Rams planning roster cuts?
by VanRam on Feb 8, 2010 9:42 AM CST
52 comments
Still basking in your Super Bowl hangover? Well, guzzle some coffee find some greasy food and keep close to the interwebs today because it's the first day that teams can start releasing players. Will the St. Louis Rams release anyone? You can count on a few players getting their walking papers before March 5, but it may not happen today if the coaching staff is still reviewing the current Rams roster.
The bulk of the players released by the Rams aren't likely to earn much more than a shrug. People will be watching closely for what the Rams decide to do with March Bulger. At one point, it seemed like a sure bet that they would release him. Now, with the uncapped season limiting free agent options, I suspect they won't be in any hurry to send Bulger packing until they can get a sense of what they'll do to fill their need at quarterback. If this Michael Vick thing has any legs - and there's really nothing to suggest that it does, at the moment - something will have to happen before March 5.
Other than Bulger, the Rams just don't have many "known" candidates to be cut; Spagnuolo and Devaney cut just about all of the links to the previous regime last year. So the next big question is which free agents they'll try to retain, which includes Leonard Little, James Hall and, yes, even the recently-engaged Kyle Boller.
It will be just as interesting, if not more, to watch who gets their walking papers elsewhere around the league. Torry Holt is done in Jacksonville. The cuts will make the free agent market a little richer, maybe. Stay tuned.
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i think the rams cut bulger no matter what
because they sure aren’t going to pay him what his contract calls for in 2010. either he’s cut and he resigns at a lower rate, or he’s just plain cut.
follow me on twitter @nickg105
by stlcardinalsfang on Feb 8, 2010 10:35 AM CST reply actions
Well, the thing about this year
is his salary has no effect on the cap since there probably won’t be a cap.
If there is a cap, then all of a sudden there are probably better alternatives to Bulger, but if we go un-capped, he’s (if healthy….I’m not saying he is) is better than what’s available.
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
even if there is no cap though
the rams won’t want to pay him what he’s owed.
follow me on twitter @nickg105
by stlcardinalsfang on Feb 8, 2010 12:14 PM CST up reply actions
contract
I’m not exactly sure how it all works, but I would imagine even if the rams cut him, at minimum they would have to pay him the guaranteed portion of his contract and maybe more…Either way I would imagine whether or not he plays for the Rams next year he will still be recieving pay checks
Most NFL contracts don't have guaranteed money beyond the signing bonus.
Unless there are deferred payments, if you get cut before a certain date you don’t get paid. If they cut Bulger now, they won’t owe him big money. I would think they are talking to him about restructuring his contract to substantially reduce what he gets paid for 2010. Torry Holt refused and left when he faced it. We’ll see what Bulger does.
I'd like to see us keep him at a much lower rate.
If he can regain his confidence back he could be helpful in our situation. I’d let KB go tho, he’s not worth the league min.
Bulger
Null
Rielly http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJufP5ryZvg
He's already been paid the guarnateed portion of his contract.
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
Good fore-thought by Devaney and Spags...
In releasing Torry Holt. Holt’s release wasn’t by any means popular, but given his contract structure he wasn’t going to play at the level that he was going to be paid at. And since he refused to restructure the Rams had no choice but to let him go. The Rams could have used Torry’s leadership and it would have been nice seeing him retire there, but I think Torry also realizes that it was a mistake for him to leave the organization for big money elsewhere. I congratulate Spags and Devaney for having the fore-thought and guts to release him rather than pay him $6 million this year just because he’s a fan favorite.
Are you saying
that since Holt’s a ‘fan favorite’ the Rams should have kept him?
Why do we hire a coach and GM if the “fans” should make all the decisions? Well, because for the most part the fans don’t know what’s best for the franchise. “Fans” live in the world of passion. And that get’s you nowhere fast when looking forward.
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
The Jags will probably draft Tebow in the first round
because it will sell tickets. Fans have a big force in the business side of things…no fans, no revenue.
The House of Spears reigns supreme
I would disagree
I think the Senior Bowl played right into their hands, and they can afford to either trade down to take him in the first, or trade up from the 2nd round to take him then. I think they wlil end up taking him, but I think it will be in the 2nd. As to their effect on the business side, it can be fickle and nonsensical.
The Vikings got great coverage this year, but they’re a financial mess. The Raiders are in absolute shambles as a franchise on the field, but they’re a viable product and business overall. Strange things, these NFL teams.
