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OK, here we are again, another early off-season sitting on the sidelines watching our adversaries bask in the glow of the play-offs. This next mock of mine will be a departure from the previous, as this will be the first of this off-season to add gains available from potential trades. Free agency is also heavily weighted, not only because we can afford it, it truly is time to strike now, as I believe we are a team prepared to take the next big step. Fisher going forward into year 4 needs to put together a winning season, and he has implied that there will be change, so I offer this guideline to help move things along. This team's time is ripe for challenging to become that deep threat for divisional leadership, as well as a consistent play-off contender. The Rams, with a few widely held views of cutting out some of the expensive underachievers, should be in a great CAP position for adding some outside help, re-signing some of our own talent, and signing our draft class. This mock won't please everyone, especially those seeking that elusive and so-called 'Franchise QB', as one has to be available before one can actually pick him. Rather than mortgaging the teams future on a QB at any price, I can wait until 2016 when a better/deeper class will be available, and will endeavor to concentrate this off-season on finishing filling all those depth positions we have been in such need of for so many years now. So, ... Bradford will return, and we will add a couple new free agent QB's as insurance. Sam will be extended for an extra year and the Rams will cut his CAP hit nearly by half. The next most controversial decision will be about what to do about our rotational DT, Langford. Well, ... he's gone, not because he wouldn't make another nice candidate for an extension, but being that he will be working on his last big payday for his next contract, I just don't believe he will (or should) take this much of a salary trim at this point in his career. The Rams should be able to save a good deal of CAP on a rotational player while building thru the draft, and we should also keep in mind that Brockers will be entering his own contract season next year.
Trades :
My first trade proposal can either be thought of as two independent trades with the same team, or as a single trade with two separate elements. For the purpose of this post, I'll list it as the former, (1a) where the Rams trade down our # 10 overall pick with Cleveland for their # 12 overall pick. For this, the Rams will receive troubled WR Josh Gordon. Gordon will be entering his contract year, and it is highly doubtful he would be re-signing with the Browns in 2016. (1b) Next, the Rams trade down their newly acquired # 12 overall, again with the Browns, for their # 19 overall, which is their 2'nd First round pick. The Rams would receive Cleveland's 2'nd round pick as compensation. Being that the Browns have big needs at WR & DE/DT, they would now have the # 10 & # 12 overall to pick among the best, up from 12 & 19.
2'nd Trade : The Rams trade overall # 19 (from Brown's) to Carolina for their overall # 25. This trade allows the Panthers to move up into an area where they can draft OT La'el Collins, probably their biggest needed position upgrade, ... and he probably doesn't make it to them otherwise. The Rams receive Carolina's 4'th and 6'th round 2015 draft picks, as well as their 2016 3'rd rd pick. This trade allows the Rams to pick up those lost picks due to the Barron trade from earlier this season, and an extra for next year. It also fits the trade value chart rather nicely.
Rams Free Agents to be re-signed :
TE - Harkey
WR - Britt
OT/OG - Person
S - McCleod
Rams Free Agents allowed to walk :
OT - Barksdale
TE - Kendricks
OG - Joseph
QB - Hill
QB - Davis
Rams players under contract to be cut :
LT - J.Long
C - Wells
DT - Langford
RB - Pead
C - Barnes (RFA)
Received compensation from trades :
WR - Josh Gordon, Cle
2015 4'th rd. pick (Car)
2015 6'th rd. pick (Car)
2016 3'rd rd. pick (Car)
Free Agent acquisitions :
RT - Bryan Bulaga, GB
LG - Mike Iupati, SF
FS - Devin McCourty, NE or Louis Delmas, Mia
And for far less money,
QB - Colt McCoy
QB - Ryan Mallett
2015 Draft :
1) DT - Malcom Brown, Tx
2a) MLB - Eric Kendricks, UCLA
2b) C - Cameron Erving, FlSt or Reese Dismukes, Aub
3) TE - Jeff Heuerman, OhSt
4) CB - Doran Grant, OhSt
5) QB - Brandon Bridge, SoAla
6) DE - Deion Barnes, PennSt
7) OT/OG - Jamon Brown, Louisville
Starting O-Line :
LT - Robinson
LG - Iupati
C - Erving or Dismukes
RG - Saffold
RT - Bulaga
WR's :
Gordon
Quick
Britt
Austin
Bailey
Givens
DT's :
Donald
Brockers
Brown
TE's :
Cook
Harkey
Heuerman
FS :
McCourty or Delmas
SS :
Barron/McDonald
Trades :
My first trade proposal can either be thought of as two independent trades with the same team, or as a single trade with two separate elements. For the purpose of this post, I'll list it as the former, (1a) where the Rams trade down our # 10 overall pick with Cleveland for their # 12 overall pick. For this, the Rams will receive troubled WR Josh Gordon. Gordon will be entering his contract year, and it is highly doubtful he would be re-signing with the Browns in 2016. (1b) Next, the Rams trade down their newly acquired # 12 overall, again with the Browns, for their # 19 overall, which is their 2'nd First round pick. The Rams would receive Cleveland's 2'nd round pick as compensation. Being that the Browns have big needs at WR & DE/DT, they would now have the # 10 & # 12 overall to pick among the best, up from 12 & 19.
2'nd Trade : The Rams trade overall # 19 (from Brown's) to Carolina for their overall # 25. This trade allows the Panthers to move up into an area where they can draft OT La'el Collins, probably their biggest needed position upgrade, ... and he probably doesn't make it to them otherwise. The Rams receive Carolina's 4'th and 6'th round 2015 draft picks, as well as their 2016 3'rd rd pick. This trade allows the Rams to pick up those lost picks due to the Barron trade from earlier this season, and an extra for next year. It also fits the trade value chart rather nicely.
Rams Free Agents to be re-signed :
TE - Harkey
WR - Britt
OT/OG - Person
S - McCleod
Rams Free Agents allowed to walk :
OT - Barksdale
TE - Kendricks
OG - Joseph
QB - Hill
QB - Davis
Rams players under contract to be cut :
LT - J.Long
C - Wells
DT - Langford
RB - Pead
C - Barnes (RFA)
Received compensation from trades :
WR - Josh Gordon, Cle
2015 4'th rd. pick (Car)
2015 6'th rd. pick (Car)
2016 3'rd rd. pick (Car)
Free Agent acquisitions :
RT - Bryan Bulaga, GB
LG - Mike Iupati, SF
FS - Devin McCourty, NE or Louis Delmas, Mia
And for far less money,
QB - Colt McCoy
QB - Ryan Mallett
2015 Draft :
1) DT - Malcom Brown, Tx
2a) MLB - Eric Kendricks, UCLA
2b) C - Cameron Erving, FlSt or Reese Dismukes, Aub
3) TE - Jeff Heuerman, OhSt
4) CB - Doran Grant, OhSt
5) QB - Brandon Bridge, SoAla
6) DE - Deion Barnes, PennSt
7) OT/OG - Jamon Brown, Louisville
Starting O-Line :
LT - Robinson
LG - Iupati
C - Erving or Dismukes
RG - Saffold
RT - Bulaga
WR's :
Gordon
Quick
Britt
Austin
Bailey
Givens
DT's :
Donald
Brockers
Brown
TE's :
Cook
Harkey
Heuerman
FS :
McCourty or Delmas
SS :
Barron/McDonald