While Keim is making the big moves for the 2015 All Stars I have some concerns about some position groups and the depth we have. I feel like we are being distracted by big names and splashy moves while he neglects large sections of the roster.
OL (likely 9)
Hump - Pugh - Hudson - Jones? - Beechum
Murray - Cole - Gaillard - Miles/Gilbert
Sorted here
DL (likely 9)
Golden - Watt - Fotu - Philips - Jones
Gardeck - Lawrence - Allen - Fitts
I'm not a Fitts fan. I'd really like to see an upgrade there. They picked up 2019 4th round pick Shareef Miller. Interested to see if he can break through.
ILB
Hicks, Simmons
Vallejo, Turner, Weaver
Not a great room depth wise. I'd like to see a vet rotation piece here. Campbell is unsigned. Maybe he comes back on a vet min deal later.
Safety
Baker, Thompson, Thompson
That's it. Banjo and Washington are FA and unsigned. Need at least 1 if not 2 depth safeties.
Cornerback
Murphy, Alford, Whitaker
That's it. They are the only roster worthy CB's if you stretch the definition a bit. At best, if Alford is a miracle we need a starter and a good quality backup. More likely need 2 starters and a depth piece.
Wide Receiver
Hopkins, Green, Kirk, Isabella, Johnson, JoJo Ward
I was going to say they are set at WR but only if you think JoJo Ward can be the 6th guy. May add a WR that's a PR/KR or Sherfield comes back on vet min. Weird not seeing Larry here. I also like Marquise Goodwin as a vet addition. He can KR/PR too and would cost vet min.
Tight End
Maxx Williams
That's it. Arnold is UFA and unsigned. Daniels is UFA. We have 1 TE. Need 2 more.
Running Back
Edmonds, Benjamin, Ward
I like Edmonds but considering the Cards seem to be all in I'd be surprised if they trust him to be a bell cow. At least 1 starter/split load RB needed and probably depth too.
Quarterback
Murray
Streveler can't be QB2. We all saw how that worked out.
Needs
1 x Depth OLB
1 x Depth ILB
2 x Depth Safeties
2 x Starting CBs
1 x Depth CB
1 x PR/KR
1 x Starting TE
1 x Depth TE
1 x Starter/split load RB
1 x Depth RB
1 x QB2
That's 13 players we arguably need. 12 if you settle for Fitts at OLB. 11 if you role with whatever in house garbage we have at KR/PR. 10 if you role with Ward at RB4.
I can't see anything less than 10. We have 3 draft picks you would expect to stick on the roster (1,2,5). Let's say Keim turns them into 4.
That's still a minimum of 6 FA signings required. We have $6m left in cap space but that doesn't include Alford, Prater or AJ Green so we are more like $4m over the cap currently. Although I've cut Kennard above and that gets $6m back.
There are several players we can extend/restructure to free up cash and kick the can down the road again. Jones, Pugh, Hump, Philips, Nuk, Hudson so I'm not too concerned about cap space.
But still a bunch of holes to fill in FA. Especially at CB, RB, QB2 and TE.
Possible solutions
Running backs are going for peanuts. Even Drake might be a possible resign at sub $5m. There's no market. Other options are Coleman, Gurley, Duke Johnson, Mike Davis, Breida.
As we are signing players that used to be elite look for a Todd Gurley signing
The cornerbacks market isn't as bad as I thought it was. Still some talent out there and possibly helped price wise by P2's $10m deal to the Vikings. AJ Bouye, Casey Hayward, Adoree Jackson, Xavier Rhodes, Quinton Dunbar, Bashaud Breeland all have talent.
The most Keimy picks would be Hayward, Bouye or Rhodes.
At TE there's not much here outside Jared Cook, Kyle Rudolph, Jesse James, Kroft and Eifert.
Jared Cook still has juice. Had 500 yards last year but was getting paid $7.5m per at the Saints. Might be too rich for us but would be a very Keimy pickup.
OL (likely 9)
Hump - Pugh - Hudson - Jones? - Beechum
Murray - Cole - Gaillard - Miles/Gilbert
Sorted here
DL (likely 9)
Golden - Watt - Fotu - Philips - Jones
Gardeck - Lawrence - Allen - Fitts
I'm not a Fitts fan. I'd really like to see an upgrade there. They picked up 2019 4th round pick Shareef Miller. Interested to see if he can break through.
ILB
Hicks, Simmons
Vallejo, Turner, Weaver
Not a great room depth wise. I'd like to see a vet rotation piece here. Campbell is unsigned. Maybe he comes back on a vet min deal later.
Safety
Baker, Thompson, Thompson
That's it. Banjo and Washington are FA and unsigned. Need at least 1 if not 2 depth safeties.
Cornerback
Murphy, Alford, Whitaker
That's it. They are the only roster worthy CB's if you stretch the definition a bit. At best, if Alford is a miracle we need a starter and a good quality backup. More likely need 2 starters and a depth piece.
Wide Receiver
Hopkins, Green, Kirk, Isabella, Johnson, JoJo Ward
I was going to say they are set at WR but only if you think JoJo Ward can be the 6th guy. May add a WR that's a PR/KR or Sherfield comes back on vet min. Weird not seeing Larry here. I also like Marquise Goodwin as a vet addition. He can KR/PR too and would cost vet min.
Tight End
Maxx Williams
That's it. Arnold is UFA and unsigned. Daniels is UFA. We have 1 TE. Need 2 more.
Running Back
Edmonds, Benjamin, Ward
I like Edmonds but considering the Cards seem to be all in I'd be surprised if they trust him to be a bell cow. At least 1 starter/split load RB needed and probably depth too.
Quarterback
Murray
Streveler can't be QB2. We all saw how that worked out.
Needs
1 x Depth OLB
1 x Depth ILB
2 x Depth Safeties
2 x Starting CBs
1 x Depth CB
1 x PR/KR
1 x Starting TE
1 x Depth TE
1 x Starter/split load RB
1 x Depth RB
1 x QB2
That's 13 players we arguably need. 12 if you settle for Fitts at OLB. 11 if you role with whatever in house garbage we have at KR/PR. 10 if you role with Ward at RB4.
I can't see anything less than 10. We have 3 draft picks you would expect to stick on the roster (1,2,5). Let's say Keim turns them into 4.
That's still a minimum of 6 FA signings required. We have $6m left in cap space but that doesn't include Alford, Prater or AJ Green so we are more like $4m over the cap currently. Although I've cut Kennard above and that gets $6m back.
There are several players we can extend/restructure to free up cash and kick the can down the road again. Jones, Pugh, Hump, Philips, Nuk, Hudson so I'm not too concerned about cap space.
But still a bunch of holes to fill in FA. Especially at CB, RB, QB2 and TE.
Possible solutions
Running backs are going for peanuts. Even Drake might be a possible resign at sub $5m. There's no market. Other options are Coleman, Gurley, Duke Johnson, Mike Davis, Breida.
As we are signing players that used to be elite look for a Todd Gurley signing
The cornerbacks market isn't as bad as I thought it was. Still some talent out there and possibly helped price wise by P2's $10m deal to the Vikings. AJ Bouye, Casey Hayward, Adoree Jackson, Xavier Rhodes, Quinton Dunbar, Bashaud Breeland all have talent.
The most Keimy picks would be Hayward, Bouye or Rhodes.
At TE there's not much here outside Jared Cook, Kyle Rudolph, Jesse James, Kroft and Eifert.
Jared Cook still has juice. Had 500 yards last year but was getting paid $7.5m per at the Saints. Might be too rich for us but would be a very Keimy pickup.
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