Early Draft Talk...just for fun

[shopson67]

Its odd. The general perception that year is that we were in a spot to get Claiborne or Blackmon and that Claiborne was ahead of Blackmon and they were both considered elite. I get not trading up if you were taking Claiborne if the Jags reached on Blackmon but then to trade down

Austin has to just play at NFL speed. He is trying to hit the big play every time....you only hit home runs in the NFL if someone messes up. You see this with return men all of the time. They think they can get a return TD every time they touch the ball and they fail to provide good field position. Get the field position, if you can make someone miss then you can take it to the house. Don't try to play chess while the other team is running full speed at you.

Ask any Cowboys fan how happy they are with Claiborne. He was about to be demoted for poor play before he made a few plays in that Denver game.

Evaluating a rookie WR after 6 games is much too soon. In terms of Austin's returns, how many big ones have been called back for stupid penalties thus far? It has been several at least.

I'm not sure why Ace Sanders is being called a bigger version of Tavon Austin. Sanders is listed at 5'7, 178 lbs. Austin is listed at 5'8, 176 lbs.

Tavon Austin selection will eventually pay off for Rams - ESPN

 

[SJ76]

Evaluating a rookie WR after 6 games is much too soon. In terms of Austin's
returns, how many big ones have been called back for stupid penalties thus far?
It has been several at least.

Only thing I am evaluating is that he wasn't worth trading our 2nd rounder for and moving up for. If you think a punt returner is worth a top 10 pick, then we need to sit down and have a beer.

I'm not sure why Ace Sanders is being called a bigger version of Tavon Austin.
Sanders is listed at 5'7, 178 lbs. Austin is listed at 5'8, 176 lbs.

Yeah guys never ly about their height and weight. :rollseyes:
You can look at the 2 and see the difference. I swear some of you believe everything you see on paper. Did you see Ace Sanders returning kicks against the Rams? He's not thin like Tavon, he's pretty thick and has some moves. Also went in the 4th.


Anyone see Keenan Allen last night? lol 3rd rounder in 2013!

Sometimes I wonder why I even bother.

 

[ksudodger]

Agreed SJ76... Keenan Allen was/is/will be a BEAST in this league. I sure as heck would swap him for Quick in a hot second

 

[SJ76]

As I said the day after draft day, the Chargers got three 1st round talents with their 1st, 2nd, and 3rd round picks. DJ Fluker, Mante Teo, Keenan Allen were great picks.

Keenan Allen was the best WR in college football all year last year, had a late injury that affected his combine and somehow dropped... It's crazy.

I think Quick will come on, but will never be a solid WR. Allen has always been a stud and now the sky is the limit for him. The Chargers got a steal. Terrence Williams looks dam good too.

 

[Retroram52]

I agree SJ76. The Chargers had a great draft while we were doing all of these insane frantic maneuvers that got us Austin and Olgetree. I am not sure what these coaches and FO are afraid of but we seem to have a corporate blindness to the obvious stud players! I don't get this!!

 

[SJ76]

Somebody hit it on the head earlier. We missed Blackmon, Dez, Julio... So we knee jerked and reached for a 5'8 175 slot WR. Just makes us look stupid. Pead does too. But Brockers, Jenkins, Ogletree all make us look good AND all of them played in the SEC I might add. I think McDonald looks good, Givens will be good, Kendricks is even playing good even though he was a wasted 2nd round pick. Trumaine looks to be a good player too.

But as I have said before, you can't miss on early 2nd round picks or really anyone in the 2nd round when you need to fill starting positions.

 

[shopson67]

I disagree (obviously). The draft is for filling your roster with talent to develop. Counting on instant starters out of the draft is dangerous. How many of Romo's interceptions are the direct result of Terrence Williams running the wrong route, for example?

