Minor NFL Transactions: 6/11/16
Today’s minor moves, which we’ll keep updated throughout the day:
- After suffering a torn ACL and MCL, Louis Trinca-Pasat has been waived-injured by the Lions, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. The undrafted defensive tackle didn’t see the field in 2015.
- The Rams have signed long snapper Jeff Overbaugh, tweets Wilson. The former San Diego State standout had been attending OTAs on a tryout basis.
Rams Sign Entire Draft Class
The Rams announced that they have signed their entire 2016 draft class. It was long expected that the Rams would all sign their rookies on the same day in June, as the team has done in recent years. 
This morning, word leaked out that the Rams and No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff had agreed to terms on his contract. Of course, thanks to the rookie slotting in the latest CBA, contract negotiations are, by and large, pretty painless. The only exception to that is in the third round where there is a little more wiggle room between players and teams, but the Rams did not have any third-round picks in this year’s draft thanks to the massive haul of picks they sent to the Titans in order to select Goff.
After Goff, the Rams’ next highest draft pick was Western Kentucky tight end Tyler Higbee. In the weeks leading up to the draft, Higbee made headlines for all the wrong reasons when he was charged with second-degree assault. One scout expressed concern about Higbee shortly after he was selected by L.A.:
“He is a major partier,” said the anonymous scout. “That was his big problem, despite the arrests. He has a lot of maturing to do, and I’m not sure he can mature fast enough.”
The 23-year-old was considered a potential third-round talent, but the charges predictably impacted his stock. Higbee caught 48 passes for 563 yards and eight touchdowns last season but missed five games due to a knee injury. When asked about the injury at his pro day, the WKU product told reporters he was 75-80% recovered.
Here is the complete rundown of the Rams’ entire 2016 draft class:
- 1-1: Jared Goff, QB (California)
- 4-110: Tyler Higbee, TE (Western Kentucky)
- 4-117: Pharoh Cooper, WR (South Carolina)
- 6-177: Temarrick Hemingway, TE (South Carolina State)
- 6-190: Josh Forrest, LB (Kentucky)
- 6-206: Mike Thomas, WR (Southern Mississippi)
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Rams Hoping Nick Foles' Trade Value Increases
- The Rams have yet to trade Nick Foles because they believe that his trade value could increase a bit once training camp begins, Breer hears. At that point, rival teams will have injuries under center and other clubs may find that their backups aren’t coming along as planned.
Rams Working On Extensions For Fisher, Snead
Contract extension talks for Rams head coach Jeff Fisher and GM Les Snead are expected to pick up over the next couple of months, Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News tweets. The Rams have been in extension talks with both men since late February. 
[RELATED: Rams To Formally Sign Jared Goff Today]
On the surface, news of extension talks are a bit surprising given the Rams’ lack of success under Fisher and Snead. In his four years at the helm of the Rams, Fisher’s teams have compiled a 27-36-1 record and have never gone .500 or better during an individual campaign. The Rams finished 7-9 last season during their St. Louis swan song, which was the third time they’ve won seven games under Fisher. However, after moving halfway across the country, owner Stan Kroenke apparently wants to ensure some stability going forward.
There’s no word yet on possible length or financial compensation for Fisher or Snead. Fisher is currently among the NFL’s highest-paid coaches at $7MM annually and almost certainly tops the league when it comes to dollars-per-win.
Prior to joining the Rams, Fisher experienced success atop the Titans organization, going 142-120 in 17 years and helping lead the club to six playoff appearances and a Super Bowl XXXIV berth to conclude the 1999-2000 season. Of course, the Titans lost that game, 23-16, to Fisher’s present-day employer, the Rams.
Snead, meanwhile, got his start as the pro scout for the upstart Jaguars in 1995. In 1997, he took the same position with the Falcons while also serving as their director of pro/player personnel. Prior to the 2012 season, the Rams hired Snead after parting ways with Billy Devaney.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Rams To Sign No. 1 Pick Jared Goff Today
No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff is expected to sign his four-year contract with the Rams today, according to sources who spoke with Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The deal will be worth about $28MM, as his slot dictates. The Rams, as expected, have waited until June to sign players in their rookie class. 
[RELATED: Stedman Bailey Clears Waivers]
Goff, considered the most polished quarterback prospect in this year’s class by many analysts and observers, threw for nearly 8,700 combined yards and 78 touchdowns during his final two years in college. In 2015, he established new personal bests by completing 64.5% of his passes and throwing for 4,714 yards and 43 TDs.
While some experts the upside of No. 2 overall pick Carson Wentz over Goff’s, our Rob DiRe ranked the Cal product as his No. 1 prospect at quarterback, writing that Goff’s “ability to work in a crowded pocket and deliver the football from unorthodox angles” is part of what makes him special.
After drafting a potential franchise running back last year in Todd Gurley, the Rams added another possible franchise player to their backfield in an attempt to fortify an offense that has frequently let down a talented defense in recent years. In their trade up to No. 1, the Rams received a 2016 fourth-round pick (No. 113), and a 2016 sixth-rounder (No. 177) in their deal with the Titans. However, the cost to acquire those three picks was steep — Tennessee got the Rams’ first-rounder this year (No. 15), two 2016 second-round picks (Nos. 43 and 45), a 2016 third-round pick (No. 76), and first- and third-round picks for 2017.
