2021 GMO Draft - UDFA

49ers Sign
Jake Curhan, OT - California

 

Eagles Sign
Jhamon Ausbon, WR - Texas A&M

 

Now I'm done.

 

2 pages before you TD.
Try again

 

F***!!! I forgot to check the F/A signings..lol! damnit Underdog.

 

For my last signing I'll pick up a guy with a cool name that could make the taxi squad.

Chargers Sign
Quinton Bohanna, NT - Kentucky

 

Browns sign Wyatt Hubert, EDGE - Kansas State

 

Competition in training camp! Gotta love that.

 

Whew... survived the meeting with the auditors and already got most of the follow-up requests done.

 

Nice sleeper candidate. Big guy who plays even bigger - huge catch radius. Best comparison name I can think of is Mohamed Sanu.

 

Not as big as Pitts though....What a freak.... Good lord, he beat out DK AND Calvin J on the wingspan. That's unreal... My guess is he will be the one awesome player they always have in Detroit. Sucks to be in that franchise

 

My cat is a Lions fan.

My cat’s an idiot.

 

lol! Gotta feel bad for DET fans, and coming from a CLE fan, that should mean something......

In my lifetime the Lions have always had one superstar on the team, and a Thanksgiving Day game....That's pretty much it.

 

Last two UDFA signings for my squads

Broncos sign Tyler Vaughns - WR - USC (under-rated)

Colts sign Chris Evans - RB - Michigan

 

Houston Texans​

This was a busy off-season. New GM, new Head Coach. And a disgruntled Face of the Franchise who publicly stated he didn't want to be here anymore. I agonized over what to do with the future of this franchise. But ultimately decided that Nick Caserio, a Bill Belichick disciple, would shed the distraction while the value on him was essentially sky high and move forward from there, building a roster that has depth and a desire to win. I shipped out Deshaun for a plethora of valuable assets (three 1's, one 3, CB Donte Jackson, and maybe most importantly DT Derrick Brown). Lovie Smith is our new DC. History says that means a transition to a heavy Cover-2 scheme. For that you have to win with your front 4. I got this vision in my head of Derrick Brown next to an improved Ross Blacklock wreaking havoc inside, and all the things I could do with the extra draft ammo. It's a brand new era in Houston!

Fun sidenote: Came within a "small" cap issue of this deal involving a different team and a different young budding star at DT. But as they say, the rest is history.

FREE AGENCY​

My goal was to make sure I had an option at QB after the trade. A possible stopgap in case I didn't land our QB of the future and/or present in the draft. Aside from that, this team was transitioning to a new coaching staff and new schemes. So I had to add some pieces to make those work while pinching pennies everywhere I could due to lack of cap space. Piece of cake, right?
My plan was to target a known commodity at the QB position. I also needed help at DB, LB's who fit the Cover-2 scheme, and due to roster cuts to get a little breathing room against the cap, I needed affordable starting caliber players at Running Back.

Execution​

Roster Depth:
QB Mitchell Trubisky $6 million (CHI)
QB Brett Hundley Vet Min (ARZ)

RB Mark Ingram $1.05 million (BAL)
RB Wayne Gallman $1.075 million (NYG)
FB Kyle Juszczyk Vet Min (SF)
WR Sammy Watkins Vet Min (KC)
WR Keelan Cole Vet Min (JAX)

LB Tahir Whitehead $1.1 million (CAR)
CB Mackensie Alexander $1.1 million (CIN)
P Jack Fox $625,000 (made probowl in 1st year in league, guessing Tim was asleep [busy AF] on this non-tag)
Traded for CB Donte Jackson and DT Derrick Brown

Final Thoughts: I thought it went well. Weren't a lot of good options in FA at the QB position. I got one I could live with for a year with at least a chance to outperform the low expectations at a reasonable price. Added some capable talent through trade/FA at RB, WR, DT, LB, and CB. All one year signings. Guys that succeed have a shot at 2nd contract. Guys that don't we move on. We started the rebuild up front with Derrick Brown while adding some capable scheme fits in Whitehead and M.Alexander. Also a boatload of draft capital.

