* To their credit, the Rams made an all-night effort last night to get CB Ron Bartell re-signed, but he is going to "test" the free-agent market, with scheduled visits to New Orleans and Denver. Upshot: Bartell won't be a Ram in 2009. Once a player starts making free-agent visits, they're usually gone. Bernie Miklasz has blamed Jay Zygmunt for not getting Bartell wrapped up much, much, earlier. My question, though: did Jay-Z have much power to do anything last year? I'm more inclined to believe the loss of Bartell is going to be the one botch of the Rams' transition to new management. I think Billy Devaney etc. did not anticipate the market for CBs to go as nuts as it has (Thanks, Oakland!) and thought Bartell would be much easier to sign.
* The Rams' #1 free agency target appears to be Baltimore center Jason Brown. He's to visit Rams Park later today.
* To address their backfield, the Rams have also been in touch with Philip Buchanon of Tampa Bay, and, of course, James Butler of the Giants. Eh. Neither of those guys excites me very much. Yes, Buchanon's better than anybody they've got, but realistically, at his best he's no better than a #2 CB.
* Reporters dueled back and forth on the Rams' interest in Bart Scott, all moot: the Jets got to him first and have signed him.
* Richie Incognito and Victor Adeyanju received tender offers from the team, but the lowest level. If another team signs Incognito to an offer sheet, the Rams can either match or let the other team have him for a 3rd-round pick. For Adeyanju it's a 4th-round pick. Good moves here; I would have overpaid. I don't see an offer sheet coming for either player.
* Mark Setterstrom was not tendered and becomes an unrestricted free agent.
* Washington signed Albert Haynesworth to a 7-year, $100 million contract. Do the salary cap rules ever actually apply to Daniel Snyder, or does he have a permanent get-out-of-jail-free card from the league? How is it the Redskins NEVER fail to get the big-money players they want?
It's good to see the Rams emerging as a factor in free agency, but they'd better get Brown if they're going to lose Bartell. There are still plenty of defensive holes to fill.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
RamView's free agency strategy
My best-laid plans for the Rams in free agency were cruelly laid to waste when the Dolphins re-signed Channing Crowder last night. Another cruel blow was the Michael Crabtree combine meltdown. With the market opening tonight and NFL general managers ready to storm it like a Long Island Wal-Mart, here's what I'd attempt to do for the Rams:
Priority 1: cornerback, where I'm going after Andre Goodman of Miami, who won't command similar dollars to Ron Bartell but should provide similar play.
Priority 2: Sam LB. My play is for Jamie Winborn, who I think would come pretty cheap, but I can easily see Billy Devaney going after Michael Boley, who's miscast in Atlanta's new defensive scheme.
Priority 3: offensive line. The free agent market is terrible, but the Rams need Adam Goldberg. He's capable of starting and Barron's the only starting tackle they have for sure right now. And if they want to keep RFA Richie Incognito, he'll require at least a first-round tender.
Priority 4: big, sloppy run-stuffer, though the free agent market is pretty much limited to Grady Jackson and Colin Cole.
Priority 5: Leonard Weaver, if there's any cap room left.
Priority 6: strong safety, guess I'll settle for James Butler, who'd better be cheap.
Priority 7: veteran WR. Considering the Crabtree flameout and the pretty soft FA market, the Rams would be best off keeping Holt, even at full price.
Priority 8: QB2. No hurry, I doubt there'll be any kind of rush on QBs.
Also: resign Jason Craft for nickel back; Dane Looker for WR depth; second-round tender RFA Victor Adeyanju. I'm relying on the draft to come away with a minimum of a starting LT, a starting center and a QB3.
Do the Rams, even without Pace and Holt, have enough cap space to pull most of these moves off? Hell if I know. Do I look like the Throat-Slasher? But this is at least how I'd prioritize the Rams' efforts at signing free agents if I were calling the shots.
I won't claim to know what the Rams' free agency priorities are. I can guess they're going after Boley and Butler. Rumor has it they'll go after Jeff Garcia and Buffalo center Duke Preston. Weaver's been on their radar. But we have yet to guess how they'll fill coming gaping holes at cornerback, offensive tackle and wide receiver.
Answers should start arriving in Rams Nation very, very soon.
Priority 1: cornerback, where I'm going after Andre Goodman of Miami, who won't command similar dollars to Ron Bartell but should provide similar play.
Priority 2: Sam LB. My play is for Jamie Winborn, who I think would come pretty cheap, but I can easily see Billy Devaney going after Michael Boley, who's miscast in Atlanta's new defensive scheme.
Priority 3: offensive line. The free agent market is terrible, but the Rams need Adam Goldberg. He's capable of starting and Barron's the only starting tackle they have for sure right now. And if they want to keep RFA Richie Incognito, he'll require at least a first-round tender.
Priority 4: big, sloppy run-stuffer, though the free agent market is pretty much limited to Grady Jackson and Colin Cole.
Priority 5: Leonard Weaver, if there's any cap room left.
Priority 6: strong safety, guess I'll settle for James Butler, who'd better be cheap.
Priority 7: veteran WR. Considering the Crabtree flameout and the pretty soft FA market, the Rams would be best off keeping Holt, even at full price.
Priority 8: QB2. No hurry, I doubt there'll be any kind of rush on QBs.
