It's that time of year again...... Draft time. And after a season that, well let's face it, was one of the most dissapointing seasons in recent memory for the Rams, it's time to rebuild. With injuries to key players such as Marc Bulger, Steven Jackson, Leonard Little, and almost every single offensive lineman, the Rams struggled through thier 2007 season. The team couldn't stay healthy and they finished with there worst record since they've been in St. Louis. Now it's time to start rebuilding and while they haven't made to many big moves through free agency, they have made some. First let's take a look at some key departures though......
Jeff Wilkins K Retired
Isaac Bruce WR cut
James Hall DE cut
Gus Ferrotte QB
They also got rid of Greg Olsen as the O-coordinator and brought back Al Saunders to run the offense this season.
Now let's take a look at some of the free agents the Rams have picked up.....
Josh Brown K
Jacob Bell OG
Trent Green QB
As it stands it looks like the Rams aren't going to end up with any big name players, But Brown will be a great replacement for Wilkins, Bell will solidify an interior line that was riddled with injuries last season, and Green will be a very good backup to Bulger.
Now for the draft. As it stands, the Rams biggest weakness' are the O-line, D-line, and Linebacker. The offensive line will be helped out tremendously by Bell, and if Pace can stay healthy, they should have one of the best left line in football. But, thats a huge if. Pace has been an injury machine the past 2 seasons, playing in a total of only 9 games out of both seasons. None the less, the need for a replacement for Pace is still needed, but isn't as important as it was at the start of this off-season. The defensive line has been a weakness of the Rams for the past 5 years. We haven't had dominating D-line since Grant Wistrom played opposite Little. However, the addition of Adam Carriker through last years draft has definitely helped. Carriker showed that he will be a more than capable starter on the interior line for the Rams. Now they need to focus on the ends. Little isn't getting any younger, and has another 2 quality seasons in him at most, and thats if he stays healthy. Plus with the departure of James Hall the Rams have a spot open opposite Little. Victor Adeyanju has showed signs that he could possibly step into a starting role, but he isn't ready right now. He is a fast, strong end, and is great at stopping the run, but has troubles getting to the quarterback. He is a good player to develop to possibly take over for Little in the future. With all the quality DE many have locked the Rams pick up with one of two players..... Vernon Gholston from Ohio State, or Chris Long from Virginia. Gholston's stock has shot up after his freakish combine numbers and some say he could go #1, but I doubt that with the Dolphins needing alot of other positions more than DE (QB, OL) While most said Jake Long was a sure pick for the Rams a week ago, with the recent addition of Bell on the line that thought has faded. The Rams Linbackers are solid, when healthy. But with the Rams apparently not re-signing Brandon Chillar and Pisa Tinoisamoa getting injured every season, they need at least one solid outside linebacker. No other position really has glaring needs other than a #2 WR and possibly a Safety to replace Corey Chavous. And with the recent emergence of Oshiomogho Atogwe at FS a safety won't happen. Let's take a look at what I believe the Rams will do this spring......
Round 1, Pick 2
Vernon Gholston. How can the Rams not pick this kid up? Running a 4.58 40 at his pro-day and a mind boggeling 42 inch vertical, this guy has the athleticism to be a dominating force on any defense. With him playing opposite Little, the pressure can be eased of Little as teams will have to plan for both ends. And if Carriker keeps progressing the Rams could turn there average at best defensive line into one of the NFL's best. Let's just hope his stock hasn't risen to the point of #1......
Other possibilities...... Chris Long, Jake Long, Glenn Dorsey, Keith Rivers
Round 2
WR. With Bruce gone, the Rams have to get a Wideout that can step in at #2. Early Doucet or Devin Thomas would be good pick ups. However, if Kenny Phillips falls far enough the Rams might look to replace Chavous now. And with all the injuries to the Line last season, don't be surprised if they choose to take an Offensive Lineman.
Round 3
OL. With all the injuries last season, they need to get some young players in there. They will add depth to the line.
Round 4
LB
The bad thing about this years draft is the lack of talent at Linebacker. The Rams need a solid outside linebacker, and they will have to hope one of these kids steps up and becomes one of those hidden gems.
