Just thinking out loud. Long way to go so subject to much change...
1. I think Quinn gets released and they save the $11.44M. I doubt Barwin is re-signed. OLB becomes a top 4 need (even with Longacre and Ebukam). Release or trade Austin (saves $3M) if you can get anything. Gives Rams $62.8M in projected cap room.
2. Speaking of Longacre he's a RFA and I'd tack on a year to his contract like they did with Westbrooks this offseason.
3. Let Johnson go. Re-sign Joyner and Robey-Coleman for 1/2 the price.
4.
Get Donald's deal done. You want the guaranteed $$ to be spread over his prime years, not into his 30s.
5. Pick up Gurley's 5th year option for 2019 (~$9.2M). He's earned it.
6. Call me crazy but I try to extend Watkins (4 yrs, $32M) and if not then franchise him (probably ~$15.8M) for 2018. I'm OK overpaying for short-term deals (like Johnson this year). But I think a deal can be done.
6. Re-sign Sullivan for one year. An under-the-rader free agent they need to retain is McQuaide. Gotta keep the band together. I also make modest one-year offers to Carrier and Walker.
7. Draft: For now I'm going to assume the Rams have around the 26th overall pick. Unfortunately a trade down won't yield all that much unless it's a pretty big trade down (20 spots) or a desperate team at the top of the draft doesn't get their QB and wants to trade back up into the 1st for someone. Right now I lean toward staying put and taking a CB (kids from Colorado and Iowa look like good options). Focus on OT, C, OLB and DE the remainder of the draft. They could get a quality OL in the 3rd.
Just late November thoughts....
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/28/2017 03:43AM by LMU93.