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True confession: I spent two hours of a perfectly fine Sunday transfixed in front of the TV, watching the scouting combine on the NFL Network. This is not a good sign. This is a cry for help.
I used to make fun of the combine, a cattle call that brings most of the top draft prospects to Indianapolis each year to lift weights, run around in shorts and present themselves for inspection by intense NFL general managers, coaches and scouts.
But there I was, tuning in Sunday to get a look at former Clemson wide receiver Sammy Watkins, who looms as an appealing candidate to be chosen No. 2 overall by the Rams.
I have draft fever early this year. The annual three-day selection party doesn’t get under way until May 8, but I’m already beginning to overdose on the hype.
I’m sucked in because the Rams have the No. 2 and No. 13 picks in the first round, and we can make the case that this is their most important draft in many years.
Why do I say that?
Several reasons:
First, this will be the Rams’ last shot at taking advantage of the extra picks accumulated by trading the No. 2 overall selection to Washington in 2012.
Second, the Rams have improved under GM Les Snead and coach Jeff Fisher but still reside at the bottom of the NFC West. Rivals in Seattle, San Francisco and Arizona show no signs of weakening, so the Rams cannot afford to swing and miss on these picks.
Next, the two drafts under Snead-Fisher have been good for the most part. But the Rams also spent the No. 33 overall choice (2012) on wide receiver Brian Quick, who hasn’t made an impact. They used the No. 50 overall pick (2012) on running back Isaiah Pead, who was barely noticeable in his first two seasons. There’s still time for Quick and Pead to validate the Rams’ high opinion of them, but for now they represent a missed opportunity by the Rams.
Fourth, with the continuing unpleasantness over stadiums and escape clauses, the paranoia over Los Angeles and the pleasure that team owner Stan Kroenke takes from tormenting his own fan base, the Rams are a public-relations disaster.
There’s only one way for the franchise to generate goodwill in St. Louis: winning. And the Rams haven’t had a winning season since 2003, going 51-108-1 since 2004. When you have a 10-season winning percentage of .322 and an owner who is alienating fans, that’s pretty much as bad as it gets for an NFL city. I’m surprised the Rams draw as many fans as they do.
I don’t know if winning can in fact cure anything, but in this case winning would at least provide some relief. And winning would at least get some momentum going and change the Rams-related conversation to something positive.
That’s another reason the stakes are even higher for the Rams in the 2014 draft. The Rams need to add talented players who can play a significant role in putting the organization on a successful trajectory. That development is more important than ever, considering the upcoming hurly-burly over the stadium-lease issue.
So what should the Rams do with their first-round picks? Here are some possibilities.
The preference • Trade down from No. 2 and collect additional draft choices. This seems to be the most desirable option. More picks equals more players and potentially more impact. But compared to 2012, the trade-down option won’t be as easy to pull off this time.
The lark • Draft a quarterback at No. 2 overall to have a potential franchise QB in place to take over if Sam Bradford bombs out in 2014. There’s virtually no chance of the Rams doing this at No. 2.
The luxury item • That would be pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney, formerly of South Carolina. But the strongest area of the Rams roster is at defensive end, and it would be an extravagant move to take Clowney at No. 2 overall when there are so many needs at other positions. And Clowney could be a risky pick; even South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier has questioned the moody player’s work ethic.
The pragmatic approach • Draft an offensive tackle. Greg Robinson (Auburn), Jake Matthews (Texas A&M) and Taylor Lewan (Michigan) are enticing prospects who carry minimal risk. They each improved their stock at the combine with a tremendous showing in the physical testing. There’s little sizzle in drafting a tackle, but the Rams clearly need one. And going for one at No. 2 makes a lot of sense.
Try and try again • After moving up a few spots to draft wide receiver Tavon Austin at No. 8 overall last year, will the Rams use this year’s No. 2 pick on Watkins? Snead and Fisher have drafted four receivers in two years. Do they want to let the four continue to develop — as Snead has suggested— or do they take another shot at landing that missing playmaker? Watkins is an impressive prospect; there isn’t a more explosive talent in this draft. Then again, Watkins isn’t a big and imposing receiver who outmuscles defenders for the football.
There’s also the reality of the Rams offense. With Fisher’s run-heavy philosophy firmly in place, would the Rams fully maximize Watkins’ skills? In 16 seasons as coach in Houston-Tennesee and two as coach in St. Louis, Fisher’s teams have drafted 26 wide receivers. Only one, Derrick Mason, has been voted to the Pro Bowl. And a Fisher-coached team hasn’t had a receiver amass 1,000 or more yards in a season since Mason in 2004.
Fisher took the 2011 season off, but his final six seasons in Tennessee and first two years in St. Louis failed to produce a 1,000-yard receiver. NFL players have compiled 168 seasons with 1,000 or more receiving yards since 2004, but none have played for Fisher.
The jackpot • Just one thought, and it’s hardly original. I don’t think many fans would complain if the Rams came up with an exacta ticket that had a wide receiver and an offensive tackle in some combination.
The Rams could take Watkins at No. 2 and hope that one of the elite offensive tackles is still on the board at No. 13. Or the Rams could take their favorite offensive tackle at No. 2, and then go for former Texas A&M wide receiver Mike Evans if he’s there at No. 13. The imposing Evans (6-5, 231 pounds) could give the Rams’ passing attack an extra dimension.
Or the Rams could use No. 13 on a safety. There are too many possibilities, too many scenarios, to list here. But for the Rams, there can only be one true outcome: success. The Rams can’t afford to mess this up.
