FanPost

Upcoming Offseason Breakdown

The Rams 2014 season is essentially over after the recent loss to Kansas City. In this post, I will breakdown the Rams salary cap situation after this year, discuss next season's roster, look at the upcoming free agent class, talk about the draft, and look at the coaching situation. Let's start with the salary cap.

Currently, the Rams salary cap sits at $4,835,513.This year's league salary cap is $133 million, meaning the Rams are paying $128,164,487 to players (not all of whom are currently on the team or are currently playing).

Upcoming Free Agents - Salary

For now, we'll assume that none of these players will be re-signed. Taking all of these figures off the books, we gain $13,547,809 and a grand total of $18,383,322 in cap space. Now let's look at some cuts that I feel will be made. (Disclaimer: I don't know exactly what money will be saved by cutting these players, so I will just post there base salary in 2015.) (Disclaimer 2: These cuts are just my opinion, feel free to state your ideas in the comments.)

Player Cuts - Base Salary in 2015

Another possible cut is Jared Cook, whose salary jumps from $3,000,000 to $7,000,000 next season. I don't know if he is totally worthy of being cut, but if he stays I would expect his contract to be restructured as his production so far with the Rams is not worth that kind of money.

With the above 3 cuts made, cap space rises to $42,618,322. The salary cap has risen on average $4,906,100 since 1994. If we add this number to the salary cap, the 2015 cap becomes $137,906,100. Adding this extra space would give the Rams a cap space of $47,524,422 at this point in our process. Now, let's revisit the team's free agents and see who may be re-signed, and for what price.

Possible Resignings

  • Joe Barksdale - The easiest way to know what Barksdale will make if re-signed is to compare him to Roger Saffold. Saffold was recently re-signed for 5 years and just over $31 million, and will make an average salary of just over $6 million a year. While Barksdale may not warrant this size of a deal, he has been a very solid lineman. Let's assume he is re-signed for 3 years and $11 million, giving him an average salary of just over $3.5 million a season.
  • Johnny Hekker - Hekker has been one of the better punters in the league over the past few years and deserves a new deal. Mike Scifers, the league's top punter, makes $3,250,000 a year. I'll give Hekker another 3 year deal for $8.5 million, and an average salary near $2.8 million.

The salary cap space would lower to $41,224,422 by bringing back these two. Arguments could be made for re-signing some of those other players, but I am not convinced any of them deserve a new contract. Now, let's look at the Rams needs heading in to the offseason, considering what we've already seen.

Major Offseason Needs

  • Quarterback
  • Wide Receiver
  • Tight End (less of a priority if Cook stays)
  • Offensive line starters - both guard spots, maybe center
  • Line depth at all positions
  • At least one starting caliber linebacker
  • Cornerback help
  • Free Safety

These are all areas of concern for the Rams based on how this season is going. Next, we can look at the upcoming free agents at these positions. I won't be suggesting contracts, as some may be signed to extensions by the time of free agency, and we can't be certain what the market will look like for each position. Rather than type every player, I will post a link to each position and discuss whether or not there is a suitable fit or if we will need to look elsewhere.

Free Agents - Link - Fits

  • Quarterback - http://www.spotrac.com/free-agents/nfl/quarterback/ - There are some decent players at this position. However, the majority are veterans who we wouldn't want to help the rebuilding process or younger guys who haven't proved themselves. I feel that the quarterback position would be best addressed in the draft.
  • Wide Receiver - http://www.spotrac.com/free-agents/nfl/wide-receiver/ - There are some big names in this group, though the majority of them will probably be locked up with an extension or new deal. With how bad our receiving core is, I would like to think the Rams front office would offer one of the better players, seeing as there is ample cap space at this point. Drafting a receiver hasn't worked out recently so we should take a shot at a big name if one is available.
  • Tight End - http://www.spotrac.com/free-agents/nfl/tight-end/ - Again, the tight end free agents have plenty of players who could fit for us. If the position does become a need for us, drafting and signing a player would both be viable options.
  • Offensive Line - http://www.spotrac.com/free-agents/nfl/tackle/ http://www.spotrac.com/free-agents/nfl/guard/ http://www.spotrac.com/free-agents/nfl/center/ - Look, we need a LOT of help on the line. Choosing to draft or sign one or two guys just won't cut it. The line has to be addressed on the draft and free agency, so we just need to sit back and hope the right pieces fall to us.
  • Linebacker - http://www.spotrac.com/free-agents/nfl/linebacker/ - Another position with plenty of talent. As long as we keep Ogletree and Laurinaitis, we should think about bringing in a third linebacker who is good enough to start. While there is plenty of talent in the draft, I think that we should get one of the more proven, quality players available in free agency who can step up and have an immediate impact.
  • Cornerback - http://www.spotrac.com/free-agents/nfl/cornerback/ - The corner free agents are full of veterans, which I think is exactly what we need. Janoris Jenkins, EJ Gaines, and Trumaine Johnson all have the potential to be good starters, so I think adding a veteran backup to help guide them would be a good move.
  • Free Safety - http://www.spotrac.com/free-agents/nfl/safety/ - Lastly, we examine free safety. Safety is another position with plenty of talent. This one will just be the call of the Rams front office. Drafting a safety could be risky, but could pay off and be more beneficial. It all depends on the Rams draft position and the depth at safety in the draft.

Last year, the Rams needed slightly under $6 million to sign all of their draft picks. Assuming the number stays relatively similar, the Rams would have $35,224,422 to spend in free agency, which could bring some very quality players. Now, let's look at a few positions at which the Rams are almost certain to draft a player based off my own and the analysis of others. We will examine Quarterback and Offensive Line prospects.

Draft Possibilities

Quarterback - http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/prospectrankings/2015/QB

  • Marcus Mariota, Oregon - Mariota has all the talent in the world. However, questions about his size, transition to the pros, and desire to win have been posed. Overall, he seems like he would be a good fit with minimal downside.
  • Jameis Winston, Florida State - Winston has been leading Florida State for nearly two years now. He already has a national title and is currently undefeated. The kid has loads of problems with how to carry himself. The talent is there but let's hope the Rams are scared off by his issues.
  • Connor Cook, Michigan State - Cook is another very talented player. He is a bit more raw than Mariota, but his draft stock is rapidly rising. Cook appears to have all the tools to be a solid NFL quarterback.
  • Brett Hundley, UCLA - Hundley has a great skill set, and even more impressive is having a good year with little help around him on offense. Like Cook he is raw, but with NFL talent around him many feel he could make the jump and be a good player in the pros.
  • Brett Hundley, Baylor - Hundley has a great arm and is very intelligent, evidenced by his incredible display at Baylor thus far. In a passing league he appears to be the most ready to take on the role of starting quarterback, as Baylor's offense relies heavily on the pass. With some development he could be a good player.

Offensive Line - http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/prospectrankings/2015/OG

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/prospectrankings/2015/OT

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/prospectrankings/2015/C

  • Reese Dismukes, C, Auburn - Reese has been a reliable starter for years now at Auburn and is regarded as one of college football's top centers. He should be an early round pick.
  • Hroniss Grasu, C, Oregon - Grasu is Mariota''s partner in crime and is the perfect size to be an NFL center. He has great technique and should also be a top pick.
  • AJ Cann, G, South Carolina - Cann is also a reliable starter with good size and intelligence. He should be a good addition to the core of any offensive line.
  • Arie Kouandino, G, Alabama - Brother of Bills tackle Cyrus Kouandijo, Arie Kouandijo shares his brother's massive size. He has had some injuries, but has all the tools to be good.
  • Andrus Peat, T, Stanford - This man has a huge frame. With some development, he could be a premier tackle in the league.
  • Cedric Ogbuehi, T, Texas A&M - Ogbuehi is slightly small for a pro tackle, but has pretty solid technique. He has dealt with some injury in the past but is likely to be the top tackle taken.
It isn't very likely that the Rams get 2 of the elite talents mentioned above, but if they get any two of the players in the first few rounds then we will hopefully have two major holes filled. Obviously the draft process has hardly begun, but these are the current top prospects, which could easily change.
Lastly, we come to the coaching staff. In my opinion, we need a fresh start. Fisher has shown an inability to make the gameplan work, Schotty is about as creative as this lamp next to me on offense (Lamp for OC in 2015), and Gregg Williams has been largely underwhelming. The issue is that this time around, the Rams really need to hit a home run with their hire. I'm not sure who that may be, and I don't know if any candidates are emerging. If you have someone you like leave a comment.
As always, thanks for reading.