Rams Up; Roster Cuts and Trade Talk

hey everyone it is Ryan Crest here ready to heat up your summer vacation get ready things are about to get sizzling at chumba Casino your summer getting a whole lot hotter with a special daily login bonus waiting just for you so sign up now for reals of fun and reals of prizes right here at chumba casino with yours truly join me at chumbacasino.com and dive into a summer of Social Casino fun sponsored by chuma Casino no purchase necessary vgw group void we prohibited by law 18 plus terms and conditions apply [Applause] welcome back to Rams up your favorite LA Rams podcast you're a part of the fans first sports network you can follow us on our YouTube channel as well at LA Rams up I'm your host Mark I'll be joined occasionally by my football gurus Paul and Ian let's get to [Music] it hey welcome back Ram fans episode 51 here stuff is starting to happen Rams giving Ernest Jones agents permission to seek a trade that doesn't mean Ernest Jones requested a trade as he clarified on Twitter and the Rams making some moves already other than that as well the first thing we'll get into is this Ernest Jones situation as shared on the YouTube channel early Sunday afternoon let's get into that hey remember a couple weeks ago Sean McVey came out for a press conference and he wasn't his usual self his demeanor was a little bit off something was going on Ian noticed it I watched and I kind of saw it too and that was the same day the Rams announced that Ernest Jones was had that recurring knee injury the pain in the knee pop up again and they were going to have to manage his workload and we thought it was that and it was probably part that but it may have also been the ongoing saga Ernest Jones agents asking for an extension and the Rams not willing to budge apparently at least they haven't been able to come to an agreement and then we hear this morning that the Rams have given Ernest Jones agents permission to seek a trade and kind of shocking news really strange news what does this mean for the Rams roster they inside linebackers what does it mean for Ernest Jones let's get into that a little bit first let's look at this from Ernest perspective he is the 13th highest paid Ram Colby Parkinson Demarcus Robinson Darius Williams a Jackson the suspended a Jackson all players making more than Ernest Jones so you can kind of see where he's coming from and on the inside linebacker uh rankings as far as salary goes he is buried not in the top 40 guys like Matt Milano making 12 million a year Demarcus Davis 9.3 million so it perfectly it makes perfect sense for Ernest Jones to expect a pay raise but look at it from the Rams perspective especially you know they're probably a little bit traumatized from that Todd Gurley extension what do you do with this guy you know it is obviously a great player but if this knee is going to be a chronic thing and potentially end his career early uh it makes perfect sense for them to you know not be really eager to give him an extension they learn their lesson and inside linebacker is not a critical pos position having Ernest Jones in the way he performed in this on this defense was kind of like icing on the cake just a a luxury for this defense but we've been spoiled by his performance last year he a great year so I get it Ernest Jones wants a raise but I also get it from the ran perspective dude we're really sorry about this but we're not going to do it um at this point in the season even if his knee was healthy but um given the knee the concern about his knee if the information we have is true that he is struggling with that knee again man how much information do we really have on that that though is there some politicking going on by the Rams regarding his knee if so you know it hurts them in their negotiations with Ernest Jones it certainly does not help them if they're trying to work out a trade so let's talk about it from a worst case scenario they move on from Ernest Jones who do they got Omar Spates is going to have to step in and and he's going to have to help this defense I don't think you can roll with Christian roseboom and Troy reer they would be okay we can get by with them Jacob Hummel as well but I'd really be looking at Omar Spates as a guy that's going to have to step up and you know steep learning curve jump in and contribute to this defense I think he has what it takes I think he really does um he had a really good season at Oregon transferred to LSU not the best year that hurt his draft status but he has what it takes to be a starting linebacker is he an Ernest Jones caliber inside linebacker probably not but he is the only linebacker on this roster aside from Ernest Jones that can really create Havoc make splash plays and uh you know carry the load as a starter the number one linebacker in this defense maybe maybe I'm exaggerating maybe I'm just being a little uh hopeful here overly hopeful that Omar Spates can step in but you know not really excited about a defense with uh Hummel Rose boom and reer rotating through there although you know Troy reer did start I don't know if he actually started but he contributed significantly to a Super Bowl win over the Bengals now I'm going to do some second guessing here should the Rams have drafted an inside linebacker over the last two years 2023 it might have been tough all the picks they had you know they went with Warren McLendon Davis pukaa and then Nick Hampton with a guy like Henry tutu out of Alabama he's a starter for the Texans now probably butchered that last name hey you look at the spelling you tell me how to pronounce it um so yeah hey hindsights 2020 is uh Henry out of Alabama would he have been a sensible pick rather than Nick Hampton who knows but given the current situation I if they were to move on from Ernest Jones uh I think Henry would be of more value to the Rams and Nick Hampton the Silent Assassin sorry Nick it's all about balance on this roster we seem to be actually you're in pretty good shape on the edge potentially and then in 2024 this year's draft you know should they have selected someone like Cedric gray uh or Tyrese Knight Gray drafted by the Titans Knight by the Seahawks a lot of people think the Seahawks overdraft dra it knight uh Cedric gray um he's very similar to Ernest Jones in a lot of ways I think so um the Rams could have selected one of those guys rather than the safety cam kinchin again hindsight's 2020 but you know maybe the Rams should have took that route especially in 2024 um kinch's probably not going to start right away uh eventually could be a very good player but in hindsight I wish they had drafted it an inside linebacker so we'll see