The Rams Lost Out/Blow it up Mock Offseason.

[Memento]

You heard me. 4-12 record.

Mock Offseason:

Fire:

Jeff Fisher
Frank Cignetti
Gregg Williams
Everyone except for the defensive coordinators (Dennard Wilson for DBs, Clyde Simmons for DL, Joe Bowden for LBs), Waufle, and Fassel.

(Done with Fisher; I'm tired of no winning seasons. Done with the refs looking to penalize us; we do that enough to ourselves without the refs looking for excuses. Done with the uncreative offensive schemes; this is a long way from the GSoT. Done with the 80s style of football; we're in 2015.) I look to keep the defensive coordinators, but I expect most of them to leave with Fisher, wherever he goes.

Hire:

Ben McAdoo (New York Giants OC, HC)
Ken Dorsey (Carolina Panthers QBs coach, OC)
Jim Schwartz (DC)

(McAdoo is one of the most promising young minds in the game. I love how Newton has progressed under Dorsey's tutelage (which is why I'm hoping for the same with our quarterback of the future), and Schwartz would be a coup.)

-

Cut:

Nick Foles, Stedman Bailey, Trey Watts, Kenny Britt, Jared Cook, Rodger Saffold, Akeem Ayers, Chris Long.)

(Only change here is Nick Foles. I don't care what you have to do to get rid of him...just do it. At least the contract isn't an albatross like Bradford's. Chris Long is unfortunate, but necessary at this point. Bailey and Watts are obvious; too many mistakes off the field, and they get replaced.)

-

Restructure:

James Laurinaitis.

(Have to do that to save on cap for next year.)

-

Franchise:

Janoris Jenkins.

(Obvious. I don't think he takes money to re-sign here, as I feel he wants to test free agency. So we keep him for one more year.)

-

Re-sign:

Trumaine Johnson - 4 years.
Mark Barron - 4 years.
Cory Harkey - 3 years.
William Hayes - 1 year.
Eugene Sims - 1 year.
Greg Zuerlein - 1 year.
Case Keenum - 1 year (depending on how he plays against the Ravens tomorrow).
Benny Cunningham - RFA
Cody Davis - RFA
Daren Bates - RFA

(Believe that Wes Welker retires after this year. Think that Isiah Ferguson still has at least special teams potential. Trumaine Johnson is the biggest corner we have, and we can't replace his skillset. I think Mark Barron should be the other starting linebacker aside from Laurinaitis and Ogletree. Harkey's skillset isn't replicated on our team. Zuerlein gets a prove it deal. Keenum? We'll see, but I don't think we'll find a better backup than him at the moment. Hayes and Sims get one year contracts to stay on as veteran leadership and depth for the defensive line.

Extend:

Michael Brockers - 4 years.
T.J. McDonald - 4 years.

(They're both core members of our D. Brockers helps with the running game, and McDonald is probably the best safety we've had in a long while. Let's keep them.)

Free Agency:

Rodney McLeod
Chase Reynolds
Brian Quick
Nick Fairley
Brian Folkerts
Eric Kush
Tim Barnes

(Don't think Barnes is going to take a hometown discount this time, and I think that Rhaney is better anyway. McLeod goes elsewhere, Quick is damaged goods, Reynolds is pure special teams, Folkerts and Kush are depth, and I don't give a damn about where Nick Fairley goes so long as it's anywhere but here.)

-

Free Agent Signing:

Coby Fleener - 5 years, 7 million.

(Yes, I do want Fleener.)

-

Convert:

Lamarcus Joyner to free safety from cornerback.

(A move I would've done in his first year here. Joyner is small, but is comparable to Tyrann Mathieu.)

-

Trade:

Janoris Jenkins to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for 2016 first and 2016 third.

(Tampa Bay could end up with a top ten or top fifteen pick. Might as well use Jenkins as leverage if we aren't going to re-sign him. They need help at cornerback, but will likely go for it in free agency.)

Sean Mannion to the Denver Broncos for a 2016 fifth round pick.

