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Draft guru gives Rams a ‘very good’ grade in 2015 NFL Draft
Elisabeth Meinecke
FOX Sports MidwestMAY 05, 2015 5:45p ET
The Rams’ 2015 draft class (row by row, from top left): RB Todd Gurley, OL Rob Havenstein, OL Jamon Brown, QB Sean Mannion, OL Andrew Donnal, WR Bud Sasser, OL Cody Wichmann, LB Bryce Hager and DL Martin Ifedi.
ST. LOUIS — “They’ve got some nastiness in them.”
Dan Shonka of Ourlads’ NFL Scouting Services is going through the list of offensive linemen drafted by the St. Louis Rams over the weekend — four players, taken in four different rounds, yet united by their ability to play with an edge.
“That’s one thing that I made a note of on all these different guys — they’ve all got a nasty streak to them,” Shonka says. The scouting term he uses to describe such a tendency among offensive linemen, admittedly, is unfit for print.
But Shonka finds other ways to say it.
“They have their head on a swivel, and they’re looking for somebody to hit,” he explains. “All these guys kind of have the same type of personality, so I guess that’s why they (the Rams) went after them.”
This edgy group of offensive linemen consists of second-rounder Rob Havenstein from Wisconsin, third-rounder Jamon Brown from Louisville, fourth-rounder Andrew Donnal from Iowa and sixth-rounder Cody Wichmann from Fresno State. They were among seven offensive players the Rams selected in the 2015 NFL Draft, along with two defensive guys: linebacker Bryce Hager and defensive end Martin Ifedi, both in the seventh round.
Shonka prefers to rate drafts in verbiage such as “average,” “good” and “very good,” as opposed to letter grades. For the Rams this year, he gives an overall mark of “very good.”
“There’s an ‘excellent’ — I don’t know if we’ve ever given an excellent,” Shonka says. “Very good is, I guess if you’re putting a letter grade, you’d say it was a B+, because there are a lot of choices that we certainly like, and I don’t know that we ever give an A anyway. ‘Very good’ is about as top as we go.”
More on the Rams’ “very good” performance in the 2015 draft:
• Surprise RB pick. The Rams’ selection of running back Todd Gurley at 10th overall came as a surprise to Shonka — but a good surprise. There was some risk with the pick because Gurley is still recovering from ACL surgery, but the upside could be huge, especially because Rams coach Jeff Fisher, who coached Eddie George in Tennessee, hasn’t had a dominant running back during his tenure in St. Louis.
“Steven Jackson was OK, but he was getting toward the end of his career,” Shonka points out. A big-time running back “will help your defense, will help your receiving game, will help everything.”
• Later-than-expected O-line help. The Rams’ decision to trade their No. 41 pick to Carolina meant they delayed selecting an offensive lineman, which many had speculated they’d do in the first round, until 57th overall. The benefit was gaining two additional picks, which the Rams used in the third round on a quarterback (Oregon State’s Sean Mannion) and in the sixth on a wide receiver (Missouri’s Bud Sasser). Another break for the Rams was that only three offensive linemen went off the board in Round 2 before they got to select Havenstein.
“You could argue that you might be able to get a little bit better lineman, but the way it turns out, the linemen that the Rams took — three out of (the) second four picks — got a lot of talent, and have the ability to start, and certainly bring competition,” Shonka says. “Havenstein, to me, he was a second-round tackle. I like the guy. He’s a tough guy. He’s consistent.”
LOS ANGELES – SEPTEMBER 18: Jerry Gray #25 and Johnnie Johnson #20 of the Los Angeles Rams break up a pass against Tim Brown #81 and James Lofton #80 of the Los Angeles Raiders during the game at the Coliseum on September 18, 1988 in Los Angeles, California. The Rams defeated the Raiders 22-17. (Photo by Andy Hayt/Getty Images)Shonka highlights Havenstein’s 6-foot-7, 321-pound frame — “he just has to keep working to bend his knees because he is so tall” — and hip flexibility for his size, along with his lateral quickness and foot movement.
