Safe bet the Rams will Draft OL with 1st Pick?

[paceram]

Unless Marcus Mariota or Jameis Winston (Yes, I would take him if he was available when the Rams pick) are available I am guessing it is a pretty safe bet that the Rams will draft an offensive lineman (Brandon Scherff, Andrus Peat, Cedric Ogbuehi, Ronnie Stanley, A.J. Cann, etc) with their top pick. Can you see the Rams picking any other players (positions) other than the OL with their 1st Round pick? I guess the Rams could add some quality offensive linemen during free agency or by trade which could alter their drafting priorities but as of right now I will be shocked if they don't go offensive line with their first pick (and, possibly even their 1st two picks).

 

[Ramathon]

Oh sure, I could see them taking 'Best Player Available' almost regardless of position. I don't think they're SO strong in any one area that they can just plain ignore any position. Of course, I suspect almost everyone would agree DL is the strongest overall position on the team and therefore the least 'need'. Hence the least likely to be taken. But even there.., if the BPA per their board is a DL who significantly outranks all others when their pick rolls around, then take him.

Personally, I am a 'BPA' advocate and 'need' only trumps BPA when a team has multiple suspects at multiple different positions all ranked fairly closely. If it's a tossup situation, then need should win out.

IMO, too many teams get themselves in trouble going for 'need'. The worst mistake a drafter can make is taking a 'good' suspect because the player fits a need if there is a potentially 'great' player available at the same time, but in an area of lesser need.

 

[Dodgersrf]

Oh sure, I could see them taking 'Best Player Available' almost regardless of position. I don't think they're SO strong in any one area that they can just plain ignore any position. Of course, I suspect almost everyone would agree DL is the strongest overall position on the team and therefore the least 'need'. Hence the least likely to be taken. But even there.., if the BPA per their board is a DL who significantly outranks all others when their pick rolls around, then take him.

Personally, I am a 'BPA' advocate and 'need' only trumps BPA when a team has multiple suspects at multiple different positions all ranked fairly closely. If it's a tossup situation, then need should win out.

IMO, too many teams get themselves in trouble going for 'need'. The worst mistake a drafter can make is taking a 'good' suspect because the player fits a need if there is a potentially 'great' player available at the same time, but in an area of lesser need.

Agree. I can't see passing up a better player for need. Though sometimes you have to fill holes.

Snead does a good job moving around to pair his picks with value.



I really like jrry's idea of trading out of the first and having two second rnd picks for G and C.
Seems to be better value, for the positions we need.

 

[DaveFan'51]

I believe Mid to high 1st round draft picks should ALWAYS be BPA!

 

[Sum1]

Hard to tell quite yet. Still have to see what jumiors come out and who the rams target in free agency.

I really think that offensive players are the target in both fa and draft though. Only need on defense really is at LB, and thats mostly a depth need.

 

[LACHAMP46]

Should be...and we should double up at the position....

 

[Boffo97]

If I were the Rams, I'd take BPA unless it was at a position we are absolutely set at (DE, DT or Punter). And I wouldn't count Winston as BPA even if he fell that far. Character matters in the NFL and the bust rate is a lot higher for those with bad character than otherwise.

 

[BonifayRam]

Yes the BPA............ who is an OL'er of course.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/mock-draft

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1737625/brandon-scherff

This would be a very useful highly needed selection. Rams will never lift themselves from the bottom of the Western Division unless they upgrade their aged,worn, non performing plus unhealthy 2014 OL cadre that they are currently paying for i.e Jake long, Davin Joseph, Scott Wells & Rodger Saffold.

A selection like Scherff would fill the soon to be vacancy @ ORT. If they go ahead & pay highly for an average OL'er Joe Barksdale then Scherff can be inserted into the vacant ORG post. Drafting OT's who can play both inside & outside is a overall high priority through-out for this Ram offense.

 

[Boffo97]

This would be a very useful highly needed selection. Rams will never lift themselves from the bottom of the Western Division unless they upgrade their aged,worn, non performing plus unhealthy 2014 OL cadre that they are currently paying for i.e Jake long, Davin Joseph, Scott Wells & Rodger Saffold.

 

[BonifayRam]

Rodger Saffold has been basically UN-HEALTY since the conclusion of his rookie season. Saffold is currently UN-healthy.

 

[Boffo97]

Rodger Saffold has been basically UNHEALTY since the conclusion of his rookie season. Saffold is currently UNheathy.

He's started all 14 games this season, and when he's been in there, he's been good.

He gets dinged from time to time, but this season has shown he doesn't belong in the same category as Long, Wells and Joseph.

 

[tahoe]

I dont know if a lineman will be bpa, I could easily see a wr being bpa. There will be a good number of very good linemen in the second round.