(Never liked the Mannion pick. Might as well do something with him because you don't need a developmental quarterback with a franchise quarterback on the team. Denver's reeling at quarterback, as you all probably know.)

Tampa Bay 1st round pick and Rams 2017 first to Dallas Cowboys for 2016 first.

(Even with Tony Romo back, they don't have the horses to win many more games. Jerry Jones is an idiot and a woman-beater-enabler, so I want to fleece them again. Let them take Elliott in the top fifteen. We'll just screw them over anyway with a top quarterback of our own.)

-

Draft:

1st round (Rams) - Jalen Ramsey, CB, Florida State.

(If we lose out, that means that we lose to the Ravens. I assume that the Ravens will win more games than us in this scenario, so yeah. But Ramsey...that kid is a special talent. Reminds me of Charles Woodson in his prime and easily worth this pick, now that Jenkins is off the team.)

1st round (Cowboys) - Paxton Lynch, QB, Memphis.

(Most of the teams that need quarterbacks pick after the Cowgirls and the Browns could easily take Bosa instead of Lynch, thinking that Manziel is the answer and they can have the next J.J. Watt. Oh, well, sucks to be them. We get Ben Roethlisberger with a conscience and more mobility and with Dorsey to guide him, Lynch can be solid.)

2nd round (Rams) - Emmanuel Ogbah, DE, Oklahoma State.

(We need a defensive end to start at left end. Ogbah is the answer. Reminds me of Ezekiel Ansah. Has enormous strength and is an energizer bunny on the field. Never quits. Can only play left end and is raw as hell, so he'll need to learn a lot, but his talent is clear.)

2nd round (Eagles) - Josh Doctson, WR, TCU.

(Jordan Matthews clone, except as projected. Leaps out of the building, catches everything, you know the drill. Injured, so he falls to the Eagles pick.)

3rd round (Rams) - Scooby Wright III, LB, Arizona.

(Jrry thinks Borland, I think smaller Luke Kuechly. Laurinaitis heir-apparent, etc.)

3rd round (Bucs) - De'Runnya Wilson, WR, Mississippi State.

(Kelvin Benjamin clone. Raw, has gotten in trouble for weed before, but worth it here. Huge receiver.)

4th round (Rams) - Briean Boddy-Calhoun, CB, Minnesota.

(Scrappy slot cornerback with a lot of picks and can play on the boundary. Reminds me of E.J. Gaines.)

5th round (Broncos) - Evan Boehm, C, Missouri.

(Coke-machine for a center, mauler, needs to improve pass-protection. Good for center depth.)

6th round (Rams) - Brad Craddock, K, Maryland.

(Competition for Zuerlein, you know the drill.)

53 man roster -

QB - Lynch, Keenum.
RB - Gurley, Mason, Cunningham, Malcolm Brown.
WR - Doctson, Austin, Wilson, Marquez, Ferguson.
TE - Fleener, Kendricks, Harkey.
OL - Robinson, Brown, Rhaney, Wichmann, Havenstein, Donnal, Battle, Boehm, Williams, Reynolds.
DL - Quinn, Donald, Brockers, Hayes, Ogbah, Sims, Westbrooks, Trinca-Pasat, Longacre.
LB - Laurinaitis, Ogletree, Barron, Wright, Hager, Bates.
DB - Ramsey, Johnson, Joyner, McDonald, Gaines, Boddy-Calhoun, Roberson, Bryant, Davis, Alexander.
ST - Zuerlein, Craddock, Hekker, McQuaide.

 

[jrry32]

Seems like a good way to get Ramsey and Lynch.

Is Ramsey playing FS or CB for us?

Can't disagree with the draft. But I don't see us losing out. We'll probably end up 8-8 or 7-9.

 

[Memento]

Seems like a good way to get Ramsey and Lynch.

Is Ramsey playing FS or CB for us?

Can't disagree with the draft. But I don't see us losing out. We'll probably end up 8-8 or 7-9.

