Spagnuolo and free agent possibilities for the Rams
by Ryan Van Bibber on Jan 20, 2009 6:47 AM CST
in 2009 Off-Season
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PrintNow comes the hard part. Having landed a prize catch in Steve Spagnuolo for their head coach and installed true football minds in the front office, the Rams can get on with the arduous task of rebuilding the franchise, finally. The task at hand now for Spags is filling out the rest of the coaching cadre, so it's probably a little premature to start talking about players he might be able to lure to the Gateway City. But, what kind of fans would we be if we weren't already thinking about that? So let's go ahead and put the cart before the horse and ask: what players might Spagnuolo be able to lure to the Rams to help fill the rebuilding team's long list of needs?
WR Amani Toomer, NYG - Wide receiver isn't high on the list of needs for the Rams, but with the possible departure of Torry Holt there may be an opening. Donnie Avery and Keenan Burton are the future-is-now guys atop the depth chart. Toomer, however, would give the Rams a veteran presence, a guy who intimately knows the ins and outs of the game. Plus, Toomer gives the Rams something they currently lack at WR, size. Though long in the tooth, he stills owns great hands. Sure, Drew Bennett is likely back in '09, though counting on him probably isn't a good move.
SS James Bulter, NYG - With first round draft pick Kenny Phillips waiting in the wings, the Giants may not make keeping Bulter a priority. He's exactly what the Rams need to replace Corey Chavous. If he does look for a new home, don't you think Spags might have some sway in convincing him to rejoin him? He could teach Atogwe a thing or two about coverage, and doesn't miss a lot of tackles. This would be a good get for the Rams, especially if they can find a hulking middle linebacker to bolster the middle.
CB Lito Shepard, PHI - We've talked about this guy before, and he's even not-so-subtly suggested a willingness to follow Spags, his former coach. What kind of asking price will the Eagles have though?
CB R.W. McQuarters, NYG - The veteran would be nothing more than depth in St. Louis, but as depth might be a reasonably priced, useful addition for Rams secondary set to have plenty of openings.
RB Derrick Ward, NYG - This guy would be perfect for the Rams second back, not to replace Steven Jackson, but another weapon on the ground for a power running offense.
SS Sean Considine, PHI - He started 7 games for the Eagles in 2007, but would fit best on special teams.
QB David Carr, NYG - This guy could be a steal...or a total waste. He looked bad starting for Carolina last season, but when you consider that during his five year tenure as the starter for the woeful Texans he was sacked even more than Marc Bulger, 249 times, as a Rams fan you can kind of understand. He's youngish at 30 next season and could be primed for a rebound. Worlds better than the ghost of Trent Green, Carr could be exactly the kind of backup the Rams need to push Bulger while they search for their QB of the future. Don't forget, Giants QB coach Chris Pamler is on the rumored short list for coaching jobs with the Rams; could that have some sway?
There's room for debate, but any of those players with a connection to Spags (who knows how tight those connections are) would fill a need for the Rams. And don't forget the Senior Bowl is this week, so we'll be talking draft too.
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I know
I’ve said this before, but I’m going to be very sad to see Holt go. I kinda hope he stays on, even though he had a terrible season. I think he could rebound in a new offense. Drops weren’t his problem, getting open was. Bulger didn’t have much time, and looked bad even when he did. Plus, Holt is still young compared to Bruce. I think he could get it done after some time off.
free agent possibilities
Butler and Sheppard would be great for our secondary. But I don’t think Ward is gonna come to St-Louis to be a 2nd again. I like your tought on Carr, no more 37 years old backup.
I like
the Carr idea, too. Bring in someone with some upside. We’ve seen guys reinvent themselves in this league quite a bit. The question on those sacks is this – were they the result of a bad offensive line or a failure to get rid of the ball when you should. I would guess it was a little of both.
I also agree that Ward is going to look to be a number one back somewhere first. If that’s not available, he’ll go play for someone with a chance to split carries and win.
