Dak wrote:

Does pounding the ball mean 50% runs? If so, I don’t believe the Rams will ever be able to win a Super Bowl.

A couple of things. Seattle did not even throw the ball 50% of the time last year (and the year before). Last year Dallas threw around 50%. So teams can win doing that.

But then I don’t believe the Rams are going to be a 50% team. They will IMO be a more balanced team. The way I calculate that, a balanced team throws around 53%-56% of the time. Like Baltimore (54.2%) or Green Bay (53.5%).

Here are the top 3 pass heavy teams:

Falcons: 61.0%
Saints: 60.2%
Colts: 59.8%

I don’t think taking those linemen indicate they will have a run-heavy team (50% or less passing). I just think those are Boudreau linemen. The main thing you hear in reading about all of them is not just size, it’s their aggressiveness. Big aggressive guys = Boudreau.

I think they took Gurley because he was there. A blue chip offensive difference maker. If one of the 2 receivers had been there and Gurley was gone, I think they would have taken one of those guys quite happily. I mean maybe I am wrong and they really are changing everything.

Fisher deviates from script, focuses on Rams’ offense in draft

By Howard Balzer

http://www.foxsports.com/midwest/story/jeff-fisher-deviates-from-script-focuses-on-st-louis-rams-offense-at-2015-nfl-draft-050215

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 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.”

“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.

Total breakdown: Rams draft OL Cody Wichmann in sixth round

By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/18137/total-breakdown-rams-draft-ol-cody-wichmann-in-sixth-round

EARTH CITY, Mo. — A few quick thoughts on the St. Louis Rams’ sixth-round draft pick:

The pick: Cody Wichmann, guard, Fresno State

My take: At this point, it might be easier to just copy and paste previous takes. The Rams have now taken seven consecutive offensive players, including four linemen. Like with Iowa offensive lineman Andrew Donnal, the addition of Wichmann simply boils down to adding bodies who can come in and compete. The Rams need starters and depth on the offensive line, so there should be an opportunity for Wichmann to come in and compete for a spot. Again, the more bodies they bring in, the better the chance that one or more will become contributors.

The Mankins connection: Before we even delve into this topic, let’s be clear that nobody is comparing Wichmann to former Patriots star Logan Mankins. Now that that’s out of the way: It’s interesting to note that Wichmann attended the same high school — Mariposa High in Mariposa, California — and same college as Mankins. Wichmann calls Mankins his favorite athlete because “he’s a great lineman, role model and he deserves a lot of respect.” Nobody should reasonably expect Wichmann to come in and play for the Rams right away, and he’ll likely have to battle for a roster spot, but at the very least he has tried to follow in the footsteps of a pretty good player.

Rams’ war-room drama reveals team on a familiar track

By Michael Silver

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000490604/article/st-louis-rams-warroom-drama-reveals-team-on-a-familiar-track

EARTH CITY, Mo. — At certain uncomfortable junctures throughout his 20-year career as an NFL head coach, Jeff Fisher has had to adapt to circumstance, reshaping his offense as a pass-heavy attack, or one that takes advantage of a quarterback’s mobility.

Yet the times when Fisher’s teams have been most effective — the times when the man with the sublime ‘stache has been most at peace with his situation — have coincided with the presence of an elite, eminently productive running back. When Fisher coached the Titans to Super Bowl XXXIV, and later to the 2002 AFC Championship Game, the ultra-physical Eddie George was the offensive focal point. Tennessee’s romp to the 2008 AFC South title, meanwhile, was fueled by the emergence of rookie speedster Chris Johnson.

And Friday night, for the first time in the three years and three months that have passed since Fisher took over as the St. Louis Rams’ coach and top football decision-maker, he exuded a deep-seated satisfaction impossible to ignore — that of a man who feels his team will play football the way he prefers it, with no ambiguity about its mission.

As he sat in his office following the second day of the 2015 NFL Draft, leaning back in a cushy chair while sipping a glass of bold red wine, Fisher didn’t shy away from statements that might sound like hyperbole to some: Former Georgia star Todd Gurley, the swift and powerful runner he’d taken 10th overall in Thursday night’s first round, is “a once-every-10-year back” who, along with the upgrades made to the offensive line in Rounds 2 (former Wisconsin tackle Rob Havenstein) and 3 (ex-Louisville guard Jamon Brown), will change the Rams’ offensive identity.