You can play off Tavon as just a punt returner, but the FO drafted him to be much more. It simply isn't going to happen overnight, at least in part because the OC/OL can't get the running game going without the heavy package on the field. Any other WR that you perceive to be better from this year's draft all have entrenched targets on their team drawing coverage away, whether it's Dez in Dallas, Gates in San Diego, or Andre in Houston.

 

[shopson67]

Regardless, this thread was intended to discuss the UPCOMING draft, not look back at past drafts and claim "told ya so". Let's get back to the original topic...

 

[Smed55]

Regardless, this thread was intended to discuss the UPCOMING draft, not look back at past drafts and claim "told ya so". Let's get back to the original topic...

I think a lot of you don't see the big picture, there are a ton of teams that strike out in the draft, the draft can be a crap shot. All you are seeing is the players we didn't get or the slugs that we did pick. We have drafted quite a few stud players in the last few years. Don't hear much about Olgetree, but he has pretty much led the team in tackles every game, plus that was a pretty damn good 98 yard int return. Quinn excellent pick, Long, Jenkins, Animal, etc.

All teams are going to hit or miss in the draft, you are just pointing out the guys that are hitting, there are far more guys that are going to be misses. Years past a lot of Ram fans wanted Dorsey, Curry, Suh (I wanted Suh) Curry I believe is out of football, Dorsey is serviceable, Suh, you never know what you are going to get out of him.

You can all say this guy or that guy is a stud, some of them you will be able to say "I told you so" but most of you will not be able to say that. There's a ton of studs that don't make it, a ton of guys that become quite good, you can do all your homework, doesn't mean your going to pass the test when the time comes.

I guess I'm trying to say, it's not just the Rams, sure some teams strike gold, but that just makes it seem like they did a really good job, but they still missed on a lot of picks!

 

[Retroram52]

Yea Smed55, but as many teams hit and miss once and awhile, we have been missing alot over the last decade because we had a massive tallent vacuum after the superbowl years mainly due to a bunch of complete knuckleheads and the Queen Idiot running the show.

So when we now miss once and awhile, we the fans are extra sensitive to the players we could have had like Fluker, Long, Julio Jones, Blackmon recently. And like I have stated often over that same decade, we seem to have a corporate aversion to picking good players.And when we miss obvious talented players like the aforementioned, an internal counter to make up for all those years we watched blue-chip player after blue-chip player go right by us gets tripped and we end up on these threads voicing that frustration.

Granted, we will probably have a number of the young players we did select pan out eventually but and we do have some old and new studs but we still have holes and that is where things get dicey especially in light of what I just explained.

 

[fastforward]

So when we now miss once and awhile, we the fans are extra sensitive to the players we could have had like Fluker, Long, Julio Jones, Blackmon recently.

I'm not looking for a fight but we would have had to have traded up to have gotten any of those players. Fluker would have required as near as damn it the same trade as for Austin. Long would have required the Ogletree, Bailey, and Jones picks. Jones would have required outbidding the Falcons, (2 x 1st, 2nd, & 4th). Blackmon would have cost Brockers, Pead, Watkins, plus Givens, (or Zuerlein & Richardson).

 

[ksudodger]

Bottom line is to this point I feel like the Snead/Fisher regime has only REALLY missed on 1 guy and that is Pead. Quick can and should still develop. Rok Watkins was a solid pick who did not keep his head together. I think the moves they have made to get the players they have have been the right ones for the most part.

Just a little update based on current standings.. Draftsite.com has the Rams picking at #4 and #17 in the first round. Based on that, here is an updated early projection from the board GM:

#4 - Jake Matthews OT TAMU or Taylor Lewan OT Michigan
#17 - Ha-Ha Clinton Dix S Bama or Brandon Coleman WR Rutgers
2nd - Adrian Hubbard OLB Bama
3rd - Deone Buchanon S Wash St or Donte Moncreif WR Ole Miss (depending on pick at #17)
4th - Derek Carr QB Fresno St
5th - Silas Redd RB USC
6th - Keith McGill CB Utah (6'3" 205)
7th - Bruce Gaston DT Purdue
7th - Xavier Su'a-Filo OG UCLA

 

[shopson67]

I'll freely admit I haven't seen Derek Carr play, but haven't we seen that movie before? A Carr at Fresno putting up huge numbers only to tank in the NFL?