“If anybody’s got any question about him, throw on that film against Nebraska,” Shonka says. “He blocks (outside linebacker Randy) Gregory. He gets his mitts on Gregory, and everybody thinks Gregory (a second-round pick by Dallas) is the second coming of Lawrence Taylor or something. Havenstein handles him pretty good.”
• Guard rather than tackle. Shonka thinks Jamon Brown, the Rams’ first selection in the third round and 72nd overall, will end up being a guard, though he’s listed as an offensive tackle. It is that versatility, Shonka believes, that makes him a good selection.
“We had him late third, fourth round, so that’s where they got him, so I can’t argue that,” Shonka says. “He could play all the positions, because he played left tackle and he’s got some experience at guard, and so really, he’s a four-for-one player, which, in the NFL anymore, that’s what you want — a versatile guy. And that’s certainly Jamon.”
• Mannion reminiscent of Brady. Shonka is a huge fan of Mannion, the quarterback the Rams selected in the third round, and thinks that among the second tier of quarterbacks in the 2015 draft (those who follow top two picks Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota), Mannion might be the eventual starter.
“He has one of the strongest arms in this draft, he’s very smart, he’s a four-year starter, he’s a three-year captain, he’s your classic, your NFL drop-back quarterback — he’s built like a Tom Brady or a Peyton Manning,” says Shonka, who researched Brady for the Philadelphia Eagles when Brady was in college and graded him two rounds higher than where the Patriots took him. “(Mannion) reminds me a lot of Brady when Brady came out.”
• Donnal went higher than expected. Shonka says he had Donnal as a sixth-round selection and St. Louis took him in the fourth, but he understands the pick from the Rams’ perspective.
“The buzzword, obviously, with the Rams, they want versatile guys, and I think he can kick inside to play guard,” he says.
Donnal will need to work on his strength, Shonka says, but his technique is solid, and he’s well thought of by offensive line coaches around the league.
• Long wait for a wideout. The Rams waited until the sixth round to select a wide receiver, another position that, going into the draft, was thought to be a consideration with their top selection overall. Top prospects Amari Cooper and Kevin White were off the board when the Rams went on the clock, but Louisville’s DeVante Parker was still there.
Overall, the strategy to go with Gurley over a wide receiver doesn’t bother Shonka, who points out Sasser had a good senior year at Mizzou, though he’ll have to make the Rams by playing special teams.
“That sixth round, you wanted some guy that could run, catch the ball and make your team, and that’s what he’ll be competing to do,” Shonka says.
• Seventh-rounders could exceed expectations. Shonka says the Rams’ last two picks, Hager and Ifedi at 224 and 227, respectively, have a solid chance to outperform their draft spots. His list of Hager’s attributes is extensive: He plays well in space, he hustles, he’s fast, he plays with great instincts. Ifedi, meanwhile, has “really strong hands,” long arms and lateral quickness.
“Great value picks,” Shonka says.
Agamemnonhttp://www.foxsports.com/midwest/story/jeff-fisher-deviates-from-script-focuses-on-st-louis-rams-offense-at-2015-nfl-draft-050215
Fisher deviates from script, focuses on Rams’ offense in draft
Howard Balzer
FOX Sports MidwestMAY 02, 2015 8:28p ET
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May 1, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Rams head coach Jeff Fisher talks with the media about first round draft pick Todd Gurley (not pictured) during a press conference at Rams Park. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Jeff Curry / USA TODAY SportsJeff Fisher and the Rams may have drafted four offensive linemen at this year’s draft, but don’t mistake that for a “quantity over quality” approach.
ST. LOUIS — To say the 2015 draft was an unusual one for Rams coach Jeff Fisher would be an understatement of gargantuan proportions.
Fisher has been at this head coaching gig since 1995, and only once before did his team open the draft with a succession of more than one offensive player. Yes, this was the third time in four years with the Rams that the draft began with an offensive selection. But in each of those years, the choices of wide receiver Tavon Austin in 2013 and tackle Greg Robinson in 2014 were followed by two defensive players.