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DRAFT
​

My primary goal was to find our QB of the future. Always a must if you don't have one. The secondary goal was to keep it simple and begin adding NFL talent across the roster. I had a likely starting point at DB, where not only were we transitioning to a new defensive scheme, but this team was simply horrible last year, finishing 30th in total defense while simultaneously creating the fewest turnovers in the entire league. That's not how you win football games, in regular season or the playoffs.

1(8) Zach Wilson - QB - BYU
3(3) Richie Grant - S - UCF
4(4) Kary Vincent Jr - CB - LSU
4(17) Kendrick Green - G - Illinois
5(3) Jaret Patterson - RB - Buffalo
6(18) Garret Wallow - LB - TCU
6(28) Javian Hawkins - RB - Louisville
7(3) Adetokunbo Ogundeji - DE - Notre Dame
UDFA Tarron Jackson - DE - Coastal Carolina
UDFA William Bradley-King - DE - Baylor


Zach Wilson needs no explanation. He's a polarizing prospect. But this franchise needs an identity and he's definitely capable of all the throws. He's a bit reminiscent of Patrick Mahomes in some of the off platform and arm strength feats he puts on tape. For better or worse, I don't think it's a secret it's a copycat league to a fault. Well Nick Caserio and co. flirt with disaster here, chasing greatness with what they hope will be the next young superstar signal caller capable of unbelievable plays on a down to down basis.

Richie Grant: He's a center fielder who reads developing plays quite well, has good range, and actually is a fairly sound tackler to boot. He's a bit similar to Justin Reid whom we already have on board. But back to our secondary goal...keep it simple and just add talent (especially on the back end).

Kary Vincent Jr.: Nick Caserio is a Belichick disciple. And there's two things I know for sure about Bill. He never shies away from swinging at DB's in the draft, and he takes his special teams seriously. Vincent can help on both counts. His speed could be an asset on special teams. And as for finding Cover-2 players for Lovie Smith, I personally thought Vincent was incredibly quick to react on tape to plays happening underneath him. And he certainly didn't shy away from flying in to blow up screens and curls before they could develop. Feisty at the catch point, we have high hopes for the impact he could have in this system and on specials.

Kendrick Green: Fun note about him as a man. Helped organize a peaceful rally at Illinois during the black lives matter movement. So he's a natural leader. Notes about him on the field. He's got gifts not every interior blocker does. He moves very well, and brings a physicality with him when he gets to his target. Has some learning to do, some balance issues to clean up breaking down on the move, but I think he's exactly the kind of man and player Caserio would love to fill this roster with. And no one can ever shit-talk the idea of taking shots to improve the protection in front of a franchise QB you just crowned in the Top-10.

Jaret Patterson: Seriously, go look up this dude's story on Youtube. He's been an underdog his whole life. And never let the low expectations stop him from outperforming them three-fold. He looks a bit undersized. But most people who watch his tape will tell you he doesn't play that way. I'm certainly one of them. Has great vision, good pad level, and has that "knack near the goal-line" you always hear about. He could be this year's Kareem Hunt or James Robinson and just ball out like Dallas just took him 4th overall or something.

Garret Wallow: Part of the "500-Club" A.K.A. has 500+ snaps experience on special teams in college. Again, Caserio is a BB disciple so I'm assuming he understands the value of a quality special teams group. Beyond that, Wallow is actually a pretty good fit for the new Cover-2 scheme. He processes quickly and trusts his eyes. He's a bit undersized, but that's not necessarily the problem in today's NFL it would have been 6-12 years ago. Might win our "Will" spot eventually. Should help specials immediately.

Javian Hawkins: This kid is built in the Tarik Cohen mold. Very agile and most LB's will struggle with him in space. He can eventually become a weapon from several spots. In the meantime he can provide KR/PR and RB depth.

Near the end we brought in a bunch of competition for our starting 4-5 off the edge. Almost no one on the roster I inherited is guaranteed a spot on the final 53 in the new scheme, although we do have high hopes for a couple of them. Nonetheless, the name of the game during the offseason program is prove you belong and you're here to compete.

