Los Angeles Rams fans may have visions of wide receivers Alshon Jeffery or DeSean Jackson decked out in blue and white in 2017.
General manager Les Snead, however, already may have laid out a more conservative strategy for the team’s free-agency plans at wideout.
In a question-and-answer interview last month with the Los Angeles Times, Snead talked about improving the position via free agency and whether the team would explore the big names of the available players.
(Los Angeles Times): Fans want a home-run hitter. They want a legitimate No. 1 guy. You have cap space but in the last few years have not been real aggressive making a big-time splash through free-agent acquisitions. Is this a year, with receivers like DeSean Jackson and Alshon Jeffrey out there, that you might become more aggressive?
(Snead): This is the year because we do think, ‘Hey, our young team’s at the point where we’re re-signing people and they’re into their veteran phase of life.’ Now you sprinkle in veterans, and it doesn’t have to be a huge splash, but it might be two players for one that help. If you’re talking about receivers in the passing game, one’s great but maybe two actually help it better.
So instead of a Jackson-Tavon Austin pairing, the Rams might explore a pairing of Michael Floyd (formerly of the Arizona Cardinals and New England Patriots) and Cordarrelle Patterson (Minnesota Vikings), who combined for about $4.3 million in salary last year. L.A. also could look for a tight end that could fit in, such as the Atlanta Falcons’ 31-year-old Jacob Tamme or the Dallas Cowboys’ Gavin Escobar, 25.
Rams Headquarters previously suggested that the team give a closer look at former New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz, to see if he has anything left after suffering a torn patellar tendon during the 2014 season. The team certainly could use his veteran leadership, and he might be willing to accept less money for the chance at a more prominent role on a team.
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