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Draft Bytes: Fisher declares war on NFC West
• Bernie Miklasz
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/colu...cle_465979f0-ae1e-5993-be01-8ed61de442e7.html
As if anyone needed to be reminded, the Rams are coach Jeff Fisher's team. He's completely in charge of their fate. He's building the roster in a way that matches his core football beliefs. He doesn't care what you want. He doesn't care what I want. He doesn't care what we think. And that's fine. This is his show.
Fisher wants a team that will line up and knock you down. A team that will run the ball, stop the run, and invade the quarterback's pocket. A team that will do everything within its power (and perhaps outside the boundaries of sportsmanship) to win the physical battles up front, and on both sides of the ball. A team that inflicts more pain and suffering than it absorbs.
Coach Fisher finds himself in a grim battle in the NFC West, and he realized he needed more tanks for his 2014 pushback against the Seahawks, 49ers and Cardinals. So he went for the reinforcements. He didn't think big ... but he went big.
The first round of the 2014 NFL Draft fell into place like a Fisher fantasy.
With the No. 2 overall pick, the Rams took Auburn offensive tackle Greg Robinson.
With the No. 13 overall choice, they went for Pittsburgh defensive tackle Aaron Donald.
Two linemen. Two bruisers.
One for the offense, one for the defense.
This is Fisher's idea of a perfect night.
No excitement, no charisma, no buzz, no daring _ and nothing that would prompt a bull rush to the ticket windows or internet portals.
It's hysterical, really.
Johnny Manziel — aka "Johnny Quarterback" — to the Rams? Cue the laugh track and send in the clowns in the national media who willingly participated in the Rams' lame attempt to con everyone into believing they'd actually take a QB second overall. Or even 13th overall.
A brilliant wide receiver like Sammy Watkins who can take the top off a defense? Well, as I told a friend yesterday: if the Rams draft Watkins, I'll pay off your mortgage. There was ZERO chance of that happening.
So the Rams — metaphorically speaking — took the air out of the football Thursday night with two safe, conservative choices that probably confused fans that were expecting a little pizazz.
I would argue, however, that the Rams' picks provided entertainment.
After trying to spread Johnny Football fever — with no response from possible trade partners — the Rams left Manziel sitting in the green room, looking bewildered. And the Rams made complete fools out of media co-conspirators that spread the bogus rumors. That's funny.
Fisher and associates peddled the story to reporters — the Manziel speculation — but couldn't sell it in a way that stimulated trade interest in the No. 2 overall choice. The Rams completely misjudged the Manziel market. From what we know now, he wasn't a coveted commodity.
Here's the problem: the Rams also stimulated a fan base that was suddenly hoping that this would be a wild Thursday-night ride, with the Rams going crazy and picking an outrageously flamboyant dervish of a quarterback to replace game manager Sam Bradford.
And it's not nice to play a practical joke on fans that have watched a 43-100-1 football team since 2005.
OK, now that I have that out of the way...
The selections of Robinson and Donald made sense; they fit into Fisher's plan to toughen and harden the Rams for the increasingly difficult conflict in the NFC West.
From a practical and pragmatic football standpoint, the Rams filled two needs.
I'll have a comprehensive take on Robinson down below ... but first a brief comment on Donald: despite using a first-round pick on DT Michael Brockers and throwing big free-agent dollars at DT Kendall Langford, Fisher still needed at the position. The Rams want a move invasive defensive tackle who can ignite an inside pass rush or quickly trespass into the backfield to tackle a RB for a loss. I don't know if Donald will become that guy, but he fits the profile.
The larger issue: what does it say that the Fisher had to double back on his Brocker-Langford investments to use a premium pick on another DT?
Now, here's a shorter version of what I wrote earlier on Robinson:
1. Fisher chose Robinson over Texas A&M offensive tackle Jake Matthews, even though Matthews is widely considered to be more ready to plug in and play at left tackle in Game 1 of his rookie year. Robinson is a tremendous natural talent with huge upside, but the prevailing conventional wisdom is that he'll need some work to refine his pass blocking. Fisher also chose Robinson over Matthews despite the coach's obvious personal and professional connection to the Matthews family. (As you know Hall of Fame O-lineman Bruce Matthews played for Fisher in Houston-Tennessee. That's Jake's father.) Given that the Rams need to win and do it now, it's a wee bit surprising that they'd bypass an automatic plug-in talent that can start for a long time with no worries, no real learning curve. But seriously, Robinson is such a powerhouse O-lineman, the Rams didn't go wrong by taking him over Matthews. This was just a question of weighing the relatively minor differences between two excellent offensive tackles. And I think it's safe to say that most if not all NFL teams rated Robinson as the best OT in this class.
