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Rams43
No, getting AD under contract this year is not vital, je. But it would be very nice.
Keeping AD through ‘21 via franchise tags is a viable option, if necessary. It would be beyond foolish for AD and his pos agent to allow that to happen, but that’s a different conversation.
Gurley may or may not be a player that they need, or even want to tag. That’s 2 years away, anyway. An eternity, NFL wise.
Suh is a one year SB push rental, I believe.
Joyner will not be tagged next year whether or not AD is extended. Either he extends or Snead replaces him in draft. End of story.
Peters is in their long term plans and they will extend him (unless he proves to be a distraction that they won’t accept).
Cooks is in their long term plans, as well. Don’t be surprised by a quick 5 year extension for this guy.
But back to your original point, AD will be a Ram for the next 3-4 years, one way or another. An immediate extension is hardly “vital”. Again, 3-4 years is an eternity in today’s NFL.
43, I agree that AD will be a Ram for the next 3-4 years, one way or another.
But their inability to lock him up is giving him, Cooks, Joyner, and down the road Peters and Gurley leverage. All of these guys that are not AD have a greater likelihood of being lost because the tag may not be available to the Rams if used on AD.
And despite your best case scenario of several of them being extended, it hasn't happened yet. You have to consider the possibility that no extensions happen.
Next off season, if Cooks and Joyner haven't been extended, AD will be franchised as you noted, and Cooks and Joyner have a great chance of leaving.
The off season after that, if Peters and Gurley haven't been extended and AD still has no long term contract, AD will again be franchised, and both Peters and Gurley have a great chance of leaving.
There should be urgency on the Rams part to get someone extended ASAP. The problem for the Rams is, that urgency is leverage for the players.
AD, Cooks, and Joyner's agents now know that that at least one of those three players, possibly two, MUST have extensions prior to next off season if the Rams want to retain all three.
3 players, 1 tag. That's a problem for the Rams.