 

Denver Broncos​

The Broncos started the offseason in kind of an odd position. They lost Courtland Sutton (top 3 offensive player) and Von Miller (elite defender) before their 2020 season could even get under way. So between that, and their up and down play from starting QB Drew Lock it's fair to say even their top brass aren't 100% sure what they have heading towards 2021. Their previous GM, the infamous John Elway, brought one championship already a few years ago with Peyton Manning's swan song. But he's decided it's in the team's best interest he step away from the GM position and stick to front office executive type stuff. In comes George Paton, a long-time Vikings exec who is well respected around the league. Without knowing how the front office felt about their prospects going forward, and with only a moderate understanding of Paton's preferences, I sort of tried to balance past Elway behavior with a blend of Vikings recent tendencies and my own personal vision of where the team should head going forward. It's an odd dynamic, to be sure.

FREE AGENCY​

My goal was mostly to try and retain their proven performers so that they could use their draft picks to build around what was already there and get a better view of what they have going forward in 2021. During Paton's time in Minnesota they weren't terribly active in FA (to my recollection), but Elway often wasn't afraid to make a splash previously in Denver. So again, the tiebreaker became kind of whatever I felt like doing.
My plan was to retain important guys (V.Miller/Justin Simmons/Shelby Harris @DL/Tim Patrick @WR). But we had a decent amount of cap space so I wanted to keep an open mind if a pricier new addition could help us in a key area.

Execution​

Mostly successful. The one guy I couldn't retain was Shelby Harris. But the price on him went up quickly. I did the math, realized he had never had more than 6 sacks in a year, and was about to turn 30. Instead of paying him $10 million plus I opted to sign Morgan Fox (LAR / 6 sacks last year and only 26 years old) for only $3 million. I kept J.Simmons, Tim Patrick, and Phillip Lindsay on tags. Lindsay seemed easier to keep than to have to dedicate one of my draft picks to another RB. Asset allocation decision. He's had success with us before. We hope for more 2019 than 2020 going forward from him.

Roster Depth:
S John Johnson $9.8 Million (LAR)
C/G Ethan Pocic $3 Million (SEA)
DL Morgan Fox $3 Million (LAR)
CB Richard Sherman $3 Million (SF)
T/G Matt Feiler Vet Min (PIT)
QB Trevor Siemian Vet Min (DEN)
QB Jameis Winston Vet Min (N.O.)


Final Thoughts: Well...we're in a division with Patrick Mahomes for the foreseeable future. I have one ProBowl safety in Justin Simmons, whom I retained with the franchise tag. But considering DB was one of our 2-3 biggest needs anyway, and the bad luck of facing Mahomes twice per year, it felt prudent to add another ProBowl safety to pair with Simmons. Enter my biggest FA move, a 4 year $9.8 Million AAV pact with John Johnson (LAR). Other depth moves included T/G depth with Matt Feiler (PIT), the veteran CB addition of Richard Sherman, and some interior OL depth with E.Pocic because their draft pick I was low on last year ended up looking pretty unprepared for life in the NFL (Cushenberry). Also added Morgan Fox on a cheap pact coming from the Rams. That might prove to be my smartest dollars >> production move of the off-season.

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DRAFT​

My goal was to play it low key but look for a chance to improve our Quarterback situation. I channeled my inner @Tim (If you don't have that guy, you keep F*%&*n looking until something clicks). Am I crediting the right guy with that stance?? Anyways....Aside from that, I wanted talent at CB, then to add talent to the roster as I saw fit. Other potential depth needs included coverage LB, RT (beyond Ja'Wuan James/Feiler), Edge, IOL, DL, S depth, RB depth.

