Rams free agent rumors: Recapping where things stand
by Ryan Van Bibber on Jul 28, 2011 6:32 AM CDT
in 2011 NFL Free Agents
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PrintThat's why they call them trade rumors. The Miami Dolphins and New Orleans Saints agreed to a deal to send Reggie Bush to South Beach, which seems entirely appropriate from a celebrity standpoint. However, that means the St. Louis Rams will need to seek another answer for running back.
The Rams have been quiet in free agency since agreeing to terms with S Quintin Mikell on Tuesday. But it hasn't been for lack of trying. GM Billy Devaney was in a race with division rivals, the Seattle Seahawks, for WR Sidney Rice; the Seahawks signed him. The Rams lost out to a division rival on another player they were said to be targeting: Packers OG Daryn Colledge, who signed with Arizona.
Seattle defensive tackle Brandon Mebane is whispered to be another big time target for the Rams, but Seattle wants to keep him and Denver also wants to bring him over for their new 4-3 defense. According to the Post-Dispatch, it's unlikely that the Rams will sign Mebane. Bernie Miklasz from the PD said that the Rams are most likely going to add a DT via free agency, but are "waiting for the price to drop." After Mebane, I don't know who there is that would require waiting for a price drop.
Another option the Rams are said to be interested in is Colts DT Daniel Muir, who certainly lacks the star power of Mebane. Muir has half a sack in four years of play, but possesses the kind of potential that could be a good match for a coach like Spagnuolo.
On the running back front, Omar Kelly from the Florida Sun-Sentinal, says that the Rams are the front runners for Darren Sproles. We've heard that he's been their target all along. The secondary market for running backs should set up today, with DeAngelo Williams signed. Or, it may not until something breaks with Ahmad Bradshaw, who was the Dolphins favorite until he priced himself out of their interest.
Jim Thomas at the PD says that Jason Snelling, who was drafted by Atlanta when Devaney was in the front office, and Jerome Harrison are options for the Rams. In all honesty, Snelling might be the best option. Jackson is a very good receiver, a guy that can spread out wide, in the slot or in the backfield. He lacks the speed of Bush, Sproles or Harrison, but still can provide the offense with that versatility.
The strangest item from the PD report is the Rams having looked at WR Brian Finneran. He's tall...and he's 35. Why bother? The NY media still says that Plaxico Burress is in play for the Rams.
The Rams are also said to be interested in wide receivers Malcom Floyd and Braylon Edwards, whose price tags should be setting up now that Rice has signed.
The Broncos, Seahawks and Titans are interested in Rams free agent TE Daniel Fells, per his agent. The Rams are too, but that's a crowded spot, and he probably wouldn't be guaranteed a job. Look for him to sign elsewhere.
On the linebacker front, the Rams interest in Houston FA Zac Diles isn't a solo thing. Adam Caplan at Fox says the Bears, Seahawks and others are interested. The damn Seahawks. Diles is the best of the linebackers being talked about for the Rams' options right now.
In other news, Washington traded DT Albert Haynesworth to New England.
Keep it tuned to us all day and be sure to follow along on Twitter.
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were exactly where we stand last yr… mikell is prettyy much as good as atogwe… quinn wont start… we had avery and clayton even tho they were injured but pettis and salas will still sit behind them jermale hines wont start and in my oppinion i like hoomanawanui over kendricks… WAT THE FUCK ARE WE DOING….. get a fuckin guard and outside linebacker… they are obviously our biggest needs ya i liike the players we got… but we will be exactly as good as we were last yr… only 2 starters weve gotten outta 9 additions this offseason…. pfft fuckin pathetic… this is why it takes us forever when were in the basement of the nfc west to get out
And your qualifications of being a football expert are what.....?
"We can't run. We can't pass. We can't stop the run. We can't stop the pass. We can't kick. Other than that, we're just not a very good football team right now." --- Bruce Coslett, New York Jets Head Coach circa 1990s
Apparently player development
doesn’t exist in the modern NFL anymore. What a silly rant, we improved drastically with the signing of Josh McDaniels alone. We sucked dicked in the redzone last year, we picked up three players in the draft who will make their living in the redzone. We added the best pass rusher in the draft. We upgraded at safety, and OUR PLAYERS WILL HAVE DEVELOPED WITH ONE MORE YEAR OF EXPERIENCE. WE’RE A BETTER TEAM, CALM DOWN. K, thanks.
"I kind of stepped my swagger up. You look at the Madden game and the swagger's so low, maybe they'll bump me up. Before it was a meatball flex, so you've got to liven it up a little bit." - Animal Jr.
God damn seaskanks
Trying to get all the free agents we want. I wouldn’t mind Snelling but I would like Sproles be cause the contrast between him and Jackson is great. Jackson’s power and size matched up with Sproles’ speed and quickness makes them a huge threat. As for zac diles I wouldn’t mind getting him. Really if we just get 1 OLB I would be happy. I say let Fells go, no big loss there we got a million TE’s. Plus I would like Braylon edwards seeing how well he helped Sanchez progress.
2 men enter 1 man leaves. THOSE ARE THE RULES OF THUNDER DOME!
I was unaware of Sanchez progessing
No to Braylon.
No to any WR’s now. We didn’t get top notch so we need to stand pat. No reason to add more mediocrity
I can take a beating ... I'm a Rams fan.
by Midasknight on Jul 28, 2011 10:36 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
It's amazing the decisions players are making
Rice would have flourished in McD’s system with Bradford throwing to him. It’s almost like players are choosing to avoid us versus lack of FO effort
WARNING: Due to depression caused by the NFL Lockout, any posts, comments, fanshots, fanposts, email conversations, web site articles or any other related communication may be offensive or slightly disturbing. Reader discretion is advised.
Other teams are offering them Hookers, blow, and the finest of silk robes in their contracts.
2 men enter 1 man leaves. THOSE ARE THE RULES OF THUNDER DOME!
I was afraid of this when seattle went to the playoffs and not us.
Plus the went in there and spanked the superbowl champs. That usually gives you some more leverage in FA.
But that’s ok, I like the guy we signed so far and there is still probably going to be another wave of guys going to get cut because of all the guys that just got signed.
I actually like that the Rams are being patient.
I think in the Salary Cap era, the notion that you have to spend money to win isnt so black and white anymore. If you are the most efficient with your cap money and get 2 or 3 quality players instead of one elite guy…that is just as effective…and that was something Devaney said in the video when reporters were asking him about his approach to this FA.
- And here's the Rams' 2010 season in a series. Incomplete pass, 18-yard run, incomplete pass, 7-yard run, 5-yard pass, 3-yard run, sack, incomplete pass, punt. Shoot me. - 3K
Agreed.
I would rather have 3 quality starters then just 1 Really good one. Fill the most holes possible with starters not just 1.
2 men enter 1 man leaves. THOSE ARE THE RULES OF THUNDER DOME!
Ugh that's probably wise
Still I’m pissed we keep missing out on the top guys. Especially when they sign with division rivals. If we only win two games this season they better be against the Seahawks! Then I’ll be OK… well maybe not OK but better.
We lost one top tier guy
to a division rival lol, Sidney Rice.
"I kind of stepped my swagger up. You look at the Madden game and the swagger's so low, maybe they'll bump me up. Before it was a meatball flex, so you've got to liven it up a little bit." - Animal Jr.
He is more well rounded. Better in run support and less of a gambler.
2 men enter 1 man leaves. THOSE ARE THE RULES OF THUNDER DOME!
no rice no bush no splash in free agency what so ever.
by kevio3000 on Jul 28, 2011 7:00 AM CDT via mobile reply actions
anybody know?
i work 3rd shift so i gotta pass out … just wantin to know if i should just get some shut eye now and check later or wait it out
I do not know
The world works in mysterious ways.
2 men enter 1 man leaves. THOSE ARE THE RULES OF THUNDER DOME!
Today at 4PM teams can begin cutting players
Friday at 6PM teams can officially start signing FA
WARNING: Due to depression caused by the NFL Lockout, any posts, comments, fanshots, fanposts, email conversations, web site articles or any other related communication may be offensive or slightly disturbing. Reader discretion is advised.
BUT, news may come in at any time
WARNING: Due to depression caused by the NFL Lockout, any posts, comments, fanshots, fanposts, email conversations, web site articles or any other related communication may be offensive or slightly disturbing. Reader discretion is advised.
I'm fine
I honestly would rather have all our draft picks next year ten trade for bush and pay him 8 mil a year. He wasn’t going to come here anyway and I am not sure if his celebrity attitude would have fit in here, we are still in play for mebane and Back up running backs are a dime a dozen. Let’s get an OLB and I will be happy , Zac Diles, I actually think mikell is a Huge signing for us it just wasn’t flashy, which isn’t our style anyway. I honestly think it will be another year before we shake the perception that we are not the same old rams and we can attract free agents. Rocky Bernard is still out there. Mike Sando said it himself we are quite because shockingly enough we are one of the more complete teams in the NFC west. Our biggest hole is OLB
by miketrap3 on Jul 28, 2011 7:21 AM CDT via mobile reply actions
Just get Diles and Shanle and *boom* OLB filled.
Then sign a Gaurd and DT and I’m fine.
2 men enter 1 man leaves. THOSE ARE THE RULES OF THUNDER DOME!
I am just excited
I think we are ok with wr for another year. Let Clayton and Avery play healthy hopefully and let dx an amandine develoP another year. Pettis and Kendricks are going to be red zone monsters, I honestly think we will be ok. We need sone to spell s jacks and a decent run blocking guard and we are still the best team in the NFC west. If Reggie came on the open market maybe we would go after him but I don’t want to give up draft picks. If you look at it the packers, steelers, saints haven’t really made big moves besides signing there own guys and they seem to know what they are doing.
by miketrap3 on Jul 28, 2011 7:31 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions
Free Agency
They are so friggin cheap it’s unbelievable.They know they need a DT,G,RB and LB and they just stand there a do absolutely nothing.!!!!!!!!
Agreed
Trades our going down for 5 and 6 round picks. Stop being so f**ckin cheap
by King Sam Rules! on Jul 28, 2011 7:43 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions
same thing happened in the draft...
most important 4 positions and they ignored em… oh until the 7th round when they got jabara williams…. no offense to jabara… but i dont think thats a legitement upgrade
cheap?
is this the quality posting were getting now? When Rams landed mikell everyone flipped because they all thought they overspent, now were cheap?
I agree 100% beer me.
Can’t have it both ways boys either we’re cheap or we’re spending too much…pick one but you can’t have both.
Go Rams!
"We can't run. We can't pass. We can't stop the run. We can't stop the pass. We can't kick. Other than that, we're just not a very good football team right now." --- Bruce Coslett, New York Jets Head Coach circa 1990s
I'm not so sure it's a matter of being cheap
We seem to suffer from the inability to get as much out of our lower draft picks and undrafted FAs. As such we continually are looking to acquire a lot of serviceable players through signings so we have to budget less for landing top picks so we can afford to keep adding enough volume to keep the team afloat. Unless our drafts start panning out we’ll keep reliving this.
No more hyped rumors please. We're cheap and obviously not good negotiators.
Someone else raised a very good point. Not everybody wants to flock to the Rams. Afterall the Sh*thawks stuffed us with their 2nd string QB to win the NFC West and then beat New Orleans in the 1st round of the playoffs. I hate Seattle, but they’ve drafted people too and picked up FA’s like Rice and Gallery. They also let a washed up QB go. And they have a good coach in Pete Carroll.
I don't think we are cheap
We’ve been actively pursuing huge free agents. The fact that we don’t have all that much wiggle room is probably the biggest detractor.
I’m not saying we shouldn’t be active, but still. You can’t throw money you don’t have.
"Doin' blow off a strippers nipple" -VanRam
Pete Carroll a good coach?
I wouldn’t go that far.
All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence, and then success is sure.
-Mark Twain
People saying Pete failed in the NFL
are blowing it way out of proportion, and probably weren’t watching the NFL back then. He’s a good coach. He didn’t fail, he just didn’t succeed, big difference.
"I kind of stepped my swagger up. You look at the Madden game and the swagger's so low, maybe they'll bump me up. Before it was a meatball flex, so you've got to liven it up a little bit." - Animal Jr.
Well, at least I agree with you on one point.....
I hate the Seahawks too, with a passion!
Go Rams!
"We can't run. We can't pass. We can't stop the run. We can't stop the pass. We can't kick. Other than that, we're just not a very good football team right now." --- Bruce Coslett, New York Jets Head Coach circa 1990s
James Carpenter was a good pick?
Right. Plus, Saffold > Okung. Earl Thomas is a stud, but so is Sam Bradford. We lost because Sam hit the rookie wall HARD and our receivers choked on prime time. As bad as our receivers are perceived to be, that was the only time they ever lived up to the disappointment last season.
"I kind of stepped my swagger up. You look at the Madden game and the swagger's so low, maybe they'll bump me up. Before it was a meatball flex, so you've got to liven it up a little bit." - Animal Jr.
Actually, I'm glad to see Reggie Bush's name taken off the Free Agency List.
I was never a fan of having Bush come to St. Louis ‘cause I just thought he would cost too much for what we’d get and because I’m a big fan of Darren Sproles. As for as the other RBs, Jason Snelling, Jerome Harrison and Ahmad Bradshaw… well you can see below how I rated them. My biggest hangup is with Ahmad Bradshaw due to his fumble & lost fumble stats. He just doesn’t possess good ball protection.
Here’s the order of my choices if I were making the selection:
1. Darren Sproles – Age: 28
Stats: Career avg. of 4.6 yards per rush and an avg. of 9.6 yards receiving – 17 TDs – 2 fumbles, 1 for a loss.
He’s considered the little big man and is a specialty player who can spark an offense. He’s good for about 12 touches a game between rushes, receptions, punt returns and kick returns. However, the Rams may find themselves in competition with and Chargers for his services.
2. Jason Snelling – Age: 27
Stats: Career avg. of 4.1 yards per rush and an avg. of 7.9 yards receiving – 11 TDs – 4 fumbles, 1 for a loss.
Some see Snelling as the next Michael Turner, a powerful athlete who can run, block and catch. He had limited opportunities in Atlanta but still delivered 1,042 yards on 257 carries and has 74 receptions over the past two seasons. He would be a perfect complement to Steven Jackson in St. Louis.
3. Jerome Harrison – Age: 28
Stats: Career avg. of 4.8 yards per rush and an avg. of 7.1 yards receiving – 10 TDs – 5 fumbles, 3 for a loss.
Harrison was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the 5th round of the 2006 draft. In 2009 he broke Jim Brown’s single game rushing record for a Cleveland Brown with 286 yards and 3 touchdowns, placing him 3rd on the all-time single-game rushing yards list behind Adrian Peterson and Jamal Lewis. As a Philadelphia Eagle he was a nice complement to LeSean McCoy last year, but likely will want to find a place where he can play more consistently.
4. Ahmad Bradshaw – Age: 25
Stats: Career avg. of 4.8 yards per rush and an avg. of 7.7 yards receiving – 18 TDs – 12 fumbles, 8 for a loss.
Bradshaw at age 25 is considered a rising star. 2010 was his first real year as a starter. He rushed for 1,235 yards (4.5 yds per carry), caught 47 passes for 314 yards and had 8 touchdowns. He is also young enough to play out a full five-year contract but a return to the Giants is a distinct possibility. HIs one flaw is hanging onto the ball. He led the league in 2010 with 7 fumbles, 6 for a loss.
Let me hear what your thoughts are.
Go Rams!
"We can't run. We can't pass. We can't stop the run. We can't stop the pass. We can't kick. Other than that, we're just not a very good football team right now." --- Bruce Coslett, New York Jets Head Coach circa 1990s
If we sign Sproles I'll be OK
Never saw Bush as a legitimate option anyway but I thought Rice hurts especially since he went to the SeaChuckens. I was surprised that we didn’t pursue Coefield but perhaps Spags has inside info.
We filled the loss of OJ but that was a one step back one step forward signing. We still need: OLB, DT, G, RB and a legitimate #1 WR… probably going to have to rely on Clayton which is not moving the talent level forward.
I’m not sure if it’s so much this FA period so much as the last 10 years combined that have me down. Perhaps we will clean up on the cap cuts latter today. Still it’s puzzling to keep losing out to our rivals.
Yeah, I agree, we need an OLB, DT, G and RB but....
you can’t expect to get everything in one year, one free agency and still come out of it under the cap. There are not enough good players left out there in free agency to cover all those positions anyway and I can’t see us trading away any of our future draft picks either so my position is to be have patience and just have fun whating the Rams continue their team building over the next several years through the draft.
Go Rams!
"We can't run. We can't pass. We can't stop the run. We can't stop the pass. We can't kick. Other than that, we're just not a very good football team right now." --- Bruce Coslett, New York Jets Head Coach circa 1990s
Sure we can
We’re fans. It’s our job to be non-rational and not worry about silly things like a balance sheet LOL!
Well one way or another we do have to fill out the roster so I suppose that means all our needs will be filled but perhaps just not with the sexy high profile guys. Still I would like to see a couple more solid FA adds. Also we simply need to start hitting on more bottom tier draft picks and non-drafted guys. Perhaps it’s still early to evaluate Devaney’s staff on this since it can take several years for these type of guys to pan out but dang it seems like we really need some diamond in the rough types to step up. We just need a few more Amendola type pick ups to turn things around. We’re also struggling with paying a slew of high draft picks… the old system really made it hard to rebuild if you were unwilling to trade down. We’re stuck with guys we can’t afford to cut that are taking too much cap space. It’s a tough call but we have several contracts that borderline warrant releasing or trading but we have a FO that is prone to stay the course. Also perhaps it’s easy to forget we are only one year removed from an absolutely sh-tty team.
In the words of Dr Evil- Throw us a freak’n bone. Just one sexy high profile offensive guy… I’m crossing my fingers That we sign Sproles.
Darian Stewart
will be a bit of a stud soon, I’ll guarantee it :). Stewart will develop into our starter next to Mikell this year or next. More athletic than Dahl, so that’s a good thing.
"I kind of stepped my swagger up. You look at the Madden game and the swagger's so low, maybe they'll bump me up. Before it was a meatball flex, so you've got to liven it up a little bit." - Animal Jr.
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