“We’re trying to become more physical on offense,” Fisher said. “We did that today. We got two guys who are gonna go downfield and finish blocks — and clear space for that guy we got last night to do what he does. It’s not complicated: Hand it off, run play-action passes, get the ball out quickly, keep your defense off the field.”

Or, as secondary coach and former collision-happy NFL safety Chuck Cecil had put it about 20 minutes earlier: “We’re gonna be going old-school on ’em.”

Fisher has, along with general manager Les Snead, already assembled an aggressive defense — led by a star-studded stable of pass rushers and run-lane-cloggers up front. The coach believes he now has a suitably relentless offense to go with it. With a new quarterback in Nick Foles, acquired in a March trade with the Philadelphia Eagles for injury-prone passer Sam Bradford, Fisher isn’t looking for big fantasy numbers or cutting-edge passing concepts. Rather, he and newly promoted offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti, who replaced Brian Schottenheimer after the 2014 season, will be quite comfortable handing the rock to Gurley and letting him grind his way down the field.

On paper, the Rams are bucking a trend. As the NFL becomes increasingly pass-centric, teams consistently unearth short-term answers at running back from later rounds and productive veterans struggle to get lucrative, long-term contracts, the Death of the Marquee Running Back has become a trendy talking point. In fairness, it’s not just talk: No running back was selected in the first round of the 2013 or 2014 drafts, with Gurley and Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon (who went 15th overall to the Chargers) breaking the ignominious streak on Thursday.

Going all-in with Gurley, who tore his ACL last November, could be construed as a gamble. When I interviewed the newest Rams runner Friday on NFL Network, he expressed confidence in his recovery, and his new bosses obviously feel similarly. Fisher and Snead locked in on him as their top target midway through April and sweated out the draft’s first nine picks before happily pouncing.

A couple of weeks before the draft, in an act that was part superstition and part subterfuge, Fisher moved Gurley’s player card well below his actual slot on the draft board in the team’s war room, placing him in the second-round range. “At that point,” Fisher said, “(our interest in him) was on a need-to-know basis.”

That set up quite the draft-room scene Thursday: After the Giants selected Miami guard Ereck Flowers with the ninth overall pick, Fisher instructed Sean Gustus, the area scout who’d given the initial grade on Gurley, to put the magnetic card “where it really belongs” on the draft board.

Gustus, Fisher recalled, “tried to stick it on the ceiling,” as the scouts, coaches and other team officials in his midst broke out in celebratory laughter.
St. Louis Rams’ 2015 NFL Draft

Round 1, Pick 10 (10): Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia

Round 2, Pick 25 (57): Rob Havenstein, OT, Wisconsin

Round 3, Pick 8 (72): Jamon Brown, OT, Louisville

Round 3, Pick 25 (89): Sean Mannion, QB, Oregon St.

Round 4, Pick 20 (119): Andrew Donnal, OT, Iowa

Round 6, Pick 25 (201): Bud Sasser, WR, Missouri

Round 6, Pick 39 (215): Cody Wichmann, G, Fresno St.

Round 7, Pick 7 (224): Bryce Hager, ILB, Baylor

Round 7, Pick 10 (227): Martin Ifedi, DE, Memphis

Predictably, there were no dissenters. Snead, who’d been speaking glowingly about Gurley since the runner’s true freshman season, put it thusly: “When you’d pick out a game and watch his film, it was like watching a highlight reel. He just kept doing special things, play after play.”

Said Fisher: “If it weren’t for the injury, he probably wouldn’t be a Ram. Because in everybody’s opinion, he was a top two or three pick. When they say running backs don’t have value anymore, that’s not the case when it’s a once-every-10-year back. That was the consensus in the building, and it was basically the consensus around the league.”

For all of the Rams’ rich history at the position — which includes Hall of Famers Eric Dickerson, Jerome Bettis and Marshall Faulk, as well as another current St. Louis scout, Lawrence McCutcheon, who got especially fired up in the war room as Gurley’s card was pulled — they haven’t ranked in the top half of the NFL in rushing yardage for the past 15 years. Tre Mason, selected in the third round last year, showed promise as a rookie, which will allow Fisher the luxury of easing Gurley back from his injury. Mason projects as the clear No. 2 behind Gurley; third-year pro Zac Stac was traded — he had requested the move — to the New York Jets on Saturday.