In 16 years at the helm of the Tennessee Titans (formerly the Houston Oilers), only seven times was offense the choice in the first round. And only in 2006 did the draft begin with two offensive players: quarterback Vince Young and running back LenDale White.
The offensive onslaught at this year’s draft began with the eye-opening selection of running back Todd Gurley at 10th overall and didn’t stop until Baylor linebacker Bryce Hager was picked in the seventh round (224th overall) with a choice St. Louis had acquired from the Jets for running back Zac Stacy.
In between, six other offensive players were picked, including four offensive linemen, Oregon State quarterback Sean Mannion and Mizzou wide receiver Bud Sasser.
Certainly, the strategy was fueled by the need to give assistant coach Paul Boudreau some (hopefully) able and (definitely) experienced bodies for his offensive line. That was achieved, at least on paper, with the addition of four linemen in the second (Wisconsin tackle Rob Havenstein, 42 starts), third (Louisville tackle, but projected guard, Jamon Brown, 40 starts), fourth (Iowa tackle Andrew Donnal, 16 starts) and sixth (Fresno State guard Cody Wichmann, 50 starts) rounds. Those four linemen combined for 148 starts in their college careers.
Donnal’s starts were limited because after becoming a starter in his sophomore season, he suffered a torn ACL (yes, that injury again) in his third start, but he came back a year later and participated in every game — he just didn’t start. Last season, however, he started all 13 games at right tackle.
In the three previous drafts, the Rams selected a total of six offensive linemen, but only two in the first four rounds: Robinson in 2014 and center Barrett Jones in the fourth round of the 2013 draft. Jones is expected to compete for the starting job with Demetrius Rhaney, a seventh-round pick last year who spent the season on injured reserve, and Tim Barnes.
The other two choices were tackle Mitchell Van Dyk (seventh round, 2014), who is currently on the Steelers’ roster, and guard Rokevious Watkins (fifth round, 2012), who has eaten his way out of the NFL.
General manager Les Snead says that the Rams “studied the OL as hard as any position this year,” and notes that the average round in which starting guards and right tackles were drafted is 3.6.
“It was not hard at all,” responded Fisher when asked if it was tough to stick with offense for so long. “Every team is different. Every situation is different. Every draft is different. But we clearly entered this draft collectively feeling that we were going to come away with some solid offensive linemen. We feel good about it.”
Beyond that, the results of this year’s draft became an illustrative primer in how Fisher wants this team to truly reflect the image and style he desires.
His Titans became a force in the NFL with Eddie George running behind a large and physical offensive line. From 1999 through 2003, Tennessee and St. Louis tied for the most regular-season wins in the league. It was no secret why.
Now, with the addition of a healthy Gurley running behind a huge line, Fisher hopes to begin duplicating those halcyon days in Nashville.
Just check out the linemen added in the draft since a year ago: Robinson (6-5, 332), Havenstein (6-7, 321), Brown (6-4, 323), Donnal (6-6, 313) and Wichmann (6-6, 315). Also added to the group is this year’s unrestricted free-agent signing of Garrett Reynolds (6-7, 305), who has experience playing for Boudreau in Atlanta.
“We’ve got two big, strong, physical players that extend plays, that finish plays, that go downfield,” Fisher said after Day 2. “They’re mauler-types. They’re very, very aggressive, so they’re going to fit our style.”
It wasn’t surprising then, to hear Donnal describe himself.
“I view myself as a blue-collar grinder,” he said. “I’m a guy that’s going to come out and work my ass off every day to be the best that I can possibly be. I thoroughly enjoy just playing football, being an offensive lineman and moving the guy from point A to point B against his will. Protecting the quarterback and mauling inside. There’s nothing better.”