True confession: I spent two hours of a perfectly fine Sunday transfixed in front of the TV, watching the scouting combine on the NFL Network. This is not a good sign. This is a cry for help.
I used to make fun of the combine, a cattle call that brings most of the top draft prospects to Indianapolis each year to lift weights, run around in shorts and present themselves for inspection by intense NFL general managers, coaches and scouts.
But there I was, tuning in Sunday to get a look at former Clemson wide receiver Sammy Watkins, who looms as an appealing candidate to be chosen No. 2 overall by the Rams.
I have draft fever early this year. The annual three-day selection party doesn’t get under way until May 8, but I’m already beginning to overdose on the hype.
I’m sucked in because the Rams have the No. 2 and No. 13 picks in the first round, and we can make the case that this is their most important draft in many years.
Why do I say that?
Several reasons:
First, this will be the Rams’ last shot at taking advantage of the extra picks accumulated by trading the No. 2 overall selection to Washington in 2012.
Second, the Rams have improved under GM Les Snead and coach Jeff Fisher but still reside at the bottom of the NFC West. Rivals in Seattle, San Francisco and Arizona show no signs of weakening, so the Rams cannot afford to swing and miss on these picks.
Next, the two drafts under Snead-Fisher have been good for the most part. But the Rams also spent the No. 33 overall choice (2012) on wide receiver Brian Quick, who hasn’t made an impact. They used the No. 50 overall pick (2012) on running back Isaiah Pead, who was barely noticeable in his first two seasons. There’s still time for Quick and Pead to validate the Rams’ high opinion of them, but for now they represent a missed opportunity by the Rams.
Fourth, with the continuing unpleasantness over stadiums and escape clauses, the paranoia over Los Angeles and the pleasure that team owner Stan Kroenke takes from tormenting his own fan base, the Rams are a public-relations disaster.
There’s only one way for the franchise to generate goodwill in St. Louis: winning. And the Rams haven’t had a winning season since 2003, going 51-108-1 since 2004. When you have a 10-season winning percentage of .322 and an owner who is alienating fans, that’s pretty much as bad as it gets for an NFL city. I’m surprised the Rams draw as many fans as they do.
I don’t know if winning can in fact cure anything, but in this case winning would at least provide some relief. And winning would at least get some momentum going and change the Rams-related conversation to something positive.
That’s another reason the stakes are even higher for the Rams in the 2014 draft. The Rams need to add talented players who can play a significant role in putting the organization on a successful trajectory. That development is more important than ever, considering the upcoming hurly-burly over the stadium-lease issue.
So what should the Rams do with their first-round picks? Here are some possibilities.
The preference • Trade down from No. 2 and collect additional draft choices. This seems to be the most desirable option. More picks equals more players and potentially more impact. But compared to 2012, the trade-down option won’t be as easy to pull off this time.
The lark • Draft a quarterback at No. 2 overall to have a potential franchise QB in place to take over if Sam Bradford bombs out in 2014. There’s virtually no chance of the Rams doing this at No. 2.
The luxury item • That would be pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney, formerly of South Carolina. But the strongest area of the Rams roster is at defensive end, and it would be an extravagant move to take Clowney at No. 2 overall when there are so many needs at other positions. And Clowney could be a risky pick; even South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier has questioned the moody player’s work ethic.
The pragmatic approach • Draft an offensive tackle. Greg Robinson (Auburn), Jake Matthews (Texas A&M) and Taylor Lewan (Michigan) are enticing prospects who carry minimal risk. They each improved their stock at the combine with a tremendous showing in the physical testing. There’s little sizzle in drafting a tackle, but the Rams clearly need one. And going for one at No. 2 makes a lot of sense.
Try and try again • After moving up a few spots to draft wide receiver Tavon Austin at No. 8 overall last year, will the Rams use this year’s No. 2 pick on Watkins? Snead and Fisher have drafted four receivers in two years. Do they want to let the four continue to develop — as Snead has suggested— or do they take another shot at landing that missing playmaker? Watkins is an impressive prospect; there isn’t a more explosive talent in this draft. Then again, Watkins isn’t a big and imposing receiver who outmuscles defenders for the football.
There’s also the reality of the Rams offense. With Fisher’s run-heavy philosophy firmly in place, would the Rams fully maximize Watkins’ skills? In 16 seasons as coach in Houston-Tennesee and two as coach in St. Louis, Fisher’s teams have drafted 26 wide receivers. Only one, Derrick Mason, has been voted to the Pro Bowl. And a Fisher-coached team hasn’t had a receiver amass 1,000 or more yards in a season since Mason in 2004.
Fisher took the 2011 season off, but his final six seasons in Tennessee and first two years in St. Louis failed to produce a 1,000-yard receiver. NFL players have compiled 168 seasons with 1,000 or more receiving yards since 2004, but none have played for Fisher.
The jackpot • Just one thought, and it’s hardly original. I don’t think many fans would complain if the Rams came up with an exacta ticket that had a wide receiver and an offensive tackle in some combination.
The Rams could take Watkins at No. 2 and hope that one of the elite offensive tackles is still on the board at No. 13. Or the Rams could take their favorite offensive tackle at No. 2, and then go for former Texas A&M wide receiver Mike Evans if he’s there at No. 13. The imposing Evans (6-5, 231 pounds) could give the Rams’ passing attack an extra dimension.
Or the Rams could use No. 13 on a safety. There are too many possibilities, too many scenarios, to list here. But for the Rams, there can only be one true outcome: success. The Rams can’t afford to mess this up.