There was plenty of drama in the war room Friday night, as the Rams — who had a cluster of offensive linemen stacked in the second-round range and were thus open to trading down — fielded a fast and furious barrage of trade offers for their second-round pick (41st overall).

For five-and-a-half minutes, the room resembled a Jerry Lewis-sponsored telethon, with president Kevin Demoff, Snead and Fisher fielding simultaneous calls from teams making offers — and in some cases, ringing back with sweetened trade proposals.

“I’ve never seen (a war room) quite that crazy,” Fisher said later.

The Chiefs, Eagles, Texans, Steelers and Panthers all offered trade-down prospects, and the Cowboys called to gauge the market before bowing out. With four-and-a-half minutes on the clock, Fisher chose the Panthers’ deal. The Rams got Carolina’s second-round pick (57th overall), along with selections in the third and sixth round, and hoped one of the linemen they liked would last another 16 spots.

Mission accomplished: Four of the linemen the Rams coveted were there for the taking when the Rams went on the clock at 57, and after much back-and-forth at the board (with offensive line coach Paul Boudreau and assistant line coach Andy Dickerson joining Fisher, Snead and Demoff in the discussion), it was decided Havenstein would be the choice.

“We got a road-grader, boys,” Fisher announced triumphantly. “A big-ass road grader.”

Or maybe they hadn’t: With a phone at his ear, Demoff informed Fisher that the Buccaneers were offering a trade prospect in which the Rams would move down eight spots (receiving the first pick of the third round) and swap a sixth-round pick for Tampa Bay’s fourth-rounder. After a quick discussion, Fisher decided to take the deal.

Moments later, Demoff called the Bucs back, only to learn that they had chosen to rescind the offer.

Gesturing toward Boudreau, Fisher said, “OK, this guy can exhale now. Get him a glass of wine.”

To the delight of Fisher and Boudreau, Brown — another of the linemen being discussed as the possible second-round choice — was still there when the team’s third-round selection (72nd overall) rolled around. (And the Rams — who later took ex-Oregon State quarterback Sean Mannion with the third-round pick acquired from the Panthers — weren’t done beefing up the line; they selected former Iowa tackle Andrew Donnal in the fourth round and ex-Fresno State guard Cody Wichmann in the sixth round Saturday.)

On Friday night, as he rocked back and forth in the chair behind his desk, Fisher was the emblem of serenity and satisfaction. After three seasons in which the Rams have shown occasional promise but lacked consistency — and were unable to overcome the damage inflicted by season-ending knee injuries to Bradford — Fisher has heard the noise that he is in a win-or-else situation for 2015.

Logic suggests this is in fact the case: Fisher’s teams have gone 7-8-1, 7-9 and 6-10 since he arrived in St. Louis, and with a possible move to Los Angeles looming, there’s a lot of uncertainty about the future.

Fisher, however, isn’t carrying himself like a coach worried about his job security.

“I think this reflects a stability in the organization,” he said of Gurley’s selection. “You know, we’re not impatient. We’re going to bring him along and make sure he’s ready to go and then hand him that little brown thing a bunch.”

For this coach, at this moment, nothing could be more fulfilling.

from off the net

==

RamBill

Twitter Reaction to Cody Wichmann Pick

Jim Thomas ‏@jthom1

Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams might as well have gone fishing this weekend.

Nick Wagoner ‏@nwagoner

If you’re keeping score at home, Rams have taken seven consecutive offensive players, including four offensive linemen. #STLPick

Nate Latsch ‏@NateLatsch

The #STLRams go big again with their second sixth-round pick: OL Cody Wichmann from Fresno State is 6-5 and 319 pounds.

Josh Norris ‏@JoshNorris

The Rams are going to start 10 OL and 1 QB apparently.

Fresno State FB ‏@FresnoStateFB

Cody Wichmann, a 2x All @mountainwest selection, started in 50 career games, the second most starts by any Bulldog in the last eight years.

Josh Webb (Twist) ‏@FightOnTwist

Nice grab by the Rams there. Cody Wichmann is a grinder and warrior. Rams could use the help and he’s a willing worker.

