RAMS draft…articles, vids etc. on just the Rams draft

2019 NFL DRAFT
With compensatory picks for 2019 NFL Draft set, the Los Angeles Rams are in a clear position to trade back because of roster timeline gap

https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2019/2/22/18236790/2019-nfl-draft-los-angeles-la-rams-roster-depth-chart-trades

Since the 2016 NFL Draft, the Los Angeles Rams have remade their roster through the conventional means of the draft and free agency coupled with an aggressive posture on the trade front.

That posture, though, has meant that while the Rams were aggressive in bringing in top talents, they’ve brought in less players than what they’ve traded out.

I went back and compiled all the trades since the 2016 draft (not including any previous trades such as those that included QB Nick Foles and QB Case Keenum that involved picks in that draft for example) both leading up to drafts and throughout. You can see them in this table here that I’m not going to embed because it’s a bit of a hot mess, but what you can see is that for all the trades since 2016 is that the Rams have brought in 13 less players than what they’ve traded away.

Put simply, those deals have left the cupboard a bit bare at the back end of the roster.

Deals like the trade for the #1 pick that we used to take QB Jared Goff in which we sent the Tennessee Titans six picks and received three back. Deals like the trades for WR Sammy Watkins and CB Aqib Talib and potentially EDGE Dante Fowler, Jr., where the Rams sent away draft picks that would have been on the roster for several more years than the players we brought in.

The bottom line is that were it not for the trades (and I’m not advocating against them, I’m just pointing out the cost), the Rams would have 13 more players shoring up their roster. And when you look at all the role players on expiring deals, it’s clear that the Rams have a ton of work to do just to fill out the roster with capable talents this year and next.

That means one thing.

The Rams severely need to trade down this year.

Specifically because of the trades, the Rams are in the unusual position of needing to backfill a gap in the roster timeline because of the sheer number of trades General Manager Les Snead has pulled off. Had the Rams held on to all those picks, they might already have a quarterback on the roster to supplant Sean Mannion as the QB2. They might have had an edge rusher that would have negated the motivation to trade for Fowler in the first place. They might already have the cornerback depth they severely need once Talib and perhaps even CB Marcus Peters are gone after the 2019 season.

The Rams have been aggressive in bringing quality. But it has come at the expense of quantity.

For that reason alone, the Rams need to balance the scale in favor of quantity this year by scaling back the quality of their draft capital.

Vincent Bonsignore@VinnyBonsignore
Florida OLB Jachai Polite said he met with the #Rams this week. He told me he feels it was his best interview.

One thing Polite said was different between ##Rams meeting compared to others: The Rams were much more about football. There was a bashing element with other teams. Rams meeting was for sure his favorite.

Not bashing other teams. Bashing him. He said he understood the bashing, that other teams were just trying to get a feel for his character in how they approached him. #Rams didn’t do any of that

Downtown Rams@DowntownRams
Jachai would be an amazing pick for the #Rams at 31. He clearly loved the Rams. He loved Sean McVay. Don’t see him falling to 31 though.

Vincent Bonsignore@VinnyBonsignore
FYI: Mississippi St. DE Montez Sweat told me he met with the #Rams this week. Enjoyed talking to Sean McVay and Wade Phillips and feels he’s a fit for the 3-4 or 4-3 scheme.

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Jachai Polite said the Rams were his favorite meeting because they weren't "bashing" him. He also said Sean McVay could be someone's "cool uncle," which isn't wrong https://t.co/A5ufD1KjWq

— Cameron DaSilva (@camdasilva) March 2, 2019

A lot of visual aids in this one, so best to just use the link:

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Here’s which defensive prospects have met with McVay and his staff

https://www.therams.com/news/2019-nfl-combine-notebook-here-s-which-defensive-prospects-have-met-with-mcvay-a

A lot of visual aids in this one, so best to just use the link:

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Edge rushers, D-linemen dominating NFL combine is good and bad news for Rams

Edge rushers, D-linemen dominating NFL combine is good and bad news for Rams

Deadpool

Is edge a screaming need? Did the Rams not play in the SB with Ebukam and Fowler on the edges? Did they not just add the Claymaker to rush the passer?
Bosa, Allen, , Burns, Sweat, Ferrell (I don’t think he is a Rams target) Polite, Winovich. Those 7 are the only 34 edge draftees that would get into the Rams rotation of Fowler, Ebukam, Matthews and Obo. As long as they stay healthy. They are also long gone before round three.

So unless you want a draft and stash like Obo was this year, you better hope an edge falls, the Rams trade up or down or the Rams reach.

This is all obviously only my opinion, and others may feel like a guy like Oshane Ximines, Christian Miller or DeAndre Walker could get some run, but I don’t. That’s all I have as far as my top 3 rounds Edge players.

