Jackie Slater and Jack Youngblood among former Rams to announce draft picks

By Gary Klein

[www.latimes.com]

Pro football Hall of Famers Jackie Slater and Jack Youngblood are among former Rams players who will announce the team’s draft picks on Friday and Saturday.

The Rams do not have a first-round pick in Thursday night’s first round, so their initial selection will be made Friday with the fifth pick in the second round, the 37th overall selection.

The Rams have eight picks in rounds two through seven.

Youngblood, a seven-time Pro Bowl defensive end during a career that spanned from 1971 to 1984, will announce the second-round pick from the draft in Philadelphia. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001. Former St. Louis Rams running back Steven Jackson will announce the third-round pick.

On Saturday, during a draft party for fans at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, former quarterback Vince Ferragamo will announce the first of two fourth-round picks. Former Los Angeles Galaxy star Cobi Jones will announce the other.

Slater, an offensive tackle inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001, will announce the fifth-round pick. The Watts Bears and Carson Pilots youth football teams will announce the Rams’ two sixth-round picks.

The NFL will announce the seventh-round selection.

The draft party will be held Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The team announced that fans selected from those who registered to attend would receive tickets this week.

Along with Slater and Ferragamo, former Rams players LeRoy Irvin, Dennis Harrah, David Hill, Reggie Doss and Mike Lansford are scheduled to attend and sign autographs, the team said.

I will be there during the festivities in Philly and it all seems like it will be a spectacular event!

Excited that Steven Jackson will be announcing our 3rd round pick and I hope I can get to meet him!

Who else will be attending?!

If your not aware, I live in the Philly burbs and every day on the radio and the news on tv the NFL Draft info is first to be mentioned as to the progress of building the stage, road closings, local college players to be drafted from Temple, Villanova, and there projected draft rounds.
It's pretty exciting and i'm getting pumped up. I know a few people going and Im not one of them. I have other thing coming up that I need to spend my entertainment money on, lol. Dirt track racing near Harrisburg, A few Phillies game coming up and the wifes birthday at the end of the week, lol.
They are saying the weather is supposed to be in the 80s and no rain, for this area , this time of year, we are going to be lucky.
For those of you that may be going and your not from the area, make the run up the Art Museum steps like Rocky, eat a cheese steak and a philly soft pretzel with mustard.
Good luck to the Rams and our future picks.

Continued from here ...

http://www.ramsondemand.com/threads/rams-on-the-clock-pick-37.49277/


1. Cleveland Browns- Myles Garrett, Texas A&M DE
2. San Francisco 49ers—Solomon Thomas, Stanford DE
3. Chicago Bears—Jamal Adams, LSU S
4. Jacksonville Jaguars—Leonard Fournette, LSU RB
5. Tennessee Titans—Marshon Lattimore, Ohio State CB
6. New York Jets—Mitchell Trubisky, North Carolina QB
7. San Diego Chargers—Malik Hooker, Ohio State S
8. Carolina Panthers—Quincy Wilson, Florida CB
9. Cincinnati Bengals—Reuben Foster, Alabama LB
10. Buffalo Bills—O.J. Howard, Alabama TE
11. New Orleans Saints—Jonathan Allen, Alabama DL
12. Cleveland Browns—Deshaun Watson, Clemson QB
13. Arizona Cardinals—Patrick Mahomes, Texas Tech QB
14. Philadelphia Eagles—Christian McCaffrey, Stanford RB
15. Indianapolis Colts—Forrest Lamp, Western Kentucky OG
16. Baltimore Ravens—Mike Williams, Clemson WR
17. Washington Redskins—John Ross, Washington WR
18. Tennessee Titans—Corey Davis, Western Michigan WR
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers—Dalvin Cook, RB Florida State
20. Denver Broncos—Garett Bolles, Utah OT
21. Detroit Lions—Derek Barnett, Tennessee DE
22. Miami Dolphins—Jabrill Peppers, Michigan S
23. New York Giants—Takkarist McKinley, UCLA S
24. Oakland Raiders—Marlon Humphrey, Alabama CB
25. Houston Texans—Deshone Kizer, Notre Dame QB
26. Seattle Seahawks—Cam Robinson, Alabama OT
27. Kansas City Chiefs—Haason Reddick, Temple S
28. Dallas Cowboys—Tre’davious White, LSU CB
29. Green Bay Packers—Gaeron Conley, Ohio State CB
30. Pittsburgh Steelers—Jarrad Davis, Florida LB
31. Atlanta Falcons—Charles Harris, Missouri DE
32. New Orleans Saints—Kevin King, Washington CB
33. Cleveland Browns—David Njoku, Miami TE
34. San Francisco 49ers—Budda Baker, Washington S
35. Jacksonville Jaguars—Ryan Ramczyk, Wisconsin OT
36. Chicago Bears—Adoree’ Jackson, USC CB

37. RAMS - Evan Engram - TE - Ole Miss


38. Los Angeles Chargers—Zach Cunningham, Vanderbilt LB
39. New York Jets—Obi Melinfowu, UConn S
40. Carolina Panthers—Taco Charlton, DE, Michigan
41. Cincinnati Bengals—JuJu Smith-Schuster, USC WR
42. New Orleans Saints—Teez Tabor, Florida CB
43. Philadelphia Eagles—Sidney Jones, Washington CB
44. Buffalo Bills—Caleb Brantley, Florida DT (they didn't hear about the assault)
45. Arizona Cardinals—Zay Jones, East Carolina WR
46. Baltimore Ravens—T.J. Watt, Wisconsin OLB
47. Indianapolis Colts—Malik McDowell, Michigan State DL
48. Minnesota Vikings—Dion Dawkins, Temple OL
49. Washington Redskins—Chris Godwin, Penn State WR
50. Tampa Bay Buccaneers—Chris Wormley, Michigan DE
51. Denver Broncos—Dan Feeney, Indiana OG
52. Cleveland Browns—Pat Elflein, Ohio State C
53. Detroit Lions—Chidobe Awuzie, Colorado CB
54. Miami Dolphins—Jordan Willis, Kansas State DE
55. New York Giants—Tyus Bowser, Houston LB
56. Oakland Raiders—Alvin Kamara, Tennessee RB
57. Houston Texans—Taylor Morton, Western Michigan OL
58. Seattle Seahawks—Montravious Adams, Auburn DL
59. Kansas City Chiefs—Joe Mixon, Oklahoma RB
60. Dallas Cowboys—Adam Shaheen, Ashland(Ohio) TE
61. Green Bay Packers—Justin Evans, Texas A&M S
62. Pittsburgh Steelers—Marcus Williams, Utah S
63. Atlanta Falcons—Ethan Pocic, LSU C
64.Carolina Panthers—Desmond King, Iowa DB

65. Cleveland Browns - David Sharpe, OT, Florida
66. San Francisco 49ers - Derek Rivers, DE/OLB, Youngstown State
67. Chicago Bears - Larry Ogunjobi, DT, Charlotte
68. Jacksonville Jaguars - Ahkello Witherspoon, CB, Colorado

The Rams are on the clock with pick 69

Phones are quiet - time to pick one guy.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/04/24/jake-long-announces-his-retirement/

Jake Long announces his retirement
Posted by Darin Gantt on April 24, 2017


AP

Former No. 1 overall pick Jake Long realized that coming back from a torn Achilles as he approaches his 32nd birthday was going to be a struggle.

So Monday, he decided to call it a career.

Long tweeted out his thanks to friends and family, but said he wouldn’t be trying to play again.

“As I continue with my recent rehab,” he wrote, “I realize that although my heart and mind still want to play, my body is telling me something completely different.”

Long signed with the Vikings last year when injuries hit, but was lost for the season in November.

The top pick in the 2008 NFL Draft by the Dolphins, Long also played for the Rams and Falcons. He was a perennial Pro Bowler during his days with the Dolphins, but injuries derailed his career.

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That's not where I figured he would land. Still not done though.

This morning my old iPhone 5S quit on me. I went out and bought a Samsung S7. Gotta say... I hate it. I hate change. I can't figure a damn thing out. I'm sure it has some cool features, but I doubt I'll ever find them. Lol

My opinion may change in a week. But day one sucks.

Deep pool of defensive backs awaits Chargers, Rams in NFL draft


Michigan's Jabrill Peppers (5) breaks a tackle by Iowa's Desmond King, rear, during the first half of an NCAA college football game, in Iowa City, Iowa. Peppers was a Heisman Trophy finalist and projected to be a first-round pick in April. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)
By Rich Hammond, rhammond@scng.com, @Rich_Hammond on Twitter

POSTED: 04/23/17, 8:36 PM PDT | UPDATED: 5 HRS AGO


An NFL team in search of immediate secondary help through this week’s NFL draft will find good news in the first round. And the second round. Third and fourth rounds, also.

Suffice to say, it’s a good year for cornerbacks and safeties - particularly those from Ohio State - and a good chance for both the Chargers and Rams to fill some holes.

If most draft pundits are corrected, the Chargers will have their fingers crossed until it’s their turn to pick at No. 7 on Thursday. It seems natural that the Chargers would grab one of two safeties - Ohio State’s Malik Hooker or LSU’s Jamal Adams - if either is available.


