I know you guys have always hated Kupp, but I think he has enough integrity, to say nothing of personal pride, to steer clear of the 49ers.

zn wrote:

2 different views.

We’ll tell.

Time will see.

Hey! That’s an interesting phrase you came up with there. Very useful in talking about things like player predictions. I like it better than “outcomes can be unpredictable so events will reveal themselves to us in time.”

If you don’t mind, I’m going to use it too.

In fact I really think it will catch on.

Time will see.

The LA Rams steal a perfect Jonah Jackson replacement as Bears hibernate
This move is a perfect solution to the vacancy created by Jonah Jackson.
By
Bret Stuter
|
Mar 10, 2025
When the LA Rams entered the 2024 NFL Free Agency market, the plan for the team was to re-sign starting center Coleman Shelton. But the Rams noticed the availability of former Detroit Lions Pro Bowl interior offensive lineman Jonah Jackson, and quickly pivoted from Shelton to Jackson. The Rams signed Jonah Jackson to a three-year deal worth up to $51 million. But when the time came to suit up for the regular season, Jonah Jackson was injured in Week 1. That sent rookie center Beaux Limmter onto the football field.

And Limmer never looked back.

Beaux Limmer, unlike the failed offseason experiments of Jonah Jackson or Steve Avila, is a natural center. As such, he fit quickly into the task of hiking the football while bracing to block determined defensive linemen and linebackers who had a full head of steam up to greet the ball carrier. And I won’t lie. as the season progressed, I wondered to myself why the Rams abandoned the original plan to re-sign Coleman Shelton.

Well, the Rams permitted Jonah Jackson to seek a trade, and the Chicago Bears were happy to reach a deal. Not only did the Bears step up to take Jonah Jackson off the Rams’ hands for the price of a Round 6 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, but they were happy to retain his compensation, projecting him as their starting left guard.

Still, the trade of Jonah Jackson to the Chicago Bears leaves the Rams roster one player shy of a full complement of backup interior offensive linemen. The Rams tendered ERFA C Dylon McMahon, and have IOL Justin Dedich. But the team would have to repurpose an offensive tackle to backup right guard Kevin Dotson.

Well, the LA Rams snuck in and stole free agent interior offensive lineman Coleman Shelton back from the Bears after being a 17-game starter for the Bears. While the Bears were busying forming a new starting offensive line, the Rams quietly but swiftly have come to terms with former starting center Coleman Shelton. While terms of the deal are not yet available, expectations are that the team has a team-friendly deal with Shelton to compete for either a starting or backup role in 2025:

While he didn’t work out with the Bears, he did perform rather admirably. In 1121 offensive snaps, Shelton allowed three quarterback sacks and committed four penalties. His overall grade in 2024 from Pro Football Focus was 66.4. For comparison purposes, rookie center Beaux Limmer struggled a bit in 2024. In 915 offensive snaps, he allowed one quarterback sack but committed nine penalties. While his overall PFF grade of 57.6 is not bad, his pass blocking grade of 42.3 is alarming.

The team knows that Coleman Shelton is better at pass blocking than that. So in one simple signing, the Rams have place Beaux Limmer on notice. Get better, or we will start a center who can. And as luck would have it, that replacement player is the very starting offensive center that the Chicago Bears replaced in this 2025 NFL Free Agency market.

The Rams ended up with Coleman Shelton, and a Round 6 pick, for Jonah Jackson. In the end, the Rams came out much further ahead in this deal than I had originally expected.

wv wrote:

McVay has a real chance to sweep Shannahan again.

I am in favor of that.

w
v

Just think: if McCaffrey continues to age disgracefully, and Kittle gets old, and Aiyuk gets zero votes for Comeback Player of the Year, then Purdy is going to look very pedestrian, and Shanahan will find his seat warming up.

zn wrote:

Mike Garafolo@MikeGarafolo
New #Jaguars TE Hunter Long’s deal: Two years, $5 million with a $6 million max value. GM James Gladstone taps into a familiar face from his time with the #Rams.

Well, that’ll put the Jags back in contention.

How about those Bears, huh? Added 2 solid Guards and a Center. Looks like they intend to protect Caleb Williams more seriously this year.

I like getting Shelton back. While Limmer amazed us all last year, I never reached full confidence in him. Now they need depth and development at OT, another TE, WR, and RB, and the offense is set.

A shutdown CB and a ILB who can tackle Barkley would just about put a bow on it.

The other shoe:

The rumblings coming out of the Geno Smith trade look to indeed have produced a deal. Sam Darnold is expected to head to Seattle as the team’s first outside QB1 addition since Russell Wilson 13 years ago.Darnold and the #Seahawks are finalizing a deal worth nearly $100MM, #NFL.com’s Ian…

— NFL Spy (@nflspy.com) 2025-03-10T18:32:23.691684Z

$40 million/year.

With Myles Garrett locking in at $40M per year, this ups the ante for the next “highest-paid non-QB.” Good news for Ja’Marr Chase, Micah Parsons and others.

— Ian Rapoport (@rapsheet1.bsky.social) 2025-03-09T16:06:08.918Z

zn wrote:

On paper, right now, before those contracts are factored in, they have around 54 M in cap space.

Which is more than enough to sign me, but I’m not doing it unless they go back to the blue-and-whites.

zn wrote:

Zooey wrote:

Ram have met with top 3 TE prospects

They also met with the top receivers.

Hm. Interesting. So it appears that the Rams are considering players at multiple positions.

That kind of strategic thinking is just another reason to have faith in the front office.

FWIW.

zn wrote:

They discuss the Rams at about 0.30 in.

Interesting comment about McVay being unsentimental on personnel decisions.

Can’t say he’s wrong. I’m going to keep an eye on that idea.