[Elvis]

He might be getting up there in years but had a really good year for Jax last year...

[69RamFan]

At some point do they consider drafting a QB? How much longer will Stafford play? One maybe two years at most? I think that if a quality QB drops to them at 19 they grab him. That said there are a few QBs that should be available in the second and third round. I'm not a big fan of veteran year to year rentals as their QB2.

There is a two to three year window for a SB run with Stafford,
AD, Kupp Higbee & R-Hav.

The RAMs are not going to waist a pick on a rookie QB at pick 19,
Not to sit on the bench and learn the system/league.
and not with any picks in the top 100, which is usually the first three rounds. IMO

On a SB run, you want your first 100 picks to be able to be a plug and play,
or a rotational player.

Second, you want a decent vet QB that has the knowledge of the league,
to able to hold the fort down if Stafford gets injured,
until Stafford is ready to come back.

I'd be totally surprised if they did draft a QB in the top 100 picks.
I just don't see it happening, especially during a SB run,
under McVay/Snead era!!!

[/zn/]

My bet is that edge was their first priority going into free agency and then they found it was a pricey market and went to plan B.

That's not quite the narrative Rodrigue has of this:

Rodrigue, from https://theathletic.com/5333667/2024/03 ... ed_article

I've alluded to this but unless something dramatic changes they were never looking at “big names” at OLB but instead cost/age as a sliding scale, and yes I agree huge huge need and hole there (and corner). I smell another defensive heavy draft en route (plus later waves of FA).

[Dare]

There is a two to three year window for a SB run with Stafford,
AD, Kupp Higbee & R-Hav.

When you look at Stafford, Donald's and Kupp's contracts there is a very good chance all three will retire at the end of next season.

Stafford's last two years are basically void years to spread the cap hit as only $37M total is guaranteed over the last two years. Granted they can be considered option years for Stafford, but the "planned contract out" when the contract was signed was after the 2024 season.

It's the same with Cooper Kupp who's contract only guarantees only $17.2M total over the final two years.

With Donald it's even more clear this is his contract year. He will retire at the end of this coming season. I don't see Aaron leaving $20M on the table by retiring a year early. Besides I think he would want one last shot at a second ring.

That is why the Rams are pulling out the stops and signing the OL now because this is a Super Bowl push year...the last year they are likely to have these 3 franchise players together.

I'm just going by how I interpret the contracts. Sure Stafford and Kupp could elect to play out the final two option years, but that is a lot of potential injury exposure for minimal return. We as fans can hope for them to stay but it certainly wouldn't surprise me if they didn't. None of them have anything left to prove especially if they win another Lombardi this season.

[69RamFan]

When you look at Stafford, Donald's and Kupp's contracts there is a very good chance all three will retire at the end of next season.

Stafford's last two years are basically void years to spread the cap hit as only $37M total is guaranteed over the last two years. Granted they can be considered option years for Stafford, but the "planned contract out" when the contract was signed was after the 2024 season.

It's the same with Cooper Kupp who's contract only guarantees only $17.2M total over the final two years.

With Donald it's even more clear this is his contract year. He will retire at the end of this coming season. I don't see Aaron leaving $20M on the table by retiring a year early. Besides I think he would want one last shot at a second ring.

That is why the Rams are pulling out the stops and signing the OL now because this is a Super Bowl push year...the last year they are likely to have these 3 franchise players together.

I'm just going by how I interpret the contracts. Sure Stafford and Kupp could elect to play out the final two option years, but that is a lot of potential injury exposure for minimal return. We as fans can hope for them to stay but it certainly wouldn't surprise me if they didn't. None of them have anything left to prove especially if they win another Lombardi this season.

If you're going by the contracts,
think about this, The RAMs just made an agreement to sign three FA,
at an average of per year 17m, 7m, and 7m, thats a total of 31m/yr.

As of right now, our cap space is at 12m including G/Jackson's contract, according to OTC,
not including the signing of TE/Parkinson and CB/Williams.

So, if they need more money,
which player do you think they are going to reconstruct their contract?

Let's play the music of Jeopardy!!!
Answer: Who is Stafford!!!!

As I stated, I would quit wishing on trying to get a QB with our 19th pick on a QB,
That would be doing a disservice to our vet players.