That’s no sure bet. It wouldn’t be shocking to see both safeties go among the first six picks. Adams is a physical beast and Hooker is a great overall talent who got some good news last week. Doctors said Adams’ previously torn hip labrum was recovering as expected.

Hooker and Adams won’t be on the board long, and up to eight other defensive backs are thought, by draft analysts, to have the potential to go in the first round, or perhaps early in the second round.

Other top safeties include Jabrill Peppers (Michigan) and Obi Melifonwu (Connecticut). The top of the cornerback class includes two more Ohio State players, Marshon Lattimore and Gareon Conley, plus Kevin King (Washington), Marlon Humphrey (Alabama), Adoree’ Jackson (USC) and Tre’Davious White (LSU).


It’s not unreasonable to think that an NFL team could wait until the fourth round and still get a quality defensive, and that’s part of the dilemma for the Rams, who first pick in the second round at No. 37.

The Rams are fairly set at cornerback, with Trumaine Johnson, E.J. Gaines, Kayvon Webster and Nickell Robey-Coleman, although there have been strong reports that the Rams might trade Johnson during this offseason if they can’t sign him to a contract extension.

Things are less firm at safety, where T.J. McDonald departed last month. The Rams return Maurice Alexander, who likely will move from free safety to strong safety, and are expected to ask LaMarcus Joyner to move from cornerback to free safety. Beyond that, there’s not much depth.



So the question for the Rams is, do they use that No. 37 pick on a cornerback such as Florida’s Quincy Wilson, or a safety such as Melifonwu, or do they bet - probably accurately - that they can wait a round or two and still land a quality defensive back?

It also will be interesting to see where the Chargers go should both Hooker and Adams be on the board at No. 7. Hooker is a free safety, while Adams is more versatile. No matter what, every team with a first-round pick will have a chance at a quality defensive back.



MALIK HOOKER, S, OHIO STATE >> A former high school basketball star, Hooker clearly is ready for the NFL even after only one season as a full-time starter. He was a first-team All-America pick in 2016 and tied for second in the country with seven INT. Hooker has only average speed but he’s an excellent decision-maker who still, because of his youth, has a lot of room to grow and improve.


Ohio State safety Malik Hooker escaping the grasp of Indiana running back Devonte Williams after intercepting a pass during the second half of an NCAA college football game in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete, File)



JAMAL ADAMS, S, LSU>> Adams seems to be, by far, the defensive-back prospect most ready to “plug and play” from day one in the NFL. He has a pedigree -- his father, George, won the Super Bowl with the New York Giants in 1986 -- and Adams is a tremendously hard hitter and was known as a leader at LSU. He can play both safety positions but still can improve in coverage.



MARSHON LATTIMORE, CB, OHIO STATE>> Lattimore already is a top prospect, and there’s still a high ceiling because of his relative lack of experience. Severe hamstring problems kept Lattimore off the field in 2014 and half of 2015, but he was a star last season. Lattimore is tremendously athletic and speedy and can catch up with receivers on the rare instance when he gets beat.

GAREON CONLEY, CB, OHIO STATE>> Conley perhaps doesn’t have the raw skill of his college teammate, but he has good speed and ball skills. Conley is strong at the line of scrimmage and allowed only a 37-percent completion percentage on passes thrown his way last season.




http://www.dailynews.com/events/201...l-draft?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

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Yikes, i wonder how much this will effect his draft stock.

Link: http://www.jsonline.com/story/sport...draft-wrs-tes-tight-ends-stand-out/100718284/

GREEN BAY - What makes the NFL draft the three-day televised event it has become is the hope it engenders for all 32 teams and their fans.

So let’s think big at tight end, which in the analysis of some personnel people noses out running back as the best position on offense.

“The numbers are unusual,” an executive in personnel for an NFC team said. “Normally there’s two, maybe three guys. This year, there’s probably eight or nine.”

History tells us that not all of them will succeed. Injuries likely will ruin the careers of one or two, and perhaps one or two others won’t perform anywhere close to expectations.

But be optimistic. Taken as a whole, those eight or nine players have the talent to leave a lasting impact on the league, especially as rules changes make it even easier to pass.

Scouts love comparables. So do we.

If things break right and the group goes bust-free, some of the most apt comparisons between these players and established standouts could play out.

“People see different things,” the NFC scout said. “That’s what makes the draft fun.”

MCGINN'S RANKINGS: Top wide receivers, tight ends in draft

MCGINN'S DRAFT SERIES: RB | OL | WR/TE | QB | DL | LB | DB | ST

NFL DRAFT: Round-by-round Packers picks

PACKERS CHAT: Tom Silverstein April 21 transcript

Nine of the prospects garnered more than one vote in a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel poll of 16 scouts asking them to rank the best tight ends on a 1-to-5 basis. A first-place vote was worth five points, a second-place was worth four and so on.

O.J. Howard, with 14 first-place votes and two seconds, easily led with 78 points. David Njoku was next with one first and 54 points, and Evan Engram was third with one first and 43 points.

Following, in order, were Gerald Everett, 20 points; Jake Butt, 17; Jordan Leggett, 10 ½; Bucky Hodges, 7 ½; Adam Shaheen, seven; Jonnu Smith, two, and Cole Hikutini, one.

In the last 12 drafts only nine tight ends were selected in the first round, and the only year with more than one was 2006 (Vernon Davis, Marcedes Lewis). It certainly wouldn’t be beyond the realm of possibility for Howard, Njoku and Engram to be first-round picks next week.

“Every once in a while you get a guy like Vernon Davis,” an AFC personnel man said. “Howard and Njoku are impressive physically and they can catch and (block). Difference-makers.

“The last couple years there’s been like eight, nine draftable tight ends, if that. If you took one you felt like you stretched. I could see eight or nine in the first four rounds this year. Guys that can start.”

Voted to the Pro Bowl in 2016 were Greg Olsen, Travis Kelce, Jordan Reed and Delanie Walker.

Olsen, a first-round pick in 2007, was 6 feet, 6 inches, 255 pounds, ran a 4.53-second 40, posted a vertical jump of 37½ inches and a broad jump of 9-11. Let’s match him up with Howard: 6-5½, 251, 4.56, 30, 10-1.

“He’s as talented as Greg Olsen,” an AFC personnel man said. “He doesn’t have near the instincts Greg had. I think O.J. will be a star but I think it’s going to take a little time.”

Njoku (6-4, 245, 4.65, 37½, 11-1) could be paired with Kelce (6-5, 257, 4.63, 35, 10-4), whose 13 collegiate starts are on par with Njoku’s nine.

Reed (6-2½, 235, 4.71, no jumps) has been compared to Everett (6-3, 240, 4.59, 37½, 10-6).

“The way the game has evolved, some of these guys are just big wide receivers,” another AFC scout said.

The prospect best fitting that description would be Engram (6-3½, 235, 4.39, 36, 10-5). He’s probably never going to work from in-line; it’s why he received a third-place in the wide receiver poll.

Scouts mentioned three large NFL wide receivers as the best comparables for Engram. They were Demaryius Thomas (6-3, 229, estimated 4.43, no jumps), Marques Colston (6-4½, 224, 4.53, 37, 10-3) and Devin Funchess (6-4, 232, 4.54, 38½, 10-2).

“Engram isn’t as quick-footed as Colston but he does have outstanding receiving potential and skills,” said an NFC executive. “He’ll never be a point-of-attack guy.”

Walker (6-1, 240, 4.52, 36½, 9-10) entered the league as a sixth-round wide receiver from Division II Central Missouri State in 2006. One scout compared him to Smith (6-2½, 247, 4.63, 38, 10-7), another undersized player from a relatively small school (Florida International).

“Or maybe he’s Charles Clay,” he said, referring to the Bills' leading receiver.

Both Hodges (6-6, 253, 4.55, 39, 11-2) and Leggett (6-5½, 259, 4.75, 33, 9-11) have drawn comparisons to Jimmy Graham (6-6½, 262, 4.53, 38½, 10-0), a third-round choice in 2010 and another towering, speedy, flex receiver.

Butt is rehabilitating from a torn ACL suffered in the Sugar Bowl, the second time he has done it on his right knee. Former Steeler Heath Miller comes to mind partially because Miller was unable to run a 40 (sports hernia) before the Steelers took him with the 30th pick in 2005.

An estimated time of 4.75 would seem appropriate for both Butt (6-5½, 249, no jumps) and Miller (6-5, 255, no jumps).

“Butt is not quite as good as Heath Miller coming out,” said an AFC personnel man. “But, as a healthy player, he’s a similar all-around guy.”

That leaves Shaheen (6-6½, 278, 4.81, 32½, 10-1), a massive tight end from Division II Ashland (Ohio).

Jason Witten (6-5½, 256, 4.67, 32½, 9-5), a third-round selection in 2003, has been the gold standard in that department for years. An NFC executive said Martellus Bennett (6-6, 259, 4.72, 34, 9-10) currently rated as the premier “Y” tight end, so let’s really shoot high and line them up with the big rookie.

“Love Shaheen,” said an AFC scout. “Two years from now he’s got a chance to be like Jason Witten. I think he’s going second round.”

Meanwhile, the situation isn’t as rosy at wide receiver. There’s a horde of attractive players in the third- to sixth-round range, but few scouts are thrilled with the players leading the pack.