Also: resign Jason Craft for nickel back; Dane Looker for WR depth; second-round tender RFA Victor Adeyanju. I'm relying on the draft to come away with a minimum of a starting LT, a starting center and a QB3.
Do the Rams, even without Pace and Holt, have enough cap space to pull most of these moves off? Hell if I know. Do I look like the Throat-Slasher? But this is at least how I'd prioritize the Rams' efforts at signing free agents if I were calling the shots.
I won't claim to know what the Rams' free agency priorities are. I can guess they're going after Boley and Butler. Rumor has it they'll go after Jeff Garcia and Buffalo center Duke Preston. Weaver's been on their radar. But we have yet to guess how they'll fill coming gaping holes at cornerback, offensive tackle and wide receiver.
Answers should start arriving in Rams Nation very, very soon.
FA defensive backs preview
UFA DBs as of 02/26/2009 (from kffl.com)
RamView's Top 5 CBs: 1 - Jabari Greer 2 - Bryant McFadden 3 - Chris Gamble 4 - Keiwan Ratliff 5 - Karl Paymah
Top 5 FS: 1 - Jim Leonhard 2 - Eugene Wilson 3 - Brian Dawkins 4 - James Butler 5 - Dwight Smith
Top 5 SS: 1 - Jermaine Phillips 2 - Darren Sharper 3 - Yeremiah Bell 4 - Jon McGraw
Sleepers: Andre Goodman, Corey Ivy
Gawd No: Pac-Man, Fakhir Brown, Corey Chavous, and any number of old, broken down DBs in this year's FA pool
Rams FAs: Ron Bartell is an unrestricted free agent, along with Fakhir Brown, Jason Craft and Ricky Manning Jr. Corey Chavous was cut shortly after last season. O.J. Atogwe got the franchise tag at free safety.
Rams analysis: By letting Bartell hit the open market, the Rams have created a Jimmy Kennedy-sized problem in the secondary. Bartell's now likely to command an $8 million a year contract, much, much more than what he's worth to the Rams. Assuming the Rams don't bring back the only occasionally-competent Unca Fakhir, well, let's just say you're starting the other teams' WRs every week in your fantasy league. The best CB currently signed to the roster is Jonathan Wade, a willing hitter with speed, but at best, a nickel back with a lot of unrealized potential. Justin King's probably next, and he missed all his rookie season with a blown knee. Who knows what that's done to the speed the Rams drafted him for? Then there's Tye Hill, who's rapidly developing into as bad a first-round pick as the Rams have ever made. He was so shell-shocked early last season he looked like he needed to be committed to a rubber room. And with his knack for indurability, he would have found a way to get injured in that rubber room. The Rams are going to have to come up with two or three veteran CBs to field even a competitive secondary. O.J. Atogwe got the franchise tag at free safety despite his liabilities in coverage and ken for selfish play (he lost the home game against San Francisco last season by trying to intercept a late TD pass instead of knocking it down). But he's also about the only Ram defender who can force a turnover, so he's definitely valuable. The strong side remains the hole it has been ever since Toby Wright left town. Todd Johnson looked like a promising incumbent after (FINALLY) replacing Chavous last season, but he withered into a tackle-missing mess by the end of the season like every other Ram SS of the last decade. With Bartell gone, the Rams are worse off in the secondary than anywhere else on the team, including offensive line.
Viewing the field: This year's DB market makes up for its lack of quality with abundant quantity. RamView has no way to put decent research into all of these guys before free agency starts tonight, so this is a rather quick overview. I'm a big fan of Greer's play in Buffalo. He's part of a solid young core there that I honestly thought would have gotten the Bills farther along by now. Gamble has more of the size the Rams need in their secondary, but if you're going to spend Gamble money, why not spend it on Bartell? Leonhard is an up-and-coming safety who's also a dangerous kick returner for the Ravens. Wilson came into the league as a corner out of Illinois. His flexibility could come in quite handy here. Though 30, Goodman's career is still peaking, and he might be as good as Bartell at a much cheaper price. He was the best player in Miami's secondary down the stretch last season and his statistics are worthy of a shutdown corner. And RamView can't close out without mentioning longtime favorite Corey Ivy. No, he wouldn't be anything higher than a nickel back, but darnit, the guy has a knack for making plays.
RamView's moves: There are a lot of "names" out there the Rams could go after as a quick fix for their looming Bartell snafu. There's older CBs like Chris McAlister and Dre Bly who have been game-changing playmakers but who have lost at least a step. Leigh Bodden, Domonique Foxworth and Drayton Florence are on my next level: younger players but ones who have topped out at the average-to-above average level. Justin Miller's a knucklehead, but he can return kicks, which increases his, or Chris Carr's, or even R.W. McQuarters', value to the Rams, regardless of their coverage skills, or lack thereof. Needing two veteran CBs, and a SS who can tackle, the Rams may have to use all of their salary cap space at this position. RamView would renew Craft's contract and go after Goodman and Miller, hopefully having Bly and Manning Jr. to fall back on in the event of quick rejection.
What the Rams could do: If Steve Spagnuolo believes his former SS for the Giants, James Butler, is a guy to get, then I'll agree with him. Odds are, though, that the economics of the market are going to force them to try to resuscitate Hill's career to be able to field a defensive backfield.
