This is the time of year that always drives me crazy...days after the draft. Headlines are always focused on Winners and Losers of the draft, how every team was so lucky to get exactly what they wanted, how certain players will instantly transform a team, why so and so fell so far in the draft and eventually make the other 31 teams pay dearly for the oversight. We get to feel part of the process by investing time evaluating college players as though ROD were Snead’s alternate scouting department. Ever since ESPN started televising the Draft, I’ve happily squandered countless hours pouring over everything football to tide me over until training camp.

But the Ram transformations of 99 and 17 had less to do with drafting impact receivers (Holt, Kupp) than it did with veteran acquisitions (Faulk, Timmerman, Williams/ Whitworth, Woods, Sullivan). Yet the GREATEST impact was the competence of coordinators who knew how to execute an advanced plan for success and develop men previously undervalued (Warner, Fletcher, Goff, John Johnson III).

In short, I no longer focus on the who in the draft because every year Hall of Fame players are drafted late while celebrated picks regularly become busts. Player development and intelligent gameplans create a culture of success that elevates talent into production. To me, the draft only gives insight to the organization’s vision of what they intend to create. With that said, here is my evaluation of this offseason.

Intelligent passion and accountability trumps freakish athleticism for this regime. If you are lightning quick but can’t be where you’re supposed to be and consistently make the play (Tavon, Alec) you have no place on this squad. Conversely, if you have merely adequate measurables but process the game better than your opponent (Kupp, JJ III) we will develop you. If you’re looking to maximize your opportunity to wear a gold jacket someday (Donald, Gurley, Peters, Suh, Joyner, Whitworth) you will find no better place to get the opportunity to fulfill that goal.

This draft class is all about passionate intelligence that transcends physical traits and previous technique and production. Ted Rath will transform their bodies. McVay, Kromer, Phillips, et al will train their minds. They were selected because they had adequate enough athleticism to perform specific roles. The real excitement these kids should have is the opportunity to learn from the best so they can be part of what Martz used to call “a special place in time.”

LACHAMP46 said:

Kizer and Okono....whatever his name is....LOL
Trevon Young
Travin Howard
who else....hmmmmm

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d@mn homer with a stopwatch!

No wonder Irsay drafted him.

BonifayRam said:

One should never question an exceedingly well seasoned Ram fan's knowledge or even a wild guess .....just a very small lesson offered to our fellow younger rapid Ram fans..........

Good :wabbit:there den:bow:.

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I definitely don't ever 2nd Guess The Coach!!!

OC--LeftCoast said:

Kittens you say?

Nice work!

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Hard not to like what we did, especially when you factor in the pre-draft trades! Outside of all the hype on 1st round draft picks, we just picked up two all-pro players and one pro-bowl player at WR & CB + 2nd best DT in all football in FA... I am not sure I have ever seen a better off-season as a Rams fan. Plus, personally, I am glad that Tavon is gone, he summed up everything wrong with the Fisher era - shouldn't have traded up, shouldn't have extended him to a huge deal, should have held him more accountable

I was disappointed we didn't take Settle and didn't like the Allen pick (at that spot). But, it is not like Settle wasn't on their radar and they passed up drafting him on multiple occasions. I will wait and see - Allen is definitely one to watch, because the consensus he is a technician, who would have gone a lot earlier if he was 2 inches taller and ran faster (not exactly key attributes for a center) - once he adds weight and muscle, he might flash early, so I will look forward to hearing and seeing what we have

Thanks guys! Though I don't think they were anywhere near where they were picked it's still nice to see once in a while a dart hits the board and scores. I'm curious the numbers now after 2 years on how many we draft from the senior bowl. I know it's a high percentage.

OldSchool said:

You being salty and spending time on other peoples opinions is 100% on you and nobody else.

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True and fair enough, but the lack of courtesy and disrespect shown by those in failing to address points made with supporting material is on them (and you), so I take offense to such people and my attitude towards them will reflect as such.

If you don't like it, feel free to put me on ignore and I can do the same while citing as much in my signature. If the moderators and anybody else doesn't like it, you guys can have my account deactivated. I'm in no mood to put up with BS nor am I willing to placate nonsensical group think.

RamsFanCK said:

I meant "?" sarcastically of course

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Of course!

lurkallday said:

so wheres the 2019 mock draft

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I usually wait until our season ends or we're out of contention, so I'll hopefully not be doing one until mid-February of 2019.

rams fiannaly get a true NT

jrry32 said:

That's not a RPO. That's play-calling. With a RPO, only the QB knows whether it'll be a run or pass. The HB and OL treat it as a running play. At least one of the WRs runs a passing route. The QB decides at the snap whether to hand it off or throw. Manning was calling plays at the LOS. He was instructing the entire offense on what they would be doing. It's not the same thing.

