*** I think the Rams are praying left tackle Andrew Whitworth comes back for one more season (at $10.7 million in the last year of his three-year free-agent contract). For now, the 37-year-old Whitworth plans to meet with the team post-combine to discuss his future. The team could really use one more year of excellent play and offensive-line stability out of him. If free-agent left guard Rodger Saffold leaves for a payday, the Rams would certainly want the stability of Whitworth on the left side of the line, perhaps moving 2018 third-rounder Joseph Noteboom into Saffold’s spot if Whitworth stays. But if Whitworth goes, the pressure could be on Noteboom, a three-year left-tackle starter at TCU, to slide into Whitworth’s spot.
*** I think, speaking of intriguing Rams free agents, I expect Ndamukong Suh and safety Lamarcus Joyner to sign elsewhere, and pass-rusher Dante Fowler Jr., could also go. And if Saffold, Suh, Joyner and perhaps Fowler sign for big money collectively and the Rams don’t venture into free agency much, they could have a replay of this year’s Compensatory Pick load. L.A., as I showed earlier, got two third-round comp-picks by letting Trumaine Johnson and Sammy Watkins walk, and those two players were major disappointments with the Jets and Chiefs, respectively. Of the four potential defectors, Fowler is probably the player whose loss would be felt most in 2019, because the Rams just don’t have an edge presence on their roster after Fowler.
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