Gotta feed the O in this draft, fellas...

[Rams43]

I know that this is a draft loaded with D talent. But our D is in pretty decent shape.

Meanwhile, our O was the worst in the league last year.

I understand the BPA concept just fine. But if there's just a hair's difference between a given O and D player prospect, then they've gotta take the O player, don't they?

I mean, we've simply gotta come out of this draft with a QB, WR (at least one), and pass catching TE. We can fill those 3 positions this year even if we trade up for a QB like Goff.

LB and CB should be a distant 4th on the needs list.

And I think that players of good value will be there at our picks through the 3rd round, at least.

Let's don't overthink this. Feed the O this year.

 

[Akrasian]

Yeah! They haven't fed the O since last year, after all.

I expect they will focus on getting some offensive help - but they will also draft to keep the defense top notch.

 

[Rams43]

I said in my OP that "if there was but a hair's worth of difference", flv.

All things being equal, we simply must come out of Day Two with a QB, WR, and pass catching TE (note the emphasis on pass catching?).

The exact order isn't important, especially if the top 3 QB's are gone.

BTW, the above is doable even with a blockbuster trade up for Goff at #6, although the names of the WR and TE would probably change.

If we fail to fill these 3 huge holes on O while we add D players to an already strong D, I would have to call that criminal negligence on the part of S&F. And I think we all know who pulls the strings and has final say on draft matters.

And FWIW, I do think that a "pass catching" TE IS a helluva lot bigger need than a FS or a C. Not even close.

 

[12intheBox]

It's the QB

 

[Ram Man]

If the Rams trade up for Goff/Wentz they will not have enough high draft picks to provide meaningful help next year at both WR and TE. A trade up would likely mean giving up their 1st round pick, a 2nd and their 3rd; maybe have to give up even more. The reality is that getting Goff/Wentz would make it difficult to fill the Rams numerous other needs via the draft.

 

[12intheBox]

If the Rams trade up for Goff/Wentz they will not have enough high draft picks to provide meaningful help next year at both WR and TE. A trade up would likely mean giving up their 1st round pick, a 2nd and their 3rd; maybe have to give up even more. The reality is that getting Goff/Wentz would make it difficult to fill the Rams numerous other needs via the draft.

True - although one might argue that an upgrade at QB is going to make our current WRs and TEs better anyway.

And on the same side of that coin, upgrading WR and TE without upgrading the QB isn't going to net us anything anyway.

 

[OldSchool]

With the defensive talent in this draft it's easy to see offensive talent slipping to us as we need it.

 

[Rams43]

I think that you're jumping to conclusions about what you think I said or mean, rather than what I actually said and mean, flv.

Several things...

'Only" 4 picks in the first 76? That's a tremendous opportunity to get 4 starters, man.

I'm not locked into any single QB. WR, or TE. Lynch at 15 or Cook a bit later would be okay. If we do trade up to #6 for Goff, it would probably cost our 1st, our 2A, and a pick in "17 (maybe a 1st, or maybe a 2nd then). That would still leave us this year with our 2B, 3rd, and 4th for WR and TE.

There are several WR's and TE's rated in those ranges that could be huge upgrades for us. Apparently, Snead feels the same since he's been attending pro days and doing interviews with many.

To summarize, our WR doesn't have to be a Treadwell, Doctson, or Coleman to be a hit. For example, I would be thrilled with a Sterling Shepard. Same thing with TE. Doesn't have to be a Henry. There are reportedly others well into the 4th round that will be good football players and hardly reaches at their picks.

We can get the players needed at these positions without reaching. They will be sitting there for us if Fisher can just bring himself to take them.

Again, if we get a QB, WR, and a pass catching TE, this draft will be a success. All else would be gravy. If we don't, it will be a fail.

 

[DR RAM]

But seriously, yes we do, and as others have said, we can't trade the whole draft for one guy.

