THE RAMS NEED A COMBINATION OF TUNING, INFUSION OF TALENT.
FINE TUNING IS REQUIRED IN COACHING GOFF AND RECEIVERS. COACHING GOFF TO LOCATE RECEIVERS QUICKER AT DIFFERENT POINTS IN THEIR ROUTES, SPECIFICALLY THEIR BREAKS. RECEIVERS NEED TO WORK ON TIMING WITH GOFF ON THEIR BREAKS AND GOFF NEEDS TO ATTEND TO THOSE BREAK TIME WISE. THAT'S THE FINE TUNING.
INFUSION OF TALENT GOES WITHOUT SAYING.
WE TOOK A LEASE OUT ON A LATE BUT HIGH CLASS MODEL LT, WHITWORTH. HE SLOWED DOWN AND GOT WEARY AT THE END. THERE IS A IMMEDIATE NEED TO BEGIN GROOMING HIS SUCCESSOR. WE CAN'T AFFORD A HIGH PRICE, READY TO PLAY ALL-STAR PLAYER LIKE ORLANDO PACE AT 23 YEARS OLD, MUCHLESS A MCGLINCHEY WHO MIGHT DEVELOP INTO AN OK LT. WE NEED TO FIND A HIGH CEILING, HIGHLY PROBABLE BUT NOT YET READY PLAYER THAT CAN SPEND A YEAR OR TWO DEVELOPING INTO A HIGH CLASS LT. SOMEONE LKE TREY ADAMS OF UW WHO IS HURT. IF WE COULD GET NELSON AT GUARD, WHILE THAT IS NOT AN IMMEDIATE NEED IT WOULD BE A GUARANTEE ALL STAR OG FURTHER SOLIDIFYING THE OL AND FUTURE. NO RUSHES UP THE GUT BY ANYONE.
OUR IMMEDIATE NEEDS HOWEVER ARE ON D.
WE HAVE NO CORNERS. WE HAVE AN OVERPRICED ON IN TRU AND A CRIPPLE IN KAYVON. I'M NOT SAYING I DON'T LIKE THEM BUT WE CAN'T PAY THEM OR DEPEND ON THEM. WE NEED TWO STARTERS. IF WE HAD THE MONEY ID BUY FA XAVIER RHODES FROM MINNESOTA (GO FOR THEM) AND PICK UP ANOTHER ONE IN THE DRAFT IN THE THIRD ROUND.
IN ADDITION, WE HAVE TRIED TO COVER RUN STUFFING WITH SMALL 6'1" -6'2", 310 DT TAKING ON 6'3'-6'5' 325-340LBS OC/OG. GOOD FOR THE SHORT RUN BUT NOT FOR EXTENDED TERM LIKE BEYOND 6 GAMES. WE NEED A HUGE DT LIKE VITA VEA OR SOMEONE THAT IS GOING TO SCREW WITH OC/OG LIKE CHRISTIAN WILKINS.
WE CAN HODGE PODGE OLB POSSIBLY, BUT THE QUALITY IS GOING TO BE DETERMINED BY $$$ AVAILABLE. DROPPING BARRON FOR A ROOKIE CONTRACT AND SOMEONE THE SAME SIZE, SPEED AND SKILL SET SEEMS THE MOST LIKELY SOLUTION FOR KEEPING QUINN AND BARWIN AT LEAST FOR ANOTHER YEAR.
SO MY DRAFT LOOKS LIKE: DT, CB. OL, ILB/SS.
MY FA, WELL, I AM REALLY INTRIGUED WITH W CHEAPER SIGNING OF TE GRAHAM FROM SEATTLE. MCVAY WOULD KNOW HOW TO USE HIM!
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Understanding that there IS a salary cap, and that this isn't fantasy football, here's some changes I'd like to see.
1) A dynamic change of pace RB behind Gurley (starter quality) that offers a real problem to defenses. Brown is OK, but is rather average. Dunbar is gone. Austin simply can't do much from the RB position because he's too small. Davis is a wild card because he didn't get to play....which itself is cause for concern.
2) Depth on the Oline. This is the offseason to acquire our future LT and let him learn the ropes from Whitworth. And we need Guard depth. Blythe, to me, can hold down the Center spot, but he's never going to be more than average.
3) Unless McVay thinks that Higbee and Everett are going to be substantially better next year, they need a better TE. I don't buy that Hemingway is that guy.
4) NT. Westbrooks is a fine change-of-pace NT. But he can't clog the middle. We need a bigger, better NT.
5) It is becoming clear to me that Barron has some injury issues that may not ever be resolved. So we need to let him go and get a new starting ILB.
6) I can't imagine that Quinn stays. He just isn't a 3-4 OLB and his cap number is way too high. At this point Barwin ought to be a back-up and spot player. So I'm saying we need 2 new OLB starters. I don't know if we have 1, 2 or none on the current roster. Longacre showed more than I ever imagined this year. But a possible star quality OLB is usually required to make a 3-4 D work best.
7) I just don't think our secondary is good enough. It's not bad, mind you. But we need to upgrade to have one shut-down type, particularly at CB.
8) I am torn about our WRs. We have two excellent ones in Kupp and Woods. I have such mixed feelings about Watkins. I trust McVay to decide if Watkins is the right fit for his offense or not. If they decide not to resign Watkins then they need that speedy deep threat and I doubt they get that in the draft this year; it'll have to be FA.
Other than that, I think development of the younger guys, just another year in the systems, improvement by McVay in game day scheme and play calling, and the experience of being winners and being in the playoffs will help them improve another step next season.
They have the salary cap to make some moves. If they release Quinn, Austin and Barron, they'll pick up about $21 million more in cap space.
And since LA seems to be a desireable place for many young people, and the Rams are now the hot, hip young team with the hot, hip young HC, I suspect that the Rams will have some choices in FA that they might not have had before this year.
May be more turnover than we (I?) expect. Because clearly the goal next year is the Superbowl. And now the Rams see where they stand and have a clearer picture of what is needed to get closer to achieving that goal.