Prediction: The Rams bring in Butler at SS, and another former Giant, Will Allen, to hold the fort across from Hill at CB. They might surprise me and spend a lot more, but Spagnuolo's never had really great secondaries to work with. If the Rams do anything big on defense in FA, it'll be in the front seven. One thing for sure: RamView is making damn sure to get Larry Fitzgerald in fantasy football this season.
RamView's Top 5 CBs: 1 - Jabari Greer 2 - Bryant McFadden 3 - Chris Gamble 4 - Keiwan Ratliff 5 - Karl Paymah
Top 5 FS: 1 - Jim Leonhard 2 - Eugene Wilson 3 - Brian Dawkins 4 - James Butler 5 - Dwight Smith
Top 5 SS: 1 - Jermaine Phillips 2 - Darren Sharper 3 - Yeremiah Bell 4 - Jon McGraw
Sleepers: Andre Goodman, Corey Ivy
Gawd No: Pac-Man, Fakhir Brown, Corey Chavous, and any number of old, broken down DBs in this year's FA pool
Rams FAs: Ron Bartell is an unrestricted free agent, along with Fakhir Brown, Jason Craft and Ricky Manning Jr. Corey Chavous was cut shortly after last season. O.J. Atogwe got the franchise tag at free safety.
Rams analysis: By letting Bartell hit the open market, the Rams have created a Jimmy Kennedy-sized problem in the secondary. Bartell's now likely to command an $8 million a year contract, much, much more than what he's worth to the Rams. Assuming the Rams don't bring back the only occasionally-competent Unca Fakhir, well, let's just say you're starting the other teams' WRs every week in your fantasy league. The best CB currently signed to the roster is Jonathan Wade, a willing hitter with speed, but at best, a nickel back with a lot of unrealized potential. Justin King's probably next, and he missed all his rookie season with a blown knee. Who knows what that's done to the speed the Rams drafted him for? Then there's Tye Hill, who's rapidly developing into as bad a first-round pick as the Rams have ever made. He was so shell-shocked early last season he looked like he needed to be committed to a rubber room. And with his knack for indurability, he would have found a way to get injured in that rubber room. The Rams are going to have to come up with two or three veteran CBs to field even a competitive secondary. O.J. Atogwe got the franchise tag at free safety despite his liabilities in coverage and ken for selfish play (he lost the home game against San Francisco last season by trying to intercept a late TD pass instead of knocking it down). But he's also about the only Ram defender who can force a turnover, so he's definitely valuable. The strong side remains the hole it has been ever since Toby Wright left town. Todd Johnson looked like a promising incumbent after (FINALLY) replacing Chavous last season, but he withered into a tackle-missing mess by the end of the season like every other Ram SS of the last decade. With Bartell gone, the Rams are worse off in the secondary than anywhere else on the team, including offensive line.
Viewing the field: This year's DB market makes up for its lack of quality with abundant quantity. RamView has no way to put decent research into all of these guys before free agency starts tonight, so this is a rather quick overview. I'm a big fan of Greer's play in Buffalo. He's part of a solid young core there that I honestly thought would have gotten the Bills farther along by now. Gamble has more of the size the Rams need in their secondary, but if you're going to spend Gamble money, why not spend it on Bartell? Leonhard is an up-and-coming safety who's also a dangerous kick returner for the Ravens. Wilson came into the league as a corner out of Illinois. His flexibility could come in quite handy here. Though 30, Goodman's career is still peaking, and he might be as good as Bartell at a much cheaper price. He was the best player in Miami's secondary down the stretch last season and his statistics are worthy of a shutdown corner. And RamView can't close out without mentioning longtime favorite Corey Ivy. No, he wouldn't be anything higher than a nickel back, but darnit, the guy has a knack for making plays.
RamView's moves: There are a lot of "names" out there the Rams could go after as a quick fix for their looming Bartell snafu. There's older CBs like Chris McAlister and Dre Bly who have been game-changing playmakers but who have lost at least a step. Leigh Bodden, Domonique Foxworth and Drayton Florence are on my next level: younger players but ones who have topped out at the average-to-above average level. Justin Miller's a knucklehead, but he can return kicks, which increases his, or Chris Carr's, or even R.W. McQuarters', value to the Rams, regardless of their coverage skills, or lack thereof. Needing two veteran CBs, and a SS who can tackle, the Rams may have to use all of their salary cap space at this position. RamView would renew Craft's contract and go after Goodman and Miller, hopefully having Bly and Manning Jr. to fall back on in the event of quick rejection.
What the Rams could do: If Steve Spagnuolo believes his former SS for the Giants, James Butler, is a guy to get, then I'll agree with him. Odds are, though, that the economics of the market are going to force them to try to resuscitate Hill's career to be able to field a defensive backfield.
Prediction: The Rams bring in Butler at SS, and another former Giant, Will Allen, to hold the fort across from Hill at CB. They might surprise me and spend a lot more, but Spagnuolo's never had really great secondaries to work with. If the Rams do anything big on defense in FA, it'll be in the front seven. One thing for sure: RamView is making damn sure to get Larry Fitzgerald in fantasy football this season.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Trent Green cut
Jim Thomas is also reporting that Trent Green has been cut. The Rams are definitely going to have to bring in some new blood at quarterback. Early web rumor: Jeff Garcia (who's NO YOUNGER).
