TST Weekly Slack Chat: Marcus Peters trade, and CB draft talk

As with last week’s slack chat, the same group of guys (3k, BMule, myself) got together to talk about the 2018 NFL Draft. This week, we started with the Los Angeles Rams’ trade for Kansas City Chiefs CB Marcus Peters, to the impact it’ll have on the draft, and we take a look at free agency.

Hittman (TST Contributor Sosa Kremenjas): 1) What is your opinion on the Marcus Peters trade, and does it impact the draft in your opinion?

Joe McAtee (TST Managing Editor 3k): Who?

Hittman: Who what?

BMule (TST Contributor BMule): I love it

Joe McAtee: Slack chats! The most profound analysis out there!

Hittman: Let’s restart

You assholes

Joe McAtee: (This is all going in there)

Hittman: stop making my god damn job harder!!!!!

BMule: I think the Peters trade opens up the door wide open for the Rams in the draft. And rather than “does it prevent CB for Rams early in the draft?” I think it brings more CB prospects into play

Joe McAtee: Yeah, I don’t know that it wipes CB off the board (even in the first), but it at least gives us comfort that the CB1 slot has been filled in a post-Tru depth chart

BMule: Trumaine Johnson leaving was kind of a foregone conclusion for most. Still needing a CB1 heading into the draft would have been dicey because there seems to be a ton of CB2 types available

Joe McAtee: Agreed

Hittman: I definitely agree there. I wouldn’t be against continuing to add a CB (even in the first round), but it at least opens the idea of going elsewhere at pick #23 too

BMule: There’s CB prospects that become even more attractive now with Peters in the fold. Guys like [Auburn CB] Carlton Davis, [Louisville CB] Jaire Alexander [and LSU CB] Donte Jackson for example.

Joe McAtee: We were at like 90% in the mocks that had us taking a CB in the first. I’m going to be very interested to see what that number is coming out of the combine

Because mocks are life

BMule: But now you don’t have as much of a need which gives us more flexibility

Chances of drafting OL or EDGE get a boost

Joe McAtee: Which makes me quite happy

Hittman: I guess by that you mean there won’t be as much pressure on a rookie CB to come in and be “the man”, and he can instead come in and be the #2 and learn from a bonafide pro bowler?

BMule: Yup

Hittman: Agreed for sure.

Joe McAtee: Then I need to switch it up to disagree with you jackamoles

Hittman: haha

Joe McAtee: THE RAMS MUST SIGN TWO CORNERBACKS IN FA FOR TOP MONEY

OR THEY AREN’T SERIOUS ABOUT WINNING

Hittman: This next question ties in with the first one, so here we go:

2) Are the Rams set at CB#2, and if not, would you prefer to hit the spot with an FA or a draft choice?

Joe McAtee: BTW, here’s the FA market (From Andy Benoit’s piece)

Trumaine Johnson (28), Rams
Malcolm Butler (28), Patriots
Aaron Colvin (26), Jaguars
Kyle Fuller (26), Bears
Patrick Robinson (30), Eagles
Morris Claiborne (28), Jets
Rashaan Melvin (28), Colts
E.J. Gaines (26), Bills
Nickell Robey-Coleman (26), Rams
Prince Amukamara (28), Bears
Nevin Lawson (26), Lions
Bashaud Breeland (26), Washington
Leonard Johnson (28), Bills
Dontae Johnson (26), 49ers
Ross Cockrell (26), Giants
Davon House (28), Packers
T.J. Carrie (27), Raiders
Brent Grimes (34), Buccaneers

Potential Cap Casualties (in alphabetical order): Brandon Carr (Ravens), Marcus Cooper (Bears), William Gay (Steelers), Adam Jones (Broncos), Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (Giants), Sean Smith (Raiders), Aqib Talib (Broncos)

BMule: No they’re not set

Joe McAtee: They’re not.

BMule: People expecting substantial impact from Webster this year are the most optimistic fans in the universe

Joe McAtee: That dude’s Instagram stories are great

Hittman: I 100% agree there. I wouldn’t expect anything from Kayvon Webster. Not only that, but NRC is a free agent and Troy Hill is a RFA

BMule: I see a lot of names in the FA market I’d be more than happy to have but money could be an issue. I’m a big fan of some of the draft prospects

Joe McAtee: Let’s get some. Who in FA yall feeling?

Worth pointing out Vontae Davis and David Amerson have already signed. Davis on a one-year deal to the Bills and Amerson on a one-year deal to the Chiefs

BMule: Cheaper options I’d be okay with are Grimes, Melvin, and House. Cockrell at Nickel,

Hittman: Man... out of the choices in the FA pool, the guy that is most intriguing to me is Bashaud Breeland from Washington

Joe McAtee: Worked with McVay before

Hittman: He’s obviously got ties to our coaching staff, he’s only 26 years old, and now can come in and be a CB#2 and not pigeonholed into a top dog

BMule: He’s a solid player. What’s his market? Not sure yet

Hittman: I’m not sure. Somewhere in that 2nd tier CB market. Maybe 7-9M APY roughly?

BMule: How about draft options?

Who do you like?

Hittman: That’s the intriguing spot to me. If they go CB in Round 1, I like [Colorado CB] Isaiah Oliver (as I suspect [Ohio St. CB] Denzel Ward will be gone). If they choose to wait until say Round 3, Anthony Averett from Alabama is an interesting prospect to me

Joe McAtee: Mandatory Turf Show Radio plug on Misone’s behalf for Florida St. CB Tarvarus McFadden...

BMule: I think I’ve reached a point where I like too many prospects at CB

Joe McAtee: Do we think they need to replace Tru’s size at all?

BMule: If they do then Carlton Davis is the absolute perfect fit and excels in press coverage.

But I’m not sure they need a big body because Peters is here now

Hittman: I haven’t seen Davis yet. Isn’t he a perfect fit for Wade?

Joe McAtee: Wade can make anybody fit

I love Grandpa Wade

I need his tweets back in my life

BMule: He really can. Troy Hill was a guaranteed cut to one of the best performers in playoffs

Rams DBs are gonna be good

Hittman: Yeah that gives me all the hope in the world

Anyways, onto question #3:

3)Is Tru gone? Can he even be brought back if they wanted to?

Joe McAtee: Who?

BMule: Welp

I think yes and yes.

Joe McAtee: He gone

But yeah, agreed on both fronts with Mule

BMule: He’d have to take a big discount

Hittman: I think Tru is as good as gone. In my opinion, if they wanted him back, they would have dealt OLB Robert Quinn who was reported to be wanted by KC

BMule: Exactly

Joe McAtee: If they wanted him back, they would have signed him in either of the last two offseasons.

BMule: Exactly times 2

Hittman: Right

Onto our final question:

4) McVay mentioned the OL at the combine. Is that a draft option, and if so, any position/prospect in particular?

Joe McAtee: Who?

(sorry)

BMule: So first off, everyone is going to assume Center and I get it.

Joe McAtee: It’s an obvious issue

BMule: But Rams are about to have zero guards under contract after 2018

Joe McAtee: Yup

BMule: So I think either G or C is definitely in play earlier than anyone wants to think about

Joe McAtee: I do wonder if they look to FA this year

Hittman: Yeah, I mean, in one years time we will have one offensive lineman under contract and he’ll be 37-years old

The offensive line is a huge need going forward

Anyone you guys like in the draft or in FA?

I really love the idea of adding [Georgia] OG Isaiah Wynn in round one. Or even if they trade back from #23, I think a OT would absolutely be in play

BMule:

I’ve focused most of my attention on defense but OG/Cs I hear pop up all the time are Wynn, [UTEP G] Will Hernandez, and [Ohio St. C] Billy Price early in the draft.

Joe McAtee: I’m a bit surprised we haven’t heard more about Taylor Hearn out of Clemson

Hittman: With Aaron Kromer’s ability to coach offensive linemen a factor too, they should definitely look at some depth guys on day 3 too

Joe McAtee: [G Scott] Quessenberry out of UCLA too

Hittman: Interesting. Haven’t heard much about either, but I do know Quessenberry has a brother in the NFL who beat cancer

BMule: And we still have an offensive minded HC after all. Offense has to be drafted at some point, right?

Joe McAtee: One angle I think I find interesting

Under Fisher, we clearly prized offensive linemen with versatility

Guys that could move around...and move around they did

I wonder if that’s a Lester Snead thing

BMule: As did the defenders move around them

Joe McAtee: Hahaha

Quessenberry played some center

Is that something they value?

Hittman: No idea. Offensive lineman with versatility are always coveted

Joe McAtee: I got a piece up today from SBN that suggests the Rams should look at NYG OL Justin Pugh

He’s bounced from tackle to guard

Hittman: I mean you can only carry 7 on game day, so guys better be able to move around

Joe McAtee: I just wonder if that’s attractive to the Rams to the same degree it clearly was in years past

Hittman: Pugh is amazing, but I cannot see anyway the Rams make that cap space available

Joe McAtee: Also, Lamar Jackson is not a WR

I feel like that needs to be said randomly every 15 minutes or so just to make sure we all stay pure

BMule: I trust Bill Polian.....

Hittman: Lamar Jackson gives me all kinds of life

BMule: .......

Hittman: DONE!!!!

We done

BMule: ......

Word!

Hittman: Thanks for tuning into another edition of Slack Chat. Check back next week for more interesting topics to be discussed!

Joe McAtee: Who?

What say you, Rams fans? Is there anyway Trumaine Johnson returns? What do you do at pick #23? Chime in!