Corey Davis won the Journal Sentinel poll with 65½ points (5½ firsts), followed closely by Mike Williams (58½, 4½ firsts) and John Ross (51½, six firsts).

Following, in order, were Zay Jones, 15 points; JuJu Smith-Schuster, 12; Cooper Kupp and Curtis Samuel, seven; Josh Reynolds, five; Amara Darboh and Carlos Henderson, four; Evan Engram, three; Dede Westbrook, 2½; K.D. Cannon, two, and Chris Godwin, ArDarius Stewart and Ryan Switzer, one.

“It’s the worst wide receiver draft at the top I’ve seen in a long time,” said an NFC executive.

COMING NEXT: Quarterbacks

http://www.espn.com/blog/los-angele...-merlin-olsen-highlight-rams-best-draft-picks

Deacon Jones, Merlin Olsen highlight Rams' best draft picks
Alden Gonzalez/ESPN Staff Writer


Before he was the father of the sack, Deacon Jones was a 14th-round draft pick of the Rams in 1961
Malcolm Emmons/US Presswire

The Los Angeles Rams have been drafting players since 1937. Here's a look at the best draft picks by position for the Rams:

OFFENSE

Quarterback: Norm Van Brocklin, fourth round, 1949, Oregon. He helped lead the Rams to a championship in 1951 while splitting the quarterback position with Bob Waterfield, then led the Philadelphia Eagles to a title during his final season in 1960, a year in which Van Brocklin won the MVP. The Hall of Famer went to nine Pro Bowls, was first- or second-team All-Pro on four occasions and was also an excellent punter.

Running back: Eric Dickerson, first round, 1983, SMU. Dickerson, drafted second overall, still holds the record for rushing yards by a rookie (1,808) and rushing yards in a season by any player (2,105, done in 1984). He finished his career with 13,259 yards on the ground, seventh-most all time, and was first-team All-Pro five times. Ongoing contract disputes prompted Dickerson to be traded by the Rams to the Indianapolis Colts before the end of his fifth season, but he still remains an avid fan of the team.

Wide receiver: Isaac Bruce, second round, 1994, Memphis. Bruce was a Hall of Fame finalist for the first time earlier this year. He joined Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk and Torry Holt to form "The Greatest Show On Turf" when the Rams were in St. Louis and finished with 15,208 receiving yards, a mark topped by only Jerry Rice, Terrell Owens and Randy Moss. Bruce spent 14 of his 16 NFL seasons with the Rams and went to four Pro Bowls.

Tight end: Bob Klein, first round, 1969, USC. Klein never had to leave the state of California in his football career. After starring at USC, he spent eight seasons with the Rams, then another three with the then-San Diego Chargers. Klein, a backup for his first couple of seasons, finished with 219 catches for 2,687 yards and 23 touchdowns. As you can probably tell, the Rams haven't had a whole lot of success drafting at this position.

Tackle: Jackie Slater, third round, 1976, Jackson State. One of the most celebrated players in franchise history, Slater played his entire 20-year career with the Rams, spending a decent chunk of that stretch as a star on one of the NFL's most productive offensive lines. He was invited to the Pro Bowl seven times, was first-team All-Pro three times and is in the Hall of Fame. Orlando Pace, the No. 1 overall pick in 1997, made this one a close call.

Guard: Tom Mack, first round, 1966, Michigan. Another Hall of Famer who played exclusively for the Rams, Mack went to the Pro Bowl in 11 of his 13 seasons and appeared in 184 consecutive games while holding down the left guard position. The Rams won division titles in each of Mack's final six seasons in the NFL.

Center: Rich Saul, eighth round, 1970, Michigan State. Saul spent his first five years in a reserve role, then replaced Ken Iman as the Rams' starting center in 1975. Over the next seven years, Saul started 105 of 106 games and made six Pro Bowls. The Rams won 10-plus games in five of those seasons and made it all the way to the Super Bowl after a nine-win season in 1979.

DEFENSE

End: Deacon Jones, 14th round, 1961, Mississippi Valley State. Talk about a steal. Jones ultimately revolutionized the position and was credited with coining the term "sack." He was the leader of The Fearsome Foursome, made seven consecutive Pro Bowls and was voted first-team All-Pro five straight times. Jones missed only five games in his 14-year career and is considered one of the best defensive players of all time. He edged out Jack Youngblood here.

Tackle: Merlin Olsen, first round, 1962, Utah State. Olsen teamed with Jones -- as well as Lamar Lundy and Rosey Grier -- to form The Fearsome Foursome, a dominant defensive line that vaulted the Rams for the better part of the 1960s. Olsen spent his entire 15-year career with the Rams and was invited to the Pro Bowl a record 14 times. Perhaps some day Aaron Donald will be the guy here, but he has a lot of work to do.

Linebacker: Kevin Greene, fifth round, 1985, Auburn. Greene played 15 seasons in the NFL and finished with 160 sacks, third-most all time behind only Bruce Smith and Reggie White. Greene notched 97½ of those sacks in his 30s, which is remarkable. He was rightfully voted into the Hall of Fame last year.

Cornerback: LeRoy Irvin, third round, 1980, Kansas. A two-time Pro Bowler who spent 10 of his 11 years with the Rams, Irvin was named first-team All-Pro as a punt/kick returner and then as a cornerback. His 34 interceptions with the Rams are third-most in franchise history.

Safety: Eddie Meador, seventh round, 1959, Arkansas Tech. Meador is the franchise leader in that category, compiling 46 interceptions in a 12-year career spent entirely with the Rams. He was moved from cornerback to free safety in 1964, which wound up being the first of five consecutive trips to the Pro Bowl. Meador's 22 opponent fumble recoveries are tied with Johnnie Johnson, the 17th overall pick in 1980, for the franchise record.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Kicker: Sam Baker, 11th round, 1952, Oregon State. Baker was selected as a future draft pick by the Rams, then was traded to the Redskins before his career began. That was probably a mistake. Baker lost a couple of years early in his career because of military service, but still ended up going to four Pro Bowls as both a kicker and punter. Baker led the NFL with 17 made field goals in 1956 and converted a league-best 72 percent of his field goal attempts in 1966 while with the Eagles.

Punter: Dale Hatcher, third round, 1985, Clemson. Johnny Hekker, already a three-time first-team All-Pro, would've been the pick in this category but went undrafted, amazingly enough. So instead that honor goes to Hatcher, who spent six of his seven years with the Rams and made the Pro Bowl as a rookie. Hatcher led the NFL in total punting yards in 1987 and finished his career with an average of exactly 40 yards per punt.

These are excerpts. To read the whole article click the link below.

Number of butt-kissing Patriots related comments: 7
Number of snarky remarks about the Rams drafting ability: 3
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http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2017/04/24/...draft-myles-garrett-mitch-trubisky-peter-king

2017 NFL Draft: What Will Cleveland Do With Top Pick?
Myles Garrett ... Mitchell Trubisky ... It’s all on the table for the Browns with the No. 1 selection only days away. Here are the latest first-round notes from Mike Mayock, a mock draft tease, a reality check reminder and more
By Peter King


Mitch Trubisky and Myles Garrett would be quite the first-round haul for the Browns, who own both the No. 1 and No. 12 overall picks
Photo: Getty Images (2)

OCEAN CITY, N.J. — I met North Carolina quarterback Mitchell Trubisky the other day in Chapel Hill. He rolled up in his 1997 Toyota Camry, a hand-me-down from his grandmother, with 170,000 miles on the odometer. Politely, he talked about his workout routine, throwing with his Tar Heels teammates, and said he needed to keep busy to prevent the pre-draft craziness from driving him crazy.

The Browns, his hometown team, had been in the news, with longtime beat writer Mary Kay Cabot reporting an internal split—which I’ve heard is true—between a faction favoring Texas A&M pass-rusher Myles Garrett with the first overall pick, and a faction favoring Trubisky. The pressure of being picked high was intense enough, I mentioned to him.

But being picked number one, by a team that has lost forever, in your own hometown, with a history of a black cloud over the franchise, with the fans frothing for a quarterback savior, and with Trubisky starting all of 13 college games in his life … wouldn’t that be just too much weight on his shoulders?

“No,” he said. “I think that is the type of pressure you dream of, and no exterior pressure is greater than the pressure that I put on myself. If I would go back home it would be special, just like anywhere else. They say be careful what you wish for, but this is what I wished for, this is what I worked for and this is what I dreamed of.

I just want to play football, so all the craziness that comes with it, that's just bonus. I'm going to black that out when I go to work. Football is what makes me happy, not the media, all the attention. That's where the craziness comes in.”

Yes, but this kind of craziness wouldn’t help you play quarterback. It would hurt, actually. A lot. Being the first overall pick? By Cleveland? Ahead of Myles Garrett? Man, that would be one pressurized start to a savior’s career.

* * *

On Sunday, Mike Mayock was in the home stretch of his NFL Network draft prep in this Jersey Shore beach town. The Atlantic Ocean was outside his picture window on an overcast, raw afternoon, but I don’t think he saw the surf or the sand.

This is the place Mayock goes, 75 minutes from his Philadelphia home, to cram in the days before the draft, and to take calls from virtually every NFL decision-maker about what they’re thinking on the eve of the draft.