It's a shame for Trent, because he's a class guy and being unemployed sucks. But it's also a great thing for him. He got through his last season in the NFL without another brain injury.
Retire now while you're ahead, Trent. It's time.
Article
It's a shame for Trent, because he's a class guy and being unemployed sucks. But it's also a great thing for him. He got through his last season in the NFL without another brain injury.
Retire now while you're ahead, Trent. It's time.
Article
AND THE ANGELS SANG HALLELUJAH!
Just saw word on the Rampagers mailing list that the Rams have.....
CUT.
DREW.
BENNETT.
Rejoice, Rams Nation! And put a painful bow on the "era" of the worst free agent signing the Rams have ever made. (One of these days I need to get the all-time worst team page updated.)
What a great sports week for me! The Cardinals "losing" worthless Jason Isringhausen and the Rams dumping the awful Bennett might almost make up for it when Torry Holt and Orlando Pace get the axe.
CUT.
DREW.
BENNETT.
Rejoice, Rams Nation! And put a painful bow on the "era" of the worst free agent signing the Rams have ever made. (One of these days I need to get the all-time worst team page updated.)
What a great sports week for me! The Cardinals "losing" worthless Jason Isringhausen and the Rams dumping the awful Bennett might almost make up for it when Torry Holt and Orlando Pace get the axe.
FA linebacker preview
UFA DL as of 02/25/2009 (from kffl.com)
RamView's Top 5 ILBs: 1 - Ray Lewis 2 - Channing Crowder 3 - Jonathan Vilma 4 - Bart Scott 5 - Takeo Spikes
Top 5 OLBs: 1 - Jamie Winborn 2 - Keith Brooking 3 - Michael Boley 4 - Paris Lenon 5 - Ryan Nece
Sleepers: Keyaron Fox, Rocky Boiman
Gawd No: Larry Izzo, Mike Peterson
Rams FAs: The Rams don't appear to have a lot of free agent concerns of their own at linebacker. There's special team specialist Gary Stills, who at age 34 probably won't be back, not at a very high cost, at least.
Rams analysis: A big part of the Rams' defensive failure against the run is that they haven't been strong enough right up the middle. Will Witherspoon had a terrific 2007 at Mike linebacker but got dominated and injured week after week in 2008 as his lack of size left offenses unafraid to run at him. Pisa Tinoisamoa had one of his best seasons as a pro on the weak side, but while continuing to get out of position too often and give up big plays. Quinton Culberson could not parlay a solid preseason into regular season success. The youngster was confused on the field a lot and eventually supplanted by capable veteran Chris Draft. David "Mr. Irrelevant" Vobora got some time at Mike with Witherspoon out injured but failed to impress. Chris Chamberlain, Gary Stills and even late-season addition Larry Grant tore it up on special teams. Chamberlain in particular appears to have a lot of potential, but again, he's a smallish LB and the Rams are a team that needs to get bigger and tougher at this position, particularly in the middle.
Viewing the field: RamView's biggest regret looking over the free agent LB market is that the Rams aren't a 3-4 team. The 3-4 ILB position is easily the most scintillating one in the FA market, led by Hall-of-Fame lock Ray Lewis, who isn't slowing down at 33. He led this FA class in tackles and passes defended last year, and can still get to the QB. But St. Louis obviously isn't in his future. The Jets, with Lewis' old DC Rex Ryan at head coach, are said to have the most interest. Miami hasn't made Crowder an offer, and he's ticked off about it. Somebody's going to hit it big, signing a 25-year-old, 6'2", 250-lb MLB with a chip on his shoulder. He's started every year in Miami, including his rookie year and calls the defensive signals. What makes Crowder not quite ideal is repeated problems with his knees and that he might be better suited on the outside in a 4-3. Jonathan Vilma is a tackling machine whose deal allows him to become a free agent, but he will likely be scooped right back up by the Saints. Similar situation for Bart Scott, whom the Ravens are making a big push to re-sign, though his tackle totals have been dropping since 2006. Spikes had a fine year for the Whiners in 2008 but would almost have to be used as a 3-4 ILB. Pittsburgh's Fox is a special teams terror and a big hitter who made tons of plays for them last preseason. They're likely to keep him but he has good qualities and a chance to blossom at the age of 27. Another LB to eyeball is 30-year-old Andra
Davis of Cleveland, who's struggled in a passive scheme there after ringing up 149 (199, according to the team) tackles in an aggressive scheme in 2005. Izzo's had a great career as a special teamer but I can do without any guys linked to the Barry Bonds trial, can't you?
