Tag: rams free agency

Rams will play compensatory pick game again like they did in 2018

Les Snead knows the Rams will lose some free agents, but compensatory picks are headed back their way.

This offseason will feel familiar to the last couple of years for the Los Angeles Rams. With five starters set to hit free agency, there’s a good chance the Rams will lose a significant amount of talent on the open market.

It’s similar to when Rodger Saffold, Lamarcus Joyner and Ndamukong Suh left last offseason. And when Sammy Watkins and Trumaine Johnson signed massive contracts elsewhere after the 2017 season.

All of those players except for Suh factored into the compensatory pick formula, though. For Watkins and Johnson, the Rams received extra picks in the third round of the 2019 draft. This year, they’re projected to receive at least one, likely in the fourth round.

This offseason, the Rams are a bit strapped for cash and stand to lose at least a few of their pending free agents – a list that includes Cory Littleton, Dante Fowler, Michael Brockers, Andrew Whitworth and Austin Blythe. But with GM Les Snead being the compensatory pick wizard that he is, the Rams should get a couple of selections in return next year.

He compared this offseason to two years ago when the Rams acquired Watkins for a second-round pick and let him walk, receiving a third-rounder in the following draft.

“The comp formula, we’ve utilized here in a very sound way since Sean has been head coach,” Snead said on the Rams Revealed podcast. “He’s bought into that formula, for sure. I go back to when we traded a second-round pick for Sammy Watkins. Here’s a reason why you may do that for someone who might only be there for a year: If he’s only here for a year, maybe it’s because he’s getting paid more than we can actually pay at that particular moment and that will usually lead to a third-rounder. So you give up a second-rounder for Sammy for a year, you’re able to win the NFC West – didn’t really cash in in the playoffs, but you got a third-rounder for Sammy.

He continued:

“So you would do that similarly this year because we’re in a phase, which is a very good phase in that we’ve been a successful team. … You’ve got good players. Other teams like your good players. Usually, your coaching staff, front office want to keep the good players, we just can’t keep them all. I think all of us know the business of the NFL very well, so you’re going to lose some players.”

One of the important factors in the compensatory pick formula is refraining from signing big-ticket free agents. The Rams have done a good in that department, only signing one qualified free agent (Clay Matthews) last offseason.

Eric Weddle and Suh were both released by their teams, meaning they weren’t included in the equation. Had they been unrestricted free agents, they probably would’ve canceled out compensatory picks for the Rams in the last two years.

“If you can be disciplined in free agency – doesn’t mean you don’t go sign veterans – we could still cash in on the comp formula,” Snead said. “So you’ve got to play the game, the nuances there and then you’re able to get extra draft picks. Third-rounders can lead to John Johnsons and Cooper Kupps and last year, Bobby Evans was a third-rounder and ended up helping us late. I always say, extra third- and fourth-rounders can be very beneficial.”

Snead loves third- and fourth-round picks, and assuming the Rams lose some combination of Fowler, Littleton, Whitworth, Brockers and Blythe, they stand to receive at least a couple of compensatory picks – if they can “be disciplined in free agency,” as Snead said.

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Les Snead: ‘Good chance’ Whitworth returns, Rams in talks with Blythe

The Rams feel good about Whitworth’s chances of returning for 2020.

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Andrew Whitworth was one of the pillars of the Rams’ rebuilt offensive line in 2017, signing as a free agent after 11 years with the Cincinnati Bengals. He’s been an anchor at left tackle ever since, fortifying a position that gave the Rams issues for several years.

Despite being 38 years old and a pending free agent, Whitworth plans to play another season in 2020. He’s made it clear he wants to return to the Rams, saying that’s his top choice “without question.” The Rams have reciprocated the feeling, with Sean McVay saying he feels “pretty confident” that Whitworth will be back in the fold next season.

GM Les Snead, who’s in charge of constructing the Rams roster and helping manage the cap, is on the same page as McVay. He told J.B. Long on the Rams Revealed podcast this week that while they haven’t finalized anything with Whitworth, the team is confident he’ll return.

“I think it’s a goal of both of ours,” Snead said. “Obviously we haven’t finalized anything yet, but I think both sides can admit that we’d like to continue our relationship. He’s a veteran player and usually when that’s the case – you would say if both sides want to get this done, I think we’ve got a good chance of doing it.”

Keeping Whitworth will go a long way toward the Rams’ offensive line improving after a poor showing in 2019. Though they allowed the fewest sacks in the NFL, Jared Goff was under constant pressure and Todd Gurley’s running lanes were significantly smaller than the previous two years.