The story, as Thursday’s first round in Philadelphia approaches, obviously is this: WWCD? What Will Cleveland Do? Mayock crystallized my thoughts when he said what should be happening in the Browns’ facility this week in Berea, Ohio, as the franchise’s combo platter of traditional football guys (coach Hue Jackson leading that group) and progressive analytics side (with director of strategy Paul DePodesta and GM Sashi Brown) prepares to figure out what to do about the eternal need for a quarterback in a city so desperate for a franchise passer.

“In the building,” Mayock said, “I think there’s got to be a conversation about the quarterback situation. The only way you don’t run Myles Garrett up there in minute number one [of the draft] is if the entire building is uniform and says there’s a quarterback in this draft that, A, we think is a franchise QB; B, he will be the starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns for the next eight to 10 years; and C, we will win a lot of football games with him.

“If you believe all of that, then take him at one. But my feeling is, that QB isn’t in this draft. So it’s got to be Myles Garrett.”

I agree with Mayock—to a point. That quarterback might be in this draft. But “might” is the operative word there. We don’t know. The Browns don’t know. This is one of the foggiest drafts for quarterbacks in years.

The Browns have drafted three first-round quarterbacks in the past 10 years: Brady Quinn (2007), Brandon Weeden (2012) and Johnny Manziel (2014). None has worked out. None has come close to working out. That isn’t to say the Browns shouldn’t take a quarterback at number one. But they should take a quarterback number one only if the entire organization can get behind it enthusiastically—coaches and ownership and front office and the new analytics faction (which, by the way, I heartily respect).

And it’s clearly not the case right now that the entire organization, including all the key people, is behind the selection of Trubisky at number one. The draft isn’t a democracy in any organization. But if your head coach, quarterback mentor Hue Jackson, is not behind the quarterback you’re taking first overall (which Cabot reported), that’s called trying to force a square quarterback peg into a round hole. It’s not smart.

I say this as much for Trubisky’s benefit as I do for people inside the team: He should not be the Browns’ first overall pick. It’s fine to say the pressure he puts on himself is greater than any external pressure. But it’s just not so, and he’d find that out early in Cleveland. Anything less than playoff contention in year two and he’d hear it from the Dawg Pound.

When you draft a quarterback first overall, and he flounders, it’s much different than picking Cody Kessler 93rd and seeing him flounder. It’s the weight of expectations. By any definition, there’s no Andrew Luck or Troy Aikman in this draft.

If Trubisky goes to the Browns, and is forced to play early by the ravenous public when the team’s struggling, he could end up a battered mess, like Tim Couch, or one whose confidence gets shot early, like David Carr. That’s not even considering the local-kid angle, which just adds to the mayhem.

In talking to those around the league over the past few days about the quarterbacks in this draft, two themes come up about Trubisky: They don’t know enough about him (those 13 career starts), and he was shaky frequently enough to make evaluators need to see more. In his last four college games, Trubisky and North Carolina lost to then-3-6 Duke, 5-6 North Carolina State and 9-3 Stanford while beating FBS team The Citadel.

Trubisky’s footwork is good, his decision-making (mostly) good, his accuracy (68.0 percent in 2016) is quite good. He’s a tempting prospect. But seeing enough in a quarterback with eight collegiate victories to make him your franchise guy with the first pick? It’s a leap of faith, a very big one.

Mayock said: “I’m pretty old school, but 13 games isn’t enough for me with the first pick in the draft. It’s a major level of concern for me.”

Some also think Trubisky’s personality isn’t take-charge enough to win over a team. I’m not dismissing that, but it’s not nearly as big as the experience factor. Eli Manning and Drew Brees have a lot of Boy Scout in them too, and they win and command respect.

If I’m Cleveland, I’m taking the guy number one on the vast majority of NFL boards, Garrett. And this draft is a buyer’s market, with each team from No. 2 through 7 in the first round interested in trading down.

Barring a surprise like San Francisco taking Trubisky at number two, the Browns, with five picks in the top 65 and four in the top two rounds next year, will be able to use some of those picks to move up to take him if they really want him that badly.

* * *


In a loaded draft for running backs, talented players like Dalvin Cook could slip out of the first round
Photo: Mike Ehrman/Getty Images

On other draft-related matters three days before Philadelphia hosts round one:

• Mayock on Myles Garrett’s lackluster final year at Texas A&M: “People complain about him having half his sacks in one game against Texas-San Antonio. You can pick apart anyone. Put the UCLA tape on [his opening game, before he hurt his ankle]. He was dominant there. If you compare him to Von Miller, he has the same explosion off the ball, and he’s 20 pounds heavier. In my opinion, there’s only two ways he can fail: Either he gets hurt, or he doesn’t want it bad enough.”

• I’m not saying it’s likely, but there’s a chance off-field concerns about Dalvin Cook could push the highly regarded Florida State runner into the second round.

• Interesting response from Mayock when I asked what this draft would be known for five years down the road: “There’s more medical concern with high draft picks than I’ve ever seen in a draft before. So four or five years from now, there’s a good chance that three or four really good prospects won’t make it, because of injury over anything else.”

• One GM told me he sat with his medical staff for five hours the other day to go over medical records of prominent players. “Never have I been part of a draft with so many medical red flags,” the GM said.

• Whither Malcolm Butler? The Saints (picking 11, 32, 42, 76, 103 in the first three rounds) are still interested in Butler, but someone familiar with their thinking believes they are leaning toward keeping their first three picks. The Saints believe that their board between 25 and 75 has a slew of players capable of contributing immediately, with grades close to each other, and the thought of dealing one or more picks for Butler, then paying him a huge contract, is less attractive than it once seemed.

• Whither Joe Mixon? I’m hearing the Oklahoma running back, who had the 2014 incident of punching a female student in the face, has garnered the most interest from Cincinnati, Minnesota, Green Bay and Jacksonville. I won’t be surprised to see the Bengals take Mixon with the 41st overall pick. Owner Mike Brown has taken chances in the past on players with off-field issues, leaving it to the coaching staff to keep those players in line.

• I won’t be surprised if the Giants (seeking a tackle), scheduled to pick 23rd, or the Texans (seeking a quarterback), scheduled to pick 25th, move up into the teens. Baltimore (16) and Tennessee (18) would be happy to move down.

• Great stat from Mayock: Dallas, badly in need of an edge rusher, used 28 of its 30 on-campus visits with draft prospects on defensive players.

• For a rookie GM (John Lynch) and coach (Kyle Shanahan), the Niners have done a good job not telegraphing what they’ll do at two. Most of the mocks have Stanford defensive lineman Solomon Thomas there, but I’m not so sure.

* * *

Please Manage Draft Emotions Accordingly

The draft offers hope for the future, but there’s no guarantee of success. (From left: Jason Smith, Blaine Gabbert, JaMarcus Russell and Eric Fisher.)
Photo: Getty Images (4)

The 17 drafts of this century prove one thing: Drafting in the NFL is the most inexact of sciences. Teams spend untold millions to shape draft boards, and then JaMarcus Russell happens. Jason Smith happens. Dion Jordan happens. And, on the other side, Tom Brady happens.

So don’t say we didn’t warn you. Have a sane Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and remember: Jimmy Johnson, borderline savantish in the draft room, centered his draft philosophy around acquiring as many picks as he could. “Because I knew it gave me a chance for a better batting average,” he said. “We all screw up in the draft.”

Examples of that, year by year, in this century:

2000: The Niners, in need of a quarterback of the future, pick Gio Carmazzi of Hofstra 65th overall. The Patriot take Tom Brady 199th.

2001: Picks 8-9-10: David Terrell, Koren Robinson, Jamal Reynolds. Combined Pro Bowls: 1. Picks 30-31-32: Reggie Wayne, Todd Heap, Drew Brees. Combined Pro Bowls: 18.

2002: I’ll never forget being in the Cowboys draft room an hour before the draft started. Phone rings. Jerry Jones answers. Detroit GM Matt Millen on the line. Wants an offer, any offer, for the third pick in the draft. Not enthusiastic about Joey Harrington, from the sound of the phone call. Jones doesn’t want the pick, nor the quarterback. Harrington goes third, to Detroit. Bad idea. Oh, and my favorite player not selected in the 261-player draft: James Harrison.

2003: Titans draft cornerback Andre Woolfolk in the first round. Chargers draft cornerback Sammy Davis in the first round. Asante Samuel and Ike Taylor, cornerbacks, go late in the fourth.

2004: The Raiders, with the second overall choice, pick Iowa tackle Robert Gallery, bypassing Larry Fitzgerald, Philip Rivers, Ben Roethlisberger and Vince Wilfork.

2005: Drafted ahead of Aaron Rodgers—Troy Williamson, Travis Johnson, Erasmus James, Matt Jones, Fabian Washington.

2006: Drafted between picks 118 and 135: Stephen Gostkowski, Brandon Marshall (the receiver), Domata Peko, Elvis Dumervil, Kyle Williams (the defensive tackle), Rob Ninkovich.

2007: Fixated on JaMarcus Russell for months because of his big arm, Al Davis drafts him with the first overall pick. Russell plays three awful seasons with the Raiders and never is signed by another team despite once offering to play a season for free. That, my friends, is the biggest draft bust in NFL history.

2008: Undrafted: Danny Amendola, Wesley Woodyard, Jerell Freeman, Mike Tolbert, Danny Woodhead, Marcel Reese.