2. If indeed Robinson needs some development time, he's so massive, strong and quick that he can line up for guard and help the Rams power up with their inside running game. So he'll be an immediate starter, either way. And if Jake Long (knee surgery) isn't ready to go at the start of the season, Robinson certainly has a chance to start right away at left tackle. Put it this way: if you're drafted No. 2 overall and stay healthy and can't start at any position from the first day in the league, then you probably shouldn't have been the second pick. Especially a lineman _ and a lineman who was taken by a team that has multiple holes to fill up front.
3. Obviously, Fisher loves a bruising rushing attack ... as does offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer. In that context, Robinson is ideal for what the Rams want to do. They compete against ferocious, muscular defenses in the NFC West; six of their 16 games are against division nasties. To succeed the Rams have to win the hard battles in the pit and dominate the line of scrimmage. And Robinson will be a physical force up front. Jake Long played pretty well in pass protection last season but was only so-so in his run blocking; Robinson is an instant upgrade for the Rams rushing attack.
4. There's a perception that the Rams have been a successful rushing team during Fisher's two seasons, but that isn't exactly true. The Rams had some impressive displays on the ground but have lacked consistency. Over Fisher's two seasons the Rams have ranked 17th in the NFL with an average of 108 yards rushing per game. Their 15 rushing TDs rank 30th. Their red-zone rushing has been below average. Their average yards per carry (4.1) ranks 15th. Their percentage of runs that gain 10+ yards ranks 14th. There's still a lot of work to be done before the Rams gash it the way Fisher wants them to.
5. Key statistic: in 12 games against NFC West beasts in Fisher's two seasons, the Rams have averaged only 3.7 yards per carry, 99 yards rushing per game, and have scored only TWO touchdowns on the ground. Well, they just added someone to assist in that area. If, of course, Robinson is as good as widely believed.
6. Robinson, of course, was a dominating OT for Auburn. He mauled defenders for an Auburn offense that led the nation with 328 yards rushing per game last season; even more impressively the Tigers averaged 324 yards in games against Top 25 opponents. And they averaged 286 yards in SEC games; that's outstanding. Robinson played a major role in that powerful ground surge. He seems particularly suited for NFC West hostilities.
7. In terms of style, I don't see the Robinson and Orlando Pace comparisons. I'm not saying Robinson can't become a great lineman; he can. But Pace was a naturally dominant pass protector who wasn't necessarily an elite blocker in the run game. Coming into the NFL, Robinson's profile is something of the opposite. He's an instant bully in the run game who will need time to fully develop those pass-pro nuances.
Finally ..
The Rams' franchise needs to spark the offense with creativity and big-play capability. For all of the talk about the physicality of the Seahawks and 49ers, don't forget that their offenses strike for a lot of big plays, which is something the Rams don't do enough.
And if Fisher and his coaches don't understand this, then they'll eventually have to face some repercussions. But I'm also pragmatic, and there's no point in taking players that don't fit the coaching staff's offensive style.
There's no point in taking a WR that won't fully develop under these coaches in a run-dominated system. There's no point in going for a QB at No. 2 or No. 13 overall when Fisher is so firmly committed to Bradford.
So why would we expect the Rams to disavow their core football philosophy? In their minds, they've already drafted enough WRs ... four in their two drafts under Fisher. That's short-sighted on their part, but there's no point in arguing.
You can almost read Fisher's mind going into this year's draft.
"What do these people want? I've drafted four wide receivers and signed another wideout in veteran Kenny Britt and I also gave a huge free-agent contract to tight end Jared Cook. That's enough of this nonsense. Let's get the leather helmets out, dammit."
For what Fisher is ... and for what Fisher wants to do ... and for what Fisher believes in ... Robinson and Donald are in line. He sees them as two large and vital pieces that can make a difference in the heavy-duty challenge up ahead in another season of NFC West skirmishes.
Fisher will ultimately judged on wins and losses.
And if he wins and gets the Rams into the playoffs _ well, who says it has to be entertaining?
