Pisa the Pat?
by Ryan Van Bibber on May 9, 2009 9:23 AM CDT
in 2009 Off-Season
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PrintMan, turn-about is a strange mistress...or something like that. Not even 24 hours after his release from the Rams, there are reports that LB Pisa Tinoisamoa is on the radar for the New England Patriots.
The main criticism of the Rams decision to release Pisa, hasn't been actually releasing "Hawaii 5-0" it's really been more concern about the Rams depth at the position - remember how thin they proved to be at LB last year after letting Brandon Chillar walk? - and specifically the lack of experienced depth. Some thoughts...
Had the Rams of yesterday made a serious effort to hang onto Brandon Chillar, they could have released Pisa without much concern. The youngster they felt could replace Chillar, Quentin Culberson, got off to a bad start and lost his starting job last season. The new regime has to get Culberson up to par, playing at a starting level. Fortunately, the Rams new coaches, particularly head coach Steve Spagnuolo and Ken Flajole, have loads of experience coaching, successfully coaching, linebackers. That's a huge plus, but no guarantee. If they can coax quality out of Culberson, the Rams could have a decent group of LBs, with Witherspoon, Laurinaitis, and Draft rounding out the top four.
That said, they still have some options on the free agent market, and will likely have more options available as teams make roster cuts in the days before the season starts. Now, realize that any of the Rams' options via this route will not be household names, just role players, but sometimes that's enough.
One name that might be of interest in Rocky Boiman. The 6'4" 236 lbs LB has starting experience on the strong side, with the Colts in 2007, and he became a serviceable starter as a mid-season acquisition for Kansas City last year, piling up 32 tackles in the month of November.
Paris Lenon, 31, hasn't missed a game in three seasons, spending the last three toiling with the Lions. He has starting experience at all three 4-3 LB positions.
Shantee Orr, 27, is another option with experience on the outside, and has some size at 6'0" 246 lbs.
Like I said, none of these names are going to blow anyone away, but they could be useful role players adding depth to the Rams LB corps.
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Here's another alternative. He may not be a super-star yet but...
Larry Grant has youth at age 24 and can play all three LB positions. He also was Laurinaitis’ backup at Ohio State in 2006 and he started all 12 games as their strong side LB the following year.
Here’s Grant’s bio from Ohio State U:
Heads into the spring as the starter at strong side linebacker … made an immediate impact for the OSU defense last year in his first year in the program … was the primary backup at middle linebacker to James Laurinaitis in 2006 but showed the ability to play all three linebacker spots … arrived at Ohio State in 2006 for spring quarter classes and spring practice … impressed coaches right away with his speed and athletic ability … recruited out of high school as a tailback but became a standout linebacker at the junior college level … is the first junior college transfer signed by Jim Tressel at Ohio State.
The 49ers drafted Grant in the 7th round in 2008 and at the end of last season was signed by the Rams from the 49ers practice squad.
NFL.com has him as 6'1, 232 lbs...
Not exactly prototypical size, about the same as Pisa, actually. But hey, if there’s any chemistry between him and Laurinaitis, maybe something works there. Good catch.
"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
nice
i think i read in the PD story about Pisa, that Spags et al liked Larry Grant a lot
by Ryan Van Bibber on May 9, 2009 1:24 PM CDT up reply actions
this all sounds ok
but what do you think thay are going to do with the extra cap space, we have holes to fill but if we keep dropping decent players we’re not going to get anyware. lets spends some money.
Probably
use the cap space to help sign the rookie class
3k for Rams asst GM.....someone make it happen!
I have proof TackleBox IS Jim Haslett
Grant was mentioned
in the Post Dispatch story today on Tinoisamoa. They said he impressed the coaches in the mini-camps. Another name mentioned on the radio yesterday was Napolean Harris, who is a free agent right now.
I’m not sure how much cap space we have after blocking out the $6 million plus needed for the new draftees. Maybe $4-6 million? That’s sure not enough to sign many high-level players. Still, you have to think they have something in mind and it will be interesting to see what it is.
cap space
according to fox sports the rams salery is at 108,790,580 minus 3,004,200 pisa’s money wich im not sure how much we still have to pay him. plus rookies pay is not on there. that still leaves alot of money to play with.
But there's a difference between salaries and cap numbers...
The Saints might be paying money that doesn’t count against the cap – old contracts, non-guaranteed money, or extensive bribery to keep the team from moving to San Antonio, maybe?
"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
cap room
the Rams don’t have much cap room
by Ryan Van Bibber on May 9, 2009 1:25 PM CDT up reply actions
no, we don't
the Rams don’t have much cap room
Anybody looking for a glory signing this offseason might as well not pay attention, because you’ll be absolutely disappointed. We don’t have the finances in place to make a big move. I’m not the money expert here, but we do have some great accounting wizards around TST, and I’m sure they can break it down and make that point clear.
Jay Zygmunt, now that you have fired yourself, please have yourself hired by Seattle. Thanks.
by 3k on May 9, 2009 2:23 PM CDT up reply actions
If You Want To Track Cap Money...
go here: http://realramsfans.com/captracker.php
As far as Napolean Harris, I believe he was a 1st round draft choice of the Raiders in 2002 or 2003. The last I heard about him was that he signed a six-year contract with the Chiefs in ‘07 but I don’t know what the terms of the contract were. In any event, I do know that in October of last year the Chiefs released Him. He’s a big guy about 6’3" and 250 lbs or so but he’s now like 30 years old so he doesn’t really fit the youth movement to rebuild the Rams.
Go Rams!
Wow, cool website.
It’s not entirely accurate yet, but perhaps that’s because some numbers aren’t known – for example, OJ Atogwe has been franchised, which means the Rams will end up paying him the average of the top five salaries for safeties — but that average (and its cap hit) can’t be determined yet. So you have to fudge some numbers in to get a closer approximation of what we have left.
"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
Ok enuph about Pissa already
Lets say he goes to the Pats or Buffalo ,he will play hard to prove hes still worth the money they are giving him and get hurt with in the first month of playing, and that will be the end of this discussion and Pissa,Actually i wished we had kept Brandon Chillar but i never agree with the previos H coach or GM any way on any thing they ever did,but Chillar seamed to be a more ruged player then Pissa
by james535 on May 12, 2009 2:54 PM CDT reply actions
Yes, I wish
they had kept Chillar. I thought he was a solid, although not specatacular LB. The same for Grease at DT.
The DT i wanted to keep was Ryan Picket
he now starts for the Packers with Chillar,that is so fucked up we gave both those players up and they start for a very good defence and we gave up our FB and he starts for the Giants, man ill tell you in have never seen a more incopetent GM then Zigmunt in my hole life,and head coach then Linnehan,they dumped our best players,at leat for that time our best players
by james535 on May 13, 2009 10:58 AM CDT reply actions
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