Draft: Reading Between the Lines

[StealYoGurley]

The Only question that I heard about Lamp, was whether he could last at tackle because of his size...This was why he was more projected as an interior lineman. Even so, he was described by many as the best Olineman in the draft. Let's face it...we will NEVER have a dominant Oline thinking we can just continue to "make do" and "coach up". I have been buying the whole "coach up" garbage until about two season's ago. A guy is, what he is. And no, just because we expended draft capital two years ago (or the last couple of years), doesn't mean that you ignore the problem, because that's what "coaching up" means to me now. Just because you paid a roofer big dollars to fix a roof and it still leaks...You don't fold your hands while water drips on your head, enjoying that 60 inch Flat Screen TV you just bought, instead of fixing the roof.

*steps off soap box:giveup:

might not need as much coaching up as you think.

LT -Whitworth: proven LT as polished as they come
LG- Saffold: Very polished solid OG when healthy. His backup Brown alot of Talent Kroemer type of guy.
C- Sullivan: experienced polished long term starter know the system. Mcvay and Kroemer have been very successful converting OL to centers
RG- Havenstein- very smart OL and polished with size to play the position.
RT- G-rob- definitely needs coaching up no arguments there. However wouldn't be surprised if a more polished guy like Donnal or Havenstein started there.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

@Merlin you expressed my thoughts on Tavon well. I briefly posted about him not being around after this season once they drafted Reynolds. Totally agree with you.

I absolutely love the emphasis on hardworking football players instead of focusing mainly on freak athleticism.

This draft was weak on OLine. Maybe they will try to get one late or in UDFA. It isn't like they ignored in preference to luxury picks.

This is the first Rams draft that I love too to bottom, since I started following it in the 80's. My excitement and expectations for this team has jumped back to wear it was 15 years ago.

 

[Loyal]

might not need as much coaching up as you think.

LT -Whitworth: proven LT as polished as they come No Argument
LG- Saffold: Very polished solid OG when healthy. His backup Brown (injury risk?)alot of Talent Kroemer type of guy.
C- Sullivan: experienced polished long term starter know the system. Mcvay and Kroemer have been very successful converting OL to centers (coaching up candidate, who is a little old)
RG- Havenstein- very smart OL and polished with size to play the position. (RT to Guard, coaching up)
RT- G-rob- definitely needs coaching up (BUST) no arguments there. However wouldn't be surprised if a more polished guy like Donnal or Havenstein started there.

Look, it is what it is. They decided they could get by with a group that was mostly beaten like a rented mule last year....Whitworth was the best move by far to me, draft or FA. Sullivan is better than an UDFA "coach up" candidate, I think....This group will test for me whether coaching matters at all. I hope this Kroemer guy doesn't blow as an OLine Coach. I just hope this Oline doesn't ruin Gurley and Goff.

 

[StealYoGurley]

Look, it is what it is. They decided they could get by with a group that was mostly beaten like a rented mule last year....Whitworth was the best move by far to me, draft or FA. Sullivan is better than an UDFA "coach up" candidate, I think....This group will test for me whether coaching matters at all. I hope this Kroemer guy doesn't blow as an OLine Coach. I just hope this Oline doesn't ruin Gurley and Goff.

Completely different group to last year. Saffold is the only guy in the same spot and also the guy who played the best in last years group even though that isn't saying much.

 

[GabesHorn]

I'm from Missouri on this one, Merlin. Four different coaching regimes have spewed the coaching up mantra. Martz drover Vermeil's corvette into the ground, because of the draft mistakes and overeaches...Linehan, Spag, and Fisher said they could coach up different position groups...nothing...So right now, it makes me wonder how much coaching matters? I think a player has an amount of ability that doesn't change, and he is what he is no matter what a coach does. Maybe certain techniques can be taught or improved, but the proverbial sow's ear, can't be transformed into silk cloth.

My very first post since watching every second of this draft. I've NEVER in 55+ years seen and felt so torn about so many issues as I was in love with the Lamp pick and then figured that McVay saw he could'nt run HIS offense with what we had already and brought in some solid excitement and I believed in Coach Beaudreau for too long with no results. Kromer is not one to be a pacifist if he felt he could'nt protect Goff. No way did he think we did'nt have some 3rd year guys who could learn center as soon as Lamp picked it up. I refuse to believe he was Freddricks like the Cowboys plugged in and never looked back.