The OLB market's nowhere near as good, because unlike Nick Wagoner, I don't cop out and include players who have already been franchised. Should Karlos Dansby really be considered available when he would cost two first round picks? Of course not. SLB Winborn is infinitely more available, because Denver cut him in a salary dump, even though he had easy career highs last year of 99 tackles and 11 passes defended. He also led Denver in special teams tackles a couple of years ago. Brooking's a WLB on the down side of a fine career. Boley, a smallish SLB, could be a fine addition to an aggressive defense; he struggled and got benched last year because he doesn't read-and-react very well. But with Boley, you have to keep in mind a domestic dispute arrest from last year. Detroit actually had some good LBs last year. 6'2" 235 Lenon was an ILB there but is better suited to a 4-3 SLB. He's a good all-around athlete with a mean competitive streak and about 120 tackles each of the last two years and he's good at covering backs. Nece, who of course is the son of Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott, had 68 tackles as Detroit's SLB last year and deserves points for being the kind of upstanding citizen you want to have in your locker room. Boiman had 73 tackles in K.C. last year just as a part-time starter. Sounds like he knows how to go find the ball. Peterson, who of course was drafted with the pick the Rams sent to the Colts for Marshall Faulk, got benched during Jacksonville's
defensive struggles last year and also got suspended for arguing with coach Jack del Rio. Don't think a rookie coach will want to have that kind of challenge on his roster.
RamView's moves: Fix this position. The Rams' free agent priorities need to be on the defensive front seven, especially when effective solutions are available. I'm moving Will to, um, Will, and going hard after Crowder for Mike. Pisa's trade bait because I'd rather take a run at Winborn for the strong side. Draft's my all-purpose backup, with Chamberlain and Culberson filling out the unit, depending on the draft.
What the Rams could do: If Wake Forest LB Aaron Curry doesn't go first in the draft, ahem, there's a heck of a good chance he's going second. Either way they're going to need a Sam, so Devaney could very easily fire up the Atlanta pipeline and bring Boley in under the assumption that last year was a fluke. Antonio Pierce's name comes up a lot since he was Spagnuolo's MLB the last couple of years.
Prediction: Devaney signs Boley as the new Sam. If they draft Curry, he's the Mike and Will's the Will. If they don't, Will stays at Mike, Pisa stays at Will, and Devaney regrets he didn't try harder for a free agent MLB.
RamView's Top 5 ILBs: 1 - Ray Lewis 2 - Channing Crowder 3 - Jonathan Vilma 4 - Bart Scott 5 - Takeo Spikes
Top 5 OLBs: 1 - Jamie Winborn 2 - Keith Brooking 3 - Michael Boley 4 - Paris Lenon 5 - Ryan Nece
Sleepers: Keyaron Fox, Rocky Boiman
Gawd No: Larry Izzo, Mike Peterson
Rams FAs: The Rams don't appear to have a lot of free agent concerns of their own at linebacker. There's special team specialist Gary Stills, who at age 34 probably won't be back, not at a very high cost, at least.
Rams analysis: A big part of the Rams' defensive failure against the run is that they haven't been strong enough right up the middle. Will Witherspoon had a terrific 2007 at Mike linebacker but got dominated and injured week after week in 2008 as his lack of size left offenses unafraid to run at him. Pisa Tinoisamoa had one of his best seasons as a pro on the weak side, but while continuing to get out of position too often and give up big plays. Quinton Culberson could not parlay a solid preseason into regular season success. The youngster was confused on the field a lot and eventually supplanted by capable veteran Chris Draft. David "Mr. Irrelevant" Vobora got some time at Mike with Witherspoon out injured but failed to impress. Chris Chamberlain, Gary Stills and even late-season addition Larry Grant tore it up on special teams. Chamberlain in particular appears to have a lot of potential, but again, he's a smallish LB and the Rams are a team that needs to get bigger and tougher at this position, particularly in the middle.
Viewing the field: RamView's biggest regret looking over the free agent LB market is that the Rams aren't a 3-4 team. The 3-4 ILB position is easily the most scintillating one in the FA market, led by Hall-of-Fame lock Ray Lewis, who isn't slowing down at 33. He led this FA class in tackles and passes defended last year, and can still get to the QB. But St. Louis obviously isn't in his future. The Jets, with Lewis' old DC Rex Ryan at head coach, are said to have the most interest. Miami hasn't made Crowder an offer, and he's ticked off about it. Somebody's going to hit it big, signing a 25-year-old, 6'2", 250-lb MLB with a chip on his shoulder. He's started every year in Miami, including his rookie year and calls the defensive signals. What makes Crowder not quite ideal is repeated problems with his knees and that he might be better suited on the outside in a 4-3. Jonathan Vilma is a tackling machine whose deal allows him to become a free agent, but he will likely be scooped right back up by the Saints. Similar situation for Bart Scott, whom the Ravens are making a big push to re-sign, though his tackle totals have been dropping since 2006. Spikes had a fine year for the Whiners in 2008 but would almost have to be used as a 3-4 ILB. Pittsburgh's Fox is a special teams terror and a big hitter who made tons of plays for them last preseason. They're likely to keep him but he has good qualities and a chance to blossom at the age of 27. Another LB to eyeball is 30-year-old Andra
Davis of Cleveland, who's struggled in a passive scheme there after ringing up 149 (199, according to the team) tackles in an aggressive scheme in 2005. Izzo's had a great career as a special teamer but I can do without any guys linked to the Barry Bonds trial, can't you?