But Whitworth isn’t the only pending free agent on the O-line, of course. Austin Blythe will also become a free agent on March 18 and according to ESPN, he’ll test the market. The Rams are hoping to prevent that from happening, though.

Snead said the team is in talks with Blythe but didn’t elaborate on it further.

“It is interesting. We’re in talks with Austin Blythe, but we’ve got to get through the free agency and this is the time of year when a lot of things can change, just because there’s no guarantees, right” Snead said.

Blythe will come significantly cheaper than Whitworth, primarily because he’s not nearly as consistent or reliable as the 38-year-old veteran. But what Blythe does offer is versatility, possessing the ability to play both center and guard, which is valuable.

If Whitworth and Blythe both return, the Rams will at least have some continuity up front heading into a crucial free agency and draft period.

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Les Snead doesn’t expect Rams to use franchise tag this year

The Rams could tag Dante Fowler or Cory Littleton, but most likely won’t.

Two of the Los Angeles Rams’ most important (and priciest) free agents this offseason both reside on the defensive side of the ball with Cory Littleton and Dante Fowler Jr. set to hit the market. The Rams will have a really hard time finding the cap space to keep both of them, but they can prevent at least one from becoming free agents.

With the franchise tag at their disposal, the Rams can pay either player about $16.3 million for the 2020 season – assuming Littleton or Fowler would sign the tender. However, rather than committing most of their cap space to one player, the Rams will likely pass on using the tag.

Les Snead was on the Rams Revealed podcast with J.B. Long recently and said Los Angeles probably won’t apply the tag to any of its free agents. He didn’t completely shut the door on that option, though.

“As of today, I do not expect (to use) the tag but there is a window of time and ultimately, because there is a window of time, that means you may get some later data points that would say it might be best to use that tool in the toolbox,” he said. “And I know that can be a positive sometimes for players and a negative sometimes for players but the best thing to do if you decide to use the tag is to explain the ‘why,’ and it is a tool in our toolbox that we can use. And if it is the best thing for the Rams to utilize it, that’s what we’ll do.”

As for why the Rams probably won’t use the tag, the reasons are obvious. Having limited cap space, it’s hard to fathom committing more than $16 million guaranteed to one player with no long-term security beyond next season.

“The thing that happens when you do utilize a tag, depending on what kind of cap space you have, that does take up a big chunk of cap and it didn’t necessarily solve a long-term problem,” he said. “It’s more of a short-term solution. Short-term solutions can be beneficial sometimes because ultimately, the 2020 season will count for sure.”

The Rams have until March 12 to apply the franchise tag, which is four days before the legal tampering period begins. Assuming the Rams don’t use the tag, as Snead suggested, they have less than two weeks to negotiate with their pending free agents before the other 31 teams can jump into the mix.

Locking up free agents ahead of time is always good, but Snead sees a benefit to letting them get to the legal tampering period to gauge interest from other teams.

“Now, there’s an element that could be slightly out of the box because of the window – the negotiation window where you have 72 hours – I’ve often said that if you have good relationships with players, that there’s nothing wrong with going to the window and getting in the window because at that point in time, if Player A is not signed before the window and Player A and Team A want to be together, that must mean there’s a disagreement in basically probably the finances,” Snead explained. “The good thing about a player going to the window is at that point, his agent can figure out exactly what other teams are offering him and now there’s no guessing. Because even if a player were to sign before the window, sometimes he may have the thought – there could be that thought, ‘Wow, I’m glad I’m signed, but what if I went to the window? I wonder how much somebody else would’ve paid me. I wonder if my team would’ve matched that.”

It’s expected that Littleton and Fowler will reach the market and wade those waters, seeing how much they can make elsewhere. With how well they both played last year, interest is expected to be high.

For the Rams, it’s just a matter of whether they get offers that are out of their range – which would be a worst-case scenario.

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Report: Rams DE Michael Brockers will test free-agent market

The Rams could lose Michael Brockers in free agency this offseason.

The start of free agency is only a few weeks away and the Los Angeles Rams have yet to sign any of their own players to prevent them from hitting the market. Cory Littleton and Dante Fowler Jr. are both expected to generate plenty of interest, while Andrew Whitworth seems on track to return to return to Los Angeles for another year.