 

[A55VA6]

Probably 99.7% chance we draft OL in the 1st round..

 

[jrry32]

Yes the BPA............ who is an OL'er of course.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/mock-draft

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1737625/brandon-scherff

This would be a very useful highly needed selection. Rams will never lift themselves from the bottom of the Western Division unless they upgrade their aged,worn, non performing plus unhealthy 2014 OL cadre that they are currently paying for i.e Jake long, Davin Joseph, Scott Wells & Rodger Saffold.

A selection like Scherff would fill the soon to be vacancy @ ORT. If they go ahead & pay highly for an average OL'er Joe Barksdale then Scherff can be inserted into the vacant ORG post. Drafting OT's who can play both inside & outside is a overall high priority through-out for this Ram offense.

Any team that uses Scherff at OT in the NFL will regret it. Scherff should play OG in the NFL. If you think Barksdale struggles with 3-4 OLBs, oh boy, you don't want to see Scherff against those guys.

And I completely disagree. They should not be looking to replace Saffold. Put good depth behind him? Yes. But I would not replace the guy. He's a good starter when on the field.

 

[BonifayRam]

Any team that uses Scherff at OT in the NFL will regret it. Scherff should play OG in the NFL. If you think Barksdale struggles with 3-4 OLBs, oh boy, you don't want to see Scherff against those guys.

And I completely disagree. They should not be looking to replace Saffold. Put good depth behind him? Yes. But I would not replace the guy. He's a good starter when on the field.

Morning jrry32,
I was NOT suggesting that Saffold would be replaced in any way or fashion. I was suggesting that Scherff who has been very effective playing OLT for several seasons now to be our immediate starting OG. Rams only have one bona fide starting OG now that's Saffold. Saffold as we all know has a well known long injury history in the NFL that is still ongoing now. Thus is the reason Saffold was named with the four. What happens if Saffold major shoulder surgery this upcoming yr has more damage than currently known or he is unable to work out be in playing shape when the season begins ??? Rams would be in serious trouble.

It seems to me that Scherff sliding a few feet right from where he has played in college into the OLG post to be an immediate starting OLG just like Robinson did would be a good plan. Thus permitted Saffold to slide back over to the ORG post in Davin Joseph's vacated post. Beefing up those OG posts would help any new Ram center or @ ORT post.

What I see in Scherff is he looks very close to the 2009 Rodger Saffold. My post was to suggest looking @ drafting another talented, very versatile offensive OL. Not a single post player like you were advocating A.J. Cann who is a OG & has basically played one post OLG. Greg Robinson started @ the OLG post and then moved to OLT. GR was not & is still not a polished pass blocker but he has the ability to improve. I was suggesting that Scherff could start inside @ OLG or even move to the ORG post if preferred. Either way if Barksdale is resigned having a Saffold or Scherff might assist Barksdale. With Scherff I also see an versatile OL'er who has enough talent too to take up the ORT post & fill the void with the Barksdale departure. But yes Scherff best NFL playing positions coming out of college would be @ OG posts with the option of use @ ORT post or an emergency OLT post too.

I am very surprised that you have written off the versatile Scherff's NFL ability to play Right OT before he enters the NFL & then throw that last statement that Scherff will never even reach.... a 4 yr NFL Barksdale's low skills to handle speeders.

 

[Ram_Rally]

Amari Cooper. Then go all out on the oline. If cooper is gone, oline. If either qb skips to us (because we may still be a top 10 pick), trade down. We should have Bradford back on a rookie esque one year deal and he is twice the prospect that Winston and Mariota are IMO. I would rather see a dominant oline. But I would take cooper if available because it would put our solid core over the hump. But yes, every position besides left tackle needs to replaced on the line. And I mean left tackle greg Robinson, not jake long.

 

[jrry32]

Morning jrry32,
I was NOT suggesting that Saffold would be replaced in any way or fashion. I was suggesting that Scherff who has been very effective playing OLT for several seasons now to be our immediate starting OG. Rams only have one bona fide starting OG now that's Saffold. Saffold as we all know has a well known long injury history in the NFL that is still ongoing now. Thus is the reason Saffold was named with the four. What happens if Saffold major shoulder surgery this upcoming yr has more damage than currently known or he is unable to work out be in playing shape when the season begins ??? Rams would be in serious trouble.

It seems to me that Scherff sliding a few feet right from where he has played in college into the OLG post to be an immediate starting OLG just like Robinson did would be a good plan. Thus permitted Saffold to slide back over to the ORG post in Davin Joseph's vacated post. Beefing up those OG posts would help any new Ram center or @ ORT post.

