our reactions to the Seattle loss

InvaderRam wrote:

. maybe even make a splash in free agency. if possible.

I doubt they can. I mean, of course I don’t know what they will do, but they do face this situation–all the 2023 draft picks are on their final year in 2026, and it’s a lot of them. They don’t have the cap space to sign all of their own guys as it is. We’re talking Avilla, Young, Turner, McClendon, and Nacua. Along with some guys like Bennett, Allen, Ethan Evans, and Desjuan Wms.

Billy_T wrote:

. They can upgrade linebacker too. Never should have traded Ernest Jones.

I think the issue at LB was Young playing on a bad knee with limited snaps. Young was the Darnold nemesis. In previous games, whenever Darnold escaped the pocket, Young would run him down–Young is very fast for a guy his size. With everyone else, Darnold could make a throw or throw it away. Young, with his exceptional speed, got to him and unsettled him…he just couldn’t handle Young’s speed. This game Young didn’t play as much and was clearly a bit banged up and less effective than he usually was.

Stafford was sacked 1 time. Darnold was sacked 3. But the days where they had him shaken came from having Young running him down when he went outside the pocket right or left behind the LOS.

wv wrote:

InvaderRam wrote:

so landman gets a 3 year 22 million contract. jones gets a 3 year 33 million contract. they gave tutu a one year 10 million contract. and he’s inactive for the nfc championship.

weren’t they better off just giving jones the three year contract? or was he asking for more at the time?

they don’t usually make mistakes, but this time they did.

Not sure Seattle wins without Kupp and E.Jones.

w
v

I always saw Jones as a “team culture” issue. Someone–McVay, most likely, but maybe also Snead and Demoff if not both–didn’t appreciate his conduct, which I saw as complaining in public that the team wouldn’t extend him. They rewarded Landman for being a Rams-style team leader, whereas Jones is more of an edgy guy.

IMO? Jones would have made no difference. Same with Kupp. The Rams lost their opportunity when special teams undermined some games, and then that was pretty quickly followed (if memory serves) by the CBs getting undermined by injuries. Durant was pretty good but he needs to play opposite of someone better than Williams. In the end neither of the 2 projected CB starters from the summer were playing.

Special teams won’t be a hard fix. It’s already mostly fixed, except they need a returner.

They also need CBs, obviously, and they don’t have the cap space (looks like) for a FA or a trade. But you can fix that by drafting. Plus, in fact, the Rams do tend to make something out of veteran pick-ups at CB, but this time that needs to be woven in with draft picks. McReary may be a keeper. Don’t know if they can or will sign Durant.

So at this point, because it got down to the returner, STs is also really a WR issue. Whittington was too beat up all year, Atwell too expendable, Smith is not good enough, and Mumpfield was a rookie (he couldn’t come through when needed in the championship game).

They have possibly 10 picks if the projections about compensatory picks is right. 2 1s, a 2, 3, 5, 2 6s, & maybe 3 7s. The 3 7s look like trade-up fodder so it will likely be fewer that 10? Unless they trade down with the Atlanta 1. Of course they could do both.