BTW, I have no doubt that the team is looking at the edge position for the draft. They have personally met with: Sweat, Winovich, Polite, Reed and Hollins. So its on their mind.

Now tell me who was the weakest link on the OL? Sullivan? And Allen couldn’t beat him out? Yeah, OL is a need.

DL is a need because they have not replaced Such and frankly you need more then Brockers, AD, and JFM. Its called a rotation because you rotate players. The more I think about Jeffrey Simmons, the more sense he makes. He is a top 10 talent and SB contending teams don’t usually have shots at that kind of talent. He is a perfect fit in a 1 gap penetrating defense. And it makes Brockers expendable as his contract expires. After this season.

Kiser and Littleton are your only two ILB. So there needs to be at least 1 added.

CB is set for this year. But you should always add a CB in every draft.

There are 2 ribs on the roster until or if they match for Brown. Otherwise, knowing Turkey, you better have a third.

TE, 2 on the roster. Have to add a third.

Really should add a S if your begging for an edge because Matthews is old. So is Weddle.

You can’t force picks. That’s what Martz did with Robert Thomas and Trung. Its how you go from SB contender to 5-11.

So I will say this, if a worthy Edge is available when they pick, fine. But if a stud OC like McCoy or Bradbury is there and Winovich, they better take the OC. If they trade down, great. But if they start forcing picks, their SB window will disappear because you don’t win taking inferior talent. Esp. high in the draft.

3030

here is a list of players the team has supposedly met with either privately, at the combine or all -star games.

(From walterfootball.com: http://walterfootball.com/prospectMeetings/byteam )

C.J. Conrad, TE, Kentucky
Andre Dillard, OT, Washington State
Oshea Dugas, G, Louisiana Tech
Rashad Fenton, CB, South Carolina
Will Harris, S, Boston College
Daniel Helm, TE, Duke
KeeSean Johnson, WR, Fresno State
Erik McCoy, G/C, Texas A&M
Jachai Polite, DE/3-4OLB/OLB, Florida
Malik Reed, DE, Nevada
Devin Singletary, RB, Florida Atlantic
Montez Sweat, DE/3-4OLB/OLB, Mississippi State
Sione Takitaki, OLB, Brigham Young
Trevon Wesco, FB, West Virginia
Kerrith Whyte Jr., RB, Florida Atlantic
Chase Winovich, DE/3-4OLB/OLB, Michigan
Nate Davis, OL, Charlotte

Deadpool

McVay:

“I think when you go back and you look at our tape and say, ‘alright where are some areas that we could be better as coaches, starting out, but what are some of the nuances from a skillset that we are looking for, whether it’s from a receiver, tight end, or running back,” McVay said a day before free agency hit. “In a lot of instances it’s playmakers and guys that can do different things and have a versatile skill set whether it be running back, tight end, or receiver.”

If McVay is serious (and it is lying season) about adding a player that creates explosives, in the first round it comes down to 3 players.

As far as what can the coaches be better at, to me that is Redzone scoring and utilizing more then 11 personnel. To me a TE or big bodied WR solve some of those issues. A running back doesn’t solve any of that, esp. since a healthy Gurley didn’t.

But lets look at that last sentence, since it talks specifically about players. Who are playmakers in this draft that are versatile and do different things that fit what the Rams do.

***

Fant – versatility: He played out wide, he played in-line and flexed into the backfield. There isn’t a spot of the field he cannot play. His speed and explosiveness make him an automatic mismatch and he is at his best in a vertical offense when he can work the seam. I think he is exactly what the Rams like in a TE.

I still think McVay is terribly disappointed with his TEs. I bet if you asked McVay after his first draft what he expected his starting lineup to be in a year, he would have said, 1 RB, 2 TEs and 2 WRs. And that isn’t even close to fruition 2 years later. He can say what he wants to about how great his WRs block, his offense could really use a TE that at the very least forces defenses to respect the seam

Fant is everything they hoped Everett would develop into, but hasn’t. He plays fast and explosive and then showed up at the combine an only led all TEs in 40 time, vertical leap, 3 cone, broad jump and 60 yard shuttle. And for good measure, finished 6th in bench press. And looked very good in on field work. He’s a seam threat that would force teams to respect our TEs and the middle of the field.

Metcalf – versatility: He is a redzone threat with his size and physicality. He is a vertical threat with his deep speed and he is a playmaker once the ball is in his hands due to his strength and speed. The Rams have no one on the roster with his skill set and size. (not many teams do TBH). He will not be around at 31 unless his neck surgery had some red flags at the medical check at the combine.

