Cowherd: WR is the Toughest Position to Draft

[RamBill]

Colin Cowherd discusses why the wide receiver position is so hard to draft in the NFL. He lists the number of bad WR’s that have been drafted by some top coaches/organizations, including Bell Belichick.

Watch Cowherd Talk Drafting WR's

 

[Akrasian]

Which is why the Rams should at least sign one WR free agent, at least a #2 type, besides drafting one if things work out.

It's not like the Rams have a good recent history drafting and developing WRs after all.

 

[BonifayRam]

Which is why the Rams should at least sign one WR free agent, at least a #2 type, besides drafting one if things work out.

It's not like the Rams have a good recent history drafting and developing WRs after all.

This is what I am thinking too. Use the cap $$ for short term deals on a couple of decent proven vet pass catchers. I could even go for some older vets like Ben Watson & Anquan Bolden that warm sunny grass field in southern Ca may be just the ticket for those two in 2016.

Fact is the last hit @ a pure WR for the Rams in the draft would go back to the last century! 17 drafts ago. Holt just happens to be his name for you recent Ram fans. Holt was an All Pro First Team: 2003; All Pro Second Team: 2006; Super Bowl Wins: XXXIV; Super Bowl Losses: XXXVI. SIX head coaches ago so its not just Fisher who stinks & smells so bad @ it. The Quick selection is what I think leaves me & maybe others with a very awful bad taste in my mouth. Givens was not a bad pick but Stedman Bailey went south way before the shooting event.

The recent history of UFA WR's is not all that great either. I think I still smell Drew Bennett, Mark Clayton, Brandon Lloyd, Mike Sims-Walker, Steve Smith, Damian Williams & Jared Cook failure odor.

 

[Akrasian]

The recent history of UFA WR's is not all that great either. I think I still smell Drew Bennett, Mark Clayton, Brandon Lloyd, Mike Sims-Walker, Steve Smith, Damian Williams & Jared Cook failure odor.

Well, most were bad. Clayton was pretty good until the injury. It happens. Lloyd was good for half a season before going elsewhere. But yes, the others were not exactly stellar.

 

[Merlin]

Which is why the Rams should at least sign one WR free agent, at least a #2 type, besides drafting one if things work out.

It's not like the Rams have a good recent history drafting and developing WRs after all.

They don't have a choice, they need to use FA. There is zero doubt in my mind they will be among the most aggressive seekers of help at wideout in FA. And yeah, they're not gonna get a Megatron in FA. But you know, teams win the Super Bowl all the time with the "OMG #1 WR." So as I say over and over ad nauseum it's about number of matchups. A typical playoff defense can only eliminate 2 threats in the passing game. If you have a WR and TE pass catching corps that collectively goes 3+ weapons deep and a good QB who reads quickly you'll be fine.

Rams have one weapon in the passing game right now: Tavon. Teams key all over him for good reason. They bring in a good option like Jones or Kearse and that puts them at 2. If they draft a couple options, say one WR and one TE and hit on one of them they'll be at 3. From there, is Boras good enough to scheme Gurley in there as a weapon in the passing game as well? Because he has the hands and athleticism to do it IMO.

Lastly, the Rams' history in drafting WRs under Fish has been due to a combination of taking guys who don't know how to run routes (raw athletes) and the inability of the coaching staff to coach them up. This is why we have a new WR coach and passing game coordinator. But if they simply change their criteria like they did last year with OL and prioritize route running and hands... I think they will do much, much better drafting the WR position this time around.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Lastly, the Rams' history in drafting WRs under Fish has been due to a combination of taking guys who don't know how to run routes (raw athletes)

I think that WR is one position where you cannot totally rely on someone simply being a superior athlete. Route running is so important as is great hands. I hope Snead learned this by now.

Rams have one weapon in the passing game right now: Tavon. Teams key all over him for good reason. They bring in a good option like Jones or Kearse and that puts them at 2. If they draft a couple options, say one WR and one TE and hit on one of them they'll be at 3. From there, is Boras good enough to scheme Gurley in there as a weapon in the passing game as well? Because he has the hands and athleticism to do it IMO.

I agree that this is a likely and successful scenario.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Cowherd was hard on the idea of trading picks to move up for a WR because the picks are too important and the WR has minimal impact in the overall scheme. He sited the Falcons giving up 5 picks for Julio and having holes all over the roster because of lost picks. There is some merit to that and why not to trade picks but then the Skins did it and are still viable.