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.
by 3k on Feb 8, 2010 5:33 PM CST up reply actions
Fantastic point 3k
"The greatest accomplishment is not in never falling, but in rising again after you fall." - Vince Lombardi
Thats true, but that is still above his value
I’m not saying that fans control what NFL teams do or don’t do…that’s just stupid to say.
But the fact that they will most likely draft Tebow high just for the sake of selling tickets, or the fact that the signing of Vick made certain radical people boycott Eagles games seems to suggest that fans can influence what teams do.
Their not going to bend over backwards to them, but they certainly have to listen at least a little to the mob.
The House of Spears reigns supreme
Definitely
If this were a pie, the fans would be a large, delicious slice.
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.
by 3k on Feb 8, 2010 9:54 PM CST up reply actions
And as I think most of us agree
listening to the fans and drafting Tebow (especially in the 1st round) would be borderline devastating to the development and improvement of that team.
They’d trade a couple of years of increased ticket sales for wasting the best years of Maurice Jones-Drew and the further decline of their team because the fans influenced them to draft Tim Tebow.
Then, when Tebow proves to be a total waste of a draft pick, they’ll be worse off than they are now.
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
I would say it has a small chance of being the opposite
but most likely, sure, it’ll turn out to be a pick that will only help ticket and merchandise sales for about two years. I doubt it will help media revenue, because I’d be surprised if he saw the field much at QB.
I say small chance because if the Jaguars do invest time and effort into Tebow and he ends up being productive (which isn’t entirely impossible), he could regalvanize the entire franchise to the point they might not have to move. Again, small chance.
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.
by 3k on Feb 8, 2010 9:56 PM CST up reply actions
That's a hell of a gamble.
You’re basically going “all in” on Tim Tebow, because if he falls on his face (very possible), the team is leaving town.
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
What are the other options?
Is the difference between Tebow and a sensible pick the difference between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the LA Jaguars?
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.
by 3k on Feb 9, 2010 11:43 AM CST up reply actions
Personally, I think the whole thing is inevitable (them moving to LA or somewhere else)
but, unless they’re selling the team (and I don’t think I’ve heard that they are) wouldn’t you want the best possible team you could put together whether the team was in Jacksonville or Los Angeles?
By using a high pick on a high bust possibility like Tim Tebow, you might severely retard the improvement of your team period. QBs taken in the first round eat up a ton of money and have long contracts that kind of prevent you from drafting another QB until that first one is gone.
By “listening” to the demands of the fans (and I’m not even sure the fans in JAX are demanding it, but mgmt might feel that’s the only way they’re going to be able to drum up interest in their team), you might just set your franchise back 3 or 4 years on something that is at best probably a 2 year fix to a problem that’s never going to go away unless you build the second coming of the 70s Steelers, the 80s 49ers, and the 90s Cowboys all rolled into one.
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
I agree with you
There is a lot to like about Tebow, he’s just too raw.
Their is no reason to think he wouldn’t be able to be a productive player (at whatever position he may settle in). He’d just need a couple of years behind a veteran and a good coaching staff.
The House of Spears reigns supreme
I Think He Said The Opposite
Jake Locker in 2011
I think Bulger should stay.
Draft somebody that you know will be good (you as in the Rams organization) and either have Bulger as a backup that mentors the young QB or just be the starter until the younger guy can get it all in place. I think that Bulger behind a good O-line and good WR’s is a very good and accurate quarterback.
He didn't need the backboard on that one!
These arguments always intrigue me.
I’m reading that the Rams should first restructure Bulger’s contract so he’s making less money then they should draft a QB, make Bulger the backup and have him “mentor” the rookie.
Is he a coach?
And why exactly would he be excited about this development?
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
I don’t see him as a coach or a mentor but just someone who can take the load if the rookie struggle or just give the rook some time to develop. There’s a lot of good example of QB that are great after spending some season behind a veteran, like Romo, Rodgers, Delhomme, Schaub and maybe Kevin Kolb.
I think a secure job is last on his list-
Bulger has already done what many, many QB wantabe’s only dream about. He’s got millions in the Bank, a very successful private business, and a stable life. He only has one thing left to prove-and that is to prove himself again in the NFL. He knows he can’t do that as a backup. If not much else, he’s known (to his teammates) as a competitor.
I think he's fine financially
and probably doesn’t have to worry about anything for the rest of his life.
Marc Bulger isn’t a spend-thrift. He’s made tens of millions of dollars over the past 10 years. Job security isn’t exactly high on his list right now. He should be worried about 1) his health and 2) not looking like a chump just so he can make some extra coin.
He’s already considering retirement. He doesn’t need the money. And the last thing he needs is to be offered an embarrassing package (lower pay, backup status, “mentor” for his replacement) from the Rams. A team he put his ass and health on the line for every Sunday for the better part of a decade.
If you want him to “mentor” his own replacement, the least you can do is keep him at his current salary. If not, I’d walk. What he’s going to sign for in another city is probably close to what a lot of people here want him to play for, and I’m sure it’d be as a back-up. But taking that role and salary to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or the Chicago Bears is one thing. Taking that salary with a team he’s had history with like the Rams is akin to kicking him in the sack.
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
I'm not talking about financial security
Shit, if the players were smart enough, a 2nd or 3rd string would be able to easily live their life off a good 7 or 8 year career.
Assuming (that’s a big if) he want’s to play again, I for one would not want to constantly move around across the country, or go to some shit organization (Raiders?) and deal with their stuff because you still want to play football.
The House of Spears reigns supreme
Does anybody know how the free agent will work this year
What does one needs to do if he wants to sign a restricted free agent? Is it the league that says that guy is worth a 1st and that guy a 3rd or is like the NHL and teams needs to equal offers from other team?
The deals go from golden honor to sleazy back stabin'
Buyer and traders beware, FA market even more. A lot of it is just who-likes-who, or who can’t- stand-who. You take your pick!
I'm guessing
that the teams who have the rights will tender them at a certain level (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.)
and then if a team wants him, they’ll have to cough up the pick.
The House of Spears reigns supreme
We haven't been in a position to be givng up draft picks the past couple of seasons.
Especially when you’re talking about such high picks for compensation.
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
Here's how it breaks down.
Exclusive Rights Free Agent = players who have accrued 0-2 seasons of service whose contracts have expired. If tendered a contract, they have zero negotiating rights and can only sign with their original team.
Restricted Free Agents = players who have accrued 3 seasons of service (I believe with the un-capped year it jumps to 5 years of service). The player, if tendered a contract, can still negotiate with any team but the signing team would have to offer compensation to the players team if he signs with the new team. The compensation is as follows:
Well….in 2008, the breakdown was:
$2.562M tendered = 1st and 3rd round pick compensation
$2.017M tendered = 1st round pick compensation
$1.417M tendered = 2nd round pick compensation
$927k tendered = determined by RFAs original draft status
This year, the numbers are slightly higher but I can’t find the exact numbers. But that’s basically the jist of it.
Now, the team signing the RFA can always offer a trade in lieu of the compensation. Some times, the original team may not really want the player (or could totally live without the player) but don’t really care if they get the entire comp package. In this case, the two teams would just work out a trade they both agree upon which takes the place of the compensation.
Often this is what happens. Teams figure, if they don’t work out a trade, the other team won’t sign the player and if they don’t really have plans for the player, they’ll be content getting something lesser.
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
Donte Stallworth.
Free agent. What do you think?
My ROFLcopter goes soi soi soi soi soi soi soi
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pkAFR-7c-c
Interesting
I like how the Rams receivers were playing before the injuries began destroying them. I like Laurent Robinson and would like to see what he could do a with entire healthy year. Put Avery back in the slot and gibson the number two. Not that Stallworth isn’t talented, but im just not sure if hes with worth trouble.
No
If we’re going to add a WR, he needs to be a true #1. We’ve got Laurent Robinson, Donnie Avery, Brandon Gibson and Danny Amendola with Keenan Burton and Brooks Foster on the outside looking in. Where does Stallworth fit in that top 4 and why would we rather play him than the guys already there?
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.
by 3k on Feb 8, 2010 9:58 PM CST up reply actions
He's certainly the type of WR I'm talking about
The question is whether you want to bring on the baggage. Tough call.
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.
by 3k on Feb 9, 2010 11:44 AM CST up reply actions
He would immediately demand a new, long term contract from the Rams
and a huge one at that. Do we really need that nonsense going on?
I don't really see him as much of an improvement over what we have.
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
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