DL and Edge outlook for 2020

I'm gonna combine these 2 because they are tied together and it creates one less post.

DL:

Under contract for 2020:
Aaron Donald - cap hit 25m - if cut 41m cap hit
Tanzel Smart - cap hit - 0.78m - if cut 0.04m cap hit
Greg Gaines - cap hit 0.74m - if cut 0.47m cap hit
Sebastian Joseph-Day - cap hit 0.70m - if cut 0.08m cap hit
Justin Lawler - cap hit 0.69m - if cut 0.04m cap hit

Free Agents:
Morgan Fox - RFA (restricted FA, Rams can tender at 1st, 2nd or original draft round and receive that rounds pick form the team that signs him)
Michael Brockers - UFA

Positional review:
Obviously AD is all world and alltime. The problem I had was with the rest of the line. AD gets doubled and triple teamed all year and what did these guys do? Not as much as they should have. Especially Brockers. Brockers is the definition of a JAG. And I like him as a person and loved him coming out of LSU. He does just enough each game, but never has that WOW performance. I think he is gone in FA regardless of how much money Goff saves them by restructuring. And I'm not saying they can get someone better then him in the draft immediately, but at the least he'll be much much cheaper with upside. I liked what I saw from SJ-D and look forward to his growth this offseasoin into 2020. Fox did very little, Lawler was on IR all year and Gaines did very little and I have zero faith he is anything more then a 2 down space eater that struggles to give AD the support he needs. Smart did nothing.


Free agency & draft priority: medium
I think they probably offer Morgan a contract and that will be the end of their foray into the DL free agency market. A couple of names that stick out to me that might be cost effective are Derek Wolfe, who played under Wade in Denver and is 30 years old, so maybe a cheap DE. And Emmanuel Ogbah, who would work in Phillips 34 as a DE . He's young but I don't think is in KCs long term plans. Loved him in college. Marcell Dareus probably won't have his option picked up and could be a plugger in the middle.

As far as the draft goes, I have some thoughts and the first thought is how great would it be to have Derrick Brown, my next thought is same thing for Javon Kinlaw. Anyhow, those 2 aren't happening. But a guy like Neville Gallimore from Oklahoma is severely underrated (for now, at least in the media) and could be a nice selection in the 2nd if both OCs are gone. 6'-2" 305 pounds of a whole lot of strength and effort. Rams need more effort. The other name in the early rounds is Leki Fotu. 6-5" 335 with some explosion. A poor man's Dexter Lawrence from Clemson last year. He could absolutely anchor a DL and force double teams off of Donald. A starting front 3 of Derek Wolfe - Leki Fotu - AD is an improvement from anything we saw this year. A day 3 DL guy worth a look is Davon Hamilton from Ohio State. 6'-4" 310 double team machine. Allowed his teammates single blocks and let them do work. Another is Raequan Williams Mich. State. Team went under the radar this year, but he is a penetrating 305 lb DT. probably a middle of day 3 guy due to needing a bunch of technical work.

As far as 34 Ends: Marlon Davidson in the late 3rd to early 4th fits the bill. High motor, 280 lb end that can stand up and rush or put his hand in the dirt. Jason Stowbridge a 6-4" 285 pounder with a handful of sacks is a day 3 guy that is going to the Senior Bowl. So Rams will be interested to some degree.

Edge:

Under contract for 2020:
Clay Matthews - cap hit 5.75m - if cut 2m cap hit
Samsun Ebukam - cap hit 0.89m - if cut 0.15m cap hit
Ogbonnia Okoronkwo - cap hit 0.73m - if cut 0.14m cap hit


Free Agents:
Dante Fowler Jr. - UFA (can meet and sign with anyone)
Josh Carraway - ERFA (If Rams offer him any kind of contract he is under their control for that amount for at least 1 more year)

Positional review:
Clay Matthews was a good pass rusher at the expense of giving nothing in run defense. I'm on the fence with whether he comes back or not. Part of me wants to see the Rams move on, part of me says who is going to do better for 5 million? Ebukam was steady, but I think he could be upgraded. Obo did next to nothing and he is in danger of being buried and/or cut. This is literally his make it or break it offseason. He is cheap depth as it is and not a ton in cap savings if cut. So it has to be a priority of the coaching staff to get these young edge rushers up to speed. Fowler finally started to be the consistant edge rusher the Rams were looking for and I think he priced himself out of the Rams plans. I am also scared to death once he gets his contract he mails it in. Its the vibe I get from him.

Free agency & draft priority: High (assuming Fowler is gone)

This group gets my only true High priority from me, and it goes to really high if Matthews is also gone. If Matthews and Fowler are back, you could draft a guy in the middle rounds to groom behind Matthews, Fowler and Ebukam. One thing the Rams have going for them is that they have a ton of young talent on the roster going into next year. Ebukam is entrenched for now and is young, Obo is going into his third year and could flash, and 2 guys on the practice squad that have be excited are Jeff Holland (Auburn) who has a ton of dog in him and is excellent with his hands, he just lacks the flexibility elite edge rushers have. And Jachai Polite, a 1st round pass rush talent a year ago with a 10 cent head on his 3rd team in 8 months and is probably aware this is his last chance. 1 full offseason in the Rams training room should do him wonders. Or he flames out.

Names I like in the draft throughout:
K'lavon Chaisson LSU probably played his way into the 1st round, but you never know. He is a team leader and is fianlly putting it all together as a pass rusher
Curtis Weaver - outside of the OCs, this is my guy in round 2. big and strong at 265, he handles the run and does enough to create a pass rush.
Terrell Lewis - a long levered 255 lb edge from Alabama, Flexible and violent, my kind of edge. 2nd round
Jonathan Greenard - 3rd round Florida guy. Like Weaver, can play the run and pass. Not the most flexible edge, high motor guy that wins with power.
Zach Baun - early day 3 edge from Wisconsin and a tad undersized, he is technically sound and has a high motor. Oh and he's quick and athletic and very under rated.
Carter Coughlin - Another high energy, hustle kid with a snappy get off. He is strictly a 3rd down pass rusher, but put him in a weightroom and develop him. day 3 pick

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Don't waste your time looking back, you're not going that way. - Ragnar Lothbrok