Bobby Wagner says he was nearly a Ram/Wagoner

[iced]

This story makes my blood boil every time I hear it.

But, as has been evidenced by several other players the Rams wanted but didn't get (Wagner, Larry Warford, Zach Martin, Justin Blackmon, etc.) they know how judge talent.

what makes it worse is thinking about the snowball affect it could have had - instead of Ogltree, they take Warford (he was their next option w/ the ogletree pick) + having wagner

 

[LACHAMP46]

Still curious as to why the LB position hasn't been addressed in the past drafts? Well, I mean, I get Ogletree, but Wagner plays a different position....why haven't we drafted another MLB? If we were targeting MLB's at that time....

 

[blackbart]

Spilled milk

What if we drafted Aaron Rogers, Adrian Peterson, Ray Lewis, etc etc etc

 

[jrry32]

Honestly, missing on Wagner wasn't the fuck up. There was a far better LB still available at that pick and that's the guy we should have drafted...Lavonte David.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Honestly, missing on Wagner wasn't the freak up. There was a far better LB still available at that pick and that's the guy we should have drafted...Lavonte David.

I think Wagner is better than David.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

crap happens. He was the 7th LB off the board, and crystal balls are always in short supply in April. We also already had a starting MLB and needed other players.
Hindsight makes it a bad decision. Freakin' hindsight.

Not really hindsight, lots of us didnt like the move. I hated it and the coinciding picks. I didn't like any of that second round. I didn't want to force a War pick and felt there were some good Guards instead and they still get Wagner too. For that matter I hated trading up for Tavon and not taking the Vikings trade the same year.

If you don't like it when it happens it is not Hindsight, yet everyone calls it that.

 

[-X-]

Not really hindsight, lots of us didnt like the move. I hated it and the coinciding picks. I didn't like any of that second round. I didn't want to force a War pick and felt there were some good Guards instead and they still get Wagner too. For that matter I hated trading up for Tavon and not taking the Vikings trade the same year.

If you don't like it when it happens it is not Hindsight, yet everyone calls it that.

Well, that's one of you. And I'm sure there are others that may have thought "Hey! What're you doing!?!?! Wagner, the future Pro Bowler is there!", but probably not as many as you think. We had Laurinaitis, no running backs, and an entire team to restock in 2012. I'm simply addressing the idea that nobody knew what he would be any more than people knew what Pead or Watkins would be. Now that we do know, we have the gift of hindsight.

 

[jrry32]

I think Wagner is better than David.

I strongly disagree. David is very arguably the best non pass rushing LB in football right now. He's just so freakishly well rounded. He's one of the best LBs in the NFL in coverage especially in man to man while also being one of the NFL's leading tacklers(#2) AND #7 in the NFL with 17 TFLs despite missing 2 games.

Plus, he's playing in Lovie's C-2 which means they haven't been using him like blitzer like he was in the past. Last year, he picked up 7 sacks as a blitzer and he was elite at it in college.

David plays like a missile out there and his instincts are off the charts.

This is a guy that checks every single box. Coverage? Check. Run stopping ability? Check. Blitzing? Check. Splash plays? Check. Consistency? Check. Football IQ? Check.

It's criminal how underrated he is because he plays in Tampa Bay.

Lavonte would be deadly on this team. Gregg Williams would be head over heels in love with that kid.

 

[bluecollarram]

I strongly disagree. David is very arguably the best non pass rushing LB in football right now. He's just so freakishly well rounded. He's one of the best LBs in the NFL in coverage especially in man to man while also being one of the NFL's leading tacklers(#2) AND #7 in the NFL with 17 TFLs despite missing 2 games.

Plus, he's playing in Lovie's C-2 which means they haven't been using him like blitzer like he was in the past. Last year, he picked up 7 sacks as a blitzer and he was elite at it in college.

David plays like a missile out there and his instincts are off the charts.

This is a guy that checks every single box. Coverage? Check. Run stopping ability? Check. Blitzing? Check. Splash plays? Check. Consistency? Check. Football IQ? Check.

It's criminal how underrated he is because he plays in Tampa Bay.

Lavonte would be deadly on this team. Gregg Williams would be head over heels in love with that kid.

Better than Luke Kuechly, gets no credit.
Any team but Tampa he would be talked about as the top LB in the NFL.

 

[Ramhusker]

I strongly disagree. David is very arguably the best non pass rushing LB in football right now. He's just so freakishly well rounded. He's one of the best LBs in the NFL in coverage especially in man to man while also being one of the NFL's leading tacklers(#2) AND #7 in the NFL with 17 TFLs despite missing 2 games.