2009: The Rams make tackle Jason Smith the second pick in the draft. He lasts 26 starts. He is out of the league in five years.

2010: Wait! A competent drafting year! First seven picks: Sam Bradford, Ndamukong Suh, Gerald McCoy, Trent Williams, Eric Berry, Russell Okung, Joe Haden … Wait! An incompetence factoid! Antonio Brown is the 22nd wide receiver selected.

2011: Cautionary Tale Alert: Jake Locker 8, Blaine Gabbert 10, Christian Ponder 12.

2012: Be Careful What You Wish For Alert: Robert Griffin III 2, Kirk Cousins 102.

2013: Hard to imagine a less impactful top 12 in history than Eric Fisher, Luke Joeckel, Dion Jordan, Lane Johnson, Ziggy Ansah, Barkevious Mingo, Jonathan Cooper, Tavon Austin, Dee Milliner, Chance Warmack, D.J. Fluker, and D.J. Hayden. By “less impactful,” I mean, “really stinks.”

2014: The Rams make tackle Greg Robinson the second pick in the draft. By Week 11 of the 2016 season, he is a healthy inactive for the Rams. This is year four. Robinson will compete for a starting job in camp. He may be on the Jason Smith track.

2015: Great example of the fairly new draft credo of you-can-get-impactful-picks-ways-down-the-line: David Johnson 86th overall, Jay Ajayi 149th.

2016: Great example of keeping your draft-day emotions in check: Cowboys are desperate for Paxton Lynch in round one, late, and try to trade for him; fail. Cowboys are desperate for Connor Cook atop the fourth round; fail. Cowboys put on a happy face when picking Dak Prescott 135th.

* * *

Factoids That May Interest Only Me

The All-Schedule-Release edition:

• Some clarification about the number of prime-time games a team can have. I was wrong the other day when I wrote that Oakland has the most prime-time games you can have, five, this year. Actually, the broadcast rules state that three teams can have six prime-time games.

As of now, only one has six. That is Kansas City—and the Chiefs’ sixth prime-time game really doesn’t matter much. The sixth is on Saturday, Dec. 16 (Week 15) at 8:25 p.m. ET. The NFL has two national games that day, at 4:30 and 8:25, and with each being a standalone national game on a weekend day, it’s not much of a difference.

• From Halloween until the Patriots wake up on Christmas Eve, they play once in Foxboro.

• I’ve never seen a team with three straight on the road, followed by three straight at home, with no bye to break it up. That’s Cincinnati this year: at Jags, Titans, Broncos in Weeks 9, 10, 11; Browns, Steelers, Bears at home in Weeks 12, 13, 14.

• Yes, the Giants got a slightly raw deal, facing four teams coming off byes. But going this deep on a schedule—analyzing, for instance, that the Giants’ opponents will be, on average, the most-rested in the league entering their games against the Giants—is a sign that too many people have too much time on their hands to analyze truly insignificant things.

• Yes, it’s odd that the Giants will open at Dallas, after opening there in 2013, 2015 and 2016. That’s four out of five years opening at Jerryworld, and three in a row. Odd, but nothing else.

• It’s a quarterback league, which you learn when considering the passers in the first four Sunday night games of the season: Eli Manning, Dak Prescott, Aaron Rodgers, Matt Ryan, Derek Carr, Kirk Cousins, Andrew Luck, Russell Wilson.

• Smart move for the NFL to keep the Browns and Jags out of prime time. Each team will have its one national TV game in the 9:30 a.m. ET London window.

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Quite a statement. This is the 58th draft Brandt has analyzed either running the Cowboys’ draft room, in the media with NFL.com or as a coordinator of the combine and the draft for the NFL.

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* * *

This week’s conversation: Washington quarterback Kirk Cousins.

• Cousins on not getting a long-term contract with Washington: “I will continue to look at it the way I have looked at every year: It just feels so much to me like it is week to week and year to year. It doesn't feel like I can map anything out, I've never felt that way. I've never felt comfortable. I think that's a good thing to have. You don't have any entitlement. I'll just play it out and see where I'm at. I know that every week feels like a proving of myself. and that's okay.”

• Cousins on whether that is really okay: “The nature of this league is such that is it going to have to be okay. Many players are told, ‘You are going to need to get comfortable with being uncomfortable.’ That's the way this league operates. The margin for error is so small. The difference between the joys of winning and the agony of defeat is one play here, one inch there. That's the way this league is and that's what makes it great. But it doesn't mean it is going to be easy for the players involved.

And believe me, there are far greater challenges in this league than the situation I'm in. There are guys getting cut not knowing where they are going to have to move their families, not knowing where their next job is going to be. That is a much tougher situation than where I am, so I feel very fortunate and look forward to the opportunity that I have in Washington. A guy like Brock Osweiler signs a four-year deal last year and everyone is saying that is what I should be looking for.

Well, he's not even with that team one year later. So was his contract really more than a one-year deal? I guess technically because he is still on that contract in Cleveland, but it certainly didn't play out the way anyone hoped in that situation. For me, the franchise tag ends up being the same thing because it's a one-year deal and it is understood as one-year deals from the start, but most of these contracts in the NFL are one-year deals anyway.

“This has sort of been the narrative for me. I was a junior in high school and I felt like I threw the football well but nobody was interested. I played my entire senior high school football season with zero scholarship offers. I'm going on recruiting visits without a scholarship offer. Schools are wining and dining other players, and I am trying to convince them to offer me.

I'm recruiting them, they're not recruiting me on my recruiting visits in high school. This is the way it went. Then I go to college and [Michigan State] coach [Mark] Dantonio chose to bring in two other scholarship quarterbacks. At one time it was myself, Keith Nichol and Nick Foles all at Michigan State competing.

“No one ever said, 'Kirk, you are going to be the guy, we completely believe in you. We're just going to give you the job. And you better prove us right.'

“It was, 'Kirk, we're going to give other guys scholarships, and you need to beat them out and prove to us that you are the guy year after year before we finally commit to you.’

“… So to say, does it bother you? Does it? No, you know what? I have learned to accept it as part of my life and the way things have gone for me for a long time. This isn't chapter one for me. This is chapter 10 or 11 where I've said, ‘Here we go again. Whatever happens, happens.’

And for me, I play better when I feel like I am still ascending the mountain. I think I play better when people say, ‘Keep showing us what you've got.’ Whatever is going to get me to play at a high level is what I want to do, so I am okay with it and we are going to keep going year by year.”

* * *

Things I Think I Think

The Seahawks have discussed trading veteran corner Richard Sherman this offseason
Photo: Rob Leiter/Getty Images

1. I think the Seahawks aren’t going to blink on their price tag for 29-year-old cornerback Richard Sherman, and so it’s unlikely he’ll be traded. The market has cooled for Sherman, in part because teams don’t want to pay the price—which is probably a first-round pick or two high picks not including a first-rounder. It’s probably for the best for Seattle, which would be in huge trouble at corner without Sherman in 2017.

2. I think the Boston Globe’s story on Tom Brady and the $2.75 million that the Best Buddies charity has paid to Brady’s own charitable trust since 2011 is certainly not customary, nor is it laudable. The optics are bad. But there are a couple of things to consider here. Brady has chosen one charity to spend a weekend with every year since his star rose to prominence, and that is Best Buddies, which provides assistance and companionship to disabled and mentally challenged people.

Brady draws a lot of attention to the cause each year by playing in a touch football game at Harvard and the next day riding in a Massachusetts bicycle race. The fact that Brady spends this time in two major events draws participants willing to help Best Buddies with contributions and generates money from non-participants donating to the causes of those, for example, riding in the bike event.

Best Buddies says Brady’s participation in the events has contributed to the group’s raising $46.5 million since 2001. It’s quite likely that if Brady chose to spend that spring weekend on events for his foundation, he would have raised far more than $2.75 million during his career.

So while this is a messy look for boht Best Buddies and Brady, I would ask this question: If Best Buddies were without Brady’s participation over the past 16 years, would it have raised even half of that $43.75 million it has raised not, including what it’s paid to Brady? I sincerely doubt it.

What has happened here is that, essentially, Best Buddies has paid Brady a fee to help it raise more money than it could have otherwise raised, and Brady has donated his share to a slew of 501c3 charities, pocketing zero. Best Buddies should have shown more transparency about this, because, as I said, the optics are bad. But while an ugly look for both, Best Buddies has made more than it ever would have with Brady, and Brady has given money to some charities that personally appeal to him.

3. I think the storyline of it being a disadvantage for a Super Bowl loser to open the season at the Super Bowl winner is all wrong. I get that Ron Rivera didn’t like the all-offseason emphasis on the rematch last year. But to me it’s a big advantage for a team to open the season on Thursday of Week 1.

You’ve got to play the game anyway; I don’t buy the mental strain of focusing on it for four months between the announcement of the schedule and the playing of the game. I would much rather have a mini-bye after Week 1 added to my schedule (10 days between Week 1 and 2 on my schedule) than playing on Sunday in Week 1.

4. I think the Raiders want Marshawn Lynch to make his decision on a reasonable rate of pay before draft weekend, which is understandable. I repeat: This makes too much sense not to happen, and it should happen. Marshawn Lynch should have the first touch of the Raiders’ home season Sept. 17 when the Jets come calling to the Oakland Coliseum.

