SectionC3

Better put: he may want to play football, but only for an absurd price that likely will not be met, especially now that the first wave or two of FA has passed.

Like I said, I’m not advocating doing something on spec. I don’t agree with your premise in (b) because I don’t know what the pick would be. I agree with the premise in your last sentence; I think you and I maybe are speaking different languages inasmuch as I allow for a three-team scenario in which the movement of Oliver creates space/asset to be dedicated to the rostering of a different player at a different position and I’m not sure if you’re as open to that scenario. I have that vibe from OBJ, too. I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if he never plays another down of football.

Nobody (well, at least not me) is saying that Oliver should be flipped on spec. And, the maximization of cap space need not have been accomplished prior to free agency if Oliver’s cap space is allocated to a player acquired via trade. So, I absolutely agree with you that trading a decent starter with no plan to replace said starter is a bad idea. We seem to part ways with respect to the idea that Oliver could be moved to create the ability to roster a player at a different position (or, I suppose, even at the same position, although I’m not sure who that would be at this point in the offseason) who might help the team more than would Oliver.

We don't disagree. It's about how they view Ed internally, what the plan is for next year, whether he fits, and whether it's worth allocating his money to another place or places. That's it. I think the only place where we part ways is with respect to the issue whether it could make sense to move him for a pick or picks in this year's draft. I can envision a scenario in which it may make sense (essentially, addition by subtraction and dumping his money to use at a different position or positions), and I think you may value Ed more than that. *** Agree with the bold, which has been my point all along.

I don’t disagree with you. I’m not a proponent of shedding Oliver. But I can see why the FO would do it if it feels the money can be better allocated.

I didn't advocate for it. I think you missed the point. There's a lot of interlocking issues with respect to Oliver (and everyone else on the roster, for that matter). If they want to move on from him for whatever reason, or if they think they can replace him in a different way (draft, FA) and use the value acquired from his departure to supplement a different position of need, then it does make sense. What if they want to beef up at DT? What if they want Poona Ford (they've been linked) at a price less than Oliver and and are willing to subtract Oliver to make that happen? What if they want to reallocate Oliver's money and are willing to live with the consequences? So, respectfully, I disagree that trading Oliver for picks, even in this draft, could never make any sense. I do not disagree that moving him for a pick or picks in this draft simply for the sake of moving him is a bad idea. It all depends, however, on what happens in conjunction with any Oliver move, and what that move is designed to accomplish. It all depends on what the plan is to replace Oliver should he leave. Bottom line. That's it. There's about $11m going to Oliver this year. If they feel like they can use that $11m to pay a relatively comparable DT and add a weapon at a position of need (say, WR), then adios Ed. His situation can't be viewed in a vacuum or in isolation.

I think this depends on how we look at the draft, and the other options on the board. Say, for sake of argument, we’re dying to add a quality WR. But we know we can’t get it done at pick 27, and we don’t want to burn draft capital to trade up. I don’t think this is the case, but perhaps we also feel confident that we could either draft Oliver’s replacement at 27 or sign a replacement in FA to a more economical deal than what Oliver has (Ford, perhaps?). In that context it might make sense to move Oliver to open cap space and help us acquire something that we can’t get at 27. What that something is, and who would be willing to take on Oliver for that purpose, is beyond me. Bottom line, I guess, is that there are a lot of moving parts here and how they perceive their needs and the ability to fill those needs in the draft might dictate their approach to Oliver.

Average player. Superior teammate. Wish him nothing but the best.

Too slow to play here. Best of luck in Vegas.

I think that's why he's here. I think McD has a lot of Neanderthal in him. He wants to be able to win a game here or there by running it down the throat of the opposition. This signing might allow him to accomplish that. Beane is having himself a day. I really, really like the Sherfield move. A ST contributor who also is an offensive contributor. And a guy who could be a handful when we played him last year. I wanted a Lazard type to spell Davis. Looks like they may have found a smaller but similarly tough version on the cheap. Now with Harris maybe we've found the grinder at RB that Zack Moss never could be.