Outlook for 08 season.....
With all the players coming back from injuries, if the Rams can stay healthy, they are a playoff caliber squad. But They have to stay healthy. Look for the team to run more and look for the D to force more turnovers. But don't expect to see the run defense to improve too drastically. They should get more pressure on the QB if they draft Gholston though. Best outcome- 10-6 wild card. Worst outcome- 4-12. Let's hope Linehan turns things around and brings St. Louis back as the "Gateway to the Best".
It's that time of year again, let's take a look at what a die hard Rams fan think and wants to happen....
Round 1: Pick 13 - Patrick Willis LB Ole Miss
Now this one has been almost a lock in most mock drafts I've seen. But I'm not completely sold on it. I am more so now that the Rams have said that Coakley won't be brought back. The Rams had a very good Linebacker group last season. Tinoisamoa, Witherspoon, and a combo of Coakley and Chillar. But Tinoisamoa battled injuries all season until finally he was forced to sit out. Tinoisamoa is a huge part of the Rams D. He had 91 tackles in 05 and 92 in 04. Last year he was injured most of the season and had only 35. But, with that being said, Willis is a monster and would make the Rams linebacker group almost unstopapble. This guy can play, 137 tackles and 3 sacks his senior year. Butkus award winner. SEC defensive player of the year. It would also help alot because they could move Witherspoon back outside and put Willis in the middle. With a line up of Witherspoon, Willis, and Tinoisamoa, the run defense would almost certainly be much better than last season. Don't be surprised if you see the Rams trade up to draft Gaines Adams or another big D-line name however.
Round 2: Defensive lineman
Most likely if the Rams select Willis in the first, you will see them go after a Defensive Lineman in the second. The Rams line other than Little last season was embarassing at times. Little totaled 13 sacks. All the other lineman put together recorded 9.5. Highest was Glover with 5.5. They NEED a dominant pass rusher that can get to the QB. Little is there only threat. However they also need a player who can stop the run. Being consistently towards the bottom of the league in run defense the last 2-3 seasons has to change. This being said, they did show signs of promise at times with Adeyanju. Who played in only 9 games last season(played in 13 but only a few plays in the other three) due to injuries. In his rookie season he showed that with some coaching he could develop into a solid starter at the other end position. I would draft a tackle here and start Adeyanju next season. Maybe Justin Harrell out of Tennessee or Tank Tyler out of North Carolina State.
Round 3: Wide Reciever
With Curtis most likley on his way out the Rams need a #3 wide out. They could use this to get a #3 WR who also has the speed to return kicks. One of the biggest special teams problems has been returners. Ever since Hakim left the Rams have gone through countless numbers of return men. Time to get a guy to take this position and keep it. If Jason Hill out of Washington State falls this far, he could be the guy. And with 4.32 speed he could definitely be a threat to break off big runs on kick returns. Plus he replaces the speedy Curtis. He has the speed to be a threat on the deep routes the Rams offense loves to break off.
Round 4: Offensive lineman
With Timmerman gone, and a number of others who are question marks whether they will be back, they should use this pick to get another lineman. The outside is covered with Pace and Barron. The inside has Incognito, Setterstrom more than likely set in as starters at Center and guard. Terrell and McColum were out all season last year with season ending injuries. McColum is a good bet to retire. 37 years old coming of a torn ACL. Terrell has shown he has what it takes to start but has fought injuries. Goldberg and Terrell will battle it out for this position but that leaves little depth behind the front five. This would be a good time to get a backup.
Updates and more rounds to come in the coming weeks......
Well, the draft is over and we will have to wait a whole year for some new rookies to come to the NFL. Luckily, for the Rams, this years draft brought some very good talent to the team, even in the later rounds.
Lets get to it, Round 4. The Rams didn't have a 4th round pick, then they traded TE Manumaleuna to San Diego for their pick. I must say this made the Rams draft choices alot clearer. As much as I thought Manumaleuna could be a good player, and was disapointed in them letting him go, I feel alot better about their picks now that he's gone. However, let's hope Klopfenstein and Byrd play up to expectations as the Rams no longer have a safety net to fall back on.
