Recent Forum Topics › Forums › The Rams Huddle › Wagoner mailbag 2/23…parts 1 & 2
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April 24, 2016 at 10:44 am #42525
znModeratorWhere Rams can look for help at wide receiver without many picks
Nick Wagoner
The NFL draft is almost here and the Los Angeles Rams have already made a splash, moving up to the No. 1 overall pick. We’re less than a week away, which means you have plenty of questions on the topic.
As always, you can find me on Twitter @nwagoner and fire away with any Rams-related questions you might have. Please use hashtag #RamsMail so I can see them.
On to your questions.
TK F. @BornARam916
@nwagoner Do you see the rams signing any of the WR FA’s? There’s some older guys i think could be good additions at least 1yr.@nwagoner: Considering that the Rams will pick first overall and then not again until the fourth round, it’s not out of the question that they at least touch base with a veteran receiver. The problem is, none of the available options — save for Anquan Boldin — look all that appealing. One thing the Rams usually don’t do is sign veterans just for the sake of getting a guy with experience. They prefer to let their young players play and hope that they get better by being out there. Essentially, they traditionally only want to sign a veteran if they believe he’s an improvement over what they have. For example, the Rams kicked the tires on wideout Rueben Randle during free agency but opted not to sign him because they just didn’t see him as a fit. But your point is still well made: Obviously the Rams need help at receiver, and if they find someone who could offer more than what they currently have, it’s worth looking into. I think they’ll draft a receiver or maybe two on the third day and hope to get some kind of production out of him.
One other quick thought here: The Rams should be on the lookout for possibilities that might come available in a trade during the draft. There’s no guarantee that such an opportunity will present itself, but we’ve seen it happen.
Matt Wroten @Hazmatt415
@nwagoner In which priority should the Rams approach the 4th round? Offense weapons, defense depth, or best available?
@nwagoner: Let’s go with the natural progression and follow up the first question with this one. From talking to people there, it’s clear they know they need to have some success with their two fourth-round and two sixth-round picks as well as in undrafted free agency. They have needs beyond quarterback at No. 1 overall and need to find a way to fill them. I think the bulk of that capital should and will be put toward offense, namely receiver, tight end and offensive line. The only issue, of course, is that when you pick so much later in the draft, many of the pieces that can help the team at those positions could be gone. So there’s really no way to definitively determine which way the Rams will go without seeing what happens on day two. Rest assured, they’ll be paying close attention.April 24, 2016 at 10:47 am #42526znModeratorWith quarterback on the way, do Rams have right support in place?
Nick Wagoner
The NFL draft is almost here and the Los Angeles Rams are already making a splash after moving up to the No. 1 overall pick. We’re less than a week away from the draft, which means you have plenty of questions on the topic.
As always, you can find me on Twitter @nwagoner and fire away with any Rams-related questions you might have. Please use hashtag #RamsMail so I can see them.
On to your questions.
Nick Carbaugh @CarbaughNation
Q: Drafting a QB is one thing, but do the Rams have the offensive staff in place to guide a young talent into stardom?@nwagoner: This is a really good question and one we don’t really have an answer for at this point. Clearly, Jeff Fisher is not an offensive coach, and though he gets some credit for what the offense did with Steve McNair in Tennessee, it’s not as if it was his system even if it was his philosophy being employed. Rob Boras is a first-time NFL offensive coordinator (for a full season), quarterbacks coach Chris Weinke is in his second season in that role and Mike Groh is in his first season as the passing-game coach. In other words, the offensive staff that’s most likely to be working directly with the new quarterback is almost wholly unproven in their current roles at this level and certainly with this team. So yeah, it’s fair at this point to leave the jury out on that and/or be skeptical about whether the Rams have the right people in place to get the most out of a quarterback taken No. 1 overall. Of course, if it doesn’t work out and the Rams make a coaching change after the season, that wouldn’t help a young quarterback, either, because he’d be starting over again.
Adding to that, the Rams don’t exactly have a great supporting cast on the field for a quarterback. They have a star in the making at running back in Todd Gurley but otherwise, the offensive line still has a lot of improving to do and the receivers and tight ends are pedestrian. In an ideal world, the players will improve because the coaching staff is doing a good job. But it feels as though it’s asking a lot of all parties for this offense to improve simply by plugging in a quarterback taken No. 1 overall and making a few changes to the coaching staff.
Greg Divers @GDive
Q: Do the #Rams have any plans to draft a TE to replace Jared Cook?
@nwagoner: Put it this way: The Rams are well aware they need to add some bodies at tight end. They tried to do so in free agency by visiting with Zach Miller and making a push for Marcedes Lewis, but they re-signed with Chicago and Jacksonville, respectively. So now the Rams have just three tight ends on the roster in Lance Kendricks, Cory Harkey and Justice Cunningham. That’s not enough bodies for camp and the preseason, so it’s safe to assume they’ll add multiple tight ends through the draft, in undrafted free agency or, more likely, a combination of the two. It’s really more a matter of if there are still good prospects available when the Rams draft in the fourth and sixth rounds. If they like a prospect at tight end, I have little doubt they’ll be eager to grab one.
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