Plus, he's playing in Lovie's C-2 which means they haven't been using him like blitzer like he was in the past. Last year, he picked up 7 sacks as a blitzer and he was elite at it in college.

David plays like a missile out there and his instincts are off the charts.

This is a guy that checks every single box. Coverage? Check. Run stopping ability? Check. Blitzing? Check. Splash plays? Check. Consistency? Check. Football IQ? Check.

It's criminal how underrated he is because he plays in Tampa Bay.

Lavonte would be deadly on this team. Gregg Williams would be head over heels in love with that kid.

STOP! JUST STOP! It pains me still that we didn't pick that HUSKER! Let me forget it please.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Well, that's one of you. And I'm sure there are others that may have thought "Hey! What're you doing!?!?! Wagner, the future Pro Bowler is there!", but probably not as many as you think. We had Laurinaitis, no running backs, and an entire team to restock in 2012. I'm simply addressing the idea that nobody knew what he would be any more than people knew what Pead or Watkins would be. Now that we do know, we have the gift of hindsight.

Nobody really knows how good any of them will be but many of us are darn certain in our own minds about who we think will become good and who we don't think. I really liked Wagner and he was the guy I wanted with pick 2 if things played out like they did. I was upset by the trade and saying, now they wont get Wagner, before it came out later that Fisher really wanted him. I don't like when the Rams play games in the draft. For instance Snead didn't know who he would pick with that 5th rounder that he coveted. Why covet a pick until you know your options. But the coach who actually teaches the players coveted Wagner. So you don't fool around.

Now with turning down the Vikings trade, I was not that high on Ogletree and really liked the idea of Warford on the Rams line. But I figured they could get him in round 2. And even if the Rams liked Ogletree I felt that they could get him with the first pick attained by Minnesota. On that one Fisher apparently really wanted Ogletree and didn't want to fool around. So that was Fisher still ouching from the Wagner deal IMO. I am still ouching from the passing of the trade that could have brought the Rams a good Guard and possibly a Center. (Its early and cannot recall off the top of my head what his name was).

 

[Memphis Ram]

Though I preferred Mychal Kendricks over Bobby Wagner, that was my reaction on that draft day and it hasn't changed.

Oh well. I still believe that Isaiah Pead could be a pretty effective 3rd down back. But, I guess he'll have to go elsewhere to do it now.

 

[Memphis Ram]

Oh well. You win some and you lose some. If the rumor mill is correct, the Rams could be dealing with the issues of Trent Richardson (on the field), Justin Blackmon (off the field), or even Clowney (injury).

 

[DaveFan'51]

Great example why trading back for additional selections is not always a good thing.

I don't believe "Looking back" at what could have been, ever does any good, other than the fact it teaches you to be just a little more cautious next time around!

 

[BonifayRam]

I don't believe "Looking back" at what could have been, ever does any good, other than the fact it teaches you to be just a little more cautious next time around!

I am a true believer in my life anyway ....professionally & personally that I have learned from looking back on my history & others history mistakes & using them as solid information tools to make better ones in the future...it certainly has served me very well & good.

 

[Boffo97]

Nobody really knows how good any of them will be but many of us are darn certain in our own minds about who we think will become good and who we don't think. I really liked Wagner and he was the guy I wanted with pick 2 if things played out like they did. I was upset by the trade and saying, now they wont get Wagner, before it came out later that Fisher really wanted him. I don't like when the Rams play games in the draft. For instance Snead didn't know who he would pick with that 5th rounder that he coveted. Why covet a pick until you know your options. But the coach who actually teaches the players coveted Wagner. So you don't fool around.

Now with turning down the Vikings trade, I was not that high on Ogletree and really liked the idea of Warford on the Rams line. But I figured they could get him in round 2. And even if the Rams liked Ogletree I felt that they could get him with the first pick attained by Minnesota. On that one Fisher apparently really wanted Ogletree and didn't want to fool around. So that was Fisher still ouching from the Wagner deal IMO. I am still ouching from the passing of the trade that could have brought the Rams a good Guard and possibly a Center. (Its early and cannot recall off the top of my head what his name was).

The one problem though... a lot of us tend to remember that guy we wanted and the Rams didn't get that turns out to be good... few of us tend to remember that guy we wanted and the Rams didn't get that turns out to be bad...

 

[ZigZagRam]

Honestly, missing on Wagner wasn't the freak up. There was a far better LB still available at that pick and that's the guy we should have drafted...Lavonte David.