It might have been both but the blame wasn't equal
I’d say it was about 90/10 offensive line to getting rid of the ball. Maybe 80/20.
A teenage boy with a sprit inside
Of a Samurai warrior who long ago died.
Now he's O....O....O....O Oshikuru!
O....O....O....O Oshikuru!
My oh My he's a demon Samurai
Who's the guy who had to die.......Oshikuru!
Derrick Ward
I would definitely like to sign Ward in the offseason. That would eliminate the handcuff of having to draft a backup in the 3rd rd. He definitely would be a great complement to SJax.
As far as the Carr idea, I could warm up to it, but I too agree that Carr’s sacks in Hou were definitely not all OL related. I think drafting Nate Davis out of Ball St. in the 3rd would be nice.
What does a mama bear on the pill have in common with the World Series? No cubs. ~Harry Caray
Mo Morris?
He’d be a cheaper option and really made a mark in Seattle this season.
by Ryan Van Bibber on Jan 20, 2009 2:36 PM CST up reply actions
I'll bet Ward gets signed as a starting RB
Some team out there is going to be looking for “the next Michael Turner” and is going to throw big-time money at Ward. More than we should pay for a tandem back. (Not that we shouldn’t be interested – he’d be dynamite.)
"Attaway to stomp 'em. Stomp the piss out of 'em. Stomp 'em when they're down. Kick 'em and stomp 'em. Attaway to go boys. Pound that old Budweiser into you and go get them tomorrow." -- Joe Schultz
I'm not sure how long Davis can last in the NFL at his size.
He’s so good though.
A teenage boy with a sprit inside
Of a Samurai warrior who long ago died.
Now he's O....O....O....O Oshikuru!
O....O....O....O Oshikuru!
My oh My he's a demon Samurai
Who's the guy who had to die.......Oshikuru!
Would be
nice to have one of those SS, and i agree about derrick ward, but i think whichever is the cheapest way to go, signing ward or drafting a guy, since he’ll just be a rookie might be cheaper
I like Shepard,
but it depends on the price. I would look at what we can get in free agency, then look at trades.
I have witnessed time and time again.
He wants to be...
He’s asked for his release. But the Panthers still have him under contract.
"Attaway to stomp 'em. Stomp the piss out of 'em. Stomp 'em when they're down. Kick 'em and stomp 'em. Attaway to go boys. Pound that old Budweiser into you and go get them tomorrow." -- Joe Schultz
Positions
WR – Please keep Holt. He’s got too much WR wisdom that he could pass on to Avery & Burton to let him go. Avery has got talent, but no polish; he needs Torry to be his mentor.
SS – We need an answer here. If we can’t get youth to the position, we need consistency. A star SS would be great, but I’d rather see the focus of upgrading the run D go towards linebacker changes.
CB – If Lito is available, you sign him. Immediately. The combination of Lito Sheppard and Ron Bartell gives us athleticism in the secondary, and the depth will come from Fakhir Brown, Tye Hill, Jonathan Wade and Justin King.
backup QB – Carr is an acceptable backup by any standard, I would think.
backup HB – I’m surprised at the lack of belief in Kenneth Darby. He proved himself to be a nice dual threat both as a runner and receiver. If Ward is available, obviously he’s shown more than Darby and would blatantly push the ability of the Rams to execute a power running game. Is the change of pace that Darby brings not something the Rams should entertain? I don’t see Jackson and Ward both on the field to give Bulger a 2RB set to use out of the shotgun, but Jackson and Darby would seem to me to be a potent pair to use. Just bringing it up since noone has so far.
Jay Zygmunt, now that you have fired yourself, please have yourself hired by Seattle. Thanks.
I like Darby too
But he’s the smaller, shiftier, screen-passier part of a rotation. I think the lust for Ward is from wanting another bruiser, to compliment that side of the run game.
"Attaway to stomp 'em. Stomp the piss out of 'em. Stomp 'em when they're down. Kick 'em and stomp 'em. Attaway to go boys. Pound that old Budweiser into you and go get them tomorrow." -- Joe Schultz
RB - How about Correll Buckhalter?