The OLB market's nowhere near as good, because unlike Nick Wagoner, I don't cop out and include players who have already been franchised. Should Karlos Dansby really be considered available when he would cost two first round picks? Of course not. SLB Winborn is infinitely more available, because Denver cut him in a salary dump, even though he had easy career highs last year of 99 tackles and 11 passes defended. He also led Denver in special teams tackles a couple of years ago. Brooking's a WLB on the down side of a fine career. Boley, a smallish SLB, could be a fine addition to an aggressive defense; he struggled and got benched last year because he doesn't read-and-react very well. But with Boley, you have to keep in mind a domestic dispute arrest from last year. Detroit actually had some good LBs last year. 6'2" 235 Lenon was an ILB there but is better suited to a 4-3 SLB. He's a good all-around athlete with a mean competitive streak and about 120 tackles each of the last two years and he's good at covering backs. Nece, who of course is the son of Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott, had 68 tackles as Detroit's SLB last year and deserves points for being the kind of upstanding citizen you want to have in your locker room. Boiman had 73 tackles in K.C. last year just as a part-time starter. Sounds like he knows how to go find the ball. Peterson, who of course was drafted with the pick the Rams sent to the Colts for Marshall Faulk, got benched during Jacksonville's
defensive struggles last year and also got suspended for arguing with coach Jack del Rio. Don't think a rookie coach will want to have that kind of challenge on his roster.
RamView's moves: Fix this position. The Rams' free agent priorities need to be on the defensive front seven, especially when effective solutions are available. I'm moving Will to, um, Will, and going hard after Crowder for Mike. Pisa's trade bait because I'd rather take a run at Winborn for the strong side. Draft's my all-purpose backup, with Chamberlain and Culberson filling out the unit, depending on the draft.
What the Rams could do: If Wake Forest LB Aaron Curry doesn't go first in the draft, ahem, there's a heck of a good chance he's going second. Either way they're going to need a Sam, so Devaney could very easily fire up the Atlanta pipeline and bring Boley in under the assumption that last year was a fluke. Antonio Pierce's name comes up a lot since he was Spagnuolo's MLB the last couple of years.
Prediction: Devaney signs Boley as the new Sam. If they draft Curry, he's the Mike and Will's the Will. If they don't, Will stays at Mike, Pisa stays at Will, and Devaney regrets he didn't try harder for a free agent MLB.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
FA defensive line preview
UFA DL as of 02/24/2009 (from kffl.com)
RamView's Top 5 DEs: 1 - Bertran Berry 2 - Igor Olshansky 3 - Chauncy Davis 4 - Ebenezer Ekuban 5 - Kalimba Edwards
Top 5 DTs: 1 - Albert Haynesworth 2 - Antonio Smith 3 - Rocky Bernard 4 - Colin Cole 5 - Jonathan Babineaux
Sleepers: Davis, Cole
Gawd No: John Engelberger, Jimmy Kennedy
Rams FAs: Victor Adeyanju is a restricted free agent, while Eric Moore is unrestricted. La'Roi Glover is unrestricted from retiring.
Rams analysis: The Rams have to do SOMETHING with this defensive line, don't they? They were 29th in the NFL against the run, allowing over 150 yards a game, while tying for 16th in the league in sacks with 30. The sack total sounds a lot more respectable than the Rams' pass rush was. Leonard Little, who the team has announced will be back in 2009, played hurt all season and nearly led the team in sacks, with 6. James Hall, whose bad play far surpasses his bursts of good play, led the Rams with 6.5. Chris Long had 4 before appearing to hit the rookie wall late in the season, though the #2 overall pick from last year has plenty of promise and should pick up some of his teammates' slack this year. Victor Adeyanju posed no threat as a pass rusher despite playing a lot, while a serviceable-at-best run defender. Moore and C.J. Ah You round out the DEs for now, though neither has been a factor in the regular season. They figure to be victims of a thorough renovation of the defensive line by Steve Spagnuolo. In the middle, that probably means the end of the road for La'Roi Glover, although that leaves naught but training camp scrubs behind Adam Carriker and Cliff Ryan, and they need help. Carriker in particular got pushed around the whole of last season. And a team that gave up so many yards on the ground definitely needs a dominating presence in the middle.
Viewing the field: Haynesworth is the premier free agent lineman available. The dominating Titans tackle had more sacks last year with 8.5 than any other FA lineman. You could argue three things very successfully about Haynesworth: 1 - he may well have been the NFL MVP last year; 2 - he may well transform any defense he goes to, including the Rams', into a very good one; and 3 - with Pace and Holt likely off the payroll, the Rams can afford him. I'm not sure I'm buying, though. His reputation is that he'll put it in cruise control once he gets the big money. And he wants enough to buy a small nation. The Rams have played Arizona enough times to know what a pain in the ass Antonio Smith is. He's the kind of player you love, when he's on your team. He's 28 and peaking, with 80+ tackles and 9 sacks the last two years. Smith's overlooked by the general football public as a playmaker and would look great here in Glover's spot. As far as big, sloppy run-stoppers, the Rams could go after Grady Jackson, the very definition of big and sloppy, or look to others younger than the 36-year-old planetoid. Green Bay's switching to the 3-4 and are said to believe 6'1", 330-lb 29-year-older Colin Cole isn't what they're looking for at nose tackle. Cole's a lunch-bucket guy who was buried in the Packer d-line rotation till last year. He pushed the pocket well enough for a career-high 11.5 QB pressures, and he's big and physical unlike anyone the Rams have up front. Bernard is smaller by 20 pounds but has better potential to get to the QB while coming off a career high season with 55 tackles. He's another pain in the ass the Rams would love not to face twice a year, but he's also got a strike from the league (and society) for a domestic violence incident last April. Babineaux is smaller than what the Rams would be looking for at 6'2" 284, but he's just 27 and is still peaking as a playmaker and a pass rusher. Kennedy certainly has the size the Rams need in the middle, if only he could play.