 

[ksudodger]

shopson, you obviously forget that David Carr was thrown into the fire behind an expansion draft O line, no RB and no WR. If David Carr was put in the position say someone like RGIII or Luck was, I feel like he would be just as successful. And Derek is a MUCH better QB than David ever was. My point is a young QB needs to be drafted in rounds 3,4 or 5 to develop and push Bradford. I really do not think Sam feels threatened by Clemons or Davis taking his job, you know what I mean?

 

[DK7000]

I'll freely admit I haven't seen Derek Carr play, but haven't we seen that movie before? A Carr at Fresno putting up huge numbers only to tank in the NFL?

Completely different personality than David. Derek's being breaking down NFL film and game film since he was 12 years old. He has a live arm, very accurate, calls the plays at the line, runs a 4.6 40, great leader and a great person off the field. He's going to be a stud in the NFL.

Oh, and Derek will probably go in the 1st round if he keeps this season up. He's going to impress many teams at the combine with his intelligence and physical ability.

 

[bluepigpen]

Nice list ksu and if that was our draft we would be fine. Carr would be fine, I have seen him play, he just doesn't get the pub because of the conference. The OT at the top is key. Mathews at that spot should be there, QBs are going early with at least 2 and Clowney in the mix. Dix is a stud as is Hubbard at Bama. Have not watched a USC game so Redd is an unknown to me. Watched McGill against Stanford and I don't know if he lasts that long. I am going to try this weekend to put a list together as the Rams season may only be 16 games long and I didn't want to start talking about the draft to early.

 

[SJ76]

KSU

Brandon Coleman and Donte Moncrief are both monster WRs with some speed but are not 1st round talents. That would definitely be reaching on a 1st rounder and 2nd rounder.

 

[Retroram52]

Well SJ76. I know who we will see in the first round. Knowing our history and reach picks, we will whiff on Matthews or Kouandjio and take one or both of Coleman and Moncrief!!

 

[shopson67]

Completely different personality than David. Derek's being breaking down NFL film and game film since he was 12 years old. He has a live arm, very accurate, calls the plays at the line, runs a 4.6 40, great leader and a great person off the field. He's going to be a stud in the NFL.

Oh, and Derek will probably go in the 1st round if he keeps this season up. He's going to impress many teams at the combine with his intelligence and physical ability.

If he's working into the 1st round, then he won't be a Ram. Can't imagine the Rams spending a 1st rounder on a QB unless they decide to move Bradford.

Fresno hasn't exactly been a hotbed for NFL talent (other than our own Henry Ellard, of course!), especially QBs: David Carr, Tom Brandstater, Trent Dilfer, Billy Volek, Kevin Sweeney. Of course, all it takes is one guy to turn that around, and maybe Derek Carr is that guy.

Sure, David was "broken" by playing behind a terrible line, but he's had a long time to overcome that and couldn't even stick as a back-up now.

 

[ksudodger]

SJ76... personally the only WR I would REALLY use a first on would be Lee,Evans or Watkins. I think all might be gone by #17. Obviously if any of those guys are there, you MUST grab them. My personal opinion is with #17 if Dix is gone would be to trade down into the mid 20's, still get Coleman and maybe add an additional 4th rounder. Coleman is listed in the top 25 overall in most prospect rankings so I do not think it would be that much of a reach.

As for Moncrief, he is simply a name in the middle of a bunch of 3rd and 4th round WR I saw listed. He is good but not THAT much better than other guys in that range.

We could very easily go with an QB like McCarron or Mettenberger in the 3rd round and look at S and WR in round 4...