I actually could see a scenario where a Metcalf or Harry or even a Harmon or Butler could be added to give the Rams a much needed redzone threat. Do I think that happens? no. Would I be shocked if it happens? no

Josh Jacobs – versatility: He can, run, catch and block. He is not what I would call explosive, and he isn’t a HR threat, but he has very good vision, excellent body control and footwork and is a threat catching the ball. he also has the size to be an every down back and is an excellent kick returner. He also might be there at 31. Honestly I prefer the crop of RBs next year and love the kid from Clemson Eitenne (he is already my #1 back for next year, just add 10 lbs please)

Jacobs is 29th on my 250 player big board. And yeah, my big board is getting the final touches. He would work for what the Rams like in a RB. He can get to the edge (which is important in a wide zone running game). I think the only team that would draft him ahead of the Rams might be the Raiders and they very well could at 27. If the Rams spend a 1 or a 3 on a RB, Gurley’s knees are officially shot.

***

Of the 3, only one checks off versatility, explosives (McVays word, not mine) and availability (could they available at 31) and that is Fant. Mtcalf is all those things but probably a top 10 pick, And Jacobs doesn’t create “explosives”.

I don’t think an explosive edge rusher will be available at 31, so thats off the board. I could really see Fant as a target that would legitimately be available. But I think outside Wilkins or Simmons, I really think they are trying to get teams off the scent of their pursuit of a OL. McCoy, Bradbury and Dillard as their target(s).

The only way they pick Fant is if they are comfortable going after a CB later in the draft or worrying about CB next offseason. Same with OL, they might feel they can get a OL that works in the middle of the draft and avoid Bradbury or McCoy (or they are both off the board) and edge is gone. Which I think is very likely and why the Rams made edge a priority in FA. That would leave the Rams free to draft the BPA on their board which could very will be Fant at that point.

from Les Snead prefers modified ‘best player available’ strategy in draft

(from March 8th)

Les Snead prefers modified 'best player available' strategy in draft

The Los Angeles Rams haven’t had a first-round pick in either of the last two drafts because of trades for Jared Goff and Brandin Cooks. As of now, they hold the 31st overall selection in Round 1, but it’s far from a certainty that they’ll be the team making that pick on April 25.

Les Snead has a knack for trading picks and with the Rams’ selection being at the end of the first round, moving back a few picks to the second is definitely an option – especially if one of Los Angeles’ primary targets doesn’t fall to No. 31.

Snead recently discussed how the Rams plan to approach the draft this year and indicated that trading back is definitely an option, as it always is. They’ll also try to take the best player available “at a specific amount of positions.”

“I think the way we’ll do it is, we’ll have a priority of position we should target. Now, where we’re picking at 31 … it’s a lot harder to gauge who is going to be there,” Snead said, via the team’s official site. “Nowadays, it’s like, OK, you can probably guess the top 10 to 15 [draft picks], but after that, the order gets a little funky and harder to figure out. So I think what we’ve got to do is be disciplined and go, let’s call it, within a specific amount of positions if at that pick, or let’s say we want to trade back into the second round or something and acquire more picks — you then take who you subjectively think is the best player available at those positions. Because if you go into it with one position, that’s usually where you reach. Or maybe you get lucky and the position you really need is sitting there, but you always want to guard against, if you call it, the cognitive bias that comes into play.”

Right now, it’s difficult to predict exactly what positions the Rams will be targeting in the draft. Until free agency happens and players are signed, we won’t fully know where the Rams’ biggest holes will be.

…

from Kartje: NFL mock draft 2.0 has Rams and Chargers going with defense

link: https://www.dailynews.com/2019/03/29/kartje-nfl-mock-draft-2-0-has-rams-and-chargers-going-with-defense/

31. LOS ANGELES RAMS: Dexter Lawrence, NT, Clemson | Previous mock: Jaylon Ferguson, Louisiana Tech

Don’t be surprised if the Rams trade down. If they stay here, an interior offensive lineman could be in play, but with Ndamukong Suh doubtful to return to L.A., an aggressive, run-stuff nose tackle would be a nice addition. Lawrence is incredibly athletic at his massive size (6-foot-4, 342), and with Aaron Donald next to him, he could wreak havoc.

The #Rams left the combine impressed with the depth in this year’s draft and are open to trades to add draft capitol. In my latest mock, they trade down from the 31st pick in the first round to secure more premium picks and address DL, ILB, S and CB https://t.co/iedAIJiyjN

— Vincent Bonsignore (@VinnyBonsignore) April 1, 2019

McShay, Kiper disagree on Rams’ 1st-round pick in new mock draft https://theramswire.usatoday.com/2019/04/03/nfl

McShay, Kiper disagree on Rams’ 1st-round pick in new mock draft

Mel Kiper and Todd McShay disagreed on both the player and position in their latest dueling mock drafts for ESPN. Kiper has the Rams taking an offensive lineman, while McShay sees them addressing the defensive front.