Thanks for reading ...
-Bernie
• Bernie Miklasz
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/colu...cle_465979f0-ae1e-5993-be01-8ed61de442e7.html
As if anyone needed to be reminded, the Rams are coach Jeff Fisher's team. He's completely in charge of their fate. He's building the roster in a way that matches his core football beliefs. He doesn't care what you want. He doesn't care what I want. He doesn't care what we think. And that's fine. This is his show.
Fisher wants a team that will line up and knock you down. A team that will run the ball, stop the run, and invade the quarterback's pocket. A team that will do everything within its power (and perhaps outside the boundaries of sportsmanship) to win the physical battles up front, and on both sides of the ball. A team that inflicts more pain and suffering than it absorbs.
Coach Fisher finds himself in a grim battle in the NFC West, and he realized he needed more tanks for his 2014 pushback against the Seahawks, 49ers and Cardinals. So he went for the reinforcements. He didn't think big ... but he went big.
The first round of the 2014 NFL Draft fell into place like a Fisher fantasy.
With the No. 2 overall pick, the Rams took Auburn offensive tackle Greg Robinson.
With the No. 13 overall choice, they went for Pittsburgh defensive tackle Aaron Donald.
Two linemen. Two bruisers.
One for the offense, one for the defense.
This is Fisher's idea of a perfect night.
No excitement, no charisma, no buzz, no daring _ and nothing that would prompt a bull rush to the ticket windows or internet portals.
It's hysterical, really.
Johnny Manziel — aka "Johnny Quarterback" — to the Rams? Cue the laugh track and send in the clowns in the national media who willingly participated in the Rams' lame attempt to con everyone into believing they'd actually take a QB second overall. Or even 13th overall.
A brilliant wide receiver like Sammy Watkins who can take the top off a defense? Well, as I told a friend yesterday: if the Rams draft Watkins, I'll pay off your mortgage. There was ZERO chance of that happening.
So the Rams — metaphorically speaking — took the air out of the football Thursday night with two safe, conservative choices that probably confused fans that were expecting a little pizazz.
I would argue, however, that the Rams' picks provided entertainment.
After trying to spread Johnny Football fever — with no response from possible trade partners — the Rams left Manziel sitting in the green room, looking bewildered. And the Rams made complete fools out of media co-conspirators that spread the bogus rumors. That's funny.
Fisher and associates peddled the story to reporters — the Manziel speculation — but couldn't sell it in a way that stimulated trade interest in the No. 2 overall choice. The Rams completely misjudged the Manziel market. From what we know now, he wasn't a coveted commodity.
Here's the problem: the Rams also stimulated a fan base that was suddenly hoping that this would be a wild Thursday-night ride, with the Rams going crazy and picking an outrageously flamboyant dervish of a quarterback to replace game manager Sam Bradford.
And it's not nice to play a practical joke on fans that have watched a 43-100-1 football team since 2005.
OK, now that I have that out of the way...
The selections of Robinson and Donald made sense; they fit into Fisher's plan to toughen and harden the Rams for the increasingly difficult conflict in the NFC West.
From a practical and pragmatic football standpoint, the Rams filled two needs.
I'll have a comprehensive take on Robinson down below ... but first a brief comment on Donald: despite using a first-round pick on DT Michael Brockers and throwing big free-agent dollars at DT Kendall Langford, Fisher still needed at the position. The Rams want a move invasive defensive tackle who can ignite an inside pass rush or quickly trespass into the backfield to tackle a RB for a loss. I don't know if Donald will become that guy, but he fits the profile.
The larger issue: what does it say that the Fisher had to double back on his Brocker-Langford investments to use a premium pick on another DT?
Now, here's a shorter version of what I wrote earlier on Robinson:
1. Fisher chose Robinson over Texas A&M offensive tackle Jake Matthews, even though Matthews is widely considered to be more ready to plug in and play at left tackle in Game 1 of his rookie year. Robinson is a tremendous natural talent with huge upside, but the prevailing conventional wisdom is that he'll need some work to refine his pass blocking. Fisher also chose Robinson over Matthews despite the coach's obvious personal and professional connection to the Matthews family. (As you know Hall of Fame O-lineman Bruce Matthews played for Fisher in Houston-Tennessee. That's Jake's father.) Given that the Rams need to win and do it now, it's a wee bit surprising that they'd bypass an automatic plug-in talent that can start for a long time with no worries, no real learning curve. But seriously, Robinson is such a powerhouse O-lineman, the Rams didn't go wrong by taking him over Matthews. This was just a question of weighing the relatively minor differences between two excellent offensive tackles. And I think it's safe to say that most if not all NFL teams rated Robinson as the best OT in this class.
2. If indeed Robinson needs some development time, he's so massive, strong and quick that he can line up for guard and help the Rams power up with their inside running game. So he'll be an immediate starter, either way. And if Jake Long (knee surgery) isn't ready to go at the start of the season, Robinson certainly has a chance to start right away at left tackle. Put it this way: if you're drafted No. 2 overall and stay healthy and can't start at any position from the first day in the league, then you probably shouldn't have been the second pick. Especially a lineman _ and a lineman who was taken by a team that has multiple holes to fill up front.
3. Obviously, Fisher loves a bruising rushing attack ... as does offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer. In that context, Robinson is ideal for what the Rams want to do. They compete against ferocious, muscular defenses in the NFC West; six of their 16 games are against division nasties. To succeed the Rams have to win the hard battles in the pit and dominate the line of scrimmage. And Robinson will be a physical force up front. Jake Long played pretty well in pass protection last season but was only so-so in his run blocking; Robinson is an instant upgrade for the Rams rushing attack.
4. There's a perception that the Rams have been a successful rushing team during Fisher's two seasons, but that isn't exactly true. The Rams had some impressive displays on the ground but have lacked consistency. Over Fisher's two seasons the Rams have ranked 17th in the NFL with an average of 108 yards rushing per game. Their 15 rushing TDs rank 30th. Their red-zone rushing has been below average. Their average yards per carry (4.1) ranks 15th. Their percentage of runs that gain 10+ yards ranks 14th. There's still a lot of work to be done before the Rams gash it the way Fisher wants them to.
5. Key statistic: in 12 games against NFC West beasts in Fisher's two seasons, the Rams have averaged only 3.7 yards per carry, 99 yards rushing per game, and have scored only TWO touchdowns on the ground. Well, they just added someone to assist in that area. If, of course, Robinson is as good as widely believed.
6. Robinson, of course, was a dominating OT for Auburn. He mauled defenders for an Auburn offense that led the nation with 328 yards rushing per game last season; even more impressively the Tigers averaged 324 yards in games against Top 25 opponents. And they averaged 286 yards in SEC games; that's outstanding. Robinson played a major role in that powerful ground surge. He seems particularly suited for NFC West hostilities.
7. In terms of style, I don't see the Robinson and Orlando Pace comparisons. I'm not saying Robinson can't become a great lineman; he can. But Pace was a naturally dominant pass protector who wasn't necessarily an elite blocker in the run game. Coming into the NFL, Robinson's profile is something of the opposite. He's an instant bully in the run game who will need time to fully develop those pass-pro nuances.
Finally ..
The Rams' franchise needs to spark the offense with creativity and big-play capability. For all of the talk about the physicality of the Seahawks and 49ers, don't forget that their offenses strike for a lot of big plays, which is something the Rams don't do enough.
And if Fisher and his coaches don't understand this, then they'll eventually have to face some repercussions. But I'm also pragmatic, and there's no point in taking players that don't fit the coaching staff's offensive style.
There's no point in taking a WR that won't fully develop under these coaches in a run-dominated system. There's no point in going for a QB at No. 2 or No. 13 overall when Fisher is so firmly committed to Bradford.
So why would we expect the Rams to disavow their core football philosophy? In their minds, they've already drafted enough WRs ... four in their two drafts under Fisher. That's short-sighted on their part, but there's no point in arguing.
You can almost read Fisher's mind going into this year's draft.
"What do these people want? I've drafted four wide receivers and signed another wideout in veteran Kenny Britt and I also gave a huge free-agent contract to tight end Jared Cook. That's enough of this nonsense. Let's get the leather helmets out, dammit."
For what Fisher is ... and for what Fisher wants to do ... and for what Fisher believes in ... Robinson and Donald are in line. He sees them as two large and vital pieces that can make a difference in the heavy-duty challenge up ahead in another season of NFC West skirmishes.
Fisher will ultimately judged on wins and losses.
And if he wins and gets the Rams into the playoffs _ well, who says it has to be entertaining?
Thanks for reading ...
-Bernie
