NEW ORLEANS (AP) —Saints are anything but risk averse.After all Los Angeles Rams Jerseys 2019 , Payton’s Saints won a Super Bowl with the help of a surprise onside kick nine years ago, and now New Orleans is one home victory away from its first Super Bowl since then — thanks to a pair of aggressive and pivotal fourth-down play calls when the Saints were trying to come back from a two-touchdown deficit.“We needed to shift momentum and we were able to, fortunately, and take advantage of it,” said Payton, who’s bound to carry that approach into the NFC title game against the Los Angeles Rams next weekend.Facing fourth-and-short on their own 30, Payton called for a fake punt on which third-string quarterback and special teams virtuoso Taysom Hill took a direct snap as the up back.So when the Saints faced another fourth down on the Eagles 2 later that same drive, it only seemed fitting that they dialed up a touchdown pass from Drew Brees to rookie receiver Keith Kirkwood instead of settling for a field goal.That marked the beginning of 20 unanswered points scored by New Orleans in a 20-14 triumph in the divisional round of the NFC playoffs on Sunday.“It’s that play-to-win mentality,” Brees said. “I’ve been with Sean long enough now to say that he’s always been like that. From ’06 until now, I think it’s something that he knows the offense and the team feeds off of.“When you get that in guys’ minds that we are going to be aggressive, we are going to play to win, it allows guys to relax and cut loose,” Brees added.Payton’s gambles often occur with Hill on the field, perhaps because they seem to think alike. Hill had the option to check out of the fake and let the snap sail to punter Thomas Morstead if the defensive alignment looked unfavorable. But Hill was in no mind to wait for a better opportunity. He had seemingly nowhere to go when he got the ball, and powered through anyway.“At the end of the day I’m going to error on being aggressive. I’m going to error on taking the opportunity to create some momentum and have a game-changing play for sure,” Hill said. “It’s all about taking calculated risks. It’s finding that balance and that was a look that I felt like we could get it. That was a look that the coaches felt like we could get it, and I think at the end of the day it shows how much trust coach has in us.”Eagles coach Doug Pederson said the Saints’ risk-reward propositions had less to do with the element of surprise than simply New Orleans ability to call a good play situationally and execute.“You kind of expect it in that situation,” Pederson said. “You’ve just got to be prepared for that. We had our defense stay on the field. It was a great play by them.”Some other story lines surrounding the Saints’ first divisional round playoff victory since their last Super Bowl title in the 2009-10 season:LOST LEADER: The Saints stopped short of confirming that top defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins would miss the rest of the postseason with a low leg injury in the area of his Achilles, but when he punched the turf before being carted off the field Greg Gaines Jersey nfl draft , it looked serious. Afterward, Payton and players insinuated that Rankins’ injury was season-ending.“It’s gut wrenching,” Payton said. “He’s played so well for us.”Rankins was a first-round draft choice in 2016 and his eight sacks this season ranked second on the team .“To see him go down really hurt,” fellow Saints defensive lineman Tyeler Davison said. “But I think it’s going to give us some fuel as well to play for him and pull this thing out for him.”ALSHON’S ABBERATION: Normally reliable Eagles receiver Alshon Jeffery might have been the least likely candidate to have an accurate Nick Foles pass bounce off his hands and into the waiting arms of cornerback Marshon Lattimore in the final minutes, sealing the result right when Philadelphia was threatening to take a lead in the final minutes.Jeffery dropped to the turf, face down, after the turnover, but the Eagles tried to console him. Before that fateful play, Jeffery had five catches for a team-high 63 yards.“He’s so down, but for me it’s about staying positive,” Pederson said. “He’s made many, many big catches for us throughout the season…I told him to keep his head up and don’t let one play define him.”GROUND GAINS: The Saints outgained the Eagles 137-49 on the ground, with the elusive Alvin Kamara rushing for 71 yards, including a 12-yard, first-down run that let the Saints run out the clock. The hard-charging Mark Ingram added 53 yards. The running back tandem also combined for six catches for 44 yards.WORN DOWN: If it wasn’t tough enough for the Eagles to have three defensive starters — end Michael Bennett, tackle Fletcher Cox and cornerback Rasul Douglas — leave the game intermittently with minor injuries, Philadelphia’s defense also spent far more time on the field than the Eagles would have liked. During the last three quarters, the Saints possessed the ball for more than 32 minutes and had one 92-yard drive that took 18 plays — or more than 20 plays when counting plays wiped out by penalties.Brees pointed to that possession as “the turning point in the game.” There are going to be a lot of quality free agents when the FA period opens. Who could the Rams be eyeing? Let’s find out below."With the NFL’s free agency period approaching, many veterans are slowly being released and told they wont be employed by their current teams heading into the 2019 season. The Los Angeles Rams are no different Cheap Greg Gaines Jersey , though they have yet to actually cut/let anybody go like some other franchises.It’ll be tough to pinpoint exactly what the Rams are expected to do in free agency because they have yet to re-sign or cut anybody, but let’s take a look at some potential free agents who could be targets, either by former connections or by position of need.Let’s jump into it:Defensive TackleDT Johnathan HankinsHankins is currently a 26-year old who’ll be 27 by the time free agency rolls around. Hankins — who was a stellar player early in his career — has now seen two free agency periods in which he didn’t receive the kind of money he was seeking, both from the Indianapolis Colts and most recently the Oakland Raiders. Hankins settled for a 1-year $2m deal from the Raiders this past year. Hankins is a mammoth of a man at 6’2” and 330 lbs (yeah right). Hankins has 27 tackles-for-loss, 12 sacks, and 220 tackles in his six-year career. The Rams are in flux at the DT position with Ndamukong Suh slated to be a free agent, meaning Hankins