5. I think I have zero problem with what DeShone Kizer said. (“Why can’t I be the greatest? The only thing stopping me from it is me.”) I would want my quarterback to think he can be the greatest quarterback in the game. It’s not sacrilegious to mention Tom Brady and Cam Newton as a quarterback and say you can be them. To me, it’s ambitious and admirable.

6. I think there’s always something valuable for football fans (even if you hate the Patriots—and I mean that) when New England wins the Super Bowl and allows some of the work NFL Films has done during the regular and postseason with the team to see the light of day.

No different this year, with the looming release of Three Games To Glory 5 DVD set, which debuts in Foxboro today and will be on sale to the public on May 2. Bill Belichick allows his assistant coaches and scouting staffers, who normally are nearly unknown, to talk openly about game plans and ideas and ways to win the coming game.

It’s a revelation that any coach would allow this, never mind the one with the reputation of running a CIA outfit in New England. But Belichick values history, and what he allows to come out after Super Bowl-winning postseasons is some really valuable footage and story-telling.

Remember after the Super Bowl win over Seattle, when NFL Films acquired the practice footage of the unknown Malcolm Butler on a play just like the one he would become famous for in the Super Bowl? In practice, Butler didn’t play the ball well. There was a teaching moment then, and that teaching moment led to the decisive play in the Patriots’ fourth Super Bowl victory.

Again, this year, there’s an example in some of the footage I screened Friday. NFL Films captured a meeting of the offensive coaches before the divisional game against Houston in January, with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels trying to figure out personnel groupings and matchups against the fast and physical Houston defense. McDaniels figured the key would be playing his lightning-quick back, Dion Lewis, a little more than usual.

He was watching Houston defensive tape the week before the game with the staff and said, “I mean, honestly, the guy who should have a shot to be really impactful would be Dion, right? If we put him in base?” So of course McDaniels, on the second Patriots’ series of the game, employed a classic, traditional two-receiver, one-tight-end, one-fullback, one-back alignment on a first down, with Lewis the back, and Tom Brady found him in the flat with a quick pass, and Lewis sped around left end for an easy 13-yard touchdown. That is some great story-telling by NFL Films.

7. I think this is one of the great inventions in recent NFL history, and we should all thank Chase Stuart of Football Perspective for it. Print it out! Share it with friends!

8. I think I’m still getting used to two teams beginning with “Los Angeles” after 21 seasons without a single one.

9. I think this was a terrific gesture by Joe Montana at a ceremony in San Francisco on Sunday to rename some streets after Niner legends. Handed a street sign with JOE MONTANA DRIVE imprinted on it, Montana said: “I would like to share this. I would ask that you change this to Montana-Clark Drive.” Montana’s longtime receiving-mate, Dwight Clark, 60, is suffering from ALS. The audible by Montana was greeted emotionally by the crowd. A lovely thing to do.

Honestly, it's almost impossible to predict exactly which direction Snead and McVay will go in at #37.

Or maybe they'll even trade down a bit if they get a tempting offer. I think I might.

After reading interesting articles and mocks for weeks, I've come to a conclusion.

Only a handful of positions can be completely ruled out at #37.

QB
RB
P
PK

That's about it, don't you think? Strictly at #37 and depending on who might fall?

So, that means that S&M (kinda kinky the first time I typed it) have a virtually wide open field from which to pick. Literally 19-20 different possible positions. Absolutely no reason for a reach there of any kind.

I trust that they will get a good one.

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Report: Trumaine Johnson won’t be traded
Posted by Darin Gantt on April 24, 2017

Getty Images

Not every player who is available for trade gets traded.

And at a certain point, the team realizes it can’t reach a deal, and begins the process of rebuilding a bridge.

According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the Rams won’t be dealing cornerback Trumaine Johnson.

The Rams have previously offered up their twice-franchised corner, and after a month or so, acknowledged that a long-term contract was a possibility.

That’s sensible, since having him on the books for one year at $16.7 million is a tough number for any team to swallow. But even if they don’t do a deal, they need to make sure he feels integrated into the team, and putting out word that they’re keeping him seems like part of that process.

And it’s also possible that with Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman available at a more amenable contract, the Rams simply weren’t getting the right kind of offers.

Come on own up, who on here is the big Snooker fan??

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Five veterans likely to fall victim to age, injury and incoming rookies

The NFL Draft is all about new opportunities.

It is quite literally the first of many steps in the careers of future superstars.

The abundance of fresh talent embraced through the league's annual springtime event, however, can also usher some unwelcome change for, well, the talent already occupying the league.

As college's finest athletes find homes, 32 teams find room for their latest crop of rookies and early-offseason rosters begin to take shape, here are five veteran players in danger of being cut:

1. Lamarr Houston, DE/OLB, Chicago Bears

The mother of all mock drafts has Chicago dipping into this year's crop of rookie pass rushers, but the writing has been on the wall regarding Houston for some time.


A big-ticket signing in 2014, Lamarr Houston has seen injuries derail his time with Chicago. USATSI

Still playing under the five-year, $35 million deal he signed after departing the Oakland Raiders in 2014, the oft-injured linebacker is coming off his second torn ACL in three seasons and will be 30 years old by the time he's back on the field. With Leonard Floyd in the fold after last year's draft and Houston set to count nearly $7 million against the Bears' cap in 2017, the veteran's exit seems inevitable.

2. DeAngelo Hall, DB, Washington Redskins

Somehow Hall being just 33 years old seems off. Maybe it's his long-forgotten stint with the Atlanta Falcons to start his career or his transition from cornerback to safety that makes him seem even more seasoned than he is.

In any event, the grizzled vet and once-outspoken defensive back has been bitten hard by the injury bug, appearing in just 17 games over the past three years. With D.J. Swearinger in town on a new three-year deal and more help potentially coming in the draft, Hall could be limping to the finish line in Washington.

3. Haloti Ngata, DT, Detroit Lions

Health issues seem to be a common thread here. Lions coach Jim Caldwell said he was happy to have Ngata, the former longtime Baltimore Ravens stalwart, return rather than retire after 2016, but the aging DT has not played a full season in six years.


No longer a Pro Bowl-caliber force, Haloti Ngata could be nearing the end of his NFL road. USATSI

It's not as if Detroit expects Ngata, 33, to be some kind of Pro Bowl interior rusher at this point. But with the big man on the fence about his career not too long ago and also costing the team an estimated $7.7 million in 2017, it might not be long before he is on the market.

4. Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

Can you believe this 6-foot-5 prospect was drafted early in the second round just two years ago? The Eagles pulled off a lopsided exchange, or so it seemed at the time, when they landed the Tennessee Titans' big body for merely a backup offensive lineman before last season.

But Green-Beckham could be pushed right off the depth chart by the end of next week and, quite possibly, onto a third team in as many seasons. Alshon Jeffery, Torrey Smith, Jordan Matthews and Nelson Agholor are virtual locks for Philadelphia's WR corps, and DGB's imposing size is no guarantee to save the youngster from a quick departure.

5. Junior Galette, LB, Washington Redskins

The reasoning here is twofold. First and foremost, Galette hasn't been able to steer clear of the negative spotlight, and that trend continued this month with the veteran's arrest.


Junior Galette has had both injury and off-field issues with Washington. USATSI

But setting aside all of Galette's off-field transgressions, the former New Orleans Saints pass rusher could face a tall task in finding a home in Washington's linebacker corps. Another front-seven starter could very well be on the way in the draft, and Galette's Redskins track record -- two injured reserve stints in two seasons -- warrants him no edge in a competition.

New Orleans 2017 Offseason - With Drew Brees at the helm, the Saints should be perennial contenders, but their Defense never fails to underwhelm.

Going into the 2017 offseason, the Saints has 4 key needs. With a division full of top QBs – Cam Newton, Matt Ryan and Tampa’s gunslinger Jameis Winston, New Orleans’ defence has been struggling to contain and compete. The Saints could use as much young talent as they can get on a defense that has ranked among the NFL's worst over the past three years.

DE
2-time Pro-Bowler Cam Jordan needs help urgently. Having a game-altering edge disruption will take immense pressure off of a consistently-underwhelming secondary.

DB
Inconsistency at the CB and Safety positions has cost the Saints games. They are constantly punished by the divisional QBs and WRs.

LB
The LB corps are passable, but there needs to be improvement and depth.

WR
The trade of Brandin Cooks has turned WR into a potential priority for the top 4 rounds.

The Skinny: The Saints were very active and landed a starting guard in Larry Warford from the Lions, a starting middle linebacker in A.J. Klein from the Panthers. Then, after signing away receiver Ted Ginn Jr. from the Panthers, they shipped receiver Brandin Cooks to the New England Patriots for a first-round pick. They will almost certainly use both of their first-round picks on defense. It was a good first few days for the Saints.

Offseason grade: A by CBSSports


ROD MOCK DRAFT

PICK 1a
New Orleans used their #11 pick and traded it to the Minnesota Vikings for a slew of players that instantly filled holes with starters they picked up CB Xavier Rhodes, LB Anthony Barr and QB Teddy Bridgewater.

With CB a major need for the Saints in a pass happy division, Rhodes is a tried and tested commodity that instantly changes the secondary for the Saints and is named a team captain.

