked at overall, what we’re trying to do offensively and defensively, we just felt like those were the decisions that were best for our organization. I know there’s a lot of respect in this building, and me personally, for coach Fisher and what he’s accomplished and what he did here, it certainly isn’t anything like that."

Rams' roster will look very different in 2017

 

[Retroram52]

I have stated from the beginning that Cody Wichmann would make a great Center. Jamon Brown is too much of a guard and I doubt the cross-over will work for him. Rhaney was pretty good when he played and was better than Barnes. Groy is still available but are we doing anything to contact him? I doubt it.

 

[Vitamike]

None of the receivers expected to get snaps are taller than 6-foot-1.

Well Quick is a FA but he could still find his 6'4" frame in LA.

Ironically last year, he was one of the more sure handed WR's for the Rams.

Another Dude, I wouldn't mind seeing in McVays offense for at least one year.

I wonder what the asking price is though? That is the bottom line to signing him for another short term contract or not.

 

[Retroram52]

Of all of the FAs of our own that have a good chance of returning, Quick and Zuerlein will probably be the most likely.

 

[shopson67]

Rams linked to Groy

Rams linked to free agent center Ryan Groy, cornerback Kayvon Webster

 

[Retroram52]

Yea, Shopson, I know that Phillips really likes Webster. I posted as much on the FA thread. Groy keeps hanging around and all we have to do is offer him a salary that the Bills are unwilling to match. Draft picks are not involved in the Bills' tender.