Most significant Ram lost to free agency

[Snaz]

We let Kevin Curtis walk and replaced him with Drew Bennett.
Curtis played pretty well for a couple of season for the Eagles.

London Fletcher still gets me to this day.
Dre Bly and Janoris Jenkins. Should have tagged JJ and resigned Tru, the market for Tru would not have been as big due to his injury history.

 

[bnw]

You guys are nuts, and I say that with love.

Kurt Warner, hands down. He turned the Cardinals into contenders after being losers for over two decades straight. Took them to a Super Bowl.

For all of the love Martz gets from Rams fans, to me, he'll always be the dude who cut the greatest Rams QB of all time.

At that time Warner couldn't hold onto the ball. Period. (He discovered a thing called a "glove" in AZ.) Meanwhile Bulger was making the throws and making far less money than Warner and the team was winning. At the same time (2002) they had lost Fletcher to Buffalo. In my opinion the Rams would have won the NFC in 2003 if Fletcher was still on the team rather than having Warner at QB.

 

[Zodi]

At that time Warner couldn't hold onto the ball. Period. (He discovered a thing called a "glove" in AZ.) Meanwhile Bulger was making the throws and making far less money than Warner and the team was winning. At the same time (2002) they had lost Fletcher to Buffalo. In my opinion the Rams would have won the NFC in 2003 if Fletcher was still on the team rather than having Warner at QB.

I remember the 02 and 03 seasons quite well. For instance, I remember Bulger going practically undefeated in 2002 and Kurt's struggles/fumbles against the Giants the first game that following year. I also remember Kurt struggling against the Lions in week 17. We won the West in 03, but not the NFC.

But then, Bulger struggled against Carolina in that divisional game and Martz almost went to Warner, but Warner told him that if Bulger was his guy, to leave him in. We lost, and after 04, the team was never really the same again. You can point to the 06 season, but Bulger checked it down to Jackson 90+ times that year.

My point was that Warner brought this team it's only Superbowl, and I think we moved on far too soon. Hindsight is 20/20, but Warner proved (one way or the other) that he wasn't finished in the NFL, and the Rams weren't the team to reap that benefit. To lose that at the most important position on the field... well, it's a huge part of the reason as to why this team is where it is now.

I'm definitely biased, as Warner is my favorite player ever, across any sport, and embodies what I think is the perfect role model for a player, a man, and a decent human being. So take from my opinion what you will.

 

[bnw]

I remember the 02 and 03 seasons quite well. For instance, I remember Bulger going practically undefeated in 2002 and Kurt's struggles/fumbles against the Giants the first game that following year. I also remember Kurt struggling against the Lions in week 17. We won the West in 03, but not the NFC.

But then, Bulger struggled against Carolina in that divisional game and Martz almost went to Warner, but Warner told him that if Bulger was his guy, to leave him in. We lost, and after 04, the team was never really the same again. You can point to the 06 season, but Bulger checked it down to Jackson 90+ times that year.

My point was that Warner brought this team it's only Superbowl, and I think we moved on far too soon. Hindsight is 20/20, but Warner proved (one way or the other) that he wasn't finished in the NFL, and the Rams weren't the team to reap that benefit. To lose that at the most important position on the field... well, it's a huge part of the reason as to why this team is where it is now.

I'm definitely biased, as Warner is my favorite player ever, across any sport, and embodies what I think is the perfect role model for a player, a man, and a decent human being. So take from my opinion what you will.

Well we agree Warner is a fantastic role model. I know the Rams didn't win the NFC in 2003. I believe if Fletcher was on the defense and Bulger at QB the Rams would have won the NFC. Warner became the '99-'01 Warner again too late for the Rams to compete for a super bowl, again in my opinion.

 

[simonblaze]

Warner...we've been looking for our next franchise QB ever since he left.

 

[bnw]

Warner...we've been looking for our next franchise QB ever since he left.

Bulger was that franchise QB. Neither Warner nor Bulger could be effective without adequate protection. Bradford might be considered though injury history would be a big argument against. When Warner was the Rams QB he had a great supporting cast. He had a very good O line (with the exception of St. Clair in '02). An all time great at RB. Two greats at WR. He had the most innovative and ballsy OC and HC in Martz. He also had the luxury of two talented QBs on the bench in Bulger and Martin. Bulger inherited all of that for his first few years but then the O line declined, Faulk became less of a threat and same for Bruce and Holt, and Martz was on his way out. Towards the end all Bulger had was an aging Jackson at RB. As for Bradford the Rams supplied him with nothing he needed.