As good a way as any. And Ramsey is playing cornerback. We wouldn't miss a beat with him. I really love this kid, as you can tell.

Just another scenario. And I feel that if we lose this Ravens game, we've got as good a chance to lose out as we do of going 8-8.

 

[jrry32]

As good a way as any. And Ramsey is playing cornerback. We wouldn't miss a beat with him. I really love this kid, as you can tell.

Just another scenario. And I feel that if we lose this Ravens game, we've got as good a chance to lose out as we do of going 8-8.

JMO but I'd put him at FS if we let McLeod go. Trumaine, E.J., and Joyner still leaves us with talent at CB. And Ramsey's playmaking ability would really help those guys out.

 

[Orchid]

Only problem is Jenkins does not fit Tampa Bay's scheme. Cannot see them giving up for a CB that does not fit Cover 2. Any other possible trade partner?

 

[Memento]

Only problem is Jenkins does not fit Tampa Bay's scheme. Cannot see them giving up for a CB that does not fit Cover 2. Any other possible trade partner?

Lots of teams need cornerbacks, but if you're franchising and trading Jenkins, you're acting on good faith that he wants to go to a team. In addition, Tampa badly wants a shutdown veteran cornerback, and they're willing to pay. They're not stealing Norman from the Panthers (Panthers will likely franchise Norman), so Jenkins is the next best option. He may not fit their scheme, but Lovie doesn't call the shots about who to trade; their GM does, and there's been a disconnect for a very long time between coach and GM.

JMO but I'd put him at FS if we let McLeod go. Trumaine, E.J., and Joyner still leaves us with talent at CB. And Ramsey's playmaking ability would really help those guys out.

And leave Roberson as the only option on the outside if Gaines gets hurt again? Also just my opinion, but I think that he's proved that he can be a shutdown cornerback in this league - and a shutdown cornerback is worth much more than a ballhawking free safety. Just my honest opinion.

 

[Orchid]

Lots of teams need cornerbacks, but if you're franchising and trading Jenkins, you're acting on good faith that he wants to go to a team. In addition, Tampa badly wants a shutdown veteran cornerback, and they're willing to pay. They're not stealing Norman from the Panthers (Panthers will likely franchise Norman), so Jenkins is the next best option. He may not fit their scheme, but Lovie doesn't call the shots about who to trade; their GM does, and there's been a disconnect for a very long time between coach and GM.

Why would Jenkins want to go to Tampa Bay and play in a system where CBs play a lot of zone when he has stating he prefers press man.

You are right that Norman is not getting away from the Panthers, but they will like draft a CB or sign free agent CB who fits their scheme and is cheaper than a 1st, 3rd and franchise money

Not sure this GM has that type of power over Lovie. The Buc's hired Jason Licht 3 weeks AFTER hiring Smith In January 2014. You can look no further than the trade of Mark Barron to the Ram's to Smith's ability to obtain players who fit his system as well as their decision not to pay/pursue Revis.

Just curious, what your basis for saying that there is a disconnect between Smith and Licht?

 

[jrry32]

And leave Roberson as the only option on the outside if Gaines gets hurt again? Also just my opinion, but I think that he's proved that he can be a shutdown cornerback in this league - and a shutdown cornerback is worth much more than a ballhawking free safety. Just my honest opinion.

Roberson has held his own this year. He would be our #4 CB. And I'd say he's one of the better guys in the league at that spot. Plus, I consider a true ballhawking FS to be worth more than a shutdown CB. He is more difficult to take out of the game. And in order to take him out of the game, you almost have to forego the deep ball.

 

[Bradmac41]

You heard me. 4-12 record.

Mock Offseason:

Fire:

Jeff Fisher
Frank Cignetti
Gregg Williams
Everyone except for the defensive coordinators (Dennard Wilson for DBs, Clyde Simmons for DL, Joe Bowden for LBs), Waufle, and Fassel.

(Done with Fisher; I'm tired of no winning seasons. Done with the refs looking to penalize us; we do that enough to ourselves without the refs looking for excuses. Done with the uncreative offensive schemes; this is a long way from the GSoT. Done with the 80s style of football; we're in 2015.) I look to keep the defensive coordinators, but I expect most of them to leave with Fisher, wherever he goes.

Hire:

Ben McAdoo (New York Giants OC, HC)
Ken Dorsey (Carolina Panthers QBs coach, OC)
Jim Schwartz (DC)

(McAdoo is one of the most promising young minds in the game. I love how Newton has progressed under Dorsey's tutelage (which is why I'm hoping for the same with our quarterback of the future), and Schwartz would be a coup.)

-

Cut:

Nick Foles, Stedman Bailey, Trey Watts, Kenny Britt, Jared Cook, Rodger Saffold, Akeem Ayers, Chris Long.)

(Only change here is Nick Foles. I don't care what you have to do to get rid of him...just do it. At least the contract isn't an albatross like Bradford's. Chris Long is unfortunate, but necessary at this point. Bailey and Watts are obvious; too many mistakes off the field, and they get replaced.)

-

Restructure:

James Laurinaitis.

(Have to do that to save on cap for next year.)

-

Franchise:

Janoris Jenkins.

(Obvious. I don't think he takes money to re-sign here, as I feel he wants to test free agency. So we keep him for one more year.)

-

Re-sign:

Trumaine Johnson - 4 years.
Mark Barron - 4 years.
Cory Harkey - 3 years.
William Hayes - 1 year.
Eugene Sims - 1 year.
Greg Zuerlein - 1 year.
Case Keenum - 1 year (depending on how he plays against the Ravens tomorrow).
Benny Cunningham - RFA
Cody Davis - RFA
Daren Bates - RFA

(Believe that Wes Welker retires after this year. Think that Isiah Ferguson still has at least special teams potential. Trumaine Johnson is the biggest corner we have, and we can't replace his skillset. I think Mark Barron should be the other starting linebacker aside from Laurinaitis and Ogletree. Harkey's skillset isn't replicated on our team. Zuerlein gets a prove it deal. Keenum? We'll see, but I don't think we'll find a better backup than him at the moment. Hayes and Sims get one year contracts to stay on as veteran leadership and depth for the defensive line.

Extend:

Michael Brockers - 4 years.
T.J. McDonald - 4 years.

(They're both core members of our D. Brockers helps with the running game, and McDonald is probably the best safety we've had in a long while. Let's keep them.)

Free Agency:

Rodney McLeod
Chase Reynolds
Brian Quick
Nick Fairley
Brian Folkerts
Eric Kush
Tim Barnes

(Don't think Barnes is going to take a hometown discount this time, and I think that Rhaney is better anyway. McLeod goes elsewhere, Quick is damaged goods, Reynolds is pure special teams, Folkerts and Kush are depth, and I don't give a damn about where Nick Fairley goes so long as it's anywhere but here.)

-

Free Agent Signing:

Coby Fleener - 5 years, 7 million.

(Yes, I do want Fleener.)

-

Convert:

Lamarcus Joyner to free safety from cornerback.

(A move I would've done in his first year here. Joyner is small, but is comparable to Tyrann Mathieu.)

-

Trade:

Janoris Jenkins to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for 2016 first and 2016 third.

(Tampa Bay could end up with a top ten or top fifteen pick. Might as well use Jenkins as leverage if we aren't going to re-sign him. They need help at cornerback, but will likely go for it in free agency.)

Sean Mannion to the Denver Broncos for a 2016 fifth round pick.

(Never liked the Mannion pick. Might as well do something with him because you don't need a developmental quarterback with a franchise quarterback on the team. Denver's reeling at quarterback, as you all probably know.)

Tampa Bay 1st round pick and Rams 2017 first to Dallas Cowboys for 2016 first.

(Even with Tony Romo back, they don't have the horses to win many more games. Jerry Jones is an idiot and a woman-beater-enabler, so I want to fleece them again. Let them take Elliott in the top fifteen. We'll just screw them over anyway with a top quarterback of our own.)

-

Draft:

1st round (Rams) - Jalen Ramsey, CB, Florida State.

(If we lose out, that means that we lose to the Ravens. I assume that the Ravens will win more games than us in this scenario, so yeah. But Ramsey...that kid is a special talent. Reminds me of Charles Woodson in his prime and easily worth this pick, now that Jenkins is off the team.)

1st round (Cowboys) - Paxton Lynch, QB, Memphis.

(Most of the teams that need quarterbacks pick after the Cowgirls and the Browns could easily take Bosa instead of Lynch, thinking that Manziel is the answer and they can have the next J.J. Watt. Oh, well, sucks to be them. We get Ben Roethlisberger with a conscience and more mobility and with Dorsey to guide him, Lynch can be solid.)

2nd round (Rams) - Emmanuel Ogbah, DE, Oklahoma State.

(We need a defensive end to start at left end. Ogbah is the answer. Reminds me of Ezekiel Ansah. Has enormous strength and is an energizer bunny on the field. Never quits. Can only play left end and is raw as hell, so he'll need to learn a lot, but his talent is clear.)

2nd round (Eagles) - Josh Doctson, WR, TCU.

(Jordan Matthews clone, except as projected. Leaps out of the building, catches everything, you know the drill. Injured, so he falls to the Eagles pick.)

3rd round (Rams) - Scooby Wright III, LB, Arizona.

(Jrry thinks Borland, I think smaller Luke Kuechly. Laurinaitis heir-apparent, etc.)

3rd round (Bucs) - De'Runnya Wilson, WR, Mississippi State.

(Kelvin Benjamin clone. Raw, has gotten in trouble for weed before, but worth it here. Huge receiver.)

4th round (Rams) - Briean Boddy-Calhoun, CB, Minnesota.

(Scrappy slot cornerback with a lot of picks and can play on the boundary. Reminds me of E.J. Gaines.)

5th round (Broncos) - Evan Boehm, C, Missouri.

(Coke-machine for a center, mauler, needs to improve pass-protection. Good for center depth.)

6th round (Rams) - Brad Craddock, K, Maryland.

(Competition for Zuerlein, you know the drill.)

53 man roster -

QB - Lynch, Keenum.
RB - Gurley, Mason, Cunningham, Malcolm Brown.
WR - Doctson, Austin, Wilson, Marquez, Ferguson.
TE - Fleener, Kendricks, Harkey.
OL - Robinson, Brown, Rhaney, Wichmann, Havenstein, Donnal, Battle, Boehm, Williams, Reynolds.
DL - Quinn, Donald, Brockers, Hayes, Ogbah, Sims, Westbrooks, Trinca-Pasat, Longacre.
LB - Laurinaitis, Ogletree, Barron, Wright, Hager, Bates.
DB - Ramsey, Johnson, Joyner, McDonald, Gaines, Boddy-Calhoun, Roberson, Bryant, Davis, Alexander.
ST - Zuerlein, Craddock, Hekker, McQuaide.

Keenum may be the only q.b. in the league that's worse than Foles. What a pathetic slug.

 

[JoeBo21]

Ramsey better then Hargreaves? @Memento @jrry32

 

[jrry32]

Ramsey better then Hargreaves? @Memento @jrry32

I'd draft him over Hargreaves. Hargreaves keeps getting injured and has been playing soft this year.

 

[nighttrain]

Seems like a good way to get Ramsey and Lynch.

Is Ramsey playing FS or CB for us?

Can't disagree with the draft. But I don't see us losing out. We'll probably end up 8-8 or 7-9.

This team is done after last week, stick a fork in them, we should beat the Whiners to end at 5-11
train

 

[Memento]

Ramsey better then Hargreaves? @Memento @jrry32

Much better, and I've liked him more since his sophomore year, although Hargreaves wouldn't be a bad option.

-sigh- Looks like I'm going to have to adjust the Stedman Bailey decision, though. It's really sad what happened to him, and my thoughts are with him and his family and friends.