As in most years, the UFA market at defensive end isn't going to yield an elite pass rusher. There's no DE on this year's list who had more than five sacks last year. Then again, that would have been good for third on the Rams. Berry is the elite pass rusher of this group, with threatening speed off the edge even at age 34, but he's nothing a healthy Little couldn't be. Olshansky's one of the league's strongest players and has been a dominant run-stopper but is strictly a 3-4 DE. Davis didn't get onto the field as much as Jamaal Anderson in Atlanta but has been a more productive player. His 4 sacks and 38 tackles last year were career highs. He also recovered three fumbles, and posed a good enough pass rush risk to take offensive attention away from John Abraham. Davis is only 26 and may just reach his real peak with his next team. Ekuban has averaged 6 sacks a season since 2004 but his tackle totals are dropping steadily. Edwards has always weirdly intrigued me, though he was a draft bust for Detroit. He's still young at 29 and had a career-high 48 tackles and near-CH 5 sacks for Oakland last year. And it won't cost a thing to pick him up; he is a free agent in the same way Jim Haslett is right now. Unemployed. The Raiders cut him to make room for Nnamdi Asomugha's ridiculous contract. Engelberger used to haunt the Rams a lot, but he's 32, maybe 260, and has 3 sacks since 2005. Don't be fooled by the past there.
RamView's moves: They've gotta get pass rushers on the edge and run stuffers in the middle. RamView would go after Chauncey Davis. He'll be an overall improvement over Hall: younger and around the ball more. Statistically, you could consider Hall a legitimate pass-rusher. I tend not to consider him legitimate at much of anything. Edwards can come in for you off the waiver wire and contribute just as much statistically as Hall as a 4th DE. I'd also go full-bore after Antonio Smith. He'd be perfect in the Glover role and you'd weaken a division rival without hiring a woman-beater like Bernard. Arizona got rid of their DC, so Smith might be more amenable to a move. That still leaves a need for Mr. Big and Sloppy, and since I'm going offensive line 1-2, he'll need to be a free agent as well.
RamView's 2009 defensive line:
DE: Little, Long, Chauncey Davis, Kalimba Edwards vs. Adeyanju in training camp for DE4
DT: Antonio Smith, Ryan, Carriker, Colin Cole
What the Rams could do: B.J. Raji of Boston College is becoming an increasing factor in the Rams' thought process for the #2 pick overall, not only because he's a needed big run stopper, but because Spagnuolo comes from a franchise that's had great success with B.C.'s players. Right now, though, it looks like they are hurting far too much on the offensive line to address the defensive line that early. Don't look for former Spagnuolo players to be factors, either. The main one available is William Joseph, who's a stiff. With a lot of money available with the presumed cuts of Pace and Holt to come, though, they HAVE to come away with veterans to work into the mix at DE and DT right away.
Prediction: If I'm right that Davis is worth going after, former Falcon assistant GM Billy Devaney will do it. So I'll predict myself to be right. :) But they'll also keep Hall and try moving Adeyanju inside. And if they sign a free-agent center as I've predicted, they're free to take Raji's DT partner Ron Brace with their second-round pick. And yep, he's big and sloppy.
Rams projection:
DE: Little, Long, Hall, Davis
DT: Ryan, Carriker, Brace, Adeyanju
RamView's Top 5 DEs: 1 - Bertran Berry 2 - Igor Olshansky 3 - Chauncy Davis 4 - Ebenezer Ekuban 5 - Kalimba Edwards
Top 5 DTs: 1 - Albert Haynesworth 2 - Antonio Smith 3 - Rocky Bernard 4 - Colin Cole 5 - Jonathan Babineaux
Sleepers: Davis, Cole
Gawd No: John Engelberger, Jimmy Kennedy
Rams FAs: Victor Adeyanju is a restricted free agent, while Eric Moore is unrestricted. La'Roi Glover is unrestricted from retiring.
Rams analysis: The Rams have to do SOMETHING with this defensive line, don't they? They were 29th in the NFL against the run, allowing over 150 yards a game, while tying for 16th in the league in sacks with 30. The sack total sounds a lot more respectable than the Rams' pass rush was. Leonard Little, who the team has announced will be back in 2009, played hurt all season and nearly led the team in sacks, with 6. James Hall, whose bad play far surpasses his bursts of good play, led the Rams with 6.5. Chris Long had 4 before appearing to hit the rookie wall late in the season, though the #2 overall pick from last year has plenty of promise and should pick up some of his teammates' slack this year. Victor Adeyanju posed no threat as a pass rusher despite playing a lot, while a serviceable-at-best run defender. Moore and C.J. Ah You round out the DEs for now, though neither has been a factor in the regular season. They figure to be victims of a thorough renovation of the defensive line by Steve Spagnuolo. In the middle, that probably means the end of the road for La'Roi Glover, although that leaves naught but training camp scrubs behind Adam Carriker and Cliff Ryan, and they need help. Carriker in particular got pushed around the whole of last season. And a team that gave up so many yards on the ground definitely needs a dominating presence in the middle.