Michael Brockers is a wild card, though. He’s spent the last eight years with the Rams, but his time with the franchise that made him a first-round pick could be coming to an end. According to ESPN’s Lindsey Thiry, Brockers “will test the market in free agency.”

Furthermore, “it is expected the veteran will earn a solid multiyear contract elsewhere.”

Brockers doesn’t put up big numbers from his defensive end position, but he’s an outstanding run defender and is coming off a year in which he had a career-high 63 tackles. He added three sacks and nine QB hits, earning a very respectable 74.6 overall grade from Pro Football Focus.

Aaron Donald has made it clear he wants Brockers back in L.A. next season, but his opinion probably won’t be enough to sway the front office to make that happen. The money has to be right with the Rams having limited cap space to work with.

Brockers is the longest-tenured position player on the roster, but it seems that title could be handed off to someone else next season.

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Report: Rams showing interest in signing TE Jordan Reed

The Rams are deep at tight end, but Jordan Reed could be added to the roster.

The Los Angeles Rams are flush with talent at tight end with Tyler Higbee, Gerald Everett and Johnny Mundt, but they’re not opposed to adding another veteran. According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, the Rams have talked to Jordan Reed about a potential signing.

Reed was recently released by the Washington Redskins after missing the entire 2019 season with a concussion, but he still wants to continue his career. He just cleared the concussion protocol last week, which was a step in the right direction, but there are still concerns about his durability and health.

If the Rams were to sign Reed, it would reunite him with two of his former coaches. He had his best NFL season with Sean McVay as his offensive coordinator in Washington in 2015, following it up with a Pro Bowl campaign in 2016. He caught 87 passes for 952 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2015 despite only playing 14 games.

Reed also played for new Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell. He was the passing game coordinator and QBs coach in 2018 before being promoted to offensive coordinator last season – albeit, in a year when Reed didn’t play a snap.

Reed is a versatile tight end who thrives as a receiver, much more so than he does as a blocker. Everett’s NFL comp before the 2017 draft was Reed for many analysts and fans, bringing the same athleticism and speed to the tight end position.

Rams 2020 free agency preview: Donte Deayon worth RFA tender?

Donte Deayon will be a restricted free agent, but the Rams should pass on using a tender.

Of all the positions on the Rams’ roster, cornerback might be the deepest. It’s been that way for a couple of years, though the group looks vastly different than it did in 2018 when Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters were at the top of the depth chart.

Now, it’s Jalen Ramsey, Troy Hill and Nickell Robey-Coleman as the projected starters, with David Long Jr., Darious Williams and Donte Deayon further down. Long will be back, as should Williams, but Deayon’s future isn’t as certain.

He’ll be a restricted free agent in March, which makes it easier for the Rams to retain him if they want to. The question is, will they?

  • 2019 stats: 3 games, 3 tackles, 43 defensive snaps played
  • PFF grade: N/A

Analysis

Deayon didn’t contribute much at all in 2019 as a reserve cornerback. He was only active for three games, made three tackles and wasn’t targeted in coverage. He played 43 defensive snaps and 44 on special teams, getting on the field very little.

He does have NFL experience, though, playing eight games for the Giants in 2017 and 2018. He broke up three passes, recovered a fumble and made 16 tackles in that span, but his contributions were still limited.

Deayon is a smaller cornerback, standing at just 5-foot-9, 159 pounds. He’s best suited in the slot against shorter, quicker wide receivers, but with how often teams put big receivers in the slot, that doesn’t always work out in Deayon’s favor.

Positional need: Low

The Rams don’t necessarily need cornerback help right now. They have a solid group of four corners on the depth chart heading into 2020, assuming Robey-Coleman has his option picked up.

Deayon will be buried on the depth chart again behind the aforementioned players, making it far from a necessity for the Rams to re-sign him. They could use some help in 2021, depending on how things go, but it’s not an immediate need.

Prediction: Signs one-year deal with another team

The Rams have the option to apply an original-round tender to Deayon, which wouldn’t net them a draft pick in return if a team were to sign him to an offer sheet and the Rams didn’t match. However, that tender would be worth $2.14 million for the 2020 season alone. That’s only $1.3 million less than Hill will make next year, and he’s going to be a starter.

Instead of using a tender, the Rams should pass on the tender and let him hit the market. They’ll most likely select a corner in the draft, so Deayon may not even make the team.

They could sign him to a cheaper contract, but it’s not necessary and there will be better players available in the draft and free agency.

Rams 2020 free agency preview: Morgan Fox is a backup plan at DE

The Rams can keep Morgan Fox around with the tender, but will they?