Dion Caputi ‏@nfldraftupdate

With the 215th pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, the St. Louis Rams select Cody Wichmann, G. Fresno State. Seasoned dual guard or right tackle.

Nick Wagoner ‏@nwagoner

Cody Wichmann attended same high school and college as Logan Mankins.

Cameron Worrell ‏@CamWorrell

Cody Wichmann had an excellent pro day, ran 4.9 in the 40 and really shot up draft boards. Did his pro day training @APSportsFresno

Nick Wagoner ‏@nwagoner

Like Havenstein and Brown, Wichmann has a bunch of starts to his name. 50 to be exact. Two time all Mountain West player. #STLPick

OG Cody Wichmann
Fresno St. Mountain West

Height 6’6″
Weight 315LBS.

Analysis

Strengths

Thick and strong with a frame to hold up against power players. Duck­-footed drive blocker after impact. Has enough power to generate push as base blocker and can jolt edge when pulling in short areas. Plus anchor. Held up against Leonard Williams early in 2014. Sees twists coming and can catch twister. Has radar to land his down block in sweet spot and seal off defender.

Weaknesses

Average initial quickness and below-average athlete. Can handle himself in small spaces, but struggles when asked to leave his property and block in space. Will likely miss his mark if block isn’t on schedule and he’s asked to adjust to a sudden change of direction.
Draft Projection Round 6 or 7

Bottom Line

Durable, NFL­-caliber build with average to below­-average feet, but above-average strength and anchor. Wichmann will be limited by his lack of athleticism and will need to find a home in a power­-blocking scheme that allows him to live in a phone booth and maul his opposition.

Rams Day Two Press Conference – Head Coach Jeff Fisher and Les Snead – May 1, 2015

(On how the trade with the Carolina Panthers came about)
Snead: “I think on that one, you’re picking early in the second round and there’s still good players left on the board and teams kind of identify one. They probably simmer on it all day and say, ‘That’s the guy we want.’ They may have had him rated as a late first or something like that and they say, ‘Let’s go get him. Let’s go get our guy.’ So, we had a lot of phone calls.”

(On if the trade was feasible because they saw a strong group of offensive linemen still on the board that they liked)
Fisher: “That’s exactly the case. We did, we had a good group. As a matter of a fact, we had expected a number of the guys to come off in the group and that didn’t happen. We had two guys come off prior to that pick. Then, right prior to the trade, I think we were on the phone with five teams.”
Snead: “We probably missed a call or two. There were a lot of teams calling in.”

(On if they think that the string of wide receivers coming off the board peaked other teams’ interest in that particular position)
Fisher: “Everybody has different needs. Obviously, he (Panthers second round pick, Devin Funchess) was important to them. He’s a good player. Tall, big target, so you can see why they had an interest in him. At that point, our group was large. It was good. We felt like we had a chance just to trade out. Really looking at the group, we also thought the three was probably a little more important than a four and a five. So, we opted to go with Carolina and we got the three.”

Snead: “So what he’s saying there is we could have gone back not as far and gotten maybe a four and fifth rounder, but instead took the three and the sixth rounder to go back a little bit farther.”

(On if at that point they look at other teams’ needs to see who they think has interest in an offensive linemen)
Snead: “You’ll take their team needs. You’ll take who they visited, who they worked out – if you have that info and try to predict…if we’re looking for an OL so to speak, if someone picked an OL in the first round, they may be less likely to go to him the next time. So try to use all of that data to make these types of decisions.”

(On if the draft picks thus far in 2015 are helping to put the final pieces together to form his type of team identity)
Fisher: “Yes. It really helped with both of the offensive linemen today and of course Todd (Gurley) yesterday. Yes, we’re building this team for the future and I think we’re establishing an identity right now.”

(On what they like about OLs Rob Havenstein and Jamon Brown)
Snead: “With big Rob, he is ready to play. He’s a right tackle, started a ton of games – never missed any. They run the ball well up there. Went to the Senior Bowl. All of that translated to the Senior Bowl. He’s just a guy that knows his strengths and weaknesses and how to use them. The other kid (Brown) in (Louisville Head) Coach (Bobby) Petrino’s offense, he’s going to play on the right and left side, but depending you know they flip flop them – strong/weak, whatever they call them, so it’s gives him some versatility. He’s playing left and right. But what was interesting, too, when he did the combine workout, a lot of his numbers in all of the drills kind of jumped into what really good starters in our league do at the combine. There’s an element of upside there with the kid. I think those are the two things that we liked about him.”