 

[Rams43]

Goff at #6 (trade up) would be good value, wouldn't he?
Lynch at #15?
Cook in a trade down?
Shepard at #43 or #45?
Several TE's represent good value in the 3rd or 4th round.

Fisher has been giving too many value ties to the D. He needs to give some value ties to the O, now.

Not that hard to both stick to your board AND get the needed new O players.

 

[Akrasian]

While I think we all want to pump up the offense - it's just not true that Snisher have paid no or even little attention to it. They have signed more expensive free agents for offense than defense - just not done a good job at it. They traded up for TA in the first. They spent the #2 pick on the line two years ago. They drafted Gurley and a bunch of OL in the draft last year. So 3 of the 4 drafts Snisher have done have had an offensive player as their first pick. Heck, even in year 1 they wanted a WR - only when he was gone did they trade down and take their second choice Brockers.

If the results aren't as great as we'd like, while drafting BPA (a defender) with their 2nd first rounder in two seasons worked out very well, and in fact all the first rounders they didn't try to force have worked out very well - maybe that says that Snisher should focus on the best talent. And saying that they should focus on the best player unless there is a hair difference is meaningless - BPA is the best player for the team, not some hypothetical best player regardless of team, and is going to take playing time available into account among other things.

 

[Rams43]

While I think we all want to pump up the offense - it's just not true that Snisher have paid no or even little attention to it. They have signed more expensive free agents for offense than defense - just not done a good job at it. They traded up for TA in the first. They spent the #2 pick on the line two years ago. They drafted Gurley and a bunch of OL in the draft last year. So 3 of the 4 drafts Snisher have done have had an offensive player as their first pick. Heck, even in year 1 they wanted a WR - only when he was gone did they trade down and take their second choice Brockers.

If the results aren't as great as we'd like, while drafting BPA (a defender) with their 2nd first rounder in two seasons worked out very well, and in fact all the first rounders they didn't try to force have worked out very well - maybe that says that Snisher should focus on the best talent. And saying that they should focus on the best player unless there is a hair difference is meaningless - BPA is the best player for the team, not some hypothetical best player regardless of team, and is going to take playing time available into account among other things.

Two things, Akrasian.

First, what they've done in the past is just that. The past. The O clearly isn't finished, as evidenced by our 32nd O rating last year.

Second, all I'm suggesting is that if all things are equal, the tie goes to the O player at QB, WR, and TE.

If we go into '16 with Keenum, Foles, and Mannion at QB, I think I will scream.

Same thing with only Britt, Austin, Quick, and Marquez at WR.

Ditto with Kendricks, Harkey, and Cunningham at TE.

Those 3 units are not playoff level competitive. They just aren't.

They need to spend 3 picks on O if they intend to compete in our division and if they expect their fans to get excited.

 

[Akrasian]

Two things, Akrasian.

First, what they've done in the past is just that. The past. The O clearly isn't finished, as evidenced by our 32nd O rating last year.

Second, all I'm suggesting is that if all things are equal, the tie goes to the O player at QB, WR, and TE.

If we go into '16 with Keenum, Foles, and Mannion at QB, I think I will scream.

Same thing with only Britt, Austin, Quick, and Marquez at WR.

Ditto with Kendricks, Harkey, and Cunningham at TE.

Those 3 units are not playoff level competitive. They just aren't.

They need to spend 3 picks on O if they intend to compete in our division and if they expect their fans to get excited.

I don't give a damn about making their fans excited short term. I want them to build a championship team. And yes, that will require a decent offense. However, this is not a great year for adding to the offense in the draft. If they end up finding gems - fantastic. I do NOT want them to feel obligated to have an arbitrary number of draft picks going to the offense, though. They may or may not love Mannion, for instance, which would radically change the equation. Mannion barely played last year, looked okay in the one game he did play - him being buried on the depth chart his rookie season means diddley though with Fisher. As a developmental QB - he would have been buried if Fisher loved his play, or felt he was a mistake. We just don't know.

