ProFootballWeekly.com
asks personnel expert Joel Buchsbaum for his thoughts on the hottest topics in
football.
Rams lose another offensive lineman
St. Louis lost its second right tackle of the offseason when Rod Jones signed a
three-year, $4 million contract with Washington. Jones, 28, backed up Ryan Tucker with the
Rams but moved into the starting lineup in the postseason and started in Super Bowl XXXVI.
He is expected to play guard for the Redskins. Tucker was cut by the Rams in late
February.
Buchsbaum: The Rams, at present, appear to be playing Russian roulette with Kurt
Warner’s well-being. Keeping Warner healthy has got to be the top priority in St.
Louis. Yet during the offseason, the Rams have let Ryan Tucker, their starting right
tackle, go. Now, they’ve lost Rod Jones, who filled in for Tucker and started at the
end of the year. That means they have only one experienced tackle on the roster in OLT
Orlando Pace.
For now, John St. Clair, a starting center in college who has never started a game at
tackle or anywhere else in the NFL, is penciled in as the starting right tackle for the
Rams. Many people question if he’s got the feet to do the job.
As for Jones, he goes to Washington, where he’ll be moved from tackle to guard. He
can be a very powerful inside presence at guard, but inconsistency has haunted him
throughout his career. He also has had some personal issues to deal with off the field.
Niners sign ex-Bears SS Parrish
After deciding that SS Lance Schulters would cost too much to re-sign, the 49ers
switched gears and signed unrestricted free agent Tony Parrish to fill that position.
Parrish, 26, was a four-year starter with the Bears. He will sign a five-year, $12.025
million deal with San Francisco that includes a $3 million signing bonus. The Niners also
added to their depth on the defensive line by signing ex-Rams backup DL Sean Moran. Moran,
28, is a six-year veteran who can play both end positions and tackle. He signed a
three-year, $2.4 million deal with a $400,000 signing bonus.
Buchsbaum: The 49ers did a very nice job of replacing Lance Schulters at safety with
Tony Parrish of the Bears. Some scouts prefer Schulters, some prefer Parrish as the better
player. Parrish is a force vs. the run, a big hitter and an adequate cover man. He’s
very similar to another University of Washington safety, Lawyer Milloy of the Patriots. If
Parrish picks off a few more passes, he’ll get some Pro Bowl consideration, and he
may do just that with San Francisco.
The 49ers also added one of the Rams’ backup defensive linemen, Sean Moran. Moran
is an undersized overachiever with a great motor who just doesn’t stop coming.
Lions sign ex-Ravens SS Harris
Corey Harris, 32, was a starter on the Ravens’ Super Bowl team two years ago and
is a 10-year NFL veteran. He will sign a three-year, $3.1 million deal, including a
$650,000 signing bonus, with Detroit. This is the Lions’ second safety signing of
free agency after inking ex-Dolphins FS Brian Walker to a deal earlier in the offseason.
Buchsbaum: What Detroit’s doing is hard to figure. If the Lions are rebuilding,
why are they signing a strong safety for three years, in Corey Harris, who’s 32 years
old and has lost a step? Harris is still a respectable player, but he’s more the type
of player that a team looking to win this year goes for than a rebuilding team. He’s
another loss off the Ravens’ defense, which has been totally savaged this offseason
by free agency and cap-related cuts.
It’s not inconceivable that the Ravens could go into next season with eight new
starters on their defense. However, unlike the Rams last year, Baltimore doesn’t have
three first-round picks to rebuild the defense this year. |
