Nachdem wir für Holt nichts bekommen werden, wurde auch Pace entlassen:
pfwThe St. Louis Rams have announced that tackle Orlando Pace, the No. 1 overall pick in the 1997 draft, has been released.
We recently were told that the Rams had been “trying like hell” to trade Pace. Howard Balzer of the Sports Xchange pointed out earlier today that the move will save the Rams $5.975 million against the 2009 salary cap.
“I can’t begin to thank Orlando for all he has meant to the Rams organization, since we selected him with the first overall pick in the 1997 draft,” said Rams Owner/Chairman Chip Rosenbloom in a team-issued release. “It is never easy to end a relationship that has had as much success as ours, but in the best interest of Orlando and the Rams, we feel now is the right time. As a Super Bowl Champion and seven-time Pro Bowler, he has been a true professional and will always go down as one of the finest Rams of all time. We wish him, Carla and their children the very best as they move onto the next chapter of their football journey.”
It remains to be seen where that next chapter unfolds. Injured for much of 2006 and 2007, he played most of last season.
Though he’s no longer among the best left tackles in the game, he’s better than most left tackles on most other NFL teams.
Our guess is that the Raiders, who cut Kwame Harris and who opted not to sign Khalif Barnes, could be interested. The Bengals might eyeball Pace, who went to Ohio State, as a possible replacement for Stacey Andrews.
The Ravens also are looking for tackles. The Vikings might be interested in Pace as an option on the right side, given that they were believed in some circles to be interested in making a run at Carolina’s Jordan Gross.
In Kansas City, Pace would provide instant leadership in the locker room, and give 2008 rookie Brendan Albert more time to develop.
Bottom line? If T.O. got another job in two days, Pace should be able to find a new home just as quickly.
Zumindest ein paar Lateroundpicks hätts für beide schon geben müssen...
Ich wollte nur darauf hinaus, dass wir nicht zwangsläufig einen OT in Runde 1 brauchen. Ob in den späteren Rundn dann ein LT oder ein RT gedraftet wird, hängt davon ab, wie die Coaches die vorhandenen Back-Ups einschätzen...