1(9) Mac Jones - QB - Alabama
2(8) Kelvin Joseph - CB - Kentucky
3(7) Ronnie Perkins - Edge - Oklahoma
4(9) Cameron McGrone - LB - Michigan
5(8) Cameron Sample - DL - Tulane
6(7) Shaka Toney - Edge - Penn State
7(9) David Moore Jr - G - Grambling State
7(11) Brenden Jaimes - T - Nebraska
7(26) Aashari Crosswell - S - Arizona St
UDFA Isaiah Loudermilk - DL - Wisconsin
UDFA Tyler Vaughns - WR - USC

Mac Jones is the star of the show. I "like" him. Haven't scouted him as thorough as I'd like to have. But I believe he's a smart player who knows how to get the ball to his playmakers, take what's given to him, and stay calm under pressure. He showed moxie and leadership winning the job and running away with it at Bama. I believe he fits the mold for Denver more than say a Trey Lance for both Elway and George Paton. Drew Lock has shown flashes, but just isn't that guy in my estimation. We pull the trigger.
Kelvin Joseph is a hyper-athletic and competitive corner from a big program (previously LSU) who has shown serious potential in man coverage. I like his chances to be a starter sooner than later. Has the pedigree, requisite size, and mentality of a feisty outside starting CB.
Ronnie Perkins is developmental depth behind Superstar Von Miller and future stud (we hope) Bradley Chubb. Joins Shaka Toney and Derrek Tuszka as Edge depth.
Cameron McGrone is an LB I happen to like as an all-around backer. I brought him up to Tim a while back and said I see a Devin Bush-lite. Yeah I know, same school, cheap comp. But it's his awareness in zone coverage and aggressiveness toward the line of scrimmage that remind me of Bush. I like him as a coverage option among a young group of guys in Denver. 2021 will be their first real look at last year's late round selection of Justin Strnad also. So we lost Shelby Harris in free agency. He had been productive recently and fit the scheme fairly well. But money said it was time to move on. I "doubled down" so to speak with the FA signing of Morgan Fox, who had a career year last season, and the selection of Cameron Sample. I really like what little I have seen from Sample. He attacks downhill similarly to Shelby Harris, and I think can cause some disruption from the interior. I think he'll fit in our 5-tech rotation in time with some added muscle and can help provide a rush from the inside in nickel and dime situations. Sidenote: It was completely accidental that I selected two guys named Cameron back-to-back. Actually made me laugh. What are the odds...
Added more depth at Edge and S with Shaka Toney and Aashari Crosswell, respectively.
Also went true BPA in my opinion late with both O-line selections. David Moore Jr and Brenden Jaimes are talented enough to push for opening day roster spots and can provide depth behind the starters potentially while continuing to develop with NFL coaching.
Grabbed some BPA UDFA signings who can try to push for that last spot on the roster at either WR or in the DL rotation. Both high effort guys. I think Vaughns is wildly under-rated as an oft-projected UDFA guy.

 

Indianapolis Colts​

So the real life GM solved one problem for me; That was what to do at Quarterback. He traded a 3rd this year, and what will be a 1 or 2 next year to acquire Carson Wentz. I will withhold judgement on whether I love or hate this trade until at least six games into the 2021 season. Truth be told, I like it so far in that our HC has a fairly positive history with him, and that if it's a complete disaster we can make moves to ensure that pick next year stays a 2nd rounder instead of a 1. Genius!
My goals between Free Agency and the draft were to turn our large available cap pool and 6 remaining draft picks into the pieces to make this team a true Superbowl contender, assuming the QB trade brings us a top 12 NFL Quarterback. All moves were made assuming our HC/OC can make that a reality.

FREE AGENCY​

My goal was to fill holes well enough without overpaying that we could go into the draft without having to "Force" a pick at any particular position.
My plan was to succeed there while also making one Big Splash signing if I thought it would genuinely improve our team without mortgaging the future.

Execution​

Big Splash Signed WR Chris Godwin to 4 year deal with average annual value of $15.5 million.

Roster Depth:
LT Russell Okung to 2 year deal worth AAV of $6.75 million
DE Justin Houston to 1 year deal worth $6 million
DE Deatrich Wise to 1 year deal worth $3 million
CB Xavier Rhodes to 1 year deal worth $4.5 million
CB Chidobe Awuzie to Vet Min 1 year deal
S Xavier Woods to Vet Min 1 year deal