could be a low-cost addition that specializes as a run-stuffer.Edge RusherOLB Shaquil BarrettShaq Barrett is a 26-year old edge rusher who never got the chance to consistently start games for the Denver Broncos over the past five seasons because of tremendous depth at the pass rusher position. Barrett — who has years of experience with Defensive Coordinator Wade Phillips — is a solid all-around player who might not “wow” you, but is as dependent as they come. In four NFL seasons, Barrett has amassed 14 sacks, 25 tackles-for-loss, seven pass deflections, seven forced fumbles, and 35 quarterback hits. His current market value according to Spotrac is $7.4m/year, making him a good cost-efficient option should the Rams choose not re-sign OLB Dante Fowler Jr, or choose to supplement the spot across from him.OLB Preston SmithPreston Smith is another mid-tier pass rusher who’s solid but unspectacular, which sort of seems to be the theme for my list. Like Barrett, Smith is only 26-years old and has a logical connection to the Rams’ coaching staff which includes Head Coach Sean McVay, Defensive Line Coach Bill Johnson, and Linebackers Coach Joe Barry. In four seasons Custom Greg Gaines Jersey , Smith has amassed 24.5 sacks, 29 tackles-for-loss, 13 pass deflections, four interceptions, four forced fumbles, and 59 quarterback hits. Smith is a big-bodied edge with long arms who has started all 48 games in the past three seasons for the Washington Redskins. Spotrac currently has his market value at $11.1m/year.Inside LinebackerILB Brandon MarshallWe have our first “true” veteran on the list as Brandon Marshall (no not the receiver) has been notified today that the Denver Broncos are likely to part ways with him. Marshall is a 29-year old who was the leader of the Broncos’ defense playing on a 4-year $32m contract, meaning the Broncos will eat a $4m cap penalty though ultimately save $5m in total by releasing Marshall. Marshall has been a highly productive player for the Broncos, though he’s been injured in both of the past two seasons (still played 16 games in 2017). In his seven-year career, Marshall has totaled 419 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 21 pass deflections, 28 tackles-for-loss, nine quarterback hits, and four forced fumbles. Marshall obviously has a connection with Wade Phillips, essentially playing his best football under Phillips. In this circumstance, since he was released, Marshall wouldn’t affect the compensatory pick formula if the Rams choose to play that game again.ILB Denzel PerrymanDenzel Perryman is an intriguing case of a great young player who simply cannot remain healthy. In four years in the NFL, Perryman has never played more than 14 games in a season and just recently only played in nine after a serious injury knocked him out for the year. Even then, Perryman has shown a propensity to play at a high level and is still only 25-years old. In four years Greg Gaines Los Angeles Rams Jerseys , Perryman has amassed 233 tackles, four sacks, four pass deflections, 18 tackles-for-loss, six quarterback hits, two interceptions, and a forced fumble. If the Rams choose to take a shot on a powerful and nasty linebacker, Perryman could prove to be a worthy gamble.CornerbackCB Jason VerrettJason Verrett could prove to be the steal of this free agency class, or could just continue his uncanny ability to not remain healthy. Verrett — who’s proven to be a superstar talent on the field — just hasn’t been on it enough. Out of four years in the league, Verrett has only playedin more than four games one year (2015). Injuries — and serious ones at that — are going to be a major hurdle for Verrett to clear, so nobody should depend on him as a starter. If you can afford to sign him as a backup with the potential to remain healthy and ultimately a starter, that could pay off in big dividends. Verrett is only 27-years old and has the versatility and skill-set to play both on the boundary and in nickel. Even though he’s hardly played, he still has five interceptions, 19 pass deflections, and a touchdown on his resume. Not only that, but the Rams’ CB group could look a lot different come next year:SafetyFS Earl ThomasIs there anything to say about the soon-to-be 30-year old superstar free safety that we don’t already know? Earl Thomas is on pace to be one of the best safeties to ever grace an NFL field, so he should absolutely be an option for anyone looking for a safety with unlimited range and an uncanny ability to make game-changing plays. Thomas obviously had a serious injury this season with the Seattle Seahawks which sparked his infamous middle finger to the Seahawks’ sideline (nice) while being carted off picture, so that could be motivation for him to join the Rams given any interest. Not only that, but Thomas’ skill-set has re-invented how NFL defenses play Los Angeles Rams Jerseys Stitched , allowing the Seahawks to play an aggressive cover-1/cover-3 scheme that many teams (including the Rams) try to emulate today. He’s going to cost a lot, but there isn’t a better fit or talent available on the market.FS Tre BostonTre Boston — yes, he’s the guy who blasted two Rams receivers this year when they played the Arizona Cardinals — could be a cheap veteran option if the Rams choose to let FS Lamarcus Joyner walk. Boston is a solid and dependable player on the backend, but for whatever reason had to settle for a 1-year $2.5m contract with the Cardinals last year.FS Glover QuinGlover Quin was just released today by the Detroit Lions, making him a free agent immediately available and ready to sign. Quin is a true veteran in every way possible as he’s 33-years old and has started 16 games every year for the past nine seasons for both the Detroit Lions and Houston Texans. Early in his career, Quin was a nickel cornerback though he eventually made the switch to free safety and flourished. In 10 NFL seasons, Quin has amassed over 85 pass deflections and 24 interceptions, not to mention another 10 forced fumbles and two defensive touchdowns. If the Rams want to add a stabilizing veteran for a decent price and a short-term deal, Quin could prove to be a fantastic addition for the backend of the defense, something similar to what LT Andrew Whitworth was to the offense.This could be considered a “Part One” of an article as I’ll likely update it moving forward in the offseason. As we begin to have re-signings, cuts, trades, and more players reaching the free agency pool, we’ll begin to have a clearer picture of what the Rams intend to do.Who do you guys want to see added?