Bah, I misremembered. You're 100% correct.

Can you imagine David and Ogletree on the outside? Sheesh.

 

[ZigZagRam]

The one problem though... a lot of us tend to remember that guy we wanted and the Rams didn't get that turns out to be good... few of us tend to remember that guy we wanted and the Rams didn't get that turns out to be bad...

First rounders I wanted:

2004: Steven Jackson - Couldn't believe he fell to us. Ecstatic when we picked him. A good, solid pro.
2005: Jammal Brown - I didn't think Barron would fall to us but I was happy when he did after Brown was taken. Neither player had a good career for different reasons. ZigZag BUST!
2006: Haloti Ngata - He's been a monster for a long time but didn't fall.
2007: Patrick Willis - Didn't fall. Career All-Pro. Didn't like the Carriker pick.
2008: Chris Long - Good solid player.
2009: Eugene Monroe - Good solid OT for years. Jason Smith worried me but I talked myself into liking the pick.
2010: Sam Bradford - Jury is still out but this might've been another ZigZag BUST! Hope he turns things around!
2011: Corey Liuget - To be fair, I couldn't in my wildest dreams have imagined Robert Quinn falling here. Liuget has been a very good player though, but certainly not on Quinn's level.
2012: Justin Blackmon - He still has a chance to change things, and he's been a stud when on the field, but for now you've gotta consider this a Zig Zag BUST!
2013: Tavon Austin/Alec Ogletree - I actually nailed these two in the last mock I did for the 2013 draft on my previous Rams forum home. The jury is still out on these two but right now it's looking like Ogletree is a good pick while Tavon might just end up being a ZigZag BUST! here.
2014: Greg Robinson/Mike Evans - By the time the draft rolled around Evans was a pipe dream, but I thought there was no chance we'd get Aaron Donald that high. Both Robinson and Evans have looked solid. It would've been hard to miss in that draft class.

Not a bad record I'd say. But let's take a look at Round 2:

2004: No pick.
2005: Can't remember.
2006: Joe Klopfenstein - Loved this pick. Big ZigZag BUST!
2007: Steve Smith - The Brian Leonard pick was one of my least favorite picks of all time but Steve Smith wasn't much better. ZigZag BUST!
2008: Devin Thomas - Hated the Donnie Avery pick. But it wasn't Desean Jackson who I coveted, it was Devin Thomas, who actually had less of a career than Donnie Avery. ZigZag BUST!
2009: Rey Maualuaga - I liked Laurinaits, but I liked Maualuaga more. Laurinaitis was the better pick here.
2010: Rodger Saffold - Really liked Saffold and liked the pick. I'd say he's been a solid 2nd rounder.
2011: Ras-I Dowling - Dowling didn't fall, but even if he did... ZigZag BUST!
2012: Cordy Glenn/Alshon Jeffery/Janoris Jenkins - It sure would be nice to have these three.
2013: No pick.
2014: Kyle Van Noy - Jury's still out here. Loved the Joyner pick after Van Noy was gone.

Some other early-round busts I've really liked over the years: Mark Ingram (probably won't be considered a bust in a few years), Mikel Leshoure, Jimmy Smith, Arrelious Benn, Hakeem Nicks, Limas Sweed, Rocky McIntosh, Josh Bullocks, Marlin Jackson, Brodney Pool, Boss Bailey.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

The one problem though... a lot of us tend to remember that guy we wanted and the Rams didn't get that turns out to be good... few of us tend to remember that guy we wanted and the Rams didn't get that turns out to be bad...

I think we all remember, but it is just that many don't like to admit who they missed on. What is more common are the misses that we didn't think would be good but turned out well. I wanted the Rams to draft Sanchez and I didn't think Aaron Donald would be as good against NFL offensive lines. Thought Tavon was too small and not polished enough(jury is still out). I am never afraid to admit when I miss, but I don't miss all that often.....and besides being wrong about a guy like Donald is a good thing.

I really don't think it is that difficult to hit on top talent though, considering all of the information out there and looking back at past drafts. There are many simple rules that can be learned that make hitting on most of your personal choices a bit easier.

 

[jrry32]

The one problem though... a lot of us tend to remember that guy we wanted and the Rams didn't get that turns out to be good... few of us tend to remember that guy we wanted and the Rams didn't get that turns out to be bad...

I remember. Have no issues at all admitting when I'm wrong. You learn from your mistakes so you don't make the same one again. Can't do that if you push them out of your mind.