Thursday, March 6, 2008

Josh Brown signed

Josh Brown was signed to replace Jeff Wilkins. In the current market, this was certainly the best the Rams could do. Otherwise, you're relying on a street free agent like Kevin Lovell (nice kicker for the Rams last preseason) or (inexplicably) current Ram Justin Medlock (who lasted exactly one game with the Chiefs last year). Or you put yourself in the position where you have to draft a kicker, and we all know how I feel about that idea.

Brown's a good kicker, and a clutch kicker. By getting younger at the position, the Rams have strengthened themselves at the position. (Though I hope Josh works on his tackling technique in the offseason - he'll need to know how.) And they've also weakened a division rival, Seattle, instead of strengthening one, San Francisco, like they did when they cut Isaac Bruce.

All the same, it is very hard to swallow a $14.2 MILLION, FIVE YEAR contract to make Brown the HIGHEST PAID KICKER IN THE NFL (seriously? higher than Adam Vinatieri? Brown didn't even go to the Pro Bowl this year, you know - Nick Folk did) when they won't even put $4 million out for Isaac.

I like that the Rams acted quickly and effectively in the wake of Jeff Wilkins' retirement. I hope Josh Brown can keep the Curse of the St. Louis Kicker in the history books they way Jeff did.

I just don't know about going balls-out for a kicker when this team has so many holes, including the one they dug for themselves on offense by letting Isaac go for much less money than they spent on Brown.

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