where this goes over the next couple of days um Jones will likely be on the 53 man roster unless something happens real quick and maybe he'll end up sticking with the Rams if the Rams end up trading or releasing him obviously be a trade uh only a $200,000 cap hit thereabouts so not a big deal for the Rams um as far as the salary cap go those dead hits and such but hopefully they'll figure something out or you know Jones will just decide to stick it out for the Rams and see how things roll with this team and the Rams will see how his knee is over the first half of the season and maybe end up given him an extension uh I think that's Les need's preference and I think he had stated as such no extension for Ernest Jones till uh later in the year possibly even after the season we'll see how that that goes Ernest Jones hoping he sticks around but it's going to be interesting to see what happens with this Rams inside linebacking Corp over the next couple of days the Rams have also notified Boston Scott that he will be released and word on the street is from Rams insiders is the Rams will be going with three running backs so this does not mean Zack Evans beat out Boston Scott it means Boston Scott is G being given an opportunity to sign elsewhere Zack Evans will be waved likely and pushed to the practice squad assuming no one picks him up so the first tweak of our roster is here and you know I called out the fact that Boston Scott was playing in this final preseason game was not a good look for him not very promising for him but I still thought he'd make this roster just thought it was really strange that he was out there and that sha McVey had said he's going to get a heavy load and sure enough should have went with with my instincts and predicted this I would have looked so smart if I had done that but I did not I still thought it would be Boston Scott on this roster with a slight chance Zack Evans would beat him out and I did say that maybe they'd Carry Three running backs but I didn't really dwell on that idea very long maybe I should have looks like the Rams will be carrying three running backs and we'll have to see if that means seven wide receivers including Xavier Smith how however if we apply the same logic that I should have applied to Boston Scott playing meaning he's not going to make the roster maybe that means the same for Xavier Smith we'll find out soon enough other Cuts filtering in and by the time you hear this I probably already have fallen behind keeping up with all these Cuts got to post this pot at some point oan matthysse the first of the rims 14 2023 draft picks to get cut there will probably be a couple more I have a feeling but matthys you know I thought he was kind of quiet when he was out there Pro Football Focus thought he played pretty well though I thought he'd make this roster but with Brennan Jackson finally getting on the field that pretty much determined mata's fate I think as far as the 53 man roster goes hopefully he gets through waivers and the Rams can get him on the practice squad another guy I thought would make this roster at least my most recent initial 53 Carlos Watkins apparently outplayed by Corey Duran I think that's what it means Corey Duran will be on this roster Watkins will not not sure about lurel meres he will factor into that decision meres could go on IR to be designated for return after four weeks hopefully other Cuts none of these two surprising quarterback dresser win offensive lineman Matt casy Blake Larson Alec Lind strm and Grant Miller cornerback cam McCutchen and the running back they just signed the other day saw Rod rck Thompson all cut the last two cuts I am aware of Ola kunle fatukasi that linebacker we all starting to fall in love with he has been cut as is JJ Lop had that game-winning touchdown they're both cut as well and both have a good shot at the practice squad I think especially fatukasi so as sit here on a late Sunday afternoon this is how I see things playing out Rams have about 46 locks and seven open spots remaining how are they going to fill them well quarterback situation is pretty much settled they got their two guys running back looks like three guys are going to make this roster Williams corm and rivers someone speculated that the rants would cut Ronnie Rivers as well that is not going to happen they will wave Zack Evans however and roll with three running backs wide receiver they got their six guys Xavier Smith is he going to be at it and is there possibly a trade for tutu in the works it just speculating here to me it just makes so much sense tied to end I have two guys locked in and either Hunter long Miller for stall or Nico kenck is going to get that third spot we've been thinking Hunter long all along and it's probably going to be Hunter long but forestal and kenic both made a case for themselves along the offensive line eight guys and that's not including a LC Jackson will they add AJ a curry or pick up someone else off the waiver wire and remember what could happen is they add AJ a curry and then two days later a curry gets weighed for someone they like more this type of thing has happened in the past and it can be devastating to these guys guys make the 53 man roster only to be released two days later when someone else becomes available that their team likes more and that could happen to a couple of these guys on the Rams initial 53 defensive line we have our four guys then you have Corey Duran lurel meres and daswan Johnson two of these guys will make the roster meres could go on that short-term IR as I mentioned I think Duran and dhwan Johnson could both be at at Rams could go seven deep here we'll see and outside linebacker we should probably count Nick Hampton as the fifth guy with matthys being cut linebacker inside linebacker that is four guys that's including Ernest Jones we've kind of settled on that number for a couple of days now and defensive back I have eight guys penciled in and hanging out there with a good shot at this roster Josh Wallace Charles Woods Jaylen MC shouldn't count out cam lampin Trey Tomlinson and maybe even Jason Taylor I think two of them for sure possibly three I'm thinking Maka and either Wallace or Woods or all three of them we'll be back tomorrow going to be lots of updates flying in and I will probably post on the YouTube channel if anything exciting happens otherwise look for another drop Tuesday morning and then the Tuesday night ground table [Music] that's going to do it for this episode remember you can reach us at Rams up Podcast gmail.com and don't forget about our YouTube channel our handle is at laams up.com till next time keep the horns up stay safe and have fun out there