 

[Merlin]

Cowherd was hard on the idea of trading picks to move up for a WR because the picks are too important and the WR has minimal impact in the overall scheme. He sited the Falcons giving up 5 picks for Julio and having holes all over the roster because of lost picks. There is some merit to that and why not to trade picks but then the Skins did it and are still viable.

Didn't the Falcons have a year or two of playoffs after taking Julio?

I honestly don't think giving up picks is a problem given two things:
1. You hit on the pick you get. Hitting on a round 1 pick, btw, is a guy like Gurley or Donald; impact difference makers.
2. You do well with remaining picks and are shrewd in FA.

Picks are overvalued IMO. When you subtract the misses that are inevitable, and consider that trading up means you are after a guy you are very, very certain of, who you covet, it's hard to knock a team for giving up picks to move up. A team that is well coached can miss on a couple first round picks and still continue to win and make the playoffs.

Even if you lower expectations at QB in round 1 by considering "hitting" to be an 8-10 year career at above average performance, that pick you get is enormously valuable because a QB who produces over time for above average is going to net enormous impact to your team. You could give up 3 years of round 1 picks for Wentz or Goff for example and if you hit they're going to net you so many years of heightened chances of success, wins, and playoffs it's crazy. It of course follows that hitting on a non-round 1 QB is just as valuable (Brady and Montana being obvious examples), and the inevitable logic is that a team who doesn't have a top QB should be drafting the position every year somewhere in the draft with a guy who has a chance no matter how small.

Ok so I know I went off on a tangent there, sorry. But tbh I think I'd give up what they gave up for Julio if I was a coach/GM because chances are with all those picks received you're not gonna find any player who impacts as much as Julio does for his roster spot. The problems they ran into, IMO, was that the staff wasn't overall up to snuff to keep that team on an upswing.

 

[CGI_Ram]

For me (in the draft) the safest WR is one that can run crisp routes to create separation.

That's what makes drafting WR so difficult; few run complex routes in college.

So... We're left projecting college athletes (at WR) if they can take their physical skills, learn routes, and execute them with precision. All too many can't make that leap.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

I think I'd give up what they gave up for Julio if I was a coach/GM because chances are with all those picks received you're not gonna find any player who impacts as much as Julio does for his roster spot. The problems they ran into, IMO, was that the staff wasn't overall up to snuff to keep that team on an upswing.

Cowherd was also harping on teams that are successful because they drafted Oline and DLine and how some teams ignored it and have gotten worse. He included the Falcons in this saying, they would be better off with a good Oline drafted with the traded picks, than Julio. That is a tough call. It is more of an either or, because Jones is great. I admittedly didn't think he would ever be as good as he is. But, even with his greatness is he really helping the team if it doesn't have a good enough Oline?, or Defense. Maybe the thing to do is think of your WRs as final pieces to the puzzle?

The draft picks are subjective. To a staff that frequently hits on picks like the Rams lately, losing picks is a big deal. To a team that cant draft well it really isn't.

 

[Merlin]

Yeah it's a tough call because you can find examples both ways, of trading up or down, that go well for one or the other. So it does come down to how good your scouting department and decision makers are.

I'll just close by saying this... IF Goff has the career I am convinced he will have, it would take an absolutely ridiculous collection of picks to find his worth. More than any team would ask for in a move up from 15.

Receiver is another matter, certainly. And one thing we haven't discussed is the Megatrons and super elite WRs and how it seems most nowadays don't get to the SB let alone win it; it's not just Jones who you can look at the surrounding team and wonder wtf happened. It's a strange thing man, and might have a lot to do with the way running the ball and defense are bigger pieces of the puzzle in the playoffs vs elite defenses.

 

[jrry32]

I disagree with Cowherd.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

I disagree with Cowherd.

I don't. He is basically saying that if you don't have an OLine to block and a running back and QB, the receiver won't make a difference. So why go all in on one unless he is the final piece to the offense. Otherwise we you use up the picks that could fill some holes. He loves Julio Jones but thinks the Falcons put the cart before the horse and it delayed rebuilding the offense.

 

[jrry32]

I don't. He is basically saying that if you don't have an OLine to block and a running back and QB, the receiver won't make a difference. So why go all in on one unless he is the final piece to the offense. Otherwise we you use up the picks that could fill some holes. He loves Julio Jones but thinks the Falcons put the cart before the horse and it delayed rebuilding the offense.

I'm disagreeing with WR being the toughest position to draft. I agree with it not being prioritized. It's one of the least important positions.