What I see in Scherff is he looks very close to the 2009 Rodger Saffold. My post was to suggest looking @ drafting another talented, very versatile offensive OL. Not a single post player like you were advocating A.J. Cann who is a OG & has basically played one post OLG. Greg Robinson started @ the OLG post and then moved to OLT. GR was not & is still not a polished pass blocker but he has the ability to improve. I was suggesting that Scherff could start inside @ OLG or even move to the ORG post if preferred. Either way if Barksdale is resigned having a Saffold or Scherff might assist Barksdale. With Scherff I also see an versatile OL'er who has enough talent too to take up the ORT post & fill the void with the Barksdale departure. But yes Scherff best NFL playing positions coming out of college would be @ OG posts with the option of use @ ORT post or an emergency OLT post too.

I am very surprised that you have written off the versatile Scherff's NFL ability to play Right OT before he enters the NFL & then throw that last statement that Scherff will never even reach.... a 4 yr NFL Barksdale's low skills to handle speeders.

Okay but that versatility comes at a cost. With Scherff, it means drafting him in the mid 1st to play OG instead of Cann in the mid 2nd. So then the question becomes, what does that versatility mean and how much better of an OG would Scherff be? The answer to the first question is not much because Scherff should not be playing OT for you unless you're really desperate. And my opinion the second question is also, not much. Scherff has more power and meanness to his game but Cann is a plenty powerful guy too that does a lot of the little things extremely well (although there are a couple technical areas he needs development in).

You're surprised I am writing off Scherff? That's fair. But I don't think I'm being unfair in writing him off. Some guys have that ability, some don't. Scherff looks exposed in space as an OT and has been embarrassed in certain games the past couple years because of it. Maryland is a good example. Scherff was embarrassed by a 250 pound sophomore OLB, a 5'11" 280 pound Senior 3-4 DE that will likely not be drafted, and a 6'3" 310 pound Senior DT that is likely to go in the mid rounds. They beat the guy relentlessly. Why? For many reasons but it all boils down to him being exposed in space, having a poor kick-slide, and his arm length being below average for an OT.(I'd guess around 33 inches...won't keep him from playing OT but with everything else, it definitely hurts him)

If you want me to go into greater detail on all the issues I saw with him at OT, I will. I'm just telling you that the guy was whipped by players who aren't future superstars.

 

[Win1-4Ned]

Okay but that versatility comes at a cost. With Scherff, it means drafting him in the mid 1st to play OG instead of Cann in the mid 2nd. So then the question becomes, what does that versatility mean and how much better of an OG would Scherff be? The answer to the first question is not much because Scherff should not be playing OT for you unless you're really desperate. And my opinion the second question is also, not much. Scherff has more power and meanness to his game but Cann is a plenty powerful guy too that does a lot of the little things extremely well (although there are a couple technical areas he needs development in).

You're surprised I am writing off Scherff? That's fair. But I don't think I'm being unfair in writing him off. Some guys have that ability, some don't. Scherff looks exposed in space as an OT and has been embarrassed in certain games the past couple years because of it. Maryland is a good example. Scherff was embarrassed by a 250 pound sophomore OLB, a 5'11" 280 pound Senior 3-4 DE that will likely not be drafted, and a 6'3" 310 pound Senior DT that is likely to go in the mid rounds. They beat the guy relentlessly. Why? For many reasons but it all boils down to him being exposed in space, having a poor kick-slide, and his arm length being below average for an OT.(I'd guess around 33 inches...won't keep him from playing OT but with everything else, it definitely hurts him)

If you want me to go into greater detail on all the issues I saw with him at OT, I will. I'm just telling you that the guy was whipped by players who aren't future superstars.

Him and anyone else you guys want to breakdown. Bowl season is almost here and then after that things get incredibly slow. I've never been less interested in the rest of the NFL, outside the Rams, than I have this season, so I find the thoughts on who the top prospects are or shouldn't be to be interesting and fascinating. Most of the time I can't tell if you guys are posers or amateur scouts, but I find it to be good reading and a good way to have a pulse of the draft.

 

[Rams0307]

I don't think it's a safe bet. The top WR's will be in the range where we draft as well, so I could easily see us taking one of them. I'd say it's likely we draft OL or WR, but with Fisher at the helm, you can never rule out defense being selected in the 1st.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

I think a top WR is very likely in round1.

As for Saffold @BonifayRam - he has been playing between a very raw rookie in Greg Robinson and a woefully past his prime Center in Wells. Saffold looked better next to Barksdale and vice versa because on the line it really matters who is next to you. If Robinson does reach elite OLT status (I have always doubted it) then Saffold can move back to the Right Guard spot which I think he plays better at and they can draft an OLG and hopefully a Center.