Fisher: “We’ve got two big, strong, physical players that extend plays, that finish plays, that go downfield. They’re mauler-type. They’re very, very aggressive, so they’re going to fit our style.”

(On if Havenstein projects at right tackle and where Brown fits)
Fisher: “Yes, most likely. He’s very athletic. As Les said, Brown’s moved around. You can watch him play both tackles. On two consecutive plays he might be flipping, but he’s also done some guard work, so I think we would probably project him as a guard right now.”

(On if they would still like to add a veteran to the offensive line)
Fisher: “Well, we’ve got Garrett (Reynolds). Garrett’s done a nice job here just in the short time he’s been here in the last couple weeks. But there’s always that chance that we would add somebody.”

(On if today’s draft lessens their interest in bringing Joe Barksdale back)
Fisher: “No. We still have interest in bringing Joe back.”

(On QB Sean Mannion)
Snead: “He’s a nice case study. He started four years there, all-time pass leader in terms of yards in Pac 12 history. But, what’s interesting following him is his skill players have all been drafted. As a sophomore, he had two guys in Marcus Wheaton and Brandon Cooks. As a junior, he had just Brandon Cooks. As a senior, he had a group of tight ends and a not so good offensive line. Big, tall, pro-style quarterback, tough – all the things you look for. Smart, knows the system. And I think when we went and did the private (workout), I think that’s what solidified him for us. I know, (Quarterbacks Coach) Chris Weinke, (Offensive Coordinator) Frank Cignetti did a lot of work on him. Great job at the private that really solidified, ‘Hey, that was the fit for us.’ If you want to call it of that final four QBs besides the most talked about two.”

(On how much the fact that Mannion played in a pro-style offense help the decision to draft him)
Fisher: “Well his understanding of terminology, of defenses, decision-making. We sent some information, let him study the night before. We talked about it the next day and he had it down. He’s exceptionally smart. Again, I think the thing that I was most impressed with was his ability to make every throw; the different touches, the deep balls, the shorter throws and then the footwork. I thought his footwork in the pocket and getting out of the pocket was much better than I saw on tape. He had a great pro-day and like we said he had a great workout for us.”

(On how they looked at Mannion’s 2014 season compared to his other seasons)
Snead: “I told Coach Fish, if you were a fan of Sean Mannion, I almost told our video guy to just delete the Oregon State 2014 film just so…you don’t want that to be your first exposure to the kid because he had lost a lot of weapons. A couple of his really good offensive lineman had gotten injured and missed the season so he was under duress, but when he had some weapons-I know this-they went to two bowl games his sophomore and his junior year. (Former Oregon State Head Coach) Mike Riley’s done a good job there. They’re probably undermanned every time they go play somebody in the Pac-12 and that group with Mike and Sean at QB, they just won games when they had just enough skill. So, that’s why at that point I was like, ‘Let’s delete 2014 and just watch the ’12 and ’13 stuff.’”

(On how Mannion handled himself during his tough 2014 campaign)
Fisher: “He did a great job. Unfortunately for him we’ve seen numerous times where he’s got hit right in the chin and he’ll get back up and back under center and throw a comeback for a first-down. He’s that kind of player. Those things don’t bother him. Has excellent numbers in the red zone, or the scoring territory plus 20. He’s just an excellent thrower, particularly cause his height, his vision and his release and the velocity on the ball. He throws a lot of touchdown passes inside the 20-yard line.”

Snead: “I think Coach Fish made a good point. We broke down this QBs, we did a lot of work on them and situational, threw a lot of TDs in the red zone, whereas some of the other QBs may throw a lot just on some deep balls in college football. Also, in analyzing the picks, a lot of his picks came when they’re down by 28 and everybody’s bringing the house and he’s just trying to win a game. So, you try to breakdown and analyze the situations in how it would be different if he got to a place with better surroundings.”

(On if Mannion is similar to QB Nick Foles)
Fisher: “Yeah, there are similarities there. Tall, good target, good release.”

(On if they worked out all six quarterbacks in one weekend)
Snead: “I think we can say that now. Yes, all six.”