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Meh. Gotta say after watching a bunch of film, the RPO was used by Manning and to a larger extent Favre. It was used by Young as well. All this bullshit is just talking heads thinking they have a new scheme to talk about. Watch some tape - which I know you have and do - and you will see sight adjustments both pre-snap and with the QB pulling the ball out of the RBs gut WHILE THE O-LINE IS RUN BLOCKING.

This really is nothing ground breaking. I talked to my boss about it and he was saying they were doing it in NFL Europe when he was coaching and it has been a part of the playbook for years.

I don't see ILB as a "serious" need and I doubt WP and the Rams do either. Barron, Littleton, and Wilson are all gonna make the team, so the only guy/spot in jeopardy belongs to Hager. So while I see guys being brought in/picked...an immediate starter is not necessary.

The only real defensive needs are rotational guys--an edge rusher and a true NT. Sure, those guys could end up as starters eventually, but it isn't really necessary for 2018 either.

One more thing I hope the Rams look at is a FS with starting potential just in case we can't re-sign Joyner.

wolfdogg said:

Ahh, but he traded away all his original picks in getting williams. We are taking players with new picks

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But, didn't Ditka have one new pick. The pick he traded all his other pics to get William's? Lol

Elmgrovegnome said:

I thought that was exactly what was happening in round three. OT's were all the rage and most of them were taken much too soon. But OTs are in high demand in the NFL. College spread offenses are not developing them. The are getting to be like QBs taken in round one. Supply and demand. This is a weak OT class.

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No doubt. Just expected it to be a little worse, starting a bit earlier due to so many teams needing the big guys.

jrry32 said:

I'm not a fan of O'Neill.

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Me either. But where they got him, in a draft where I expected more desperation wrt the position, was a nice value.

IMO the Vikes and Rams have probably done the best job among last year's contenders in boosting their teams for this year's run. Vikes probably moreso due to having few glaring holes but getting a good QB fit and a CB who I think will be a perennial pro bowler that late in the first round. Their fans should be pumped.

bubbaramfan said:

With so many NFL teams struggling to field a competent OL, it was pretty clear rams weren't going to find good depth with FA's. Only way to find future talent was in the draft, soo...... Noteboom, Allen. Not sexy but smart moves for the future of the OL.

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this for sure is looking to the future.

I AM LES SNEAD!!! ALL YOUR SIXTH ROUND PICKS ARE BELONG TO US!!!

The only division rival's draft that IMO looks good is the Cardinals.

Shaq Griffin didn't have a disability. Jack Cichey didn't tear his ACL.

I'm just curious, if the 2 statements above were true, where would these guys be drafted? What to you guys think?

I think Griffin in top 15 ala Shazier bc they're exactly the same player in college, same size similar speed.

Cichey is interesting bc his game speed vs big 10 was faaaaast. He kept up with OSU in a 2016 game. I bet he'd have ran between high 4.4s - low 4.5s 40. 7 months after tearing ACL he did agility drills at pro day and ranked 4th of all LBs.. that's insane. Realistically if he didn't tear his ACL and ran that fast? 1st Rd pick.

dang said:

In your mock - how did we get: R6.196.Los Angeles Rams via Kansas City: Will Richardson, OT, N.C. State? I didn't see a trade and we don't currently have that pick.

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They got the pick in the Peters trade.

Prime Time said:

Antonio Gates wants to keep playing, but Chargers won’t bring him back

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That should read:

Antonio Gates wants to keep cashing checks, but Chargers don't want to cut them

MadGoat said:

Pretty funny, but that is also how Rams fans reacted to Brian Quick being drafted.

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Point is these knee jerk reactions...and ugh, "grades" are so dumb. Either side.

Here's some more (LMAO at "I'm done"):

Man, that's a tough one. So vague. We'll never solve it. We'd have a better chance solving this:

There are few people more annoying to me than Gruden. So glad he is out of the MNF Booth. He REALLLLLLY Loves himself.

Karate61 said:

To bad for Whitten. He's the "only" Cowboy I like. All the rest of them and Jerry can take a hike!

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I like Dak Prescott. I don't think he is that great of a QB, and I don't think he is going to have much more than an average career.

But he is a really good dude from everything I've read and heard.

True story. He gave a poor kid his own personal game setup, not sure what type playstation or whatever, when he was in high school because he heard the kid wished he could have one but his family couldn't afford to get him one. That scored a lot of points with me because he didn't grow up

Everyone who knows him speaks highly of him and I've read a couple of interviews.........he's a likable person.

That said I will echo your sentiment about the rest of them and Jerruh taking a hike.

XXXIVwin said:

If Danario Alexander can just stay healthy, and if Fendi Onubun can get some quality coaching-- look out.

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The Rams were always big on projects. Going further back Eric Crouch, & Steve Bellasari (sp?), ex QBs goibg to play other positions. Then later with Fendi, and Danario was a medical project.