Wagoner answers questions, parts 1 & 2, + Wagoner podcast

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  • February 13, 2016 at 10:48 am #38924
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    Exploring Rams’ free-agent options at receiver

    Nick Wagoner

    http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/26830/exploring-rams-free-agent-options-at-receiver

    The offseason is here for the Los Angeles Rams and now that we know where they’ll be playing their home games for the long term, things have settled down enough to spend our weekends answering a few of your Twitter questions.

    As always, you can find me on Twitter @nwagoner and fire away with any Rams-related questions you might have. Please use hashtag #RamsMail so I can see them.

    On to your questions.

    Flipper Anderson @dcfilmninja
    @nwagoner sounds like Cap room is there to make a big splash, which WR is likely to make it to FA for Rams to target?

    @nwagoner: The cap room might seem like it’s there to make a big splash but remember, the Rams have a lot of their own they must take care of, and they have mostly eschewed the chance to sign high-priced outside free agents the past couple offseasons. Beyond that, it’s highly unlikely they’ll look to spend big money on a wide receiver in free agency. The only one that really fits the description of that type of player is Chicago’s Alshon Jeffery, and it’s a safe bet that he’ll never hit the market. Beyond him, there’s not much available that would be a serious upgrade over what the Rams have. Perhaps they could find a complementary piece for the position, though, considering they will have multiple openings in the receiving corps. As it stands, Kenny Britt, Tavon Austin and Bradley Marquez are the only wideouts on the roster who contributed last season who are healthy and under contract for 2016. Among the other names that could be available are Seattle’s Jermaine Kearse and Cincinnati’s Mohamed Sanu and Marvin Jones. Those are players who could help the Rams but, given the dearth of receivers slated to reach free agency, might command too high a price.

    At this point, I tend to think it’s more likely the Rams find a quarterback in free agency than a receiver, but neither is guaranteed given the relative lack of options who represent an upgrade over what the Rams already employ.

    Eric W @biggs_73
    @nwagoner #RamsMail Do you get the feeling Safford could be a cap causality with the extended play of C. Wichman? How did he look 2 you?

    @nwagoner: Yes, veteran guard Rodger Saffold is a candidate to be a cap casualty, though mainly because of his price and not some overwhelming belief that Cody Wichmann, his rookie season just finished, is ready to step into that role on a permanent basis. Saffold’s injury history makes it hard to count on him, and his cap number for next season is just a bit shy of $6 million. It’s possible the Rams might decide they don’t need the additional cap space so they could hang onto Saffold, but they haven’t showed much hesitation to go young on the offensive line, and Saffold’s experience is the most appealing part of retaining him. Among Wichmann, Garrett Reynolds, Jamon Brown and Andrew Donnal, one would think the Rams feel good that they have at least two starters ready to roll. As for Wichmann, he seemed to get better as the season went along and while he’s limited athletically, he’s a tough, hard-nosed player who should continue to improve.

    February 13, 2016 at 1:04 pm #38936
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    Ramble On Podcast: Nick Wagoner on the LA Rams

    Steve Mason and Ryan Abraham welcome on ESPN NFL Nation reporter Nick Wagoner to talk about the Rams move and what sort of team fans in Los Angeles will be watching.

    http://www.rams-news.com/ramble-on-rams-podcast-with-masonabrahamwagoner-audio/

    February 14, 2016 at 10:54 am #38980
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    Rams might use tag to keep one of their cornerbacks

    Nick Wagoner

    http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/26834/rams-might-use-tag-to-keep-one-of-their-cornerbacks

    EARTH CITY, Mo. — The offseason is here for the Los Angeles Rams and now that we know where they’ll be playing their home games for the long term, things have settled down enough to spend our weekends answering a few of your Twitter questions.

    As always, you can find me on Twitter @nwagoner and fire away with any Rams-related questions you might have. Please use hashtag #RamsMail so I can see them.

    On to your questions.

    Ryan Moore @Indominuswreckx
    @nwagoner #Ramsmail Do you see the Rams using the franchise tag on Jenkins or Johnson, so they guarantee they’ll keep at least one of them?

    @nwagoner: I’d say it’s unlikely (though not out of the question) that the Rams would use the franchise tag on any of their pending free agents. If they did, Jenkins would be the better bet of the two to get it, but it’s worth noting that they could be interested in using the transition tag to ensure control over one of the two starting corners. The Rams would be playing with fire if both corners hit the open market because they would then expose themselves to the possibility that they could lose both. I don’t expect it to come to that and I still think the Rams would like to keep both Jenkins and Johnson, and there’s zero doubt that they want to bring at least one of them back. How it all plays out will be fascinating, though, because both players performed well enough in 2015 to get a nice payday this offseason.

    Shakir Adams @ramssided
    @nwagoner Todd Gurly seems eager to replace Kobe as l.a.’s hero. Do you see any dangers in his desire to embrace such a role?

    @nwagoner: For those that missed it, Todd Gurley appeared on SportsCenter during Super Bowl week and made a mostly joking reference to taking the mantle from Kobe Bryant as Los Angeles’ preeminent superstar athlete. But trust me when I say that Gurley isn’t preoccupied by such thoughts or ideas and he isn’t going to let his fame in the nation’s second-largest market change how he prepares. I’ve only been around Gurley for a year, but he’s a humble young man who understands what it takes to succeed. One needs only to see how hard he worked to come back from his ACL injury and how emotional he was when he won the offensive rookie of the year award to understand that. If Gurley can ascend to L.A. superstar, it will come only as a result of his effort and production and not because he made some joking reference to it on television.

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