Rams Free Agent frenzy

[Retroram52]

Yea, why would we now go after an aging guard after we signed some really stout O-lineman that are very young and could be very good. I don't care how many Pro Bowls Mathis has played in. Didn't we do this already with Jake Long? How did that turn out?

 

[TEB11]

The more I think about it, the more I agree Retro. We need young durable guys up front just like you said. I now say PASS!

 

[Retroram52]

Actually, Brown and Havenstein are now the STARTING RG and RT and apparently, from everything I have read, they are THAT good.

 

[zeke2829]

Got to mention, in the tail-end of TEBs article it states that we already have Roger Saffold at LG, that's where Mathis plays. It also states that if we don't re-sign Barksdale, Saffold would move back to RT. So I'm thinkin if our top brass aren't happy with our rookies on the right side, would they move Saffold back to RT? So actually by week 1, if Saffold is still at guard we just might have ourselves a good o-line.

 

[RamCub]

I'm all for keeping our options open. You never know what might happen with the roster.

 

[RamsFan88]

I'm not sure if Brown is starting because of his talent, or lack of options otherwise. Hopefully, it's the latter.

 

[RamsFan88]

I'm not sure if Brown is starting because of his talent, or lack of options otherwise. Hopefully, it's the latter.

I mean former.

 

[icefreeze57]

This is not like Long. Long was coming off massive injury and was hurt for us.
Mathis is a huge improvement, these rookie OL we drafted aren't ready! We took 4 projects. We are going to start Havenstein and we're going to have to deal with seeing his head looking the wrong direction the first time there is a fierce blitz on that side. Don't get me wrong, I like Rob and think he can play RT, but he'll be learning enough. Brown or Wichmann (cause I actually think Wichmann is better) are going to struggle, Mathis would be a huge upgrade and can train these younger guys!

Not to mention our left side "anchor" still has a ton of work to do. So our line currently looks awful, but we're "good enough" to not try to sign a pro bowl OG who is freed up because Chip didn't like him.

 

[Retroram52]

No, I disagree Icefreeze. Havenstein and Brown are already penciled in at the end of week two of OTA's as the starters on the right side. If they fail going forward, Reynolds and Washington are behind them. Saffold is not moving over to the RT and we ain't signing Mathias. If anything, Wichmann will take Brown's RG spot if Brown isn't ready which it appears he is ready and Washington or Reynolds will step in at RT for Havenstein if that occurs as well. The goal is continuity. Why would we jerk Saffold around just to plug in Mathias? Makes little sense on any level. And we ain't signing Barksdale. He signed with San Diego.

 

[Vitamike]

We are going to start Havenstein and we're going to have to deal with seeing his head looking the wrong direction the first time there is a fierce blitz on that side. Don't get me wrong, I like Rob and think he can play RT, but he'll be learning enough. Brown or Wichmann (cause I actually think Wichmann is better) are going to struggle, Mathis would be a huge upgrade and can train these younger guys!

Not to mention our left side "anchor" still has a ton of work to do. So our line currently looks awful, but we're "good enough" to not try to sign a pro bowl OG who is freed up because Chip didn't like him.

This whole thought process Ice, makes me think we's all gonna see allota dem draw plays on turd and long.

 

[Vitamike]

From SB Nation's Turf Show Times...

Rams Reportedly Interested in Signing QB Nick Foles to Contract Extension

Nick Foles is the St. Louis Rams' starting quarterback for the 2015 season. The Rams are trying to make Foles the starting quarterback for the foreseeable future as well.

According to insider Ian Rapoport, the Rams have reached out to Foles' agent in an attempt to lock up Foles to a long-term extension.



The Rams want to sign Nick Foles to an extension – instead of playing out his final year of his rookie deal. The team believes it could be in a "financially difficult position" to re-sign Foles if his performance boosts his market value.

Of course, the Rams are hoping – praying?? – Foles plays well this upcoming season. Foles will not need to repeat is 2013 stats.

Any QB play moderately better than what the Rams have had in the past few years will seem to do.


.

 

[Vitamike]

Thoughts?

 

[SJ76]

Geee Beav... Should we at least see how he does during some of the season?

I hate giving out contracts based on how he looks in OTAs


It's not like we're gonna go 8-2 in our first 10 games with a new O-line and unfamiliar WRs.

To me, this is more Kool-Aid drinking..

 

[Retroram52]

I am not sure. Perhaps the Rams have a need to have a highly-paid QB on their roster as a sort of badge of competency and right to belong to the league's haves and they seem to want to continue to get the cart before the proverbial esquine creature. They just got rid of one apparent mistake at QB and they appear to wish to rush again to be in that position but if Foles really is the QB the Rams have been searching for since Kurt Warner, than this move will make them look like geniuses and for a franchise that is working its way of a very long and deep chasm, the Rams are willing to risk this blowing up their face. I think Foles will be exactly the QB we have been looking for but that just my opinion and Kroneke doesn't even know that I exist.

 

[RamsFan88]

If they're going to extend Foles, I hope they structure it in a way that they can get out of the deal after this season and not have to deal with any financial consequences in case Foles stinks up the joint.

 

[shopson67]

I think they're kicking the tires to see if they can get him cheaper now than they'll be able to after the season. It's a gamble, but I would assume there wouldn't be a lot of guaranteed money.

 

[SJ76]

I can see why they are paranoid at giving another QB a big contract though.

 

[Retroram52]

Yea I agree SJ76 but I get the distinct impression that Snisher have witnessed enough of Foles in OTA's that they really like what they see and are moving forward with the extension. I personally think we have the QB we have needed since Kurt Warner left.

 

[Vitamike]

Yea I agree SJ76 but I get the distinct impression that Snisher have witnessed enough of Foles in OTA's that they really like what they see and are moving forward with the extension. I personally think we have the QB we have needed since Kurt Warner left.

Well it's not just OTA's, right?

If they believe they got the 2013 Foles and believe the 2014 Foles was the exception in the first place IE the trade and now they are seeing markers that confirm that than why put the bait on with a highly incentivized long term contract?

I am leery though...

So lets look at what we got and what we might need in the future.

We have a one year contract in Foles and we may have a rookie QB this year in Mannion that is a physical carbon copy of Foles but he will probably need a couple of years behind the starter prior to being handed the keys. Also we have Kneenum in the stable who has NFL experience but may only be a quality backup in this League. If Foles is the 2013 dude we will not be able to sign him in all likely hood because there will be so many clubs driving his price through the roof.

In that scenario, it would be unlikely that neither Mannion nor Kneenum would be able to carry the momentum we would most likely build in 2015.

So maybe we give him a short term extension, then if he truly is the real deal, we know his true value & he has more of a loyalty to the Rams playing for us for probably 3 seasons.

Just my opinion.

 

[Retroram52]

That is one reason why the Rams want to sign Foles to an extension soon because if he does become that guy we have been looking for, the Rams will have him under contract and his price controlled. They did this with Chris Long and then when their prognostication paid off in the case of Long, his price was somewhat controlled even though the market really determines value based on several factors.

FYI Vita, don't count Davis out of this. There are articles on the Rams homepage about Davis throwing deep, crisp, spiral strikes to the WRs for TDs for a general wow-factor that has some heads turning. Could it be...