[Elvis]

https://www.therams.com/news/complete-l ... ree-agents

Complete list of Rams 2020 free agents

Stu Jackson
STAFF WRITER

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – The natural churn of an NFL roster will see several Rams' contracts expire in 2020.

Below is the list of Rams set to become free agents (the new league year begins March 18, 2020):

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS

OLB Dante Fowler Jr.
LT Andrew Whitworth
DT Michael Brockers
ILB Cory Littleton
K Greg Zuerlein
QB Blake Bortles
ILB Bryce Hager
S Marqui Christian
WR Mike Thomas
G Austin Blythe

*S Eric Weddle and CB Nickell Robey-Coleman have team options that can be picked up before the 2020 league year begins. If the options are not picked up, they become unrestricted free agents.

RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS

WR JoJo Natson
DE Morgan Fox
DB Dont'e Deayon

*Players become unrestricted free agents if they have four or more accrued seasons when their contract expires. Restricted free agents have three accrued seasons, and exclusive rights free agents have two or fewer accrued seasons. The Rams can tender a contract and then match any offer made by another team to their restricted free agents, while exclusive rights free agents will either be offered and accept a contract from the Rams or not be offered a contract and become a free agent.

[Elvis]

https://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/sto ... ree-agency

Rams have plenty of roster decisions to make as they evaluate season

By GARY KLEIN
DEC. 30, 2019 6:34 PM

After 14 NFL seasons, Andrew Whitworth is not ready to call it a career.

The Rams’ left tackle, a pending free agent, said Monday he would like to continue playing for the team he helped lead to the Super Bowl last season but finished 9-7 and fell short of making the playoffs this season.

“Hopefully, the opportunity will be here,” Whitworth said as Rams players cleaned out their lockers at the team’s Thousand Oaks facility. “Obviously, anytime you’re a free agent, you’ve got to listen to everything and figure out what’s best for you.

“But of course, for me and my family, being a Ram would be No. 1, without question.”

Whether to re-sign the 38-year-old Whitworth will be one of many decisions the Rams will make during the next few months as they attempt to rebound from a season that fell far below expectations.

Linebacker Cory Littleton, edge rusher Dante Fowler, defensive lineman Michael Brockers and kicker Greg Zuerlein are other pending unrestricted free agents.

Whitworth had a salary-cap number of $16.7 million this season in the final year of the three-year, $33.8-million contract he signed with the Rams after 11 seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Would Whitworth take less to stay with the Rams?

“You let all that play out and just figure out where everything is,” he said. “For everyone else you have to speculate. For me, I know the product. I know what I bring and they do, too, so it’s just us finding common ground.”

Players went through physicals and exit interviews Monday. Coach Sean McVay said his staff would work Tuesday and then take the rest of the week off before returning next Monday to begin evaluations of the coaches and players as they plan for the 2020 season.

General manager Les Snead is scheduled to address reporters Tuesday.

Veteran safety Eric Weddle’s situation is among those that will be addressed. The 13-year veteran has said the Rams might be ready to move on with John Johnson and Taylor Rapp as the starting safeties.

McVay said he spoke briefly with Weddle on Monday and would have a longer conversation soon.

“He and I will have a discussion at length,” McVay said. “He’s done a great job this year, and we’ll see what that means for next season.”

The Rams were among 13 teams that finished the season with a winning record. But they were the only one that did not make the playoffs.

“It is tough — make no excuses — because we got to this point based on what our resume’s been over 16 games,” McVay said.

The Rams can point to several obvious plays that might have changed the course of their season. Zuerlein, for example, missed a potential game-winning field goal against the Seattle Seahawks. But Whitworth reminded that the season went awry because of more than a few plays.

“The reality is that also you put yourself in the situation with those couple plays,” he said, “and that’s really what we hadn’t done the last couple years.”

After never coming close to making the playoffs in his first three seasons, defensive tackle Aaron Donald has grown accustomed to the excitement of the postseason the previous two.

So he was still getting adjusted to the idea that the season was over.

“Last year, had a chance to be a world champion,” he said, “and now you’re not even in the playoffs. So it’s tough, definitely. ... The only thing you can do is just find ways to get better.”

Quarterback Jared Goff, who signed a $134-million extension before the season, passed for 22 touchdowns, with a career-worst 16 interceptions. He said he made strides but reiterated Monday that his performance was “not nearly good enough and probably one of the reasons we are sitting here and not in the playoffs.”

Goff said he might “try some things in the weight room” during the offseason to increase his strength and will continue a throwing program he adopted the last few offseasons.