I hear that New York is blowing up over Evan Engram and we got Engram lite. They hate their TE pick when most Rams wanted Engram or Lamp as a consensus on all the Rams boards I lurk at. One Rams board that many here post at went totally off the rails and turned too negative to even read. They need meds for free over there. So glad this awesome board seems to have a way to let this coach get a chance to coach first. New England coaches up so many last round picks and they become stars and leave and mostly dissapear. Although I'm glad we have Easley as I think they missed one guy. All draft picks have places to improve. Even the top 20.

Our TE needs route help along with real NFL Blocking skills. He'll probably have his play sets till he gets more polish but you have to love his mismatch style and tackle breaking. This TE is everything but stiff as so many TE's we've seen come from the draft. Goff needed more weapons obviously. DONE! That box is checked. Lamp and Godwin would not have had the same punch. If it does'nt work out I want Snead to be gone. Sad to say I've seen enough if this does'nt pan out. He gets a gold watch for AD and thats it. I won't list the uncoached up misses we all loved till they were gone. This draft seems to have sent some over the edge. Gladly not at ROD. Time for teaching till we finally get some explosiveness on offense. Something we have'nt seen in forever as Rams offensively since GSOT. I'm gonna stay positive and live longer. GO RAMS.

If your a reciever and a L.A. Ram. You'll be staying after practice (Tavon Austin ) if not now then when. Juggs machine may overheat. Pre-season should be very interesting.

 

[ReddingRam]

If Wichmann can't convert to center, he's gone imo. Rhaney has shown nothing. Rams should draft a center soon imo.

Don't sleep on Jamon Brown either ... I think he might be able to play some C. We will have to see how this all shakes out.

 

[Merlin]

Kromer is not one to be a pacifist if he felt he could'nt protect Goff. No way did he think we did'nt have some 3rd year guys who could learn center as soon as Lamp picked it up. I refuse to believe he was Freddricks like the Cowboys plugged in and never looked back.

This reminds me... I expect them to run a primarily power run scheme. The ZBS elements won't loom large like they did with the last regime, and personally I think there was too much tinkering in all that wrt the run game under Fish. If you look at the guys they had last year--Saffold, Brown, GRob, Havenstein--those are all big boys who probably fit better with what we'll be doing under Kromer/McVay.

Bottom line is this team isn't going to win if they are relying only on the draft picks and FA additions, these holdovers need to step it up.

 

[LARAMSinFeb.]

I would like them to take a late round OC as well, but Kromer took an unexceptional OG in Groy and made him into such a good OC that it put many in here on suicide watch when we didn't offer him quality starter money, so I'm hopeful he can do the same with Wichman or Brown. Without needing to make protection calls, it's much easier for OG converts in Kromer's system.

This, and it's not just coaching up individuals. The OL coach gets the unit ready to run specific plays, function as a unit, etc. The Redskins improved after they stole coach Callahan from the Cowboys--he seemed to improve the unit's ability to create pockets just long enough for Cousins' quick releases. They still weren't powerful enough to run block, though. (They also picked Sherff no. 5 overall which helped of course.)

 

[jrry32]

This reminds me... I expect them to run a primarily power run scheme. The ZBS elements won't loom large like they did with the last regime, and personally I think there was too much tinkering in all that wrt the run game under Fish. If you look at the guys they had last year--Saffold, Brown, GRob, Havenstein--those are all big boys who probably fit better with what we'll be doing under Kromer/McVay.

Bottom line is this team isn't going to win if they are relying only on the draft picks and FA additions, these holdovers need to step it up.

Kromer runs an inside-zone scheme. It's basically a hybrid scheme, but it'll resemble power more than zone. The outside-zone scheme is what the Shanahans are known for running and what we mainly ran last year.

It'll simplify things for both Gurley and our OLs, but it still will give Gurley some options if he wants to be creative.

 

[CGI_Ram]

Nobody feared our offense last year. Nobody. Opposing teams could key on whatever they wanted, without fear.

As a result; everyone looked incompetent. The QB. The RB. The TE's. The oline.

I see good pieces on the oline, just as I do Goff, Gurley, etc. Change the offense, as we've done, and the appearance of where our weaknesses are will likely shift.

 

[DaveFan'51]

Nobody feared our offense last year. Nobody. Opposing teams could key on whatever they wanted, without fear.

As a result; everyone looked incompetent. The QB. The RB. The TE's. The oline.

I see good pieces on the oline, just as I do Goff, Gurley, etc. Change the offense, as we've done, and the appearance of where our weaknesses are will likely shift.

I think our first two regular Season games will tell us a lot. I think we will be "Unpredictable" which will give us the edge! Then we just have to maintain that unpredictability!!:heh::snicker::shades: