Wagoner, JT, Clayton, & Florio on the cuts — vid, audio, & articles

An article NW published, ironically, just before the cuts.

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Examining where James Laurinaitis fits in Rams’ 2016 plans

Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/26890/examining-where-james-laurinaitis-fits-in-rams-2016-plans

EARTH CITY, Mo. — We’re moving closer to the start of the new league year and, along with it, the start of free agency. Which means over the next few weeks, the Los Angeles Rams will be taking a long look at the players already on the roster and determining whether they’re worth their projected salary-cap numbers.

Some teams have already begun the process of releasing high-priced veterans to create salary-cap room. So this week, we’ll take a look at some players who will come under the microscope for the Rams.

Player: LB James Laurinaitis

Contract status: Signed through 2017.

2016 cap hit: $6,425,000

Potential savings: $5,525,000

Why he could go: Laurinaitis will turn 30 during the 2016 NFL season and though that’s not all that old, he has a lot of mileage on his NFL odometer. He played the highest percentage of snaps among defenders in 2015 and he’s played more than 99 percent of defensive snaps in each of his seven seasons. That durability is a plus but it also means he’s been through a lot physically. Along with that, his production has dipped with his total tackles dropping in each of the past three years. The emergence of linebackers Alec Ogletree and Mark Barron has contributed to that and so, too, have some injury issues that Laurinaitis has played through. In addition, Laurinaitis is due to count almost $6.5 million against the salary cap while the Rams would like to re-sign Barron and find a spot to keep him on the field on a regular basis. That means one potential solution could include bumping Ogletree inside and allowing Barron to stay in Ogletree’s spot outside. The time will come soon, even if it’s not this year, when the Rams will have to begin planning for life after Laurinaitis.

Why he could stay: Laurinaitis is the guy that makes it all go for the Rams on defense. Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams considers Laurinaitis an extension of himself on the field, the player who gets everybody lined up right and puts them in position to make plays. His knowledge of the defense as well as opposing offenses is a valuable asset to a young defense with many players still trying to find their way in the league. Even if the Rams wanted to move Ogletree to the middle, there’s no guarantee he’d be ready for such responsibilities. Laurinaitis also remains a sure tackler (despite a serious elbow injury in 2015) and one of the team’s primary leaders in the locker room. Since Laurinaitis entered the league in 2009, he is the only player in the NFL with 15 or more sacks and 10 or more interceptions. His durability also makes him someone who can be counted on, as he’s started 112 straight games and is the franchise’s all-time leading tackler. If the Rams find themselves in need of cap space, Laurinaitis would likely be open to a pay cut that would decrease his cap number this year and spread out his guaranteed money over a couple of years. On a team that has plenty of key defensive free agents and still must fix its offense, parting with Laurinaitis would just create another hole to be filled.

Rams cleared cap space in order to keep their own

Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/27016/rams-clearing-cap-space-in-order-to-keep-their-own

EARTH CITY, Mo. — For the Los Angeles Rams to keep many of their key pieces, they had to let three go.

Ultimately, that’s what Friday’s release of veteran leaders Chris Long, James Laurinaitis and Jared Cook boiled down to. It wasn’t easy to say goodbye to the locker room staples, especially Long and Laurinaitis. That much was evident in coach Jeff Fisher’s lengthy statement about the moves. It also wasn’t a surprise.

Simply put, Long, Laurinaitis and Cook made too much money relative to their production, and the Rams have younger, ascending players that they can’t afford to lose.

Such is the cycle in the NFL. It wasn’t so long ago that Long and Laurinaitis were those young, ascending players the Rams signed to lucrative long-term contracts. Long signed a four-year extension worth $48.2 million and Laurinaitis inked a five-year, $41.5 million deal just before the 2012 season. In the time since, Long and Laurinaitis became the team’s longest-tenured players. They won over teammates and coaches with their leadership skills and professional approach, and fans with their personalities.

“I’m just disappointed we didn’t accomplish more,” Laurinaitis said. “I thought we’d be a playoff contending team by now, especially since [Fisher] came over. I really thought after that first year, I thought that next year might be it. I was really hoping on getting over that hump and being able to be a part of the turnaround. That’s probably the most disappointing thing.

“I love that group of guys that’s in the locker room. I’m going to miss those guys. Knowing that Chris got released today as well and there’s [only a few] guys that were there before Fish now, so I’m going to miss the guys in the locker room. I had relationships with a bunch of them and friendships. It’s just really one of those moments where you’re like, ‘Man, it’s going to stink not playing with those guys again.’ ”

Ultimately, the big picture always will take center stage, and that’s exactly what happened.

In parting with Long, Laurinaitis and Cook, the Rams saved about $24 million in salary cap space, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Although the final cap number isn’t set yet, the Rams figure to have approximately $60 million in cap room available this offseason.

