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http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-ra...3-draft-yielded-three-solid-starters-for-rams
The Los Angeles Rams have four NFL drafts under their belt with coach Jeff Fisher and general manager Les Snead in charge. After releasing defensive end Chris Long and linebacker James Laurinaitis, the Rams only have four homegrown players remaining on the roster who were drafted before Snead and Fisher arrived.
Those four players -- end Robert Quinn, tight end Lance Kendricks, offensive lineman Rodger Saffold and defensive end Eugene Sims -- were taken in the 2011 (Quinn and Kendricks) and 2010 (Saffold and Sims) drafts.
As we head toward the draft at the end of the month, now is a good time to take stock of the four classes Fisher and Snead have brought in that form the foundation of the team.
We continue today with the 2013 NFL draft:
The picks: WR Tavon Austin (No. 8 overall), LB Alec Ogletree (No. 30), S T.J. McDonald (No. 71), WR Stedman Bailey (No. 92), OL Barrett Jones (No.113), CB Brandon McGee(No. 149), RB Zac Stacy (No. 160)
Who's left: Four of the seven players taken in 2013 remain on the roster in the form of Austin, Ogletree, McDonald and Bailey. Austin, Ogletree and McDonald have become key starters for the Rams and have contributed from Day 1. Bailey has flashed potential as a wideout and been a good special teams player but his status moving forward is unknown after he was shot twice in the head in November of last year. The Rams traded Stacy to the New York Jets during the 2015 draft and released Jones in the final round of cuts and McGee in October of last year.
Best picks: Austin had his best season yet in 2015, scoring 10 total touchdowns and putting up 907 yards from scrimmage, and McDonald continues to be a solid, hard-hitting force at strong safety. But all signs still point to Ogletree being the best of the bunch, even after he suffered what turned out to be a season-ending leg/ankle injury in Week 4 against Arizona. Before the injury, Ogletree looked to be on his way to a breakout season that might have seen him earn his first Pro Bowl berth. He had 42 tackles and two sacks in those first four contests. Now, the Rams are handing the reins of the defense to Ogletree, moving him to middle linebacker to replace Laurinaitis. They're all but certain to exercise their fifth-year option on Ogletree and hope to make him one of the centerpieces of their defense for years to come.
Worst pick: After one of the most decorated careers in college football history, Jones was a major disappointment for the Rams. Expected to step in and compete for the starting center job, Jones dealt with repeated injury setbacks in his first two seasons with the team. Those ailments prevented him from going through a full offseason program and gaining the strength needed to hold up in the middle. Finally, in the 2015 offseason, Jones was healthy and positioned to compete for the starting job with Tim Barnes and Demetrius Rhaney. Despite his knowledge of the offense, Jones was unable to hold up physically and the Rams released him in the final round of cuts. He's currently on Philadelphia's offseason roster.
Breakdown: All things considered, this was a pretty good draft for the Rams, especially when you factor in that the 2013 draft isn't viewed as a particularly fruitful class. Landing three quality starters in Austin, Ogletree and McDonald isn't bad, particularly in a seven-man class, though a couple of later-round picks emerging as role players wouldn't have hurt. That said, it's still fair to question the Rams' move up for Austin, considering it cost them a second-round pick, which might have turned into another starter from this draft. In fact, at the time of the draft some advocated for the Rams to sit tight at No. 16 and take receiver DeAndre Hopkins instead of moving up for Austin. Hopkins has turned into the best wideout in the class and one of this draft's best players. Plus, the Rams would have kept their second-round pick. Nonetheless, this is still a solid class that should be able to contribute in meaningful
The Los Angeles Rams have four NFL drafts under their belt with coach Jeff Fisher and general manager Les Snead in charge. After releasing defensive end Chris Long and linebacker James Laurinaitis, the Rams only have four homegrown players remaining on the roster who were drafted before Snead and Fisher arrived.
Those four players -- end Robert Quinn, tight end Lance Kendricks, offensive lineman Rodger Saffold and defensive end Eugene Sims -- were taken in the 2011 (Quinn and Kendricks) and 2010 (Saffold and Sims) drafts.
As we head toward the draft at the end of the month, now is a good time to take stock of the four classes Fisher and Snead have brought in that form the foundation of the team.
We continue today with the 2013 NFL draft:
The picks: WR Tavon Austin (No. 8 overall), LB Alec Ogletree (No. 30), S T.J. McDonald (No. 71), WR Stedman Bailey (No. 92), OL Barrett Jones (No.113), CB Brandon McGee(No. 149), RB Zac Stacy (No. 160)
Who's left: Four of the seven players taken in 2013 remain on the roster in the form of Austin, Ogletree, McDonald and Bailey. Austin, Ogletree and McDonald have become key starters for the Rams and have contributed from Day 1. Bailey has flashed potential as a wideout and been a good special teams player but his status moving forward is unknown after he was shot twice in the head in November of last year. The Rams traded Stacy to the New York Jets during the 2015 draft and released Jones in the final round of cuts and McGee in October of last year.
Best picks: Austin had his best season yet in 2015, scoring 10 total touchdowns and putting up 907 yards from scrimmage, and McDonald continues to be a solid, hard-hitting force at strong safety. But all signs still point to Ogletree being the best of the bunch, even after he suffered what turned out to be a season-ending leg/ankle injury in Week 4 against Arizona. Before the injury, Ogletree looked to be on his way to a breakout season that might have seen him earn his first Pro Bowl berth. He had 42 tackles and two sacks in those first four contests. Now, the Rams are handing the reins of the defense to Ogletree, moving him to middle linebacker to replace Laurinaitis. They're all but certain to exercise their fifth-year option on Ogletree and hope to make him one of the centerpieces of their defense for years to come.
Worst pick: After one of the most decorated careers in college football history, Jones was a major disappointment for the Rams. Expected to step in and compete for the starting center job, Jones dealt with repeated injury setbacks in his first two seasons with the team. Those ailments prevented him from going through a full offseason program and gaining the strength needed to hold up in the middle. Finally, in the 2015 offseason, Jones was healthy and positioned to compete for the starting job with Tim Barnes and Demetrius Rhaney. Despite his knowledge of the offense, Jones was unable to hold up physically and the Rams released him in the final round of cuts. He's currently on Philadelphia's offseason roster.
Breakdown: All things considered, this was a pretty good draft for the Rams, especially when you factor in that the 2013 draft isn't viewed as a particularly fruitful class. Landing three quality starters in Austin, Ogletree and McDonald isn't bad, particularly in a seven-man class, though a couple of later-round picks emerging as role players wouldn't have hurt. That said, it's still fair to question the Rams' move up for Austin, considering it cost them a second-round pick, which might have turned into another starter from this draft. In fact, at the time of the draft some advocated for the Rams to sit tight at No. 16 and take receiver DeAndre Hopkins instead of moving up for Austin. Hopkins has turned into the best wideout in the class and one of this draft's best players. Plus, the Rams would have kept their second-round pick. Nonetheless, this is still a solid class that should be able to contribute in meaningful
