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Five to watch for Rams at Senior Bowl
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/15578/five-to-watch-for-rams-at-the-senior-bowl
EARTH CITY, Mo. -- It's no secret the St. Louis Rams need to bolster their offensive line and find an intriguing young quarterback prospect in this offseason, and the NFL draft is clearly one avenue to accomplish both.
There are other needs, but those aren't as pressing. This week's Senior Bowl, the place where the Rams have found many of their prominent young players in recent years, provides a good chance to get an up close look at some of this year's class.
Here are five players to keep an eye on this week in Mobile, Alabama. Practices run Tuesday through Thursday with the game at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday at Ladd-Peebles Stadium on NFL Network.
OT T.J. Clemmings, Pittsburgh: ESPN NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. recently mocked Clemmings to the Rams with the No. 10 overall pick. He measured in at 6-foot-4, 307 pounds and is widely regarded as one of the most powerful prospects in the draft. Clemmings is a converted defensive end and has only two years of experience playing on the offensive line, which makes him more about potential than polish at this point. The Rams might need a tackle if Joe Barksdale departs in free agency, and they'll definitely need a guard either way. Clemmings will get a chance this week to show he can hold up against top competition. Keep an eye on reports of how he fares in pass-rush drills, if he's far away from consistency there, it could make him less appealing to pair with Greg Robinson, who is also still a work in progress.
OL La'el Collins, LSU: Given the potential for uncertainty with Barksdale and elsewhere on the line, Collins might make an ideal fit for the Rams because he already has proven he can play guard and tackle with equal aplomb. Collins was a three-year starter for the Tigers with one of those years at left guard and the past two as a left tackle. Collins measured in similar to Clemmings at 6-4, 308. He's more polished, and his versatility could make him an interesting option for the Rams in the early rounds.
QB Sean Mannion, Oregon State: Really, all six of the quarterbacks here are worth watching since none in this year's class stands out beyond the top two of Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston. But we'll go with Mannion here for the purposes of this exercise because he might be the most pro-ready of those in Mobile. Mannion holds almost every major passing record in Oregon State history and measured in at 6-5, 229 pounds, which makes him the prototype in terms of size. If Mannion can show the ability to fit in an NFL offense in Mobile, it certainly could boost his stock as he and the others battle to try to become the third-best quarterback prospect in the class.
OG Tre Jackson, Florida State: A true mauler on the inside, Jackson is listed at 6-4, 330 pounds. He isn't likely to be a first-round pick but early projections view him as a later-round guy. He could be a great fit for the Rams in there if he continues to show well in Mobile. Jackson was a three-year starter at right guard and earned consensus All American honors for the Seminoles as a senior.
C Reese Dismukes, Auburn: Although he's not considered the best center prospect in the draft, Dismukes was the best center in college last year when he won the Rimington Trophy awarded to the best center and was a first-team All American at the position. The Rams would probably be better served to find a free agent option for the middle if possible since they have young options such as Tim Barnes, Barrett Jones and Demetrius Rhaney in place. But center is a need and we can never count out the Rams' affinity for former Tigers.
There are, of course, plenty of others to watch, and the Rams aren't going to completely ignore defense. Rams fans, who are some players you'll be paying closer attention to this week?
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/15578/five-to-watch-for-rams-at-the-senior-bowl
EARTH CITY, Mo. -- It's no secret the St. Louis Rams need to bolster their offensive line and find an intriguing young quarterback prospect in this offseason, and the NFL draft is clearly one avenue to accomplish both.
There are other needs, but those aren't as pressing. This week's Senior Bowl, the place where the Rams have found many of their prominent young players in recent years, provides a good chance to get an up close look at some of this year's class.
Here are five players to keep an eye on this week in Mobile, Alabama. Practices run Tuesday through Thursday with the game at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday at Ladd-Peebles Stadium on NFL Network.
OT T.J. Clemmings, Pittsburgh: ESPN NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. recently mocked Clemmings to the Rams with the No. 10 overall pick. He measured in at 6-foot-4, 307 pounds and is widely regarded as one of the most powerful prospects in the draft. Clemmings is a converted defensive end and has only two years of experience playing on the offensive line, which makes him more about potential than polish at this point. The Rams might need a tackle if Joe Barksdale departs in free agency, and they'll definitely need a guard either way. Clemmings will get a chance this week to show he can hold up against top competition. Keep an eye on reports of how he fares in pass-rush drills, if he's far away from consistency there, it could make him less appealing to pair with Greg Robinson, who is also still a work in progress.
OL La'el Collins, LSU: Given the potential for uncertainty with Barksdale and elsewhere on the line, Collins might make an ideal fit for the Rams because he already has proven he can play guard and tackle with equal aplomb. Collins was a three-year starter for the Tigers with one of those years at left guard and the past two as a left tackle. Collins measured in similar to Clemmings at 6-4, 308. He's more polished, and his versatility could make him an interesting option for the Rams in the early rounds.
QB Sean Mannion, Oregon State: Really, all six of the quarterbacks here are worth watching since none in this year's class stands out beyond the top two of Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston. But we'll go with Mannion here for the purposes of this exercise because he might be the most pro-ready of those in Mobile. Mannion holds almost every major passing record in Oregon State history and measured in at 6-5, 229 pounds, which makes him the prototype in terms of size. If Mannion can show the ability to fit in an NFL offense in Mobile, it certainly could boost his stock as he and the others battle to try to become the third-best quarterback prospect in the class.
OG Tre Jackson, Florida State: A true mauler on the inside, Jackson is listed at 6-4, 330 pounds. He isn't likely to be a first-round pick but early projections view him as a later-round guy. He could be a great fit for the Rams in there if he continues to show well in Mobile. Jackson was a three-year starter at right guard and earned consensus All American honors for the Seminoles as a senior.
C Reese Dismukes, Auburn: Although he's not considered the best center prospect in the draft, Dismukes was the best center in college last year when he won the Rimington Trophy awarded to the best center and was a first-team All American at the position. The Rams would probably be better served to find a free agent option for the middle if possible since they have young options such as Tim Barnes, Barrett Jones and Demetrius Rhaney in place. But center is a need and we can never count out the Rams' affinity for former Tigers.
There are, of course, plenty of others to watch, and the Rams aren't going to completely ignore defense. Rams fans, who are some players you'll be paying closer attention to this week?