This is gonna be a little random, so if it feels disjointed, it probably is. I haven't post a ton this year, due to a lot of personnel stuff going on, but I have a few minutes, so I thought I'd share.
1. When the Rams started trading off picks for players, I was not a fan. I thought it was an unsubstainable way of building and maintaining a roster. I was told I didn't like it because I was a draft guy, and it made the draft less fun for me. It actually made it a little more enjoyable because I knew I had to dig deeper into draft prospects. The problem with how the Rams went about trading off picks for players, it leaves you with with a studs and duds roster. That can work in fantasy football, but its tough in real life because you have increased pressure to hit on later round draft picks to be HRs. And FA bargain shopping is really an exercise in finding cheap diamonds in the rough. Kinda like pinning your hopes on finding a Picasso at a garage sale. Which leads me to:
2. Snead and McVays draft and FA philosophy. They have repeatedly went for offensive weapons and repeatedly ignored the lines, both O and D. In the last 2 years, the major FA signings have been ARob and DJax. So 2 WRs. What about the interior OL, of some help for AD? As far as the draft, Tutu was the pick when I had been screaming for Humphrey for literally months before the draft. My first mock draft in Feb. of that year, had Humphrey in round 2 to Rams. Tutu was (IMO) a reach when drafted and never a fit. Before that, it was Akers and Jefferson. Which I was fine with, but again, why not the lines? It just goes on and on. Bruss was their first picj this year, but again, a 3rd rounder.
The Rams OL is bare. They insist on Allen as their starting center, when he just doesn't have the bulk to hang with most of these big, strong interior lineman. Last 2 weeks as proof. Their OGs are awful. With maybe Bruss as a future starter?
As far as the DL (and I include edge defenders in this), they added Robinson in FA and caught a gem in Gaines (for the record, didn't like the pick at the time, I was wrong) but they let Fox go which really hurt, and they have not drafted an Edge defender that has been able to apply pressure to the QB. So either they can't coach them up, or they just don't have it. Speaking of coaching up:
3. The coaching staffs inability to draft or coach up a CB. Darious Williams seems to be the exception, not the rule. Long, Rochell have not done anything, yet. And its still way early for Durant, but for those 3 guys to be stuck behind Mr. 4.8 40 Kendrick is concerning at the least. Rochell is esp. puzzling to me.
4. Speaking of puzzling, McVays love affair with 11 personnel. Why not some 2 TE sets (oh thats because they rarely have 2 healthy TEs on the active roster, my bad) or maybe a FB or H Back in the backfield as a lead blocker or to help with pass pro? And no, Skow is not a fullback. Just draft a FB. I will throw out a name: Hunter Luepke. NDSU tailback, 6'-1" 236 lbs. in 10 games this year, he has 1665 rushing yards and caught 14 balls for 200 yards. Senior bowl invite. He can block, run, and catch the football. Really an H type back. But back to McVay, even his coaching tree variates away from 11. No idea how much, but KOC in Minn is running a bunch of 12 personnel. Cinn last year ran 12 personnel 6% more than the Rams. I am just confused. I think he really misses O'Connell this year.
5. Which leads me to the fact the Rams offensive coaches have been poached repeatedly, and I think its finally taking its toll on McVay. Seattle, Minn, Cinn and to some extent GB all have coaches or in Seattle's case, an OC from LA. He also lost a perfect pairing when Staley left. At some point, he is gonna run out of OCs that are HR hires. Not saying Coen isn't a HR, but he is raw, even by Rams coaches standards.
6. So where am I going with this? I think this team is in trouble, not in the distant future and not just this year (this season is over IMO) but as soon as next year going forward for the forseeable future. Why? Several things:
6a. I think McVay is either burnt out or rapidly burning out. He admits he doesn't have answers. Thats new to him. He is usually so full of energy and positivity. That looks gone. And he knows there is crazy TV money waiting for him. Why work 3 times as hard for half the money? And if McVay is gone, who succeeds him? No Staley, no O'Connell . It won't be Coen. So my guess is either Morris or my personal favorite: Thomas Brown. Or Morris with Thomas Brown as the OC. He got looks last year for both gigs from teams and is on a fast track. But I just don't see McVay level success with either guy.
6b. This roster has 2 things going on: Older core studs, and young duds. Is Hendo back next year? Is Akers? Do they even want either back. Akers probably gets moved or cut. That leaves Kyren Williams as the only back and I love him, but am not sure he can carry a full load. Stafford is no spring chicken with a few chronic injuries. And no one behind him. Kupp is the best WR in the game but he will be 30 next summer and Robinson and Jefferson don't look like answers. The OL is a hot mess with no real young reinforcements in the pipeline. Same for TE. On the defensive side, AD was a tick from retiring last year, so enjoy him now. Floyd is either declining or just getting old at 30, will be 31 next season. Wagner isn't getting younger and Ramsey will have no interest in a rebuild. So basically you have Gaines (if you can resign him) and Jones as pieces you can build around.
6c. The lack of cap space and the cap gymnastics Snead and Co. has been doing cannot go on forever. At some point, everyone pays the ferryman. So without picks and without cap space, how exactly do you rebuild the line and start adding pieces to take you into the future? Answer? You don't. They sacrificed the future for a ring. They succeeded and I for one would never trade that for whatever the future may hold. SBs are hard to win, being a year in and year out wild card team stuck in neutral is easy, but unfulfilling. But I am afraid this window is slamming shut.
7. There is one option to get themselves out of this mess, but I think it will be really unpopular and still involves a few years of pain. Trading the studs. I keep Kupp because his game is seemingly timeless. But I listen to offers. AD, Ramsey, Floyd, Higbee, Havs, Allen Robinson and even Stafford I'd seriously consider moving and start building draft capital and rebuilding this roster the right way, by building the lines and adding young talent all over the roster. It will take a minute or 3, but thats the only logical way out of the hole they have seemingly dug.
Don't waste your time looking back, you're not going that way. - Ragnar Lothbrok
