latest JT chat (highlights)

from NFL chat with Jim Thomas

http://sports.live.stltoday.com/Event/NFL_chat_with_Jim_Thomas_54?Page=2

The feeding frenzy period of free agency usually lasts only about a week. We’re already into what I call the “garage sale” period in which teams are looking for bargains. Less than 2 weeks into free agency, and only 5 of the players on our Top 30 list of free agents are still on the market: C Nick Mangold, DT Johnathan Hankins, S T.J. McDonald, RB Adrian Peterson, and OLB Erik Walden. This is usually a sign that the player (and his agent) have over-estimated his value on the market. Chris Long is a little bit different case. I don’t think he expected to go in the first wave. In fact, he spent the early part of free agency climbing Mount Kilimanjaro as part of his Waterboys charity. Probably tough to get cell service up there.

Jay Cutler, Colin Kaepernick still on the market. Status quo on Tony Romo and Jimmy Garappolo. There are still some dominoes to fall at QB. Obviously, the market hasn’t materialized as maybe Cutler expected. I can’t see one logical landing spot at this point.

The addition of Whitworth should help. And if Gurley was humbled at all by what happened last year, you’d think he’d come in this year better prepared. Even so, unless the passing game is better, it’s still going to be tough to run.

Whitworth is “only” 35 _ he turns 36 in December. He’s still a good player, but when you’re that age you can lose it in a hurry. So that one is a bit of a gamble for the Rams. As for Woods, his career high in receiving yards in his four NFL seasons is only 699 yards. I’m sure he still has some upside, but that’s a lot of money for 699 yards. I really thought, because of the McVay connection to Washington, that the Rams might end up with a more proven commodity, such as Pierre Garcon.

Well, if Mangold has anything left at age 33, he might be worth it. I mean, the guy is a seven-time Pro Bowler. But the thing that’s troublesome about that scenario is that just when Goff might be settling in at QB _ say in a couple of years _ that’s when Whitworth or even Mangold probably will be done.

The Rams obviously feel they can do better at center. It’s interesting _ as I’ve pointed out on couple of occasions _ Barnes was rated internally as the team’s top offensive lineman after both the 2015 and 2016 seasons. But different staffs have different views, and that obviously was the case here.

With regards to Barnes, he was scheduled to make $3 million in 2017, far from an exorbitant amount. (There were also variety of incentives in the contract that could have added an additional $1.75 million in 2017.) But if I’m reading the contract correctly, the Rams actually are on the hook for $750,000 in a roster bonus that was guaranteed (and now stays on the books as dead money). So although the Rams realize some savings by releasing Barnes, this seems like a move that was driven more by the desire to get someone better at center.

The Rams are getting fairly tight against the cap, so unless they restructure or make some cap cuts, I don’t think they have the resources to make any major splashes in the remainder of free agency. You’ve got to keep in mind that it’s almost time to start thinking about contract extensions for Donald and Ogletree as well. Besides, there’s not much left player-wise that could be described as a major splash. I think the team still needs help at wide receiver.