Final Thoughts: Huge Success!! Godwin + Michael Pittman + Zach Pascal + Parris Campbell + Nyheim Hines = Dynamic group of weapons for new QB Carson Wentz. Should let our offense be multi-dimensional and allow no defense to focus on only the run or the pass.
Russell Okung, while a bit of an injury risk, is a veteran presence that knows how to handle himself at LT and gives us the freedom not to force a pick there when value says we shouldn't. DB's Rhodes, Awuzie, and Woods give us depth at CB and S so once again, we don't have to force any additions in the draft unless value dictates it's a good idea. On a Vet min deal Awuzie might just outplay recent draft pick Rock Ya-Sin, who takes too many penalties not to be challenged for his starting spot.
Likewise, the additions of Justin Houston (retained) and Deatrich Wise give us some pass-rush options that possibly improve our chances of getting after the QB. But at the very least help us maintain the level of pressure we managed last year, so once again (Have you heard this before?) we don't need to force any picks in the draft unless it's a good idea. Also "won" in that so much of what I did was zero commitment beyond 2021 that we'll have the cap space back for whatever is needed next offseason. I also traded DL Tyquan Lewis for DT David Irving. Small move of depth players, but my personal preference based on upside is Irving providing depth inside on passing downs.

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DRAFT ​

My goal even after my FA moves was to find our LT of the future (shocking, I know), and to try and improve our pass rush. Otherwise I was just trying to provide some quality depth at positions that aren't completely settled. Our GM has shown a penchant for trading back to acquire picks, and to play along I stayed true to that. We moved back from 21 to 34 to gain back the 3rd we lost acquiring Carson Wentz (11th instead of 21st too) and to improve our 6th round placement (2 instead of 22).

2(2) Joseph Ossai - DE - Texas
2(22) Dillon Radunz - OT - North Dakota State
3(11) Quinn Meinerz - IOL - Wisconsin-Whitewater
4(22) Cade Johnson - WR - South Dakota State
5(21) Derrick Barnes - LB - Purdue
6(2) Tre Brown - CB - Oklahoma
7(20) Demetric Felton - WR/RB - UCLA
UDFA Dion Novil - DT - North Texas
UDFA Chris Evans - RB - Michigan

Our GM has shown a dedication to investing in a quality O-line. And also a tendency of trading back to acquire extra picks. I certainly stayed true to both of those in this offseason.
Joseph Ossai: He will be brought along slowly. Has J.Houston, Turay, Banogu, and D.Wise in front of him on the depth chart. But he's a high effort, high character guy who fits everything the Colts are looking for, minus averaging 10+ sacks per season through his last two college campaigns. He's been productive, but there are questions about what his ceiling can be. In a "weak?" DE class, we'll gain value in a trade back and take the gamble that big Joe is just scratching the surface. His personality will certainly fit our team regardless.
Dillon Radunz had a very successful college career at NDSU. He's been a huge Riser in the pre-draft process, and he more than proved at the Senior Bowl that he's capable of handling the jump in competition. Looked about as smooth as any OT present that week. If he needs a little extra time to acclimate, that's why I brought Okung into the fold. Radunz is our LT of the future. Present if he's ready.
Quinn Meinerz: Another senior bowl standout, he was the star of the show honestly. Got talked about all week, and proved he's nasty enough to make every interaction a dog fight. We have our three interior starters set, so my vision for Meinerz was to bring him along slowly with a vision to him being the first guy off the bench at any interior OL position until the time comes that one of our starters is either injured or a cap casualty. Then it's "The Gut's" show. Literally just realized this would give us two OL's we could coin "Big-Q". Awesome!!
Cade Johnson (WR): Well you shouldn't draft a guy based on the senior bowl alone. But Good Lord! Did any of you watch the video I posted of him in the 1-on-1's during senior bowl week? Dude was breaking ankles. Created separation like it was a training video. I think he went about 10 reps versus several different players before there was a pass he didn't snag. No one could mirror him. My vision for him is to eventually steal Parris Campbell's job, since he can't stay healthy enough to lay permanent claim to it. In the meantime he's developmental depth.
Derrick Barnes: He's a bit of a mystery. Didn't get enough publicity to be a proven commodity. Maybe a small reach. But if there's a need I wasn't sure I'd filled by this point it was at our "Sam" Linebacker spot. Obvious Darius Leonard owns the Will spot. I think the team believes enough in Okereke to make him the incumbent at Mike. That likely sticks. But in time, if Barnes proves capable enough, he's welcome to steal that job. In the meantime the team has a bunch of guys drafted late recently who haven't had a chance to prove it. Add Barnes to a deep group, and I'm guessing he wins the Sam job out of the gate. It's the least important LB spot in today's NFL anyways, on the field anywhere from 20% to maybe %37 of the game. Obvious running downs mostly. I do love this guy's physicality and tenacity on tape. And he might succeed on the odd blitz if our DC wants to get creative. He's a handful even for tough OLs.
Tre Brown is going to bring value on special teams while providing depth at nickel CB. Had an impressive week at the senior bowl, showing an ability to mirror, compete at the catch point, and make WR's earn it without being overly handsy. Love his chances to stick in the league.
Took a couple late RB options. Felton almost projects better as a WR/special teamer. Evans is more of your traditional power RB, and he might show some untapped potential for us. Wasn't used lots at Michigan.
DT was a position we didn't address outside of a small depth trade for David Irving. Our other UDFA Dion Novil is raw as hell. And likely ends up on the practice squad. But the kid is a good story in his personal life. Has some explosion and shows some natural power. Just has no idea yet how to manage all his tools. But he could push for reps in 2022 if he doesn't get stolen from us prior to that.