Jan 1, 2014; Tampa, Fl, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes offensive linesman Andrew Donnal (78) against the LSU Tigers during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. LSU Tigers defeated the Iowa Hawkeyes 21-14. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports“It’s been a long time coming, particularly because of the needs,” Fisher said of this year’s haul. “After Todd, our focus went to the big guys. All of them finish; that’s the thing we really like. They’re downfield, they’re pushing people over piles, they’re aggressive and they’re finishing. As (Rams GM) Les (Snead) said about Cody, ‘If you’re somewhere in the vicinity, he’s gonna hit you.’ There’s some contact involved, and that’s the mindset that we need to carry forward. But it’s also not something that we have to teach; it’s the way they play right now.”
Fisher took exception when it was suggested that he and Snead drafted a glut of linemen with the hopes that at least a few would work out.
“We didn’t throw darts,” he said. “We think these guys can play. Now, we’ll have a much better idea once we get them in here, but we feel they all can come in and contribute. They are durable, they’re smart, they’re well coached and they’re going to fit in.
“We’re building this team for the future and I think we’re establishing an identity right now.”
There’s no need to expand on what that identity means. What’s in question is where that “future” will be. But that’s a discussion for another day.
Howard Balzer can be heard daily on Lunchtime Live with Howard Balzer from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. weekdays on TalkSTL.com 1380 AM.
AgamemnonRisk-reward: Gurley’s talent outweighs injury concerns for Rams
Howard Balzer
FOX Sports MidwestAPR 30, 2015 9:01p ET
Todd Gurley rushed for 911 yards and nine touchdowns over six games in 2014.
ST. LOUIS — Rams coach Jeff Fisher has never met a running back he didn’t like, from Eddie George, who fueled the Tennessee Titans’ run to the Super Bowl after the 1999 season, to Chris Johnson, who rushed for 2,006 yards in 2009.
So it shouldn’t have been a surprise when Fisher and general manager Les Snead took a major gamble Thursday with the selection of Georgia running back Todd Gurley at No. 10 in the first round of the NFL Draft.
It fits the head coach’s philosophy.
While Fisher didn’t want to compare Gurley to George, who rushed for 10,009 yards and 64 touchdowns in eight seasons with Houston and Tennessee, he did say Gurley is “special.”
“But they’re different,” he continued. “They have different running styles. But when the career is all said and done, he can be that guy.”
Gurley, who is now the seventh tailback on the Rams’ roster, becomes the fourth runner the team has drafted in the last four years, joining Isaiah Pead (second round, 2012), Daryl Richardson (seventh round, 2012), Zac Stacy (fifth round, 2013) and Tre Mason (third round, 2014).
Taking the immensely talented Gurley is a risk because he is recovering from a torn ACL suffered in the fourth quarter of the Bulldogs’ Nov. 15 game against Auburn. That game was his first after returning from a four-game suspension for accepting more than $3,000 for autographed memorabilia.
The Rams were present at his medical recheck on April 18 at Indianapolis.
“His rehab is coming along fine,” Fisher said. “We don’t know when he’s going to be on the field competitively, but we do know he’s not having any issues right now and the docs say he’s ahead of schedule.”
Gurley, who was surprised to be selected by the Rams and didn’t visit the team in recent weeks, echoed Fisher’s sentiment, saying, “There is no timetable. I know I have a lot of work to do. But opening day is a realistic goal.”
“There’s always that possibility,” Fisher said. “But we’re not going to be specific as to when. I will tell you this, we’re not going to rush it. We may be a little on the conservative side. This is our running back of the future, so it makes no sense to subject him — to put him in a bad situation sooner than we have to. We’ve got outstanding backs on our roster and he’s going to add to that group. When that happens, we don’t know, but he’s going to be the running back of the future for a number of years.”
Still, there was significant discussion among the Rams’ hierarchy about the wisdom of adding another player with a history of ACL injuries, especially considering they’ve been burned by torn ACLs the last two seasons, with quarterback Sam Bradford and tackle Jake Long, neither of whom is still with the team.
Pead missed the 2014 season, also with a torn ACL.
“(ACL issues have) been a concern of ours. But every situation is different,” Fisher said. “We don’t have reservations about him getting back to full speed and 100 percent. That’s not going to be an issue with him.”