Viewing the field: Haynesworth is the premier free agent lineman available. The dominating Titans tackle had more sacks last year with 8.5 than any other FA lineman. You could argue three things very successfully about Haynesworth: 1 - he may well have been the NFL MVP last year; 2 - he may well transform any defense he goes to, including the Rams', into a very good one; and 3 - with Pace and Holt likely off the payroll, the Rams can afford him. I'm not sure I'm buying, though. His reputation is that he'll put it in cruise control once he gets the big money. And he wants enough to buy a small nation. The Rams have played Arizona enough times to know what a pain in the ass Antonio Smith is. He's the kind of player you love, when he's on your team. He's 28 and peaking, with 80+ tackles and 9 sacks the last two years. Smith's overlooked by the general football public as a playmaker and would look great here in Glover's spot. As far as big, sloppy run-stoppers, the Rams could go after Grady Jackson, the very definition of big and sloppy, or look to others younger than the 36-year-old planetoid. Green Bay's switching to the 3-4 and are said to believe 6'1", 330-lb 29-year-older Colin Cole isn't what they're looking for at nose tackle. Cole's a lunch-bucket guy who was buried in the Packer d-line rotation till last year. He pushed the pocket well enough for a career-high 11.5 QB pressures, and he's big and physical unlike anyone the Rams have up front. Bernard is smaller by 20 pounds but has better potential to get to the QB while coming off a career high season with 55 tackles. He's another pain in the ass the Rams would love not to face twice a year, but he's also got a strike from the league (and society) for a domestic violence incident last April. Babineaux is smaller than what the Rams would be looking for at 6'2" 284, but he's just 27 and is still peaking as a playmaker and a pass rusher. Kennedy certainly has the size the Rams need in the middle, if only he could play.
As in most years, the UFA market at defensive end isn't going to yield an elite pass rusher. There's no DE on this year's list who had more than five sacks last year. Then again, that would have been good for third on the Rams. Berry is the elite pass rusher of this group, with threatening speed off the edge even at age 34, but he's nothing a healthy Little couldn't be. Olshansky's one of the league's strongest players and has been a dominant run-stopper but is strictly a 3-4 DE. Davis didn't get onto the field as much as Jamaal Anderson in Atlanta but has been a more productive player. His 4 sacks and 38 tackles last year were career highs. He also recovered three fumbles, and posed a good enough pass rush risk to take offensive attention away from John Abraham. Davis is only 26 and may just reach his real peak with his next team. Ekuban has averaged 6 sacks a season since 2004 but his tackle totals are dropping steadily. Edwards has always weirdly intrigued me, though he was a draft bust for Detroit. He's still young at 29 and had a career-high 48 tackles and near-CH 5 sacks for Oakland last year. And it won't cost a thing to pick him up; he is a free agent in the same way Jim Haslett is right now. Unemployed. The Raiders cut him to make room for Nnamdi Asomugha's ridiculous contract. Engelberger used to haunt the Rams a lot, but he's 32, maybe 260, and has 3 sacks since 2005. Don't be fooled by the past there.
RamView's moves: They've gotta get pass rushers on the edge and run stuffers in the middle. RamView would go after Chauncey Davis. He'll be an overall improvement over Hall: younger and around the ball more. Statistically, you could consider Hall a legitimate pass-rusher. I tend not to consider him legitimate at much of anything. Edwards can come in for you off the waiver wire and contribute just as much statistically as Hall as a 4th DE. I'd also go full-bore after Antonio Smith. He'd be perfect in the Glover role and you'd weaken a division rival without hiring a woman-beater like Bernard. Arizona got rid of their DC, so Smith might be more amenable to a move. That still leaves a need for Mr. Big and Sloppy, and since I'm going offensive line 1-2, he'll need to be a free agent as well.
RamView's 2009 defensive line:
DE: Little, Long, Chauncey Davis, Kalimba Edwards vs. Adeyanju in training camp for DE4
DT: Antonio Smith, Ryan, Carriker, Colin Cole
What the Rams could do: B.J. Raji of Boston College is becoming an increasing factor in the Rams' thought process for the #2 pick overall, not only because he's a needed big run stopper, but because Spagnuolo comes from a franchise that's had great success with B.C.'s players. Right now, though, it looks like they are hurting far too much on the offensive line to address the defensive line that early. Don't look for former Spagnuolo players to be factors, either. The main one available is William Joseph, who's a stiff. With a lot of money available with the presumed cuts of Pace and Holt to come, though, they HAVE to come away with veterans to work into the mix at DE and DT right away.
Prediction: If I'm right that Davis is worth going after, former Falcon assistant GM Billy Devaney will do it. So I'll predict myself to be right. :) But they'll also keep Hall and try moving Adeyanju inside. And if they sign a free-agent center as I've predicted, they're free to take Raji's DT partner Ron Brace with their second-round pick. And yep, he's big and sloppy.
Rams projection:
DE: Little, Long, Hall, Davis
DT: Ryan, Carriker, Brace, Adeyanju
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)