 

Los Angeles Rams
​

In some ways the Rams were both the easiest and the hardest team to play GM for. Their intentions are so obvious, SUPERBOWL or BUST! After the Stafford trade it couldn't be any more clear. The downside is they have so much money tied up in bad deals pursuing or retaining top end talent that they started in what I estimate was one of the three worst cap positions of any team in the league. It meant that we were going to have to make tough decisions early and then be quieter than most in free agency while trying to plug a hole or two. Wouldn't be easy, but at least I knew what my goal was...leave the roster ready to go after the Superbowl right now.

FREE AGENCY​

My goal was to plug a couple holes on the roster (since we're low on draft capital) while being thrifty, because we have no cap room.
My plan was to find one big restructure among the current roster and one big-name cut/release we felt the roster could handle without taking a massive on-field hit.

Execution​

Roster Depth:
Re-Signed CB Troy Hill ($3 Million)
RFA Tagged CB Darious Williams (2nd)
Signed LB Neville Hewitt ($1.2 Million NYJ)
Re-Signed OLB Samson Ebukam (Vet Min)
Signed TE Anthony Firkser ($825,000 TEN)

Final Thoughts: I thought we did quite well within the constraints we were faced with. We restructured one of our most obvious candidates, Aaron Donald, because A) he's obviously staying. And B) The savings would be noticeable. We released longtime LT Andrew Whitworth. It looks significant, but I felt it was our best option because we have an in-house option in Joseph Noteboom, and also I felt at 40 years old that not surprisingly AW's talent was starting to fade. He took penalties at a couple crucial moments last year. I think father time was making it harder for him to keep up with today's explosive younger rushers. Our biggest needs reported everywhere were probably LB, OLB, and CB. No real surprise those were the few signings I managed to muster. Troy Hill was an excellent Nickel for us last year so he was brought back for the SB push. Darious Williams was a "revelation" outside for this team so we made a point to retain him as a valuable RFA. Our BIGGEST need had to be on the 2nd level (either OLB rushers or inside). For that reason it's possible my shrewdest move was the low cost signing of Neville Hewitt. He might not be a household name, or real flashy, but he did a bit of everything for the Jets last year. That experience may be invaluable for this cap strapped team next to the emerging (though maybe unspectacular) Micah Kiser. The cheap re-signing of Ebukam off the edge and the unheralded Anthony Firkser at TE fills a couple holes on the roster so we need not "force" anything in the draft.

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DRAFT ​

My goal after free agency was to add guys who might be able to help immediately in our SuperBowl pursuit. But also, guys who could be ready to take over starting roles by year two because the cap situation in L.A. means we'll have to let big names leave after their contracts expire more often than not. Les Snead is one of the purest believers in playing the "compensatory game".