Pro-bowl linebacker Barr strengthens another in-need unit on the Saints D and will be looking for a new lease of life after a ‘statistically’ poor outing in 2016.

Bridgewater, will slide in at QB #2 behind the ultimate pro Brees, giving him plenty of time to get over any injuries that he’s carrying and allowing him to perfect his game mechanics and learn from one of the best in the game.

PICK 1b (R1 P27)
The Saints moved back up in Round 1 to snag
John Ross, WR, Washington
With the loss of Brandin Cooks to the Pats, the Saints instantly fill that gap ‘quickly’ with Ross, officially the fastest WR in the game. Along with Thomas, Ginn Jr, Snead, Duarte and Fleener – Brees’ options to spread the ball just got better.

PICK 2 (R2 P54)
Jordan Willis, DE/OLB, Kansas State
Again, a huge boost to the needy pass-rush at New Orleans, Willis was quietly one of the most productive DE’s in the country. His speed, power and strength will see him work opposite Cameron Jordan, but will mix it up at OLB with Fowler. Let’s just say that QBs better be wary of our pass rush now.

PICK 3 (R3 P76)
Marcus Williams, S, Utah
My steal of the draft, Marcus Williams is one of the most underrated defensive prospects in this draft class. Williams is a ridiculously dynamic athlete. Williams is an immediate starter who will significantly help New Orleans pass defense, particularly on throws down the field, an area in which the team struggled last season.

PICK 4 (R4 P120)
Corn Elder, CB, Miami (FL)
The small & fierce former Running Back Elder is one of the most aggressive, tough, instinctive, tenacious, hard-hitting defensive backs in the next Draft. Elder is like a scrappy junkyard dog of a player and never gives up – don’t be surprised to see him in an outside/slot corner/safety role for the Saints – he’ll also be used for return duties with Ginn Jr.

PICK 5 (R6 P187)
Brandon Wilson, CB, Houston
Another versatile RB convert that's transitioning to CB. Wilson is an explosive athlete who could be considered on either side of the ball as a defensive back or a running back. A serious playmaker in all three phases of the game: offense, defense and special teams. His ceiling as a pro is high.

PICK 6 (R6 P196)
David Godchaux, DT, LSU
Davon Godchaux has the tools to play all over the defensive line for the Saints. His athleticism makes him scheme-versatile, and the 6'4", 300-pound three-year starter for LSU, Godchaux tallied 18 tackles for losses and 11.5 sacks while playing mostly as a defensive tackle, he’d slide in next to Rankins and comfortably fill the void left by Fairley.

PICK 7 (R7 P220)
Brian Hill, RB, Wyoming
With a 3rd round draft projection that's compared to David Johnson, Hill is another steal of the Draft. He may not have breakaway speed, but is impressive between the tackles where he always fights, and usually wins those important extra yards. A nice complimentary back to Mark Ingram.

PICK 8 (R7 P222)
Ethan Cooper, OG/OT, Indiana
The 6’3”, 325lb Cooper has played all over the line, but will probably kick inside for the Saints and be a rotational back-up to Walford (and Peat).


OTHER ROD TRADES

Other key trade pick moves included:

DE/OLB Dante Fowler Jr. from the Jacksonville Jaguars for pick #196 and QB Garrett Grayson. Fowler Jr. fills the Pass rush need the saints have opposite Cam Jordan and will trade time at LDE with Jordan Willis. Both Willis and Fowler Jr. will be mixing it up at DE and OLB depending on whether or not we’re running a 4 or 3 man front.

TE Thomas Duarte from the Miami Dolphins for a trade of picks #42 and #103 (Saints) for #54 and #97 (Dolphins). Duarte is a fast, sharp route runner that can also line up at WR. We’ll see 2 TE sets with him and Fleener. He was a guy I was after last year in the draft – I always get my guy


ROD UDFAs

Travin Dural, WR, LSU
This guy has flown under the radar because of appalling QB play, but I'm taking a flyer on a guy with good speed and size that's come from the same stable as Jarvis Landry and Beckham Jr. He can sit at the back of the depth chart and improve his ball skills, but his day will come.

Glen Antoine, DT, Idaho
Antoine is the epitome of a run stuffer - he'll only be used on obvious run plays when the Saints will switch to 3-4 technique. He's as big as a house and with smother anything in front of him!

Anthony Cioffi, S/CB, Rutgers
The dude is just plain fast, and plays even faster. He's another one of the ball-hawk multi-positional guys that I like to draft, he's comfortable as a CB, FS, SS and even at WR. He'll be a star on ST and will get his day on the starting lineup.

Bradley Northnagel, LS, California
Even though the Saints have just picked up Jesse Schmitt off waivers, Narthnagel’s talents as a dependable LS will serve the Saints for years to come.

Missed Opportunities (Guys I went in hoping for)

Christian McCaffrey, RB
This is a guy I really hoped to pick up with my late Rd 1 pick, but he was taken earlier than I expected, a guy I think that can contribute on both ground and air games with Brees. Losing McCaffrey instigated the move up from #32 to get John Ross who was still available.

Chidobe Awuzie CB
A guy I hoped would fall to me in the second but Washington and @Riverumbbq took him 2 picks ahead of me! Something tells me that Awuzie may actually go in the 1st in the actual draft...

So that's it guys - thanks for all the fun, and discussions - it really has been a blast again this year.

Jake Ellenbogen's 2017 L.A. Rams Final Mock Draft 5.0

https://www.downtownrams.com/single...-Ellenbogens-2017-LA-Rams-Final-Mock-Draft-50

The draft buzz is growing, the impatience is rising and finally the NFL draft is almost here. Now I bring you my final Rams mock draft of the year and with this mock there are going to be some definite shakeups throughout. We have seen free agent signing of CB Nickell Robey-Coleman lessen the need for a cornerback and at the same time we saw a waiver claim of Tre’ Jackson backfire due to a failed physical. While my co-writers here at Downtown Rams all came out with their final mock last week, I have been waiting till everything settled down to bring you my final mock draft the week of the draft.

2nd Round (37th overall) – Chris Godwin, WR, Penn State (6-foot-1, 209 lbs.)

I ended up holding on to Godwin as the first pick of Sean McVay’s tenure for practically the whole post-season pre-draft process. Godwin is just too skilled to pass up for me. I graded him slightly above the likes of Zay Jones and JuJu Smith-Schuster and I feel as though Godwin does too much of everything to not pull the trigger on him. What really opened my eyes to Godwin was his combine performance. We all watched the exciting Rose Bowl game between USC and Penn State and we watched as USC started off the game dominating, but then slowly started to deteriorate only to eventually take the lead in thrilling fashion. Godwin was the number one thing I remember about that game and while I am a fan of USC, it’s quite evident he is the better prospect over JuJu Smith-Schuster. I am actually expecting this pick to be guaranteed a receiving prospect in some manner whether it is Godwin, Jones, Smith-Schuster or even Evan Engram. I feel as though Godwin I have rolled with for this long and can’t get off the bandwagon now.

Alternate pick: Evan Engram, TE, Ole Miss


3rd Round (69th overall) – Ethan Pocic, C, LSU (6-foot-6, 310 lbs.)

I am officially back on the Ethan Pocic train after a quick hiatus? If you want to call it that…Pocic to me is too good to pass up in the third round. I went back and forth with Jalen Tabor and many others here but I feel as though Pocic makes tons of sense. This man runs like a gazelle and is effortless in getting to the second level which will help out Todd Gurley a ton. Pocic in my opinion can start right away and I believe he would beat out John Sullivan by the end of preseason. Why is Pocic falling here? I will answer that question, the reason for his and Pat Elflein’s fall are due to the fact that Forrest Lamp and Dan Feeney both have the versatility to play center and teams like them better. That is the reason and instead of complaining how that is unfair just be happy the Rams land a blue collar prospect in Pocic. I will say this, if you feel this is a bad move because the Rams have Sullivan you are wrong in that regard Sullivan will give the Rams an average starting presence with veteran leadership but Pocic is the future for the Rams.

Alternate pick: Jalen Tabor, CB, Florida


4th Round (112th overall) – George Kittle, TE, Iowa (6-foot-4, 247 lbs.)

My love affair for Kittle is justified and I have proven that to my readers over the last month or so. George Kittle is the ultimate sleeper of the NFL draft and would fit in like a glove with Tyler Higbee in Sean McVay’s offense. I had the privilege of talking to Kittle himself and he said the Rams talked to him at the combine, he also believed he himself would fit in greatly with McVay’s system due to the fact he can bring all the versatility to the table and the main fact at Iowa they ran a pro-style offense. Kittle embraces total annihilation of his blocking assignment, but he doesn’t stop there. If you forget down the road how athletic he is…he can gash you for a huge gain with his 4.52 speed. Extremely underrated prospect and I want to complain for this guy, but if him being low profile gets him to the Rams in the fourth I’m golden. This is a type of player that is a culture changer and you want these players on your football team.

Alternate pick: Jonnu Smith, TE, Florida International


4th Round (141st overall) – Blair Brown, ILB, Ohio (5-foot-11, 238 lbs.)