Morgan Fox missed the entire 2018 season with a torn ACL, which was a big blow to the Rams defense because he was in the process of transitioning to outside linebacker – a position of need for Los Angeles that year. He bounced back in 2019 by playing all 16 games, even earning three starts.

His playing time was still limited (32% of the snaps), but Fox made an impact defensively as a backup defensive end with two sacks and three tackles for loss. Though they’re hardly impressive numbers, he was a reliable No. 2 DE behind Michael Brockers.

Set to become a restricted free agent, Fox has a good chance to stay with the Rams. But RFA tenders don’t come extremely cheap, so the Rams will need to determine his value and whether he’s worth the lowest amount of $2.14 million.

  • 2019 stats: 18 tackles (3 TFL), 2.0 sacks, 3 QB hits
  • PFF grade: 50.7 overall

Analysis

Fox has the requisite size to play defensive end in a 3-4 scheme, standing at 6-foot-3, 275 pounds. He’s smaller than Brockers, but you could make the case that he offers more as a pass rusher than the guy he’s behind on the depth chart.

He had a key sack against the Steelers to force a punt and another against the 49ers later in the year, taking Jimmy Garoppolo down 8 yards behind the line of scrimmage. Both of his sacks came on third down, which was often when he came onto the field.

That shows the confidence the coaching staff has in him as a pass rusher, subbing Brockers off in favor of Fox in passing situations. He’ll never be a double-digit-sack player, but Fox does offer some upside at defensive end.

Positional need: Medium

Brockers is the first domino that needs to fall. If he returns, the Rams could probably make do without Fox and find a cheaper, younger option in the draft. However, if Brockers departs in free agency, Fox’s return becomes that much more important.

While he wouldn’t be a surefire starter, he’d be the team’s best option at defensive end. They’d still most likely add one in the draft, but with Fox on the roster, that need becomes smaller.

Prediction: Signs original-round tender for $2.14 million

I think the Rams will see the value that Fox brings, especially with not much depth at defensive end on the roster right now. They’ll apply an original-round tender to him, which will cost $2.14 million for the 2020 season alone.

It might not be a bargain, but it’s also not a huge price to pay for a potential starter.

Rams are ‘absolutely interested’ in re-signing Dante Fowler Jr.

Sean McVay said Fowler is “very important” for the Rams to keep.

The Los Angeles Rams have less than a month to lock up their own free agents before they hit the market and can begin fielding offers from other teams. There hasn’t been any reported movement on that front as of yet, but expect things to heat up in the near future.

If there’s one thing that’s certain, though, it’s that the Rams would like to keep their own free agents – particularly the five starters. Sean McVay was asked about two of them in an interview with Andrew Siciliano of NFL Network on Tuesday, and he made it clear the Rams want to retain Dante Fowler Jr. and Andrew Whitworth.

When asked about Fowler, McVay complimented him on the progress he’s made and praised outside linebackers coach Chris Shula for the job he did with Fowler.

“Fowler is very important,” McVay said. “You look at the production, I thought Chris Shula did a great job of continuing to help him take steps in the right direction. I think that’s the goal. Being able to get him the way we did a couple of years ago, and then you see the progression he’s made. We’ve been really pleased with Dante and absolutely interested in trying to get him back.”

Fowler had a career year in 2019, recording 11.5 sacks, 16 tackles for loss and 16 QB hits – all of which ranked second on the team. He became the dynamic edge rusher the Rams have been searching for, and while the timing of his breakout season is perfect for him, it puts the team in a tough spot financially.

As for Whitworth, McVay also expressed a clear desire to bring him back for another year, despite the fact that he’s 38 years old and nearing retirement.

“Yeah, he played at a high level,” McVay said. “When you look at it, it’s unbelievable the sustainability he’s had over the course of his career. He’s meant a lot to this locker room and that’s definitely something we have a lot of interest in getting the big fella back.”

The Rams don’t have a clear replacement on the roster if Whitworth leaves to play elsewhere, though there are candidates with Joseph Noteboom and possibly Bobby Evans. Whitworth has made it clear he wants to play for the Rams in 2020, and with McVay saying the team wants to retain him, it seems the two sides will come together on an agreement at some point.

Rams 2020 free agency preview: L.A. must gauge value of JoJo Natson

JoJo Natson is a restricted free agent, making him easier for the Rams to keep him.