2(25) Elijah Molden - S/CB - Washington
3(24) Quincy Roche - OLB - Miami
4(15) Tommy Tremble - TE - Notre Dame
4(36) Anthony Schwartz - WR - Auburn
5(17) D'Ante Smith - OT - East Carolina
6(24) James Wiggins - S - Cincinnati
UDFA Nick Niemann - LB - Iowa
UDFA Kayode Awosika - G - Buffalo
UDFA Dez Fitzpatrick - WR - Louisville

Molden was a great situation. A true BPA in my opinion, and also filled a need in that we lost both John Johnson in FA, and probably lose Troy Hill next offseason due to cap constraints. He's a quick reactor and athletic competitor who will likely find his way to meaningful early reps at one position or another.
Quincy Roche at 84 overall made sense for this team. His projections vary a bit from site to site, but I thought he showed a natural ability to rush the passer on tape. I also felt he is a better fit outside for a 3-4 team (which we are) as opposed to a 4-3 base. Due to our lack of proven depth he will likely get an early shot to prove his worth with this Superbowl hopeful sooner than later. Even if we keep him fresh and only bring him in as a pass-rush specialist on 3rd down he will likely see some meaningful reps year one.
Tommy Tremble was a double-down in some ways after the Firkser FA signing. With that said, after losing Gerald Everett in free agency I think the 2nd and 3rd slot behind Tyler Higbee is wide open. Firkser (FA), Tremble (drafted), and the incumbents of Brycen Hopkins (2020 draftee) and Kendall Blanton will have to prove in camp who those roles belong to. Tremble gets a bit of a leg up because of what he can provide as a run-blocker right out of the gate in this physical division.
Anthony Schwartz is a speed demon. He's listed as 6' +, but it's his speed that grabs our attention. Our offense is near the head of the pack in creativity and utilizing movement pre-snap, and I think this guy could be a huge weapon and might have found his single best fit in the NFL with this selection. Long-term maybe he can take over for one of our starters when salary constraints or father-time dictates one has to leave. In the immediate we can have 2 or 3 creative plays per game for him designed to confuse our opponents. His speed has to be honored at all times. (ran a sub 4.3 40)
D'Ante Smith will compete for a starting role likely sooner than later on a deep, but unsettled O-line. He's uber-athletic and shows reasonably pro-ready technique but likely needs to add strength to be a quality NFL tackle. I think he would compete out of the gate for the LT spot with Joseph Noteboom, but likely be a backup swing tackle early on at Right or Left.
James Wiggins: Again, we lost Josh Johnson due to cap constraints. That hurts. Also we don't have a proven (for talent and/or health) starter at both or either Safety positions, or for backup roles. I think among late round options, Wiggins is one of the better ones in terms of overall talent and possible versatility. Between the selections of Wiggins and Molden I think we did a great job prepping our DB group for 2022 when there will be even more fluctuation among our personnel.
Due to cap limitations the Rams were the only team I went to the length of signing a third UDFA for. We need the cheap talent, and the real team is living by it.
Awosika provides some competition inside on what I've already called an "unsettled" O-line. Dez Fitzpatrick had a quality Senior bowl and raised his stock. This team is short on draft assets and because of that UDFA's have a better than usual shot at making the roster. Fitzpatrick can with a quality camp steal the 5th WR spot, and maybe earn more down the line (Woods, Kupp, V.Jefferson, Schwartz, ???).
Nick Niemann is probably the best one of all. Had an eye on him anyways. His tape is pretty decent. Then he put a show on at Iowa's pro-day with some excellent athletic numbers. I mentioned LB was probably LAR's biggest issue going into the offseason and this guy, while unheralded as a UDFA has a legitimate shot among this roster to win a job and surprise earlier than later. I think if I really killed it as GM at only one thing, it was the way I took limited picks and limited cap space and still prepared the defensive back 7 for life in both 2021 and 2022. Quite happy with how that all came together.

 

One formality.

Rams sign Dez Fitzpatrick - WR - Louisville as our 3rd UDFA


Anyone catch my error?? LoL

 

@Torgo @Tim @LAOJoe

I need help with a curiosity that has come up;

Is Reed Blankenship part of this draft class or officially returning to school?