“I don’t think you want to overreact to anything that could have gone one way or the other,” he said. “But ultimately if I play better we should have a lot more success.”

Etc.
Littleton suffered a “pulmonary contusion” during the Rams’ 31-24 victory over the Cardinals on Sunday, McVay said. “He just needs some rest, no contact,” McVay said. “He’ll be OK.” Brockers suffered a left ankle injury and his lower left leg was in a cast Monday. “Still waiting on the MRI results,” McVay said. McVay said the Rams had not been contacted by other teams about interviewing staff members for jobs. “There’s a couple guys that may have some interest, you know, from some colleges but out of respect for the privacy of those places, I don’t want to get into that.”

[actionjack]

Listening to various Weddle interviews, I would be very surprised if he doesnt retire. He sounded like a guy that misses his family and is ready to move on with his life. He doenst want to move his family and he doesnt want to be far apart for from them. Rapp and JJ are the starters....

[OCRams1]

No, got one already in Reynolds.

Times twice with Higbee, and thrice with Everett.

Coach seemed to have outsmarted himself in the redzone.

Gotta fix that.

I have been advocating for tight ends to be more targets. Glad to see Higbee doing well lately.
I have been rooting for Reynolds since his draft 2017, but if you ask me Lazard or Reynolds, I pick Lazard without a doubt. In his second year, Lazard already shows he can be a go-to guy in red zone, stretch-the-field kind of guy. He still drop some balls, still some rawness, but he is a steal Packers got from Raven practice squad. They developed him and the way he elevated and overpowered elite corners, his upside is so high. I believe Goff would jump up and down and would chip some of his money to get guy like Lazard. Sean should use his charm, tell Packer coach Matt Lafleur "I helped get you a job, could you please trade me some of your big wideouts? "

[Elvis]

Ramsey seems content:

[Elvis]

Rams have signed their practice squad guys to futures contracts (keeps them with the Rams since all PS contracts expire at end of season)...

[snackdaddy]

Looking at the list of pending free agents, I gotta think Whitworth should be a priority. I know his level of play slipped a bit. But he's still the best option. Not sure I'd trust the inexperienced players at the line's most important position.

Anything can happen, but I have to think bringing back both Fowler and Littleton might be too hard to swing. Edge rushers in demand just as much as cover corners. Someone's likely to offer him more than we can afford. Littleton would probably be cheaper. But its also possible someone offers him more than we can afford.

I think Brockers will be moving on. He's a veteran player and good locker room kind of guy. But he's pretty much a JAG at this point as far as his level of play. He won't be cost effective for what he provides.

Blythe is intriguing at the center position. I thought he was better at that position than he was at left guard. I also thought he was better than Allen. The thing is, Allen's cap hit next season is $800K and $900K the following season. A lot less than it would take for Blythe. That is something they need to take a hard look at. If Allen improves then maybe he's the better option due to salary.

Whatever they do, they need to improve the run game. Seems like the pass protection was better in the latter part of the season. But that run blocking. Seemed like so many times Gurley got the ball he had to dodge multiple defenders before he got to the line. That is something they have to address.

[CanuckRightWinger]

Not to nitpick Elvis, BUT...

Los Ramos omitted signing former Texas A&M Aggie OLB Landis Durham who was also on Rams PS
....but was IR'd not long ago.

[ramsman34]

I just looked up Spotrac and it already shows that it is easy for either party to walk away from year 2. The dead cap space is $500K if the Rams cut him, which is a prorated amount from the signing bonus he got last season.

Everything about his income for 2019 was guaranteed, so I am guessing that he gets to keep the full amount even if he is the one to walk away from the team.

I think we will have to wait and see until the draft and maybe up until week one of the regular season. If he is on the team week one 2020, then his entire $4.25 mill becomes fully guaranteed.

Do the Rams have enough draft picks to find a starter at safety and address the other needs of the team? Can the Rams find a better FA for a lower salary?

I hope he starts for another season with the Rams.

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/los-angeles ... ddle-3536/

I believe the Rams envision JJ and Rapp as the starting safeties next season. Weddle could be part of big nickel packages, if he decided to stay in that capacity. Can't see them leaving Rapp or JJ off the field in favor of Weddle - he just doesn't have he range of the younger guys.

[R4L]

Not to nitpick Elvis, BUT...

Los Ramos omitted signing former Texas A&M Aggie OLB Landis Durham who was also on Rams PS
....but was IR'd not long ago.

Pretty happy about Polite huh? Dude could be a beast if his head is on straight.