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What the salary cap means to 2018 offseason

leoram
At this time of year, fans of all 32 teams clamor for the names they recognize as potential upgrades to their rosters. We scour the draft for players that will be available to fit a respective team’s needs. The easy thing for fans to do is wish their GM would just play Madden with the roster and pursue an All Pro team. The media drives this with reports of how every big name acquisition will transform their new team. It’s what every fan wants to hear. Simultaneously, the fans of the other 31 either lament the loss or degrade it with sour grapes.

Enter the 2018 Rams offseason. Snead says he doesn’t want to enter the draft with screaming needs that cause a team to reach for anything other than a reasonable BPA. Therefore, we all deduce he should get the best edge rusher, DT, and middle linebacker available in free agency. He should pay whatever it takes to keep Sully in the fold for OLine continuity. We should target an X receiver to replace Sammy. It seems so obvious, right?

But what every good capologist does is set a standard for how much the team can budget for each position, and position group. When you exceed the budget for one player, you have to determine which positions must be reduced to accommodate the transaction and how that plan will affect the budget in future years. The plan has to have a four year projection to be effective. Good drafts can mitigate gambles, but an organization who gambles on that too often will likely only exacerbate the problems created by overspending. Therefore, the coaches and GM compile a list of priorities to accommodate existing contracts and positional importance based on the coordinators schemes. For instance, the presence of AD, Gurley, Goff, and Joyner means 9 million a year for Poe is untenable and 15 mil for Sammy too great a sacrifice. The “holes” on the roster must be filled within a pre-determined budget...one with very little variance. They have to target qualities that fit the scheme that may not have shown up on tape for other teams. That’s why Webster, a backup for Wade was acquired last year. It’s why Woods was paid more than other teams valued.

The presence of Aaron Donald softens the blow Wade feels of not having bookend pass rushers like Von Miller and Demarcus Ware available through any avenues. They will need to be able to contain the ends, rush the passer, run down screens, and occasionally cover inside receivers. It’s a tall order that very few ever master. Perhaps a SUITABLE player will be available in the draft but there are precious few available in FA. Therefore, look for the Rams to load up with several linebackers that have varied skill sets. Significant capital should be spent for a DT but with Brockers and Donald scheduled to eat up so much cap space, what can we really afford? That’s what makes Dickerson’s suggestion of Suh asinine. I expect the solution to come from the draft.

The primary point of this post is that the cap is the reason the Rams were far more aggressive in the trade market than they have been in free agency. Wade will adjust by having anchors in the DLine and backfield. He will fill in from there with B level players. The loss of Sammy will be spread throughout the offense. A plan is in place even if the next month seems mundane.
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Richard Sherman signs 3 yr deal with 49ers

Psycho_X
While everything about Carrol is true, Sherman is kinda coming off as a whiny little bitch. Either way, glad he's pointing it out hehe.

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It didn't take long for Richard Shermanto lob some haymakers at his former franchise.

The new San Francisco 49erscornerback joined Uninterrupted's ThomaHawk podcast with Joe Thomas and Andrew Hawkins and discussed the reasons he believed he was cut by the Seattle Seahawks.

Sherman said he thinks part of the problem in Seattle is Pete Carroll's message might be getting stale for veteran players.

"His philosophy is more built for college, you know," Sherman said,via Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times. "You get four years, guys rotate in, rotate out."

Sherman noted that part of the Seahawks' teardown could be to find new ears for Carroll's message. The veteran corner said the players who have been in Seattle for the past six or seven years had heard all of Carroll's motivations and "every kind of funny anecdote."

"We had literally heard them all," Sherman said "...We could recite them before he even started to say them. So I think that kind of went into it."

Sherman added that he believes the Seahawks' brass botched how they valued their veteran core.

"I think they've kind of lost their way a little bit in terms of how they see players and how they evaluate players," Sherman said.

Sherman who will turn 30 years old this month was cut this offseason.Michael Bennett, 32, was traded. The futures ofKam Chancellor(soon to be 30) and Cliff Avril(31) are up in the air. And star safety Earl Thomas(28) is reportedly on the trade block.

"It just became an issue of devaluing core players that are playing at a high level and really being curious about younger players and curious about the unknown," Sherman said. "They say, 'Maybe this guy is going to be the next guy' instead of saying, 'Hey, you have Hall of Fame talent in your secondary, how about you ride this out?'

"It would be like Pittsburgh saying, 'Troy Polamalu, is great but let's figure out what this guy behind him has.'"

Sherman could be viewed as having an ax to grind after being cut, but in context of Seattle's moves that stowed bitterness doesn't make him wrong.

The Seahawks brass saw an aging corps that had heard Carroll's message a zillion times and felt like an overhaul was due. That's the business of the NFL, for better or worse.

As for signing with the49ers, Sherman insisted it wasn't a move aimed at facing his former team twice a year.

"(The 49ers) were the first team that called, the team that showed the most interest, offered the most money," he said.

Relishing the chance to face the Seahawks is just a bonus, especially for the viewers.
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New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson dies at 90

ljramsfan
Ram65 said:
RIP Tom Benson who got him and New Orleans a Super Bowl Championship. Imagine buying a NFL team to help the community with no interest in football. After all those years of fans wearing brown paper bags on their heads they became winners. Remember Archie Manning running for his life back in the day. Some great battles later against the Rams.
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Speaking of Archie..this may be the way the Mannings own a NFL franchise. If the stepchild and wife want to sell or do like a co ownership, I can see Peyton and Archie listening
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Jake Long’s serious health issues and recovery

Loyal
Angry Ram said:
Nah. He played well when he did. Missing the last game isn't a big deal IMO. Played fine until his ACL. crap happens, never know. Just ask Deshaun Watson. If they somehow had a time machine and looked at the future, they probably woudln't have signed him. Probably would've told Sam Bradford slide instead of running out of bounds, too.



Yeah I messed up the injuries. That doesn't negate the fact when he was signed, he was playing at a pro-bowl level. It's a "disaster" in hindsight, not foresight.
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we gambled on veteran FA's and lost, was all that I meant...You win some and you lose some. These just fed into the black hole we were in.
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Rams Being Shortsighted?

OnceARam
bubbaramfan said:
Shortsighted? Rams have been anything but. Other teams signing players to crazy contracts speaks of desperation. Rams aren't desperate. Anyone really think Bradford is worth 20 mil a year? Or Watkins 16 mil? Desperation.
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No. But it speaks to how valuable those skills sets are. Those guys are the top 0.00000001% in terms of athletic ability and mental acuity. Plus GM's (i.e., hiring managers) are by definition conservative. So when / if those guys get injured or flame out the GM's can always say; well he was a 1st round pick so it's not my fault.

It's a CYA approach. Luckily that approach doesn't seem to be in Snead's DNA.
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About the AD contract impasse...

Dodgersrf
OldSchool said:
People really need to get over this concept that there is a problem with negotiations with AD's agents. It's happening and it's happening apparently at a pace that both sides agreed to and are happy with. The drama over this is comical.

Login to view embedded media View: https://twitter.com/Alden_Gonzalez/status/974066275646283776?s=19
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Sinead also made a comment,
that agents are extremely busy at the start of free agency.

Which makes complete sense.
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Samson Ebukam will be starter

So Ram
LoyalRam said:
Both Outside LBers will be productive. Donald and Brockers are going to flush QB's from the pocket, as they vainly look for an open WR (thanks Talib and Peters)
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Sometimes by over pursuing like Quinn did at times , would open up run lines.

Longacre played a lot of snaps & held up ok.
Ebukham & Barwin did a solid job.
Rams need a MLB Hager is a decent backup & core special teams player.

Anytime you can find a pass rush you draft him. Like coaches say . You can never have enough of those types.
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Talib and Peters Press Conference

leoram
Elmgrovegnome said:
Do you mean Predicted? Or are you predicting four more guys moving on next year. No offense but with a salary cap and contracts nearing an end, every team has change. But if you are talking scheme fit, it seems that the entire secondary is set. They likely draft a middle linebacker, and an outside linebacker and only need a NT which could come in the draft or free agency. Who else is moving on that doesn't fit?
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I expect a new DT and three new linebackers. I don’t buy Ekuban or Littleton as starters.
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