Comprehensive Offseason Plan (Long post)

In the last couple of years, the Rams strategy was to build through the draft and avoid wild forays into free agency. In 2012 when they first hired Fisher however, they dipped into free agency for significant pieces because the team needed talent and they needed players that fit Fisher’s mold.

In like manner, I’m proposing an aggressive plan because they have a new coach who needs to remake the team in his image. In those early Fisher years, Demoff also structured contracts to have lower first year cap hits to be able to afford all of the free agents. (e.g. for those who care see Finnegan, Saffold contracts where the 1st year cap hit was 50-60% of avg. annual salary.) Here, I’m proposing adding several solid free agent veterans and creative contract structuring to be able to fit them in.

Current Cap Space: $37,394,280

Cuts: $12,168,368 saved

DE Eugene Sims $3,250,000
FS Cody Davis $1,761,111
RB Tre Mason $752,257
TE Lance Kendricks $4,250,000
C Demetrius Rhaney $690,000
WR Stedman Bailey $690,000
G David Arkin $775,000 saved

Rationale: To my eye, Sims provides nothing and $3 mil. plus is a significant chunk of change. Kendricks last year was awful and overpaid at his salary. We can get a vet on a short term contract to tide us over until Higbee is ready or shows that he’s not the answer. Cody Davis is simply overpaid for a mediocre, backup safety. Brian Randolph and the draft will be better and cheaper options to provide what he does.


Restructures: $3,350,000 saved

$3,350,000 saved from Quinn Restructure

Rationale: I think Quinn will be with the team for at least a few more years so this restructure shouldn’t hurt the future much. I don’t recommend a restructure for Austin because I think there is a greater than 50% chance that he may be terminated after this season.


Total Cap Space After Cuts and Restructures: $52,912,648


Resignings: $21,413,000 ($16,013,000 first year cap hit)

CB, Trumaine Johnson, $12.4 Mil. ($7 Mil. First year cap hit)
DT/DE, Dominique Easley, $2,770,000 – tendered at the 2nd round pick level.
DE, Ethan Westbrooks, $1,813,000 – tendered at lowest level of right of first refusal.
RB, Benny Cunningham, $1,700,000
DE/OLB, Matt Longacre, $615,000 – Exclusive RFA tender
DT, Louis Trinca-Pasat, $615,000 – Exclusive RFA tender
K, Greg Zeurlein, $1.5 Mil.

Rationale: We need Tru back. If not him, then definitely another vet CB. Easley was very productive last year. He rushed the passer at a high level and handled the run adequately. I am going the unconventional route of penciling him in as the starting LDE. Westbrooks may have been our best DE last year. Cunningham, IMO, is an above-average 3rd down RB.


Free Agent Signings: $34,200,000 ($29 Mil. first year cap hit)

WR, Pierre Garcon, $8.7 Mil.
OG, Ronald Leary or T.J. Lang, $9,000,000 ($6.3 Mil.1st year hit)
LOLB, Nick Perry, $8.5 Mil. ($6 Mil. 1st year hit)
FS, Duron Harmon, $4 Mil.
TE, Jacob Tamme, $4 Mil.

Rationale: Garcon is my #1 target. A vet WR that knows McVay’s system. The fit is obvious.

OL also must be addressed. IMO, signing a top guard should be a high priority. My plan is to move Saffold to LT. That means they need at least one vet OG they can count on. Who knows what they get from GRob. He’ll compete for the other guard position and swing tackle. (If they can sign Russell Okung to similar money as a Leary/Lang, that would keep Saffold at OG and could be another strategy.)

Nabbing a pass rusher like Nick Perry is the ideal. I don’t see an adequate solution for LOLB on the roster. He’d be the perfect piece for that position.

Last year, the D suffered by the loss of McLeod. Alexander was good but he has a SS skill set and isn’t sufficient in coverage. To compensate, GW played TJM deep about 40% more often which hurt the run defense. Moreover, Alexander and TJM’s skill sets are redundant. I propose they let TJM walk, slide Alexander to the SS position and sign Duron Harmon. He’s strong in coverage and has been an underrated part of that strong NE defense. That said, if there is any signing I could forego, it would be this one because after a deeper look at the draft, it appears that safety this year is a very deep class.

Tamme is getting older and was essentially replaced by Austin Hooper in Atl. However, he was still productive across the board for the Falcons. Because of his age, he shouldn’t be too expensive to sign and we may be able to get him on a short term contract. He’s not a piece for the future; he’s for Goff’s comfort now.


Total Cap Space $52,912,648
- $16,013,000 (Resignings first year cap hits)
- $29 Mil. (Free agents first year cap hits)

= Remaining Cap Space approx. $8 Mil.


2017 Draft Picks:

Trade down 37 to the 53 range for an extra 3rd

53 - CB, Adoree’ Jackson – I’m expecting CB to be the BPA pick. White, Conley, Tankersley, Sutton would also work)
69 – WR, Chad Hansen
85 – C, Pat Elflein
113 - SS/FS, Lorenzo Jerome (love S, John Johnson here too)
4th Comp. – CB, Corn Elder
5th – OLB, Ejuan Price
6th – NT, Stevie Tuikolovatu
7th – WR, TRAVIN DURAL
7th – OG/C, Corey Levin