I’m with you. Obviously the amount we’re paying him matters. But he can play a bit. So I like this a lot -

That and the back injury that hampered him at tackle. I worry he would be forklifted all day long at G.

This. He seems like a really nice guy. There’s no hate here for him, or for any other human here. It’s just that he’s prone to mistakes. The Indy fumble, not getting OB in Miami, the drops late in the season this year (as a STH, I can tell you the body language from some of the other receivers was bad following a couple of his drops, which might not have been caught on TV). He’s just not a serious guy, and he’s been great to have here and I wish him well but it’s time to get a little tougher and sharper all around and his mistaken-prone play probably should not be part of the program moving forward. Same thing with Singletary. Great teammate. Great dude. Probably could have benefitted from better blocking. But not much of a market for this guy. I think McKenzie probably sees the same thing if he hits the market. Best bet for McKenzie might be to negotiate away the bonus so that he has a shot to stick based on his camp.

Maybe it's the drops. Or the fumbles. Or the boneheaded plays.

I couldn’t agree with this more. We need to start utilizing cheap labor. Too many misses in the draft that we cover up with older guys in shorter but still expensive deals. I don’t mind the occasional Emmanuel Sanders. But no more saffolds and OJ Howards and last year’s AJ Klein and Bease and Brown. Nothing against Klein, but if he’s back I have to question why Spector was kept on the roster last year. Especially at the expense of Hodgins, which caused us to trot out a washed WR (Brown) and a nearly washed WR (Bease) last year.

I can’t fault the Rousseau pick. Basham is a JAG. No argument on Epenesa, subject to the point that somebody screwed his body up post draft. Went from a thicker power guy with no bend to a skinny guy with little power and no bend.

She should block herself and close her yap. I have wondered whether her big mouth made some potential bidders wonder whether the “candle” that was the beat up old safety with delusions of fiscal grandeur was worth the “game” if the big mouth princess was part of the package.

Agreed. No details = bad deal from agent’s point of view.

How about Davis and Oliver for kupp? I saw that floated somewhere else. Not sure I’d do it if I was the rams. But we would move two guys who may well not be here next year for a big time skill player. It’s a creative idea, to be sure.

Hoax. Are they praying for a cure for her heart disease or or her diabetes? This comes from a churchgoing person and a believer. Her best bet isn't to ask for a miracle. It's to use tools that God has given her to do such things as exercise restraint and to lay off the hot dogs and the Chef Boyardee.

The Brown challenge probably is in the draft or on the roster (Tommy Doyle). Benford replaces Poyer, so long as Dane Jackson returns. Edmunds replacement probably is in FA. QB2 is starting to look like Kyle Allen or someone (Mariota, maybe Matt Ryan) willing to work cheap (think $2m/year).

I wonder if they're going to shoot for David or Wagner at LB. Based on McD's comments this offseason, I think they may want an alpha in that role. It's perfectly reasonable to try to fill the job through the draft, to beef up at DT (see ya, Ed) and move Milano there with Spector/Klein/different JAG at weakside, or to (gulp) hope that Bernard makes a quantum leap and can cut it. But I wonder if they want a big dog in the middle and a personality that maybe Edmunds simply doesn't have.

I'll be surprised if they go guard in round 1. It's kind of like RB. We can (or, put better, should be able to) find guys later (the Saffold failure notwithstanding). Better roster management probably is to take a tackle and then kick Dawkins into guard if the tackle we find is equal to Dawkins. Would leave us with a cost-controlled LT and the ability to either trim Dawkins's pay or say adios to what then would be that $15m guard. I'm not against drafting for RT in round 1, but I suspect they're going to look at Brown's play last year as a reflection of his health and gamble that one of Brown/Doyle can lock that job down this year. And, from a long-term roster management perspective, we really need a WR who can start no later than next year. Davis likely is gone, and the slot play last year speaks for itself.

Could mean Poyer is gone and benford to safety.

I somewhat agree on re-tooling. This is a tweak year. Improve OL, and skill on O, get younger on D and adjust philosophy on D to become ire aggressive. As long as we can keep Allen upright we are never out of contention.