(On if they were surprised that no quarterbacks were selected in the second round of the draft)
Snead: “Maybe a little bit, but what happens in that second round when you’re trying to figure out the draft, there’s still good, positional players left that are going to probably play upwards of four downs a series for a team where some of these guys are probably not playing opening day. So, I think all teams are more tempted and probably right to go pick the player who may play four downs for you.”

(On if Havenstien and Brown’s experience will help them prepare for the NFL faster)
Fisher: “Well it was a factor. I mean, we look at games played and games started and both of them their numbers were somewhat similar, but it’s definitely a factor. It’s durability, it’s reliability. It’s important and experience. If you’re not going to miss a game in college or rarely missed a game the odds are you’re going to do the same here.”

(On if there are any concerns about Havenstein’s injury history)
Snead: “We really looked at him and the nice thing is because of the surgery scrutinized him. The medical staff OK’d it. Like Coach Fisher said, when you do the research, you’ll like it because when guys play a lot guys they’re going to get banged up. Football it’s an aggressive sport. What you do like when you do the research is, ‘Hey the guy doesn’t miss practice, he doesn’t miss games. He just got banged up and toughed it out.’”

(On how much work Havenstein needs in pass protection)
Snead: “The key to probably a right tackle who’s obviously going to be less athletic than the left tackle, that’s why he’s playing right-is he knows his strengths and weaknesses. So, he knows what can beat him and what can’t. I think those guys over time learn to use all that knowledge to know his weaknesses, not get himself into a place where those weaknesses are going to be exposed. The smartness probably comes in handy there.”

(On what Mannion did off of the field that solidified him as the selection)
Snead: “All the draft-nicks would say after his pro day he was buzzing. I think Coach Fish saw that on the plane. We had on the iPad. When you go see it live, you just see a guy that’s tall, quick release, improved his release and the ball is coming out of his hand. He’s driving it, as (Quarterbacks) Coach (Chris) Weinke would say, ‘through the receiver with timing.’”

(On RB Zac Stacy’s status after his comments last night)
Fisher: “Yeah, we’ve been so busy I haven’t addressed it with Zac. We’ll get to that, but I can understand his concerns. I think his first comment was ‘Yikes.’ Somebody said something to me, he tweeted that. We’ll address it. Zac’s a team guy and I can appreciate his concern, but we’ve not talked about with him yet.”

(On if Stacy’s status has not changed)
Fisher: “That is correct.”

Rams draft OL Jamon Brown in third round

Nick Wagoner, ESPN

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/18075/total-breakdown-rams-draft-ol-jamon-brown-in-third-round

EARTH CITY, Mo. — A few quick thoughts on the St. Louis Rams’ third-round draft pick:

The pick: Jamon Brown, OL, Louisville

My take: The trend here is pretty obvious. The Rams want to run the ball at you and, preferably, over you, though I’m sure they’d settle for around you in a pinch. Like second-round pick Rob Havenstein, Brown is a big, physical mauler who should create plenty of holes for first-round running back Todd Gurley. Brown is listed at 6-foot-6 and 326 pounds, and though he started all 39 games in the past three seasons at tackle, he projects as a guard in the NFL. With Havenstein and Brown in the cart, the Rams have drastically re-made their offensive line with premium draft capital and demonstrated a serious commitment to having a dominant, power-running attack.

Been around the block, Part II: If it sounds like Brown bears a striking resemblance to Havenstein in terms of size and what he brings to the table, it’s because he does. And, like Havenstein, Brown also has plenty of legitimate game experience. He started 39 consecutive games for the Cardinals during the past three seasons after starting his college career as a defensive tackle. He only allowed two sacks in 2014 on his way to second-team All-ACC honors.

Pursuing Blalock: Much like Havenstein potentially altering the future of Joe Barksdale with the Rams, Brown’s addition could nudge aside another free-agent offensive lineman: guard Justin Blalock. St. Louis has expressed interest in Blalock, who played for current Rams offensive line coach Paul Boudreau in Atlanta, but Blalock has not been in a hurry to sign and remains on the market. But just because the Rams added Brown doesn’t mean they should pass on Blalock. The offensive line doesn’t have a veteran presence other than Rodger Saffold, and a player like Blalock would allow them to not only bring Brown along slowly, but provide guidance for the young linemen.