Snead pointed out that Gurley’s injury was the reason he fell to St. Louis.
“It was a bonus to be sitting there and 10 and get him,” he said. “It was a consensus that he’s a player that helps everybody, our defense, he helps our offense, our offensive line, our receivers, our quarterback. That’s the pick in a nutshell.”
“A talent like him comes along once in a great while,” Fisher added. “His body of work speaks for itself. The athletic ability, the strength, the explosion, the acceleration, the instincts he has as a runner. He also has great hands out of the backfield. He’s that complete back. We have a good group; we really like our group in the room, but this is an opportunity that we could not pass up.”
For the season, the 6-foot-1, 226-pound Gurley rushed for 911 yards on 123 attempts (7.4 per rush) and nine touchdowns in just six games. In his Georgia career, he totaled 3,285 yards and 36 touchdowns, averaging 6.4 yards per carry.
The pick of Gurley came after the Washington Redskins selected Iowa tackle/guard Brandon Scherff fifth overall and the New York Giants picked Miami tackle Ereck Flowers one spot ahead of the Rams. Three picks later, the New Orleans Saints chose Stanford tackle Andrus Peat.
So it was that a reporter asked, “I’ll be the smart-ass and ask, Who’s going to block for him?”
“They did make this thing a three-day event,” Snead replied. “We have to live through Friday and Saturday, so we’ll see if we can help improve that position there. We’ll still let the board guide us, but … we’re well aware.”
Gurley and quarterback Nick Foles sure hope so.
Who’s left on the line?
Alec Ogletree, Todd Gurley and Roger Goodell
MORE ON THE RAMSGurley remembers a bruisin’ from new/old Rams teammate Ogletree
Seven’s a crowd? Zac Stacy reacts to Rams drafting another RBThe second and third rounds will be conducted Friday, with the Rams owning the ninth pick in Round 2 (41st overall) and the eighth choice in Round 3 (72nd overall).
Seven offensive linemen were selected in the first round, leaving the following group of blockers available, according to rankings by NFLDraftScout.com:
T Jake Fisher, Oregon (31); T T.J. Clemmings, Pittsburgh (50); C Hronis Grasu, Oregon (61); G A.J. Cann, South Carolina (62); T Donovan Smith, Penn State (64); G Ali Marpet, Hobart (68); G Tre Jackson, Florida State (78); G/C Mitch Morse, Missouri (85).
Another Balzer article. Agamemnonhttp://www.foxsports.com/midwest/story/todd-gurley-remembers-a-bruisin-from-new-old-st-louis-rams-teammate-alec-ogletree-043015
Gurley remembers a bruisin’ from new/old Rams teammate Ogletree
Elisabeth Meinecke
FOX Sports MidwestAPR 30, 2015 11:16p ET
Alec Ogletree (left) and Todd Gurley were Georgia Bulldog teammates for a year.
ST. LOUIS — When Rams 2015 first-round draft pick Todd Gurley joins his new teammates in St. Louis, there will be a familiar face among them, albeit on the opposite side of the ball.
Linebacker Alec Ogletree, a first-round draft pick of the Rams in 2013, played at the University of Georgia, where Gurley began his collegiate career as a running back in 2012. During Gurley’s first Bulldog camp, the linebacker delivered a hit during a goal-line drill that left an impression.
“Man, I felt that,” Gurley recalled. “I was like, from that day forward, ‘I’m running low.'”
Fortunately, the relationship wasn’t bruised long-term.
“I’ve got a good relationship with him,” Gurley said. “It will be good to get back there with him, team up. That’s one of the best players I ever played with.”
He couldn’t confirm, however, if Ogletree had texted him in the selection’s immediate aftermath.
“I haven’t checked my phone,” Gurley admitted. “I’m pretty sure he did.”
Regardless, Ogletree was prolific welcoming his old and new teammate on social media as he retweeted congratulations from people showing love for the new pair of Georgia Bulldogs in St. Louis. About an hour after the pick, Ogletree’s timeline had close to 80 such messages.
Agamemnon
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