[PARAM]

I don't know which way they're going to go. And I don't have much confidence anybody else does either. What I do suspect is, they're going to nail this draft. This is their 8th draft together. 3 more than Snead and Fisher, and they got better the longer they worked together. I think Snead and McVay are set to get really good. Not just with the draft but with free agency and roster maintenance.

Last year, with their highest pick ever, they got a stud. And he wasn't even a first rounder. They did well with the next two, then found gold with Puka. They signed Witherspoon, DRob and JJ in free agency. Traded for Dotson. So they brought in some studs and it made a difference.

This year, they resign Dotson (and D Rob), sign Jonah Jackson and Colby Parkinson as well as DWill. I'm getting the feeling, they're going to bring back JJ too. They're moving their stud from last year to center and I'm sure they're still gonna spring a surprise on us prior to the draft.

Then they're going to nail the draft with a few more studs. We're gonna be young (still), talented (even more) and nasty (more than we've ever been). And they're well on their way to figuring out a plan to stay that way. We were worried about McVay after 2022? I think he's gonna be having so much fun, the years are gonna fly by. It won't be long before we see little McVay on the sidelines as a ball boy!

[ramsman34]

No way in hell they go QB at 19, or trade up for one. They also won’t go QB in the second. Just listen to Snead when he talks. Look at duration of the contracts to recent FAs. Look at remaining years (and watch any extension/restructures) of the core vets on the team. “Winning the silver is the worst feeling ever. We want to win the gold” the Rams are trying to maximize everything resource they can to strike BIG over the next 2, maybe 3 seasons. And they are making sure they aren’t in cap hell once this current window closes…and the next one opens.

Just my opinion.

[PARAM]

No way in hell they go QB at 19, or trade up for one. They also won’t go QB in the second. Just listen to Snead when he talks. Look at duration of the contracts to recent FAs. Look at remaining years (and watch any extension/restructures) of the core vets on the team. “Winning the silver is the worst feeling ever. We want to win the gold” the Rams are trying to maximize everything resource they can to strike BIG over the next 2, maybe 3 seasons. And they are making sure they aren’t in cap hell once this current window closes…and the next one opens.

Just my opinion.

That certainly seems to be the plan. And I'm loving it.

[Dare]

I'm sure Snead will simply see how the draft develops. I doubt if he's excluding any possibility. One thing about drafting a QB in the first round is they can afford to let him play QB2 and develop for 2 years and still control his contract rights for 3 more years. So if he sits and learns for two years so be it.

One thing that has been indicative of the Rams over the past few years is they aren't adverse to redshirting a rookie to allow him to acclimate and develop that first year. As such Snead will draft a year in advance depending upon the player and roster circumstances.

I doubt that Snead is closing off any of his options and will go in with a plan but also stay flexible enough to allow the draft to come to him.

The Ram's willingness to invest in their OL is long overdue. IMO it reflects their commitment to make this a year in which they will be true SB contenders, not just playoff contenders. I applaud their willingness to pay the big uglies as long overdue and necessary.

One recurring theme is how the Rams are reshaping the team from being finesse to being tough. Nothing could reflect that more than having WR starters like Nacua and now Robinson. So does that mean Atwell's time is ending? This is his contract year. Do they keep him angling for a comp pick? Or do they view him as trade bait? Probably both, in that they would trade him if the right opportunity presented itself.

[Dare]

I'd like to pose a hypothetical situation in this draft. If my info is correct Atlantic holds the #9 pick in the draft. Morris has his QB in Cousins, if he was amenable for a trade up scenario for the pick, their #9 with say the Rams #19, 83, 2025 first round pick and Atwell and the Falcons accepted it who would you take if available?

Personally, I think the Rams only make that kind of move for a QB that would project as the successor to Stafford. The Rams give up their higher 3rd round pick but retain their second round and comp 3rd round pick.

Looking at signing Williams for 3 years, and their attempts to get a DT and Edge FAs I don't see them as trade up targets. They might trade down but somehow I don't see it. They have too many real needs and there are going to be a lot of good players at 19. It's simply a matter if the Rams see positional value at that point, LT or QB are the most obvious.

Just interested in how other people see it.