While that probably will lead to a big spending spree, it will be focused on players the team already has in house. Namely, cornerbacks Janoris Jenkins and Trumaine Johnson as well as safety Rodney McLeod and safety/linebacker Mark Barron. The Rams have invested four years in the first three and found a fit for Barron when he filled in for an injured Alec Ogletree for most of the 2015 season.

The Rams would like to retain all four of those players, and though they already had their share of money to spend, they now have enough flexibility to make deals with all of them without having to wonder where they’d fit under the cap. Of course, that doesn’t mean such deals are imminent. Yes, the Rams are well-positioned to strike a deal with that secondary quartet, but it would be unusual for players to re-sign this close to the start of free agency.

That doesn’t mean the Rams won’t try. Next week’s scouting combine will yield meetings with the representatives for all four of those players and talks probably will gain more traction then. Those talks could lead to deals early in the “legal tampering” window, which starts on March 7. Being only a couple of weeks from the new league year, it probably would take an offer too good to pass up to keep a player from at least exploring what the market could bring.

The additional cap space also should give the Rams a chance to lock up other important pieces such as ends William Hayes and Eugene Sims. It also could mean progress can be made on a long-term deal for defensive tackle Michael Brockers, who is under team control for 2016 but still could be in line for an extension.

As for replacing the trio of Long, Cook and Laurinaitis, the Rams believe they have in-house options in place. One likely scenario would see Ogletree moving to middle linebacker with Barron taking over at weak side linebacker should he re-sign. Hayes also could step into the starting role he filled for Long, again assuming the team is able to retain him. And while the Rams signed Lance Kendricks to a long-term contract last offseason, they will be in the market for another tight end this offseason.

Long, Cook and Laurinaitis, meanwhile, can begin seeking other opportunities, perhaps even one that will result in a chance to win a championship. Days like Friday aren’t much fun for players, teams or fans. But as the NFL constantly reminds us, they’re always going to be necessary.

James Laurinaitis looking for chance to ‘get the trophy’ at next stop

Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-ra…ing-for-chance-to-get-the-trophy-in-next-stop

EARTH CITY, Mo. — Always one to look at the bright side of even the worst situation — something he had plenty of practice doing playing for the Rams the past seven years — linebacker James Laurinaitis was already looking ahead to his next destination just hours after the only NFL team he’d ever known released him Friday.

“I’m not done at all,” Laurinaitis told ESPN. “I feel like I have a lot of good years left. I don’t know what to expect. This is my first time being a free agent. I’m going to look at what the interest is and let my agent go and talk to teams and see kind of who is out there. I obviously want to have a chance to get in the tournament and a chance to get the trophy. It will be fun to kind of have this process play out for the first time for me.”

Laurinaitis was caught off guard when he was called into coach Jeff Fisher’s office Friday. He was at the team facility working out at the time. He immediately knew something was up.

“Coach just thanked me for what I meant to the organization,” Laurinaitis said. “He really thought that I was first class and the blueprint for what a pro should be and was just grateful for all I’d done. Basically, he wished me luck in the future and I was told they are going to go a different direction at the ‘Mike’ linebacker position.”

“I’m more just, I was surprised by it, I was shocked at first,” he said. “But I also know this is a business and when you start to move toward the front of the parking spaces and get a little older, all those people in front of you have left so you are not any different than anybody else who is getting up there. I’m going into Year 8 and I’m still 29 and I still feel like I’m playing at a productive level. I was a little shocked from that point of view but man, other than that, it’s a business.

“Once you get to Year 8, you really allow yourself to kind of sit back and be like, ‘You know what, I’m not going to be surprised by anything.’ I have seen a lot of things and seen a lot of people go. I have been grateful to have seven years with the same team. That’s rare in and of itself. I’m not bitter about that. Just a little surprised it happened this year but that’s football.”

Laurinaitis has made plenty of money in his career, but he has never been on a team that finished .500, let alone with a winning record or in the playoffs. He’s coming off a season in which he battled an elbow issue for most of the year but still played more defensive snaps than any player in the league. And he posted his seventh consecutive season of 100 or more tackles, on his way to becoming the franchise’s all-time leader in that category.

“Goodness, for me, I want to get to 10 or 11 years,” Laurinaitis said. “I think I’ve still got four years left in me, if not more. It all depends on the organization. I want to win, I want to compete, I want to get to the playoffs and experience that. I want to play in a good scheme, I loved playing for (defensive coordinator) Gregg Williams. Him and Blake (Williams) and that scheme is one of my favorites. I’m excited to see what other schemes are out there and what could be a good fit.”

Though Laurinaitis didn’t think he’d be looking for such a fit so soon, he even found a silver lining in the timing of it all, as the Rams have a voluntary players meeting set for early March in Los Angeles.

“I am happy about that,” Laurinaitis said. “At least they told me so I don’t have to go out there with my wife and daughter and try to look at places and go through all that to be cut at a later date. I think it’s good now that teams are aware I’m a free agent and that I’ll be available. So the one thing I’m trying to look at as a positive is the timing.”