Rams have made their plans for free agency
by Ryan Van Bibber on Feb 23, 2010 6:25 AM CST
in 2010 St. Louis Rams offseason
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PrintSt. Louis Rams GM Billy Devaney's chat yesterday revealed very little about the team's offseason plans, like Coach Conners predicted. Heck, the big news of the day - the Rams cutting ticket prices - wasn't even mentioned.
Of course, there's very little Devaney can say right now about the subjects on our minds, free agency, the current roster and the draft. Don't forget it's technically tampering if he discusses free agents on other teams that aren't free agents yet. Devaney did drop two fairly interesting tidbits that give us some idea of the thinking inside Rams Park these days.
First, there was this nugget. When asked when the Rams will start signing and tendering free agents and whether or not the decisions have been made, BD answered:
That will be coming up the first week in March. But the decisions have already been made.
I read two things into this. One, they've done their homework and have made decisions regarding which free agents they'll pursue. Not a huge surprise, since free agency opens up right after the Combine. Secondly, it seems to say that the coaches and front office staff have made decisions about which of the team's restricted free agents and unrestricted free agents they'll make offers to when the time comes. Headlining the RFA list are Atogwe and Alex Barron. Among the unrestricted FAs to watch are DEs James Hall and Leonard Little, one of which is sure to be back in the rotation next year.
I suspect it also means they've reached a decision on the future of Marc Bulger, who is not scheduled to be a free agent of any kind. If the Rams are going to release him, logic says it would happen sooner rather than later in order for Bulger to take advantage of a weak free agent class of QBs. Or retire. I don't think he's coming back at his current salary.
Then there was this bit form Devaney:
We all like the shape of our offensive line. We expect everyone back healthy. We were pleased with the progress that group was making during the season and we expect it to be a strength of the team this year.
That probably gives you a pretty good indication of where they stand on tendering RFA Alex Barron an offer. I'm as lukewarm as most on that news, but the fact of the matter is that Barron's league average play at a discounted rate keeps the Rams from having one more need to fill this season. More to the point, bringing back Barron keeps some of the unit cohesion that the line started to develop until getting decimated with injuries to key starters late in the season.
The Rams allowed 44 sacks this year, one less than 2008 and four fewer than 2007. However, 12 of those sacks, including 8 in the season finale, came in the last two games which the Rams played with only two players from the starting five - Barron and C Jason Brown - that was gelling midway through the season. Without those 12 sacks, the Rams would have been 15th in the league for sacks allowed. That doesn't mean they won't be looking for some more talent for the unit this year.
Things should start happening real soon.
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I'm ok with settling on this O-line
As much as I’d like to see Barron gone, I like the talent we’ve invested in on the O-line. With some more experience (and a lack of missed games from injury), I really think the line play will be more than acceptable.
Just to throw it out there, I hope we don’t give Barron more than a 2-year contract.
You don't seem to want to accept the fact you're dealing with an expert in guerrilla warfare, with a man who's the best, with guns, with knives, with his bare hands. A man who's been trained to ignore pain, ignore weather, to live off the land, to eat things that would make a billy goat puke. In *St. Louis* his job was to dispose of enemy personnel. To kill! Period! Win by attrition. Well, *Steven Jackson* was the best.
This is gonna get real interesting soon.
Barron…gheez that dude sux. I hope we pick up an OT in the draft that can play & start the ticking of the clock that represents the remaining time left for Barron in StL.
It sure looks as if Barron is coming back.
Since we can sign him for a modest tender, I think it’s probably worth it to keep him for another year. We have enough holes to fill as it is this year. We can keep him around for another year or two and put an OT much lower on our needs list for now.
You know what sounds even better?
Draft a right tackle in the 3rd round, move Smith over to left tackle, and dump Barron on his penalty drawing, under-achieving, unproductive arse!
Say hello to another 1-15 season
If the cancerous Barron is resigned by the Rams, expect the following:
1. ANOTHER 1-15 season, with that one win coming against the Chefs
2. ANOTHER quarterback – doesn’t matter who – losing his confidence behind a shit offensive line, especially on whatever side Barron would be playing
3. Billy Devaney’s head on a pike – because he should be fired immediately if he resigns this guy.
Another Barron re-hash
If this whole list was looked at-number of plays, playing time, pass attempts, etc., Barron rates better than 80% pass protection compared to other team LT positions. Like I said, you have to flesh out the entire NFL site and download their spreadsheets. False starts aside, Barron has done a real respectable job at LT.
Duane Brown HOU 7 3.6 Vernon Davis SF 1 2.3
Kasey Studdard HOU 2 4 David Bass SF 1 2.8
Chester Pitts HOU 1 1.6 Richie Incognito STL 2.5 2.3
Eric Winston HOU 1 2.7 Jason Smith STL 2 2.05
Kevin Walter HOU 1 3.1 Steven Jackson STL 2 2.35
Mike Brisiel HOU 1 4 Alex Barron STL 2 3.05
Charlie Johnson IND 2 2.65 Jason Brown STL 1.5 2.3
Mike Pollack IND 2 2.65 Kenneth Darby STL 1 1.9
Joseph Addai IND 1 2.2 Adam Goldberg STL 1 2.6
Ryan Lilja IND 1 2.3 Jacob Bell STL 1 3
I'd agree, but
what’s frustrating is that he has so much potential. And to put “false starts aside” would be nice, but adding 5 yards to our offense makes the difficult task of putting a drive together nearly impossible.
You don't seem to want to accept the fact you're dealing with an expert in guerrilla warfare, with a man who's the best, with guns, with knives, with his bare hands. A man who's been trained to ignore pain, ignore weather, to live off the land, to eat things that would make a billy goat puke. In *St. Louis* his job was to dispose of enemy personnel. To kill! Period! Win by attrition. Well, *Steven Jackson* was the best.
I think he was the most penalized player in the divison
which means putting penalties aside is sort of unfair. the refs didn’t put them aside.
by CoachConnors on Feb 24, 2010 6:56 PM CST up reply actions
i don't like him much
but in all fairness- he’s not horrible when he’s not false starting.
by mooseknuckles41 on Feb 23, 2010 6:51 PM CST reply actions
A Strength of the team this year?
This is a smokescreen. He has to be a good poker player because saying this with a straight face is a real feat.
If it's not O-line
what is the strength of this team in 2010?
You don't seem to want to accept the fact you're dealing with an expert in guerrilla warfare, with a man who's the best, with guns, with knives, with his bare hands. A man who's been trained to ignore pain, ignore weather, to live off the land, to eat things that would make a billy goat puke. In *St. Louis* his job was to dispose of enemy personnel. To kill! Period! Win by attrition. Well, *Steven Jackson* was the best.
Seriously I'm sitting here thinking
and I don’t know. I hate to say it but Whatever we draft strongly will be our strength. RB and MLB are the only positions not in need of help. And we need depth at those 2.
If the offensive line can go through the season
without injuries, they can be pretty decent. That doesn’t mean they equal the Jets line, but they can be decent if they are all there. When you lose three of your five starters, that makes it pretty tough.
Barron is a frustrating guy, both for his attitude and his penalties, but he is far from the worst of OTs in the league. We get so upset with him we don’t see the good things he does. I really don’t think the team will collapse if he’s back next year.
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