Defensive ends
Top 10 UFA DEs:
1 - Mark Anderson: at his peak at 28,
10 sacks last year, thrives in right environment. (Signed by Bills 3/21)
2 – Red Bryant: dominating
run-defending end who also blocked two kicks last year (Re-signed by Seahawks 3/19)
3 – John Abraham: thinks he's getting
$12 million, but over one-third of his 9.5 sacks last year came in
one game against the Jagwires. (Re-signed by Falcons 3/17)
4 - Andre Carter: 10 sacks last year,
but really plays in spurts. Four sacks were in one game against the
Jets.
5 - Jeremy Mincey: up-and-comer with
eight sacks last year. (Re-signed by Jagwires 3/14)
6 - Jason Jones: just 25, moved inside
for Jeff Fisher's Titans in 2010 but has been much more effective on
the outside (Signed by Seahawks 3/21)
7 - Wallace Gilberry: seemed to fall
out of favor in Kansas City and only scored 2.5 sacks in 2010 after
getting 7 in 2010. (signed by Bucs 6/4)
James Hall (cut by Rams 3/12): veteran with 7 sacks last year, still a valuable rotational lineman, may not be a difference-maker, has always played on awful teams
James Hall (cut by Rams 3/12): veteran with 7 sacks last year, still a valuable rotational lineman, may not be a difference-maker, has always played on awful teams
8 - Jonathan Fanene - 6 sacks last
season (Signed by Patriots 3/20)
9 - Israel Idonije - 5 sacks last
season but isn't likely to leave the Bears (Re-signed by Bears 3/20)
10 – Adam Carriker - natural 3-4 DE
had 5 sacks last season; he had two in his Ram career. (Re-signed by Redskins 3/20)
Sleepers: If
you're the Jagwires, you're probably wishing right now you hadn't let
Jeremy Mincey make it to free agency. He had five sacks in 2010 as a
part-time starter and 8 last year as a full-time starter.
Wild card:
North Carolina DE Quinton Coples could be in the Rams' sites now that
they have traded down to the #6 pick in this year's draft and could
miss out on drafting Justin Blackmon now. Coples'
senior
year was nowhere near as good as his junior year, though; what to
make of that?
Tag you're it: Cliff
Avril, Calais Campbell
Out of the running: Turk
McBride (re-signed by Saints)
Voting present: William
Hayes (signed by Rams 4/6), Dave Tollefson (signed by Raiders 4/7), Juqua Parker (signed by Browns 3/16), Cory Redding (signed with Colts 3/15), Kendall Langford (signed with Rams 3/17), Anthony Hargrove (signed with Packers 3/29), Trevor Laws (signed by Rams 4/11), Jamaal Anderson (signed with Bengals 3/24), Gerard Warren (signed by Patriots 4/30), Jeff
Charleston (signed by Vikings, late June), Tyler Brayton, Shaun Ellis, Vonnie Holliday (signed by Big Dead 6/12), Derrick
Harvey (signed with Bengals 3/24), Jayme Mitchell (cut 3/16, signed by Bucs 6/4), Everette Brown (cut by Chargers 3/13, signed by Lions 3/23), Tim Crowder (cut by Bucs 3/22), Nick Reed (cut by Bucs 3/22), Ikaika Alama-Francis, Clifton Geathers, Trevor Scott (signed by New England 3/19), Ryan
Baker
The doctor will see you now:
Victor Abiamiri, Dave Ball
(concussion issues, re-signed by Titans 4/13), Luis Castillo (re-signed by Chargers 4/4), Kedric Golston (knee, re-signed with Redskins 4/11), Aaron
Smith (spinal fusion), Frostee Rucker (knee, signed with Browns 3/15), Jimmy Wilkerson
(chronic knee problems), Philip Merling (cut by Dolphins 4/24, signed by Packers 5/23, tore Achilles in 2010), Aaron Kampman (cut by Jagwires in June, three knee surgeries in three years)
Gawd no: Raheem
Brock (could be suspended if finally found guilty of 2010 drunk
driving charges), Aaron Maybin (draft bust supreme, re-signed by Jets)
RamView’s moves:
Defensive end looks like one of the Rams' strongest positions going
into 2012, with the talent on hand plus the addition of top d-line
coach Mike Waufle to the Rams' staff. Chris Long barged into the
league elite at the position with a 13-sack season and should have
Pro Bowls in his future. Speaking of future, Robert Quinn had five
sacks his rookie season to get his career off to a promising start.
James Hall got five and will make more and more way for Quinn, but
should still contribute even in a reduced role. The Rams didn't get a
lot out of C.J. Ah You. Their depth goals should be to get younger
than him and more talented than Eugene Sims. I think they have to
kick the tires on Jason Jones, just 25, plays anywhere on the line,
but shouldn't be a bank-breaker. For late-round prospects to upgrade
on Sims, I'm looking at Julian Miller of West Virginia or Tyrone
Crawford of Boise State.
Shoot the moon: Hall's
34, and it wouldn't be crazy for the Rams to look toward replacing
him, too. That would probably be with a higher draft pick. If Whitney
Mercilus falls to the second round, or Boise State DE Shea McClellin
to the third, I'd have to believe they're in the mix on the Rams'
draft board. They're typical high-motor Jeff Fisher-type DEs.
Prediction: The
Rams don't seem very interested in retaining Ah You, and former Titan
linemen Jason Jones and William Hayes are both free agents. Those
aren't terribly difficult dots to connect. Rams stick with their top three ends and pickup an ex-Titan and a late draft pick to improve on their depth.
-$-
This will more than likely be the last preview I get in before free agency kicks off on Tuesday. My moon shot at cornerback was going to be the Rams cutting Ron Bartell, replacing him with Courtland Finnegan and drafting Morris Claiborne for practically a whole new secondary.
Free agency updates will be a little late here on the blog because I'll be busy this week slapping Roger Goodell for picking it to start not only on my vacation, but also during March Madness.
No comments:
Post a Comment