I may be a little late to this guy, but the fact is I want Blair Brown to be wearing horns come 2017. You may have just taken a gander at his height and weight and rolled your eyes, but make no mistake this kid can flat out play. This is a kid that you know if he’s anywhere near the ball-carrier he is making the tackle. He is very efficient in that department, he is an extremely intelligent and instinctive player. Brown’s game can be summed up in this phrase “find the ball, see the ball and get the ball”. Brown is always making plays around the football he has the athleticism, toughness and high motor to really give him a look earlier in the draft, but I think his height will keep him from going where he should. This is a player that has clear sideline to sideline burst and is explosive right off the snap. The Rams may not know what to do with their linebackers, but Brown is much too talented to pass up and Wade Phillips shouldn’t have a problem finding him playing time.

Alternate pick: Malachi Dupre, WR, LSU


5th Round (149th overall) – Javancy Jones, OLB, Jackson State (6-foot-1, 239)

Here is another sleeper I love and had the pleasure of speaking with. Javancy Jones is an absolute leader and scouts rave about that portion of his game. I have been trying to get the Javancy Jones to the Rams bandwagon going as you may have seen, but time will only tell if it works out. Jones has really been building steam to be picked higher than people believed he could go in the draft. I really like the idea of picking Jones to give you a player that is similar to Markus Golden. Jones will likely not start over Robert Quinn or Connor Barwin but would be perfect in a rotation like Phillips has used in the past in Denver with Von Miller, Shane Ray, Shaq Barrett and DeMarcus Ware. Jones has the ability to diagnose a play quicker than almost any outside linebacker in this draft. He plays with great leverage and gets low enough to dip under offensive tackles. He is going to bring a high intensity nature to the field every snap he’s on it for and he is extremely violent with the potential to force plenty of turnovers. This is a player that may not seem like the sexy pick now, but down the road these are the guys that scouts are comparing incoming sleepers to. Watch out for Javancy jones.

Alternate pick: Glen Antoine, NT, Idaho


6th Round (189th overall) – Kyle Sloter, QB, Northern Colorado (6-foot-5, 211 lbs.)

And there’s the quarterback appearance again. I went away from it for a while, but I just couldn’t resist this time around now that I have done all my research and watched all my film. I feel like Kyle Sloter is going to be the perfect developmental quarterback prospect. There are other players like Phillip Walker and David Washington in play here, but I ultimately believe that Sloter is the best fit to be the insurance to Jared Goff. I like the Rams quarterbacks at the moment, but think about it. Last year the Redskins took Nate Sudfeld to develop behind Kirk Cousins. Well now Cousins isn’t guaranteed to sign long term and Sudfeld might have to be the starter next year for the Redskins depending on what happens. Now of course Cousins is established and that’s evident by now, but with the Rams they are looking at a QB they have mortgaged the future on in Jared Goff who isn’t a guarantee. I like Goff and I believe he will be fine, but you need to prepare for anything in this business and that is just what this pick does. You can likely trade one of Sean Mannion or Aaron Murray and possibly recoup another pick, but I feel as though McVay is going to want to select his own QB and Sloter seems like the perfect low key steal in the sixth round. He has a great arm, he is as mobile as they come running in the 4.6’s and he’s got a serious knowledge of the game of football. This would be a great pick for the Rams as he compares similarly to a mixture of Jimmy Garappolo, Tony Romo, Carson Wentz and Derek Carr.

Alternate pick: David Jones, FS, Richmond


6th Round (206th overall) – Fish Smithson, FS, Kansas (5-foot-11, 201 lbs.)

Another player that is just a leader on the football field and a high character in Fish Smithson. I believe you are now starting to see a trend here of the talent that I feel the Rams should and could go after. McVay has adopted a “We not Me” slogan and grabbing players like Smithson, Jones, Sloter, Brown, Godwin, Pocic and Kittle show that this draft class is full of high character and passionate football players. Smithson isn’t the freakish athlete that many want in the next free safety for the Rams, but he is a player that is extremely instinctive and led the FBS in solo tackles. He is a sound tackler and is quite the ball-hawk as well. Smithson played on a Kansas team that found themselves down more often than not, but regardless of the situation Smithson never lowered his effort. His is a guy that will give you his all no matter what the cost is. He truly believes in being a teammate and being a leader and a role model and that is another type of player you want on your team. Its worth noting Smithson has the ability to slide into the cornerback position showing off his versatility and added value to a team picking in the sixth round.

Alternate pick: Speedy Noil, WR, Texas A&M


7th Round (234th overall) – DaQuan Holmes, CB, American International (5-foot-10, 187 lbs.)

Last but not least we have DaQuan Holmes who is quite possibly one of the absolute top division two stars in this draft. Holmes has met with the Rams multiple times so the interest is clearly there. He is a very intelligent player and person so right off the bat you are getting someone in the seventh round that probably studies more game film than day two picks. Holmes has a knack for utilizing his anticipation and awareness and stepping in front of a pass. He is a model of consistency in the interception department as well as the tackling department. Holmes ran a 4.45 at the Harvard pro day he attended and showed off his ambition to go out of his comfort zone and get his name out there for the rest of scouts. This kid is the real deal and there is a reason why the rival 49ers privately visited him. Holmes may likely go a round or two higher, but there is a possibility the Rams could steal him in the seventh round. Holmes makes a ton of sense here because the Rams aren’t really lacking at cornerback and do not need to spend an early round pick, so they are able to bolster other positions depth and select a cornerback who could prove to be a division two diamond in the rough like I believe he can and quite possibly end up like his favorite player and his pro comparison Malcolm Butler.

Alternate pick: Jylan Ware, OT, Alabama State


Possible UDFA signings:


QB Wes Lunt, Illinois

WR Austin Carr, Northwestern

WR DeAngelo Yancey, Purdue

OT Darrell Williams, Western Kentucky

C Tobijah Hughley, Louisville

DT Joey Ivie, Florida

ILB Kenneth Olugbode, Colorado

CB Tyquwan Glass, Fresno State

CB J.R. Nelson, Montana

CB Brad Watson, Wake Forest

S Rudy Ford, Auburn

S Orion Stewart, Baylor


Thoughts Rams fans? Let me hear it!

Login to view embedded media View: https://twitter.com/nfltrade_rumors/status/856292856843128832



Good timing

Ok, So I have been playing around with 4 different mocks for about a month now and finally decided to say fuck it, and just post something. I made a dream mock and a more realistic mock, both are possible, just one is a lot more plausible I suppose. First will be the dream mock, lets get this shit going!!!











Feedback always welcome. Hope you like some of it at least. Go Rams!!

Continuing on from here ... http://www.ramsondemand.com/threads/rams-falcons-on-the-clock.49268/

We talked it out and we declined the Falcons offer.

1. Cleveland Browns- Myles Garrett, Texas A&M DE
2. San Francisco 49ers—Solomon Thomas, Stanford DE
3. Chicago Bears—Jamal Adams, LSU S
4. Jacksonville Jaguars—Leonard Fournette, LSU RB
5. Tennessee Titans—Marshon Lattimore, Ohio State CB
6. New York Jets—Mitchell Trubisky, North Carolina QB
7. San Diego Chargers—Malik Hooker, Ohio State S
8. Carolina Panthers—Quincy Wilson, Florida CB
9. Cincinnati Bengals—Reuben Foster, Alabama LB
10. Buffalo Bills—O.J. Howard, Alabama TE
11. New Orleans Saints—Jonathan Allen, Alabama DL
12. Cleveland Browns—Deshaun Watson, Clemson QB
13. Arizona Cardinals—Patrick Mahomes, Texas Tech QB
14. Philadelphia Eagles—Christian McCaffrey, Stanford RB
15. Indianapolis Colts—Forrest Lamp, Western Kentucky OG
16. Baltimore Ravens—Mike Williams, Clemson WR
17. Washington Redskins—John Ross, Washington WR
18. Tennessee Titans—Corey Davis, Western Michigan WR
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers—Dalvin Cook, RB Florida State
20. Denver Broncos—Garett Bolles, Utah OT
21. Detroit Lions—Derek Barnett, Tennessee DE
22. Miami Dolphins—Jabrill Peppers, Michigan S
23. New York Giants—Takkarist McKinley, UCLA S
24. Oakland Raiders—Marlon Humphrey, Alabama CB
25. Houston Texans—Deshone Kizer, Notre Dame QB
26. Seattle Seahawks—Cam Robinson, Alabama OT
27. Kansas City Chiefs—Haason Reddick, Temple S
28. Dallas Cowboys—Tre’davious White, LSU CB
29. Green Bay Packers—Gaeron Conley, Ohio State CB
30. Pittsburgh Steelers—Jarrad Davis, Florida LB

----------

31. Atlanta Falcons—Charles Harris, Missouri DE
32. New Orleans Saints—Kevin King, Washington CB
33. Cleveland Browns—David Njoku, Miami TE
34. San Francisco 49ers—Budda Baker, Washington S
35. Jacksonville Jaguars—Ryan Ramczyk, Wisconsin OT
36. Chicago Bears—Adoree’ Jackson, USC CB

37. The LA Rams are on the clock

No one is on the phone looking to trade up - there are no serious offers to consider.

It's time to pick one guy. I'll give it a day and then majority rules. Feel free to mention multiple options but make a clear vote for one guy here at 37. You don't need to include what you are going to do in round 3 - we will get there eventually.