If they can for reasonable value upgrade at QB - I want them to do it. If they can get a decent WR, I'm all for it - but there aren't that many. However, a talented CB would also make sense. And later round picks should go to players who are talented enough to contribute going forward, not to arbitrary positions. And we all know that Fisher is much better at finding late round defensive players than offense.

If they gave up half the draft to get a QB, signed a decent aging #2 WR with their remaining cap room and then used the rest of their draft for quality players regardless of position - I would be beyond ecstatic. If they got a decent offensive player, filled all the defensive holes, and said they were counting on Mannion to take a step forward, I would be okay with that, though not ecstatic.

 

[Mojo Ram]

If they gave up half the draft to get a QB, signed a decent aging #2 WR with their remaining cap room and then used the rest of their draft for quality players regardless of position - I would be beyond ecstatic

 

[Rams43]

I don't give a damn about making their fans excited short term. I want them to build a championship team. And yes, that will require a decent offense. However, this is not a great year for adding to the offense in the draft. If they end up finding gems - fantastic. I do NOT want them to feel obligated to have an arbitrary number of draft picks going to the offense, though. They may or may not love Mannion, for instance, which would radically change the equation. Mannion barely played last year, looked okay in the one game he did play - him being buried on the depth chart his rookie season means diddley though with Fisher. As a developmental QB - he would have been buried if Fisher loved his play, or felt he was a mistake. We just don't know.

If they can for reasonable value upgrade at QB - I want them to do it. If they can get a decent WR, I'm all for it - but there aren't that many. However, a talented CB would also make sense. And later round picks should go to players who are talented enough to contribute going forward, not to arbitrary positions. And we all know that Fisher is much better at finding late round defensive players than offense.

If they gave up half the draft to get a QB, signed a decent aging #2 WR with their remaining cap room and then used the rest of their draft for quality players regardless of position - I would be beyond ecstatic. If they got a decent offensive player, filled all the defensive holes, and said they were counting on Mannion to take a step forward, I would be okay with that, though not ecstatic.

Sounds like you're willing to give up half the draft for a QB, Akrasian. So maybe we're not that far apart, after all. Lol.

Actually, I don't favor trading up higher than #6, myself.

There are decent WR's that could help us tremendously that will be sitting there in rounds 2-3.

A TE upgrade as late as round 4.

FWIW, we actually both favor taking quality players. I don't know why you think I don't. But there will be quality players that are QB, WR, and pass catching TE's. Quite a few of them, actually. So why not pick some to address that sucking chest wound that we call a passing O?

Honestly, any draft that doesn't address our needs at QB, WR, and TE is an epic fail. Especially since quality players will be there at those positions at each of our picks through Day Two.

I mean, I'm scratching my head trying to figure out how that's even debatable.

 

[Akrasian]

There will almost certainly be higher quality defensive players available than WRs or TEs, for instance. And frankly, Fisher especially is better at finding the defensive gems than offensive gems later. No coach or GM is equally good at everything, just doesn't happen.

They need a QB, and it would settle things down to get one. That's why I'd be willing for the Rams to trade additional picks for one. Doesn't need to be a star, but has to end up being a decent NFL starter. But with this draft, I'd rather they go for a non-star receiver in free agency. Boldin still hasn't signed, and wants to go to a contender, but his options are disappearing, and if he has anything left in his tank, he's the sort I'd want the Rams to sign. And meanwhile, I trust Fisher to find an impact CB in this draft even after the first. I trust Snisher to find a quality backup for Brockers later. And that is going to be more helpful to the Rams than the receivers they are likely to be able to draft after the first round, given their history and the lack of impact receivers in this draft.

Basically, the Rams should keep the defensive pipeline coming, since they're good at that, and use mid-level free agency to fill offensive skill positions except QB.

 

[fearsomefour]

Round 1....CB
Round 2A....DT
Round 2B....LB/S/DE hybