Bernies Ram Bytes: Forecasting the Draft

[RamBill]

Ram Bytes: Forecasting the Draft
• Bernie Miklasz

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/colu...cle_7403630c-e94e-5b72-8115-eead5b870c4a.html

We're less than a week from the start of the 2014 NFL Draft.

You mean, it's finally here? Why not just wait to hold the draft until the end of June so we can have 50,000 more mock drafts? Give it to the NFL: no league in the history of professional sports has been so successful in milking and manipulating media coverage in such a blatant, calculated manner.

The Rams have so many needs, options (trade?) and choices that it's hard to know what to expect when commissioner Roger Goodell opens the draft on Thursday night. But there are three safely predictable aspects of the Rams' draft:

1. No matter who the Rams draft, it will be the result of a perfectly planned strategy that only GM Les Snead and head coach Jeff Fisher could pull off ... and it worked out exactly as the Rams wanted it to. They got the player or players they've been dreaming of.

2. Massive amounts of food will be served to the media at Rams Park.

3. The St. Louis sports media will be ecstatic over the Rams' choices.

Book it.

Pardon my cynicism, which is admittedly a bit much. (Sorry.) This is what happens when you have an NFL team that hasn't had a winning season since 2003. This tends to jaundice a scribe.

Anyway, I will have a "serious" column on the Rams' draft in Sunday's print edition, which will also be available (FREE!) online at STLtoday.

In recent days the Rams got draftniks excited by flying all over creation to work out prospects at places such as Texas A&M, Alabama, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Tennessee, etc. Which is interesting to me; you'd think that by now the ol' hay would be in the barn. Apparently not. Perhaps the last-minute scouting will pay off. Or, perhaps the last-minute scouting will deliver the next Brian Quick.

For now, I've been scanning the latest mock drafts to see what the NFL-media-draft-industrial complex has been forecasting for the Rams. Their picks are based on the Rams staying at No. 2 and at No. 13 and not trading up or down.

Here's a sampling of what the pundits are thinking for No. 2 and No. 13 (in order of the respective selection):

Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN: Auburn OT Greg Robinson, and then Alabama free safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix.

Todd McShay of ESPN: Robinson and Clinton-Dix.

Rob Rang, CBS Sports: Robinson and Louisville free safety Calvin Pryor.

Walter Football: Buffalo DE/OLB Khalil Mack and LSU WR Odell Beckham.

Pete Prisco, CBS Sports: Robinson and Ohio State CB Bradley Roby.

SB Nation: Robinson and Clinton-Dix.

Draftnek Computer: Robinson and Oklahoma State CB Justin Gilbert.

Pat Kirwan, CBS Sports: Clemson WR Sammy Watkins and Pryor.

Ourlad: Texas A&M OT Jake Matthews and Washington State free safety Deone Buchanan.

CBS Prediction Machine: Robinson and Clinton-Dix.

Brian Baldinger, NFL.com: Matthews and Pryor.

Charles Davis, NFL.com: Robinson and Texas A&M QB Johnny Manziel.

NFL Draft Geek: Mack and Clinton-Dix.

Bucky Brooks, NFL.com: Matthews and Clinton-Dix.

Daniel Jeremiah, NFL.com: Robinson and Clinton-Dix.

Optimum Scouting: Robinson and Beckham.

NFLMock: Watkins and Clinton-Dix.

DraftSite: Watkins and Fresno State QB Derek Carr.

MyNFLDraft: Robinson, Beckham.

Shutdown Corner (Yahoo Sports): Robinson and Pryor.

NFLsFuture: Mack and Beckham.

And so on ...

Obviously the most popular scenario would leave the Rams with the offensive tackle (Robinson) and the free safety (Clinton-Dix.)

That would work.

Thanks for reading ...

-Bernie

 

[FRO]

I just want to know who peed in his Cheerios over there at Rams park.

 

[-X-]

Anyway, I will have a "serious" column on the Rams' draft in Sunday's print edition, which will also be available (FREE!) online at STLtoday.

FREE!!?!?!?!!

 

[The Rammer]

Ram Bytes: Forecasting the Draft
• Bernie Miklasz

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/colu...cle_7403630c-e94e-5b72-8115-eead5b870c4a.html

We're less than a week from the start of the 2014 NFL Draft

You mean, it's finally here? Why not just wait to hold the draft until the end of June so we can have 50,000 more mock drafts? Give it to the NFL: no league in the history of professional sports has been so successful in milking and manipulating media coverage in such a blatant, calculated manner.

The Rams have so many needs, options (trade?) and choices that it's hard to know what to expect when commissioner Roger Goodell opens the draft on Thursday night. But there are three safely predictable aspects of the Rams' draft:

1. No matter who the Rams draft, it will be the result of a perfectly planned strategy that only GM Les Snead and head coach Jeff Fisher could pull off ... and it worked out exactly as the Rams wanted it to. They got the player or players they've been dreaming of.

2. Massive amounts of food will be served to the media at Rams Park.

3. The St. Louis sports media will be ecstatic over the Rams' choices.

Book it.

Pardon my cynicism, which is admittedly a bit much. (Sorry.) This is what happens when you have an NFL team that hasn't had a winning season since 2003. This tends to jaundice a scribe.

 

[Stranger]

noise ... noise .... noise

 

[The Rammer]

I just want to know who peed in his Cheerios over there at Rams park.

I want to know why you posted this twice and why Bernie is being a butt hole today.

 

[DR RAM]

I'd pay to get the interweb to block his free B.S., so that nobody would accidentally would step into a shit hole.

 

[V3]

Anyway, I will have a "serious" column on the Rams' draft in Sunday's print edition, which will also be available (FREE!) online at STLtoday.

FREE!!?!?!?!!

Not sure if you know or not but the PD has started charging from some of their crap. I think that's why he pointed that out.

 

[brokeu91]

Holy shyte. Who pissed off Bernie today? I love how he is blaming this regime for the past 10 years, that somehow the Linehan and Spags years are Fisher's and Sneads fault

In truth, I really do trust this regime. The first full year that they were together and had their scouts in place they pulled of a masterful draft. When we win the Superbowl in a year or two, people will look back at 2013 when we got good starters at nearly every single pick. The only one that I'm kind of iffy on right now is McGee. I know that Barrett Jones was injured, but he works harder than just about anybody, he's smart and I have no doubts he will become a very good player. Everyone else has already flashed their potential: Austin, Ogletree, Bailey, McDonald, and Stacey. That's a masterful draft, the type that wins Superbowls

Let's see what they can pull off this year

 

[RhodyRams]

more nonsensical babbling from Boiney

 

[-X-]

Not sure if you know or not but the PD has started charging from some of their crap. I think that's why he pointed that out.

That's equally as egregious as having to pay for air to put in my tires.

 

[V3]

Holy shyte. Who pissed off Bernie today? I love how he is blaming this regime for the past 10 years, that somehow the Linehan and Spags years are Fisher's and Sneads fault

In truth, I really do trust this regime. The first full year that they were together and had their scouts in place they pulled of a masterful draft. When we win the Superbowl in a year or two, people will look back at 2013 when we got good starters at nearly every single pick. The only one that I'm kind of iffy on right now is McGee. I know that Barrett Jones was injured, but he works harder than just about anybody, he's smart and I have no doubts he will become a very good player. Everyone else has already flashed their potential: Austin, Ogletree, Bailey, McDonald, and Stacey. That's a masterful draft, the type that wins Superbowls

Let's see what they can pull off this year

That second rounder wasn't the best pick, though.

 

[brokeu91]

That second rounder wasn't the best pick, though.

I hope you're being sarcastic, because second round pick or not, that was still a draft of beauty.

 

[bomebadeeda]

Bernie's just pissed that this bunch treats him like the reporter he is (or should I say, wishes he could be...)and doesn't give him anything better than they give to anyone else......

 

[V3]

That's equally as egregious as having to pay for air to put in my tires.

I know. Wanna hear something else? I think it's like $13 a month. Bargain, right?

 

[Rams and Gators]

Holy shyte. Who pissed off Bernie today? I love how he is blaming this regime for the past 10 years, that somehow the Linehan and Spags years are Fisher's and Sneads fault

In truth, I really do trust this regime. The first full year that they were together and had their scouts in place they pulled of a masterful draft. When we win the Superbowl in a year or two, people will look back at 2013 when we got good starters at nearly every single pick. The only one that I'm kind of iffy on right now is McGee. I know that Barrett Jones was injured, but he works harder than just about anybody, he's smart and I have no doubts he will become a very good player. Everyone else has already flashed their potential: Austin, Ogletree, Bailey, McDonald, and Stacey. That's a masterful draft, the type that wins Superbowls

Let's see what they can pull off this year

This: I calculated the other day that given our original starting position the probability of finding 5+ starters was 3%, we've already found 4 and I wouldn't bet against Bailey or Jones becoming starters, that's a phenomenal draft.

Anyway, I'm continuing my life long tradition of not reading a Bernie article, I take it it was negative?

 

[V3]

I hope you're being sarcastic, because second round pick or not, that was still a draft of beauty.

Austin wasn't worth 8 let alone the 2nd rounder we gave up as well. Sorry, that's how I feel. I don't think he's bad or anything but I don't agree with taking a WR that high when he's not projected to ever be a #1. That was my only issue with the draft. The rest was great.

They could have taken Patterson who could become a #1 and still be a great returner(already made the PB) and used the 2nd rounder on Warford. And yes, that's what I was advocating at the time.

 

[max]

I mistakenly read that and then realized why I haven't read his stuff in a long time. Zero content, awful writing.

 

[FRO]

I want to know why you posted this twice and why Bernie is being a butt hole today.

iPhone issues, but I do want to know.

 

[HE WITH HORNS]

Big B will only be there for the food, as usual.