31. Los Angeles Rams

Kiper: Garrett Bradbury, C, NC State

I thought about cornerback here, but Bradbury could replace John Sullivan in the middle of the offensive line.

McShay: Dexter Lawrence, DT, Clemson

A 342-pound run-stopper with 5.05 speed ought to replace Ndamukong Suh nicely alongside Aaron Donald.

Just updated the tracker. By the numbers here are the positions the #Rams have had interaction with (that we know of):

4 QB’s
5 RB’s
2 WR’s
4 TE’s
7 OT’s
3 G’s
3 C’s
7 DL’s
5 EDGE’s
8 LB’s
9 CB’s
7 SAF’s https://t.co/3MaTz5uyb1

— Downtown Rams (@DowntownRams) April 4, 2019

Rams will draft a defensive lineman, but will it be at No. 31?

http://www.espn.com/blog/los-angeles-rams/post/_/id/40165/rams-will-draft-a-defensive-lineman-but-will-it-be-at-no-31?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — The Los Angeles Rams addressed their most pressing needs in free agency when they signed outside linebackers Dante Fowler and Clay Matthews and safety Eric Weddle.

With about $4.8 million remaining in their salary cap, according to ESPN Roster Management, the Rams must supplement a roster primed to make a repeat Super Bowl run.

The Rams have seven selections in the 2019 draft and are expected to pick in the first round for the first time since 2016, when they moved from the 15th pick to first overall to select quarterback Jared Goff.

A look at the defensive linemen whom the Rams will — and won’t — have a shot to select with the 31st pick:

No chance:

Nick Bosa, DE, Ohio State
Quinnen Williams, DT, Alabama
Josh Allen, OLB, Kentucky
Montez Sweat, DE, Miss. State
Rashan Gary, DE, Michigan

There’s a chance, but not a good one:

Christian Wilkins, DT, Clemson
Clelin Ferrell, DE, Clemson
Ed Oliver, DT, Houston

It’s a possibility:

Jeffery Simmons, DT, Miss. State
Dexter Lawrence, DT, Clemson
Brian Burns, DE, Florida State
Jaylon Ferguson, DE, La. Tech

It remains a possibility — and wouldn’t be surprising, given their recent history — that the Rams could trade out of the 31st pick. Last year, they sent their first-round pick (23rd overall) to the New England Patriots in exchange for receiver Brandin Cooks. Then the organization engaged in a flurry of draft-day moves to acquire a bundle of late-round selections.

In 2017, the Rams waited until Round 2 to make a pick after sending their first-round choice in the trade for Goff.

If the Rams hold on to their first-round pick on April 25, it seems increasingly likely that they will use it to fill the void left by defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who played last season on a one-year deal worth $14 million and whom general manager Les Snead said was unlikely to be re-signed because of budgetary constraints.

“I do think because it’s a good defensive line draft, our goal is to come out of the draft with probably a young defensive lineman,” Snead told ESPN at the NFL’s annual meetings in Phoenix. “That can happen, or guess what, I’ll say there are 31 other enemies that may decide to hinder our vision.”

A late first-round pick doesn’t leave much room for planning, and Snead certainly left open the possibility that the team could pick a lineman with any of its later picks. The Rams have two third-round picks, as well as a fourth-, fifth-, sixth- and seventh-round pick.

Regardless of which pick the Rams use to bolster their line, their current personnel situation, coupled with a draft deep in defensive line prospects, could create a fortuitous situation.

The Rams return two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald, who last season led the league with 20.5 sacks and is under contract through the 2024 season after he signed a six-year, $135 million extension in August.

Michael Brockers, a first-round pick in 2012, also returns in the final season of a three-year, $33.25 million deal.

While Donald is a one-man wrecking crew who last season faced more double teams than any other defensive player in the league, Brockers has a proven ability to play multiple positions, including the five-technique and nose tackle, and that could be key for the Rams as they prepare for the draft.

“What [Brocker’s] flexibility allows you to do is maybe pick the best player, and not necessarily we have to have a nose tackle, but you can pick maybe the best five-technique,” Snead said. “It does give you some flexibility, and it’s looking like that’s what we’re going to do there.”

Brockers’ contract situation and the uncertainty of whether he’ll return in 2020 could prompt the Rams to invest a first-round pick in a long-term solution on the line.

The Rams also return several players who are expected to play supplemental, if not larger, roles, including Morgan Fox, who tore his ACL during offseason workouts last year and was sidelined for the season, John Franklin-Myers, who had a promising rookie season, and Sebastian Joseph-Day, who was inactive every game last season but whose development the Rams continue to invest in.

Snead said each could be in the plan in 2019, though roles are far from settled. “A lot of that is going to be determined draft, post-draft, OTAs, into training camp,” Snead said. “Because you’re not going to decide all those things in OTAs.”