Ok, with the 113th pick in the draft, they took Victor Adeyanju. The Rams did need to take a DE at some point in this draft. He's quick, smart, and strong and has the tools to become an every sunday player in a couple of years. Hargrove is not an every Sunday type player yet so this guy could get some serious playing time in his rookie season. Plus Little is getting up there in age now so sooner or later he will have to be replaced.
With the 144th pick in the draft, the Rams selected Marques Hagans. He played QB in college but will play WR in the NFL. This is another smart pick as he will probably be able to develop into a returner, a position the Rams haven't had a solid player in for years. Hopefully he can be a good return man, and who knows, maybe the Rams add a couple trick plays with him.
With the 221st pick in the draft, the rams picked up Tim McGarigle. This was a questionable pick in my eyes as the Rams already took a Linebacker and have alot of depth in this position. However the Backer they took will most likely play Safety so maybe this was a smart pick. I can't say I know much about this player, most of the things I've read about him say he is an all-out every down type player, he is very aggressive and is smart in coverage. Let's hope he shows those skills in the NFL.
With the 242nd pick in the draft, the Rams chose Mark Setterstrom. This is a monster pickup for the Rams. I really can't believe he lasted this long. He was All Big Ten twice, a conference that always develops strong lineman. The Rams really needed a good player at guard in this draft, and I believe they got one right here.
With the 243rd pick in the draft they took Tony Palmeow Missouri is my team so I may be a little biased towards this pick, but this again is a decent pick up. He is a very good player and he anchored Missouri's line these last couple of years. He just didn't have the talent around him on the line to support him. I don't think he's as good as Setterstrom, but he is still a decent player. I believe it will take some good mentoring and good coaching to turn this guy into a starter. And that could happen, but it won't be for at least 2 or 3 years.
So overall, I believe the Rams had one of the better drafts in the league this year and I look for a few guys to come in right away and make an impact. Look out for the Rams this year everyone, they could be contending for first place in the West and a team who couldm go deep into the playoffs. They've got all the tools they need on Defense now and there Offense is always good. If everyone plays to their potential and they stay healthy, look out for this team.
First of let me say that I think overall, the Rams first day of the 2006 Draft was solid. While it wasn't amazing it wasn't bad either. So let's get to it.
With the 11th pick they traded it to Denverfor the 15th and the 68th pick.
Then with the 15th pick they went with Tye Hill. I had hoped that Huff would have droped far enough or the Rams trade up to get him. But Hill is no push over, that's for sure. He has been rated by most as the best Corner in the draft. And the second best D-Back in the draft, second of course to Huff. What the hell was Buffalo thinking trading up to get Whitner? But that's not relevant to this post, just kind of odd. Bottom line, Hill is fast, great in coverage, and knows how to play. Some say he is too short at 5'9", but from the film I have seen he knows how to jump up and break up passes.
With the 48th pick they took Joe Klopfenstein. Now as I said in the last blog about this draft, I didn't think the need for a TE was that great. However I also stated that it was totaly dependent on how Linehan runs his Offense, and by the looks of it he is going to use the TE alot more than Martz did. Now as for the talent this player brings, you can't question him. He's got the speed, he's got the hands, he's the total package. At least they got a very good TE out of the pick, while I wish they would have picked up an interior lineman, but, it's not my team to run.
With the 68th pick they went with Claude Wroten. I think this is a very good pick. He is a great athlete, and would have been rated as the top 2 or 3 d-tackles in the draft if it wasn't his off the field activity. I think that's behind him now, and I think he will make an impact.
With the 77th pick they took Jon Alston. Now I had them picking a Linebacker in the 2nd round but the more I thought about it the more I realized they have a very good group of Linebackers. But this linebacker probably will play safety for the Rams. He's fast and strong, but isn't big enough to play linebacker right now weighing around 220 pounds. He should make an impact on special teams for now.
They then traded a fourth and sixth round pick I believe for the 93rd pick in the draft.