With Goff now in the mix, the Rams will have some decisions to make at the quarterback position. The team currently has Case Keenum, 2015 third-rounder Sean Mannion, and veteran QB Nick Foles on the depth chart. Foles is reportedly unhappy about the Rams taking Goff and coach Jeff Fisher says that Foles probably won’t be in L.A. for long.
Photo via Pro Football Rumors on Instagram.
Stedman Bailey Clears Waivers
WEDNESDAY, June 8: Bailey has officially cleared waivers and will revert to the team’s non-football injury list, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
TUESDAY, June 7: The Rams have waived receiver Stedman Bailey with a non-football injury designation, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Bailey, of course, is still recovering after being shot in the head last fall, and Los Angeles would like to keep the 25-year-old in the organization in a non-playing capacity.
That will only happen in Bailey clears waivers, but given that his NFL career is unlikely to resume any time soon, he is likely to go through the waiver process unclaimed. Being waived with an NFI designation is similar to being waived with an injured designation, in that the club will keep the player if he isn’t claimed by another team. As Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap explains, most players on the NFI list aren’t compensated, or are paid at a lesser rate, but it’s fair to assume that the Rams are taking care of Bailey.
Though Rams head coach Jeff Fisher has said that Bailey’s NFL career is likely finished, Bailey hasn’t been willing to accept that outcome, and has met with doctors as part of the “evaluation process” in recent months. Bailey, a former third-round pick, has been attending Los Angeles’ OTAs as a spectator, but with reports indicating that he wouldn’t be cleared for the 2016 season, it made sense for the Rams to open up his roster spot.
Los Angeles made a handful of other roster moves today, cutting defensive lineman Doug Worthington, linebacker Zach Hodges, and wide receiver Kain Colter, Wilson reports (Twitter link).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Rams Want To Trade Nick Foles Before Start Of Season
- The Rams hope to trade quarterback Nick Foles before the beginning of the 2016 season, according to Cole. Los Angeles has plenty of quarterback depth after drafting Jared Goff first overall and re-signing restricted free agent Case Keenum, and Foles looks to be the odd man out. After drawing trade interest at draft time, Foles is sitting out OTAs in order to register his displeasure with the Rams. Because Los Angeles has already paid Foles his guaranteed $6MM roster bonus, an acquiring club would only be the hook for his $1.75MM base salary, not an exorbitant price for a backup quarterback. The Jets, per Cole, have not inquired on Foles’ availability.
Rams To Sign Cam Thomas
The Rams have agreed to terms with defensive tackle Cam Thomas, his agent David Canter announced (Twitter link). The six-year NFL veteran has been on the free agent market since March when his two-year contract with the Steelers expired.
Signed to act as a cog in the middle of Pittsburgh’s 3-4 defense, Thomas never became a key factor in the Steel City, starting only 10 games during his time with the club. After playing on more than 40% of the Steelers’ defensive snaps in 2014, Thomas struggled to get on the field in 2015, seeing action on less than 17% of plays. A 330-pound run stuffer is never going to generate much in the way of traditional stats, but Pro Football Focus wasn’t a fan of Thomas’ work last season, assigning him below-average grades against both the pass and the run.
Nevertheless, the 29-year-old Thomas, who spent the first four years of his career with the Chargers, can still find a role as an early-down player in today’s NFL. Thomas has 85 games of experience under his belt, and he didn’t go completely unnoticed on the open market, as he took a March visit with the Seahawks. Seattle ended up re-signing its own defensive tackle free agent, Ahtyba Rubin, and Thomas has languished in free agency since.
Thomas isn’t a lock for the Los Angeles roster, as the Rams will field Aaron Donald and Michael Brockers in their starting lineup, while fellow free agent signee Dominique Easley is probably safe thanks to his youth and upside. Thomas, then, will have to compete with Ethan Brooks and Louis Trinca-Pasat in order to secure a spot on the Ram’s final 53.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Rams Sign Dylan Thompson
- After being cut by the 49ers a month ago today, quarterback Dylan Thompson has signed with the Rams, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), who notes that Los Angeles could be stockpiling arms in anticipation of trading or releasing Nick Foles.
Rams Notes: Bailey, UDFAs
- Stedman Bailey isn’t likely to be cleared for the 2016 season after being shot in the head last fall, but he is attending Rams camp and working as a “de facto coach,” according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com. Head coach Jeff Fisher said last year that Bailey’s NFL career was likely over, but the wide receiver hasn’t accepted that outcome, as he’s continued to meet with doctors while hoping to make a return. Per Wagoner, Los Angeles will likely move Bailey to the non-football injury list at some point (as they did last season), allowing Bailey to remain a part of the team while simultaneously clearing a roster spot.
- Bailey won’t be a part of the Rams‘ receiving corps, but the club does like its group of undrafted wide receivers, as Wagoner writes in his latest mailbag. Nelson Spruce, Marquez North, Paul McRoberts, and Duke Williams are four players that have been repeatedly mentioned to the ESPN scribe as standing out at camp, though there obviously won’t be room for all of them on the roster. Tavon Austin, Kenny Britt, Brian Quick, and fourth-round rookie Pharaoh Cooper figure to be locks for the club’s final 53.