He’s probably the most intriguing name on this list, outside of Jacobs and Ward, in terms of proven ability to contribute in a tandem. He’s not bad catching passes, either, and has been around the league long enough to hopefully be able to pass-block.
"Attaway to stomp 'em. Stomp the piss out of 'em. Stomp 'em when they're down. Kick 'em and stomp 'em. Attaway to go boys. Pound that old Budweiser into you and go get them tomorrow." -- Joe Schultz
Quit with the Carr insanity!
He’s been AWFUL his entire NFL tenure. I like what you guys are after here, an underachiever that’s still fairly young to put some pressure on Bulger in the starting spot, but let’s think more about Byron Leftwich and Chris Simms (similar guys who have actually won when they started) and less about David f’ing Carr. Thanks.
I'd say yes to Leftwich if he changed his throwing mechanics.
But that ain’t happening so I say absolutely not. Leftwich looks like an old timey quarterback with that big slow windup.
And is Chirs Simms cleared to play?
A teenage boy with a sprit inside
Of a Samurai warrior who long ago died.
Now he's O....O....O....O Oshikuru!
O....O....O....O Oshikuru!
My oh My he's a demon Samurai
Who's the guy who had to die.......Oshikuru!
Keep in mind
we’re talking about a backup. Not a starter, not someone to turn the franchise around, and not someone we’ll come to depend on in a year or two. Just a backup.
Jay Zygmunt, now that you have fired yourself, please have yourself hired by Seattle. Thanks.
by 3k on Jan 21, 2009 7:18 AM CST up reply actions
I've figured out the identity of 3k
Does this recent comment remind you of anything?
(just substitue that special word with "backup")
A teenage boy with a sprit inside
Of a Samurai warrior who long ago died.
Now he's O....O....O....O Oshikuru!
O....O....O....O Oshikuru!
My oh My he's a demon Samurai
Who's the guy who had to die.......Oshikuru!
CB Lito Shepard, PHI
We’ve talked about this guy before, and he’s even not-so-subtly suggested a willingness to follow Spags, his former coach. What kind of asking price will the Eagles have though?
How about Torry Holt? As a Hawk fan, I’m still not sure why everybody seems to think he has no future with the Rams, but the Eagles need a #1 WR badly, and him and McNabb are only about 6 months apart in age, so they both have roughly the same amount of tread left on the tire. Maybe you’d have to throw a later round pick in as well.
by Mind of no mind on Jan 20, 2009 8:17 PM CST reply actions
wow
the Blockquote didnt work the way I expected.
by Mind of no mind on Jan 20, 2009 8:17 PM CST up reply actions
FA
The FA I think Spagnuolo will be looking at most is Terrell Suggs. A hybrid DE/LB in the mould of Justin Tuck. He was not happy last post-season with his franchise tag, especially when he was put in the cheaper LB category!
I really don’t see the point in signing expensive QBs, or any QBs at all, in FA. Bulger just needs the line to protect him so he can get his confidence back. Also, why pay Trent Green so much if we didn’t want him as a back-up!?
I can’t see us taking Ward seeing as we drafted Leonard so high a few years back, and it’s not like he has been awful when he has stood in for S-Jax.
WR – hmmm, between Holt, Avery, Burton and Bennett it would be strange to pursue anyone that wanted much money. We’d be better utilising Randy McMichael more, and drafting someone in later rounds IMO.
CB – now there IS a position we need help at. Anyone would be an upgrade. Although King is yet to play we can’t count on him being the answer.
Personally I think we need to focus on our LB corps and O-Line primarily, as well as the secondary depth… i say depth, we need NFL-calibre starters!
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by YankeeDoodleBrit on Jan 21, 2009 3:42 AM CST reply actions
no doubt
IF McMichael will stay healthy next year. And yes rams’ secondary needs work, the o-line needs big time work, some players that can stay healthy and can keep bulger healthy throughout the season. can’t make the playoffs if the team is on the Injured Reserve
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