With that pick they picked up Dominique Byrd. This is the one pick I just don't get. The need in the middle of the o-line far exceeds the need for a TE and yet they took 2. Manumaleuna is a more than an acceptable TE and from the looks of it Linehan is going to hang him out to dry. Byrd is more of the offensive type of TE, he can catch but might not havce the skills to block in the NFL. He will most likely serve as a redzone TE and for special teams.
Except for the last pick I can't complain too much about the Rams first day at the draft. There were some more desirable players available at times but you can't argue with most of the talent they picked up. They really should have picked up an interior lineman today, as most of the leftovers tommorow will probably serve as backups most of their carreers. I'll be back after tommorow to type up the rest.
The Rams need a type of player like this for their defense. Someone who can play Corner and Safety. Huff is tprobably a little out of reach, but lets hope he falls far enough to get picked by the Rams.
Second round, Abdul Hodge
While having Tinoisamoa and Witherspoon. The Rams still need one more linebacker. As I have heard alot about Hodge, he would be a pretty good backer for the Rams.
Third round, an interior lineman
The interior line for the Rams has been the big problem for the Rams these last few years. All the players are getting very old, or are very injury prone. It's time to get a young guy in there.
Fourth round, a quarterback
While drafting a fourth round QB probably won't get you a great player, Bulger is not going to lead the Rams to a super bowl, and maybe they could get lucky and end up with a, as much as I hate to say this, a player like Tom Brady. I personally hope the REams could pick up Brad Smith of Missouri. Add another weapon to the Rams offense, a rushing QB.
Fifth round, either a defensive end or another interior lineman
Once again, they are all old and injury prone. While this player probably won't come in and make an immediate impact, give him a few years and he could be a solid starter.
Sixth round, tight end
Many are saying the Rams need to address this earlier, like in the first round. I personally think that would be rediculous. Manumaleuna is more than capable at the position. Give him a good coach to work with, teach him how to block and he could be great. Plus the Rams offense has never really used the tight ends very much. But, new coach, new scheme so who knows.
Seventh round, wide out
This one I just threw out there. The Rams haven't had a good returner for years, this could address that issue. Just get a wideout with great speed, and teach him how to catch the ball.
Most are saying they will draft Williams from V tech. While he is very good, I just think that Huff would work better.
Some say that Lawson from N.C. State will be drafted here. I just don't see the Rams picking up Witherspoon and then drafting a Linebacker in the first round.
Some say that the Rams will draft Greenway from Iowa in the first round. Once again, I just can't see the Rams taking a backer in the first. But another good point that was made to me is that if the Rams drafted Greenway and Hodge, they could have a great backer tandum as they both have played together. But the rams only need one so that is not going to happen.
Some say Tight Ends Pope or Davis from Georgia and Maryland. The Rams just don't need a Tight end this badly.
Who knows, maybe Cutler falls far enough and the Rams decide to have a new QB at helm. But that again is highly unlikely.
Overall, the Rams don't have many glaring weekness except at D backs. Let's hope they make some good moves in the draft and address the important issues.
Note that I am a big Tigers fan, but does anyone else think that Brad Smith is just getting #### in the draft? This guy set records for the entire NCAA and yet he probably won't get drafted until the fourth or maybe even fifth round! There is only one reason for this, he didn't play for a great team like Vince Young. In my opinion, and it should be the opinion of many, Brad is better than Young. Brad is faster, he has much better leadership qualities, and he has a better arm. Now I know he doesn't have a great arm, but neither does Young. Young does have one better quality, he's big, for a quarterback, he will be one of the biggest in the league. Young wouldn't even be in the top 10 if it wasn't for the Rose Bowl game. While Young is a good quarterback, he won't ever be more than a slower Michael Vick. Brad has the leadership to be able to come in and be a good quarterback. If he was picked up by a team with a great quarterback coach, like Detroit now that they picked up Martz, this guy could be special. Just my opinion, but I feel sorry for Smith. Vince Young is going to be a bust.
My name is James Stocker. Call me Jim. I am a sports fanatic. I like everything St. Louis. The Rams, Cardinals, and for college, The Missouri Tigers. I am interested in Football mainly but am also a huge Cardinals fan, see my pic. My posts involve These three teams and major goings on in MLB and the NFL.
