And we’re barely into the 2nd wave of FA.
Where to start?
Joyner’s Ram future? What future? Weddle is a clear upgrade, although a short term one.
Peters. Rams kept him and want to see him prove himself this year before any extension decisions are made. There had been some speculation that he might have been traded/cut in a cap move after he struggled so much last season.
Barron. Coaches evidently saw what we fans saw and they made the cap move/better fit decision.
Fowler. Lot of fans saw this as 50-50, but the Rams must have really liked his upside trajectory and gave him a pricey one year extension. Fingers crossed. Edge was a huge need, and still is, IMO.
Suh. AKA “the coaster”. Lol. Too much money for too little effort. Wasn’t a hard decision, especially with the DL talent in this particular draft.
Brockers. Another player that there was cap saving speculation about, but the Rams obviously liked him and his flexibility, even with the $11M pricetag.
Ebu. Stay tuned. He’s not going anywhere, of course, but his starter status is up in the air.
Clay Matthews. Vet leader that can maybe help on edge or inside. Kinda tells us that the coaches saw need for improvement in both areas. IOW, coaches weren’t happy with their LB play last year other than Littleton. CM reportedly signed for $10M base for the 2 years combined, so that makes him affordable, at least. And he’s almost certain to be an upgrade whereever Wade schemes him. What does this signing mean for Ebu and/or Kiser?
Sully. Sadly, the coaches recognized the obvious. Father Time had caught up with him late in the season. Let’s hope that Kromer has Allen ready to start. Or Blythe? Or maybe even a draft pick?
Saffold. A tough decision for the coaches. Saffold was/is elite but the Rams couldn’t handle the cap hit that he would have consumed. Best of luck, Rodger, and thanks for the memories, man.
Malcolm Brown vs CJ Anderson. Clearly, McVay preferred MB and I agree. CJ was invaluable late last season, but let’s be honest. That Ram OL was dominating and CJ had many nice holes to run through. IMO, MB is the better backup and McVay must have felt the same.
Mannion. This was a no brainer. Bortles for $1M for the year? Is this a trick question? Lol.
So there you have it. Quite a few speculative players have had questions answered by FO/coaching decisions already and the draft isn’t for another 6 weeks.
Any surprises (or disappointments) in that mix for y’all?