 

[shaunpinney]

Any player thats lost in FA that isn't upgraded is a loss IMO.

But I'll name a few:

Fletcher - Pro Bowl calibre year, FF and Int in the SB - obviously he needs to walk!
Jenkins - Biggest playmaker on the Rams D for a while, should still be in horns - it still hurts
btw...
Warner - wasn't lost in FA, he was just released, so not sure he counts...

 

[Noregar]

Fletcher and now JJ top the list for me. One guy not yet mentioned that I though hurt more than many thought was losing tackle Ryan Tackle in 2002 (I think that one was on Martz). I liked Ryan but apparently he had worked his way into the Martz's doghouse. Aside rom the Strahan fiasco game (playing with a cast) I though he was really stable/solid. After he left, the Rams struggled to find a decent right tackle for many many years while Ryan continued to play well in Miami (much more so than any of his Rams replacements).

Overall I think the Rams made some poor front office moves in 2016 that are hurting them this year. Their best decision was extending Brockers. On the flip side they overpaid for Barron and Tavon big time and picked the wrong corner to resign IMO when they franchised Johnson over Jenkins. The Austin and Barron contracts were bad investments especially Austin's contract. Most of the Blame for the Austin contract is on Fisher IMO.
If the Rams end up franchising Johnson as expected at $16+ mil he will eat up 41 % of the Rams available $39 mil cap space and that is a million more than JJ's 2017 cap hit with the Giants, plus JJ is the better CB. Add in Austin's 15 mil cap hit for this year and they will have 31 million in cap space taken up by two players who have not really earned their big money status.

Note: I actually like Barron, Austin, and Johnson but IMHO none of them are worth the paychecks they will be cashing in 2017.

Note 2: The Austin extension is the one of the worst front office moves by the Rams in recent memory - I hope he can prove me wrong in 2017 but to date the numbers show it was a very bad investment.

 

[DaveFan'51]

Contract ran out, signed with Pitt.

The Rams should have resigned him!!:snicker::shades:

 

[DaveFan'51]

Sorry "Youngun's" I have to repeat myself .. Jack 'Hacksaw' Reynolds!!! He was Far better than Fletcher - Made San Francisco a SB Winner - and in the process taught Ronnie Lott everything about "Film Studying"!! I rest my case!!:shades:

 

[snackdaddy]

You guys are nuts, and I say that with love.

Kurt Warner, hands down. He turned the Cardinals into contenders after being losers for over two decades straight. Took them to a Super Bowl.

For all of the love Martz gets from Rams fans, to me, he'll always be the dude who cut the greatest Rams QB of all time.

I'm partial to Roman Gabriel cuz he was my childhood hero. But yeah, Kurt to us to places we've never been.

 

[dieterbrock]

At the risk of being burned at the cross, I often wonder that if Warner would have stayed, how badly his legacy may have been tarnished. He was not Kurt for several years and I don't think the team would have or could have had the patience to stick with him thru it all. Or even worse, had he suffered thru 2007-2009 in Horns instead of the Cards he likely would have never been a thought for HOF

 

[bnw]

At the risk of being burned at the cross, I often wonder that if Warner would have stayed, how badly his legacy may have been tarnished. He was not Kurt for several years and I don't think the team would have or could have had the patience to stick with him thru it all. Or even worse, had he suffered thru 2007-2009 in Horns instead of the Cards he likely would have never been a thought for HOF

I agree.

 

[thirteen28]

London Fletcher leaps to mind.

the loss of London Fletcher

London Fletcher

Fletcher....no reason to dump the leader of that defense

Fletcher

I feel losing Fletcher had the biggest impact.

You lose a great MLB

London Fletcher still gets me to this day

Fletcher

Fletcher

What they said ^

 

[LACHAMP46]

Sorry "Youngun's" I have to repeat myself .. Jack 'Hacksaw' Reynolds!!! He was Far better than Fletcher - Made San Francisco a SB Winner - and in the process taught Ronnie Lott everything about "Film Studying"!! I rest my case!!:shades:

Could be wrong Dave, but even after Hacksaw left, we were pretty solid on defense. Think Carl Ekern replaced him....

 

[DaveFan'51]

Could be wrong Dave, but even after Hacksaw left, we were pretty solid on defense. Think Carl Ekern replaced him....

Your Right, Carl Ekern stepped in at the MLB spot for a year, then Jim Youngblood for a year, then Jim Collins for a Year. Then the Team changed to a 3-4 scheme. But I still say losing Reynolds to the 49ers was BIG! And it hurt us for several reasons!!