Special teams was not a strength for the Los Angeles Rams in 2019. Johnny Hekker had a down year, Greg Zuerlein was shaky for most of the year and the return game didn’t offer much in the way of helping set up the offense.

JoJo Natson was the primary return specialist, playing 12 games for the Rams this past season. He took back 19 punts and 13 kickoffs, averaging 7.8 yards per punt return and 22.2 yards per kick return.

He was tied for 15th in punt return average and 20th in total kick return yardage, but most encouragingly, he didn’t fumble the ball once. Will that progress be enough for the Rams to bring him back?

As a restricted free agent, the Rams can almost assure themselves that he’ll remain in L.A. next season. But that price will be more than $2 million for 2020 alone, if the Rams go that route. There are other options, of course.

  • 2019 stats: 19 punt returns, 149 yards (7.8 average). 13 kick returns, 289 yards (22.2 average)
  • PFF grade: N/A

Analysis

Natson wasn’t spectacular in 2019, nor was he close to the team’s biggest problem. He had a handful of great plays, returning one punt 35 yards and another 32 yards. He did make his share of mistakes, of course, but he never fumbled the ball.

His gaffes were more along the lines of letting punts go instead of fielding them, allowing the opponent to pin the Rams deep. Or taking kickoffs deep out of the end zone, failing to get back to the 25-yard line.

But Natson did provide a spark at times with his shiftiness and quickness. Though he didn’t contribute on offense, he showed potential in the preseason with five catches for 21 yards and a touchdown.

Positional need: Low

The Rams had one of the best return specialists in the NFL in 2017 when Pharoh Cooper was in L.A. They moved on from Cooper and handed Natson the keys, but the impact hasn’t been as great.

They’re not desperate for a punt and kick returner, but they don’t have many great options beyond Natson. Darrell Henderson could handle kickoffs and Cooper Kupp punts, but the Rams would rather protect those offensive players by keeping them out of harm’s way.

Prediction: Signs one-year, $720,000 deal with Rams

The Rams can easily apply an original-round tender to Natson and keep him for $2.14 million in 2020 – assuming he doesn’t sign an offer sheet with another team. That would be a steep price to pay for a player who almost exclusively plays special teams.

Instead, the Rams should sign him to a one-year deal worth far less than that, keeping as much cap space as they can while simultaneously retaining a capable player. I expect them to re-sign Natson, but not to an RFA tender. They need cap space, and they wouldn’t afford them much.

ESPN predicts Rams will use franchise tag on Dante Fowler Jr.

The franchise tag is an option for the Rams with two of their free agents.

Three defensive starters for the Rams will hit free agency next month when the new league year begins on March 18. Two of those players are candidates for the franchise tag, which would allow Los Angeles to prevent one of them from hitting the market.

Those players are, of course, Dante Fowler Jr. and Cory Littleton. It’s the second year in a row that both players will be free agents after the Rams signed Fowler to a one-year extension last offseason and Littleton was retained on a restricted free agent tender.

It’s almost impossible to see the Rams keeping both this offseason, given the seasons they each had in 2019 and the price tags that will come with them. However, the franchise tag is an option, and the Rams have never been reluctant to use it; they used the tag three years in a row from 2016-2018.

ESPN’s beat reporters predicted whether their teams will use the franchise tag this offseason, and Lindsey Thiry thinks the Rams will apply it to Fowler.

Fowler and Littleton each played critical roles in the Rams’ defense last season and both will be unrestricted free agents. The Rams have limited space under the salary cap, so using the franchise tag (which is expected to be more than $15.4 million) might not be within their means. But Fowler, who produced a career-best 11.5 sacks last season, and Littleton, the Rams’ leading tackler the past two seasons, are tag candidates if the team decides to use it.

Because the Rams run a 3-4 defense, the franchise tag for Fowler will actually be cheaper than it probably should be. His designation as a linebacker means the tag for him would cost an estimated $16.27 million instead of $19.3 million if he were a defensive end.

Considering the contract Fowler is expected to seek – probably somewhere around $16-17 million per year – the franchise tag actually wouldn’t be a terrible option. And by tagging him, it would also open the door for another move by the Rams: a trade.

They could tag Fowler and trade him the way Jadeveon Clowney, Dee Ford and Frank Clark all were last year. Dealing Fowler could land the Rams a Day 2 pick in the upcoming draft, which they could use considering they don’t have a first-rounder.

The Rams have from February 27-March 12 to apply the tag to one of their free agents, two days later than originally planned after the NFL pushed back the window due to CBA negotiations.

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