No offense to you East or others who DO look at this stuff this time of year. I just can't get into the threads about next year's draft or cap space for next year or anything else that seems to dismiss the rest of the season - unless of course it is the rest of the season for the skins. I know. Then why respond? Frustration I suppose. I have this hope that we are in late January and the draft is the furthest from every Ram fans mind. I'm sure everyone here would love for that to be the case as well... I'm just sayin'.
No offense taken. Win or lose I like to know what type of cap space we have. I never get into draft until draft time. But cap space could be telling looking at some possible trades before deadline. Along with Finny cap hit right after SB. So yes for me it's relative.
Yep. There's a very small window here that we need to take advantage of. We are well positioned with this core group, but they need to come together on a Championship level. That's a lot to ask of so many young players, but that's why Fisher makes the big bucks.I know of no major issues upcoming for this Ram team in 2014. The Org. has many options and has placed itself in a very good position from all that I know & that's not much. We are better off than most other NFL on this side element of team management. We will loose several present very low cost starters i.e. LB'er Dunbar, OT Saffold, OG Williams, QB Clemens & OG Shelley Smith with two top reserves in LB Spoon & Safety Giordano.
Rams have positioned themselves well @ LB'er with Spoon & Dunbar with four UDFA's LB'ers availability to be the next man up. Looks like the OL will need the most tinkering with three OL'ers UFA's & the age of Wells & Dahl both with heavy loaded cap hits.
If relief is needed it can be easily attained by the releasing of non starter Finnegan $4 mil, Dahl 4 mil, Langford 4 mil. & Wells 4.5 mil. that's 16 mil there. Finnegan looks to be the easy one to me. Rams have two 2015 UFA's they need to look @ extensions for DE Quinn & FB/TE Kendricks. Quinn will be a serious Chris long contract type...looks to me that Ram will have to pick in 2015 either Quinn or Chris Long but that's a long way off.
Yes it remains highly questionable if this present Ram team has the right "CORE GROUP" assembled starting with Bradford and working itself down from there. But the small window you bring up is indeed small.Yep. There's a very small window here that we need to take advantage of. We are well positioned with this core group, but they need to come together on a Championship level. That's a lot to ask of so many young players, but that's why Fisher makes the big bucks.
I know of no major issues upcoming for this Ram team in 2014. The Org. has many options and has placed itself in a very good position from all that I know & that's not much. We are better off than most other NFL on this side element of team management. We will loose several present very low cost starters i.e. LB'er Dunbar, OT Saffold, OG Williams, QB Clemens & OG Shelley Smith with two top reserves in LB Spoon & Safety Giordano.
Rams have positioned themselves well @ LB'er with Spoon & Dunbar with four UDFA's LB'ers availability to be the next man up. Looks like the OL will need the most tinkering with three OL'ers UFA's & the age of Wells & Dahl both with heavy loaded cap hits.
If relief is needed it can be easily attained by the releasing of non starter Finnegan $4 mil, Dahl 4 mil, Langford 4 mil. & Wells 4.5 mil. that's 16 mil there. Finnegan looks to be the easy one to me. Rams have two 2015 UFA's they need to look @ extensions for DE Quinn & FB/TE Kendricks. Quinn will be a serious Chris long contract type...looks to me that Ram will have to pick in 2015 either Quinn or Chris Long but that's a long way off.
I love me some Chris Long. I think he's a very solid DE, but I'd be lying if I said there was a huge dropoff when Hayes came in and took over for him when he was injured. I didn't notice much difference. I don't think you move on from him unless there's a clear indication that you have a better player waiting in the wings though. As it relates to his run-stopping abilities, I can only lean on what Pro Football Focus sees (they have a bunch of eyes on every game), because I don't see the issue. I really don't. But according to them, he's 14th in the league against the run. And bonus ... Quinn is first in the league by a HUGE margin. And I mean HUGE.I'd definitely get rid of Finnegan, Dahl, and Langford. Wells can go if they believe in Jones or there's a decent FA C. Take a CB in the first round and look for DT or OG help in FA and/or the draft.
As for Quinn or Long, that's an easy one for me. Quinn. Long isn't as good against the run as people think he is and he doesn't rush the passer as well as Quinn.
I love me some Chris Long. I think he's a very solid DE, but I'd be lying if I said there was a huge dropoff when Hayes came in and took over for him when he was injured. I didn't notice much difference. I don't think you move on from him unless there's a clear indication that you have a better player waiting in the wings though. As it relates to his run-stopping abilities, I can only lean on what Pro Football Focus sees (they have a bunch of eyes on every game), because I don't see the issue. I really don't. But according to them, he's 14th in the league against the run. And bonus ... Quinn is first in the league by a HUGE margin. And I mean HUGE.
I love me some Chris Long. I think he's a very solid DE, but I'd be lying if I said there was a huge dropoff when Hayes came in and took over for him when he was injured. I didn't notice much difference. I don't think you move on from him unless there's a clear indication that you have a better player waiting in the wings though. As it relates to his run-stopping abilities, I can only lean on what Pro Football Focus sees (they have a bunch of eyes on every game), because I don't see the issue. I really don't. But according to them, he's 14th in the league against the run. And bonus ... Quinn is first in the league by a HUGE margin. And I mean HUGE.
Well, that's debatable as well as subjective. I guess the only way to determine that would be to see how he measures up against the top DEs in the league in terms of production and contract by the end of the year. And that's not really a method I endorse anyway. That said, his contact becomes somewhat more tolerable in 2015-2016, so who knows. The wrench in the works right now is Quinn. I don't see the Rams letting him get to the final year of his contract next year at the wage he's making, and they certainly can't pay him Chris Long money too.I like Long but I don't like his contract. He's not worth it. That's why I was saying he's expendable in 2015.
Well, that's debatable as well as subjective. I guess the only way to determine that would be to see how he measures up against the top DEs in the league in terms of production and contract by the end of the year. And that's not really a method I endorse anyway. That said, his contact becomes somewhat more tolerable in 2015-2016, so who knows. The wrench in the works right now is Quinn. I don't see the Rams letting him get to the final year of his contract next year at the wage he's making, and they certainly can't pay him Chris Long money too.
They're gonna have some tough choices soon, and that's why I said before their window is very small right now.
Clowney? eek:That's why I was saying cut Long and keep Quinn. Quinn is MUCH better. If you can get Quinn for Long's contract, it's a very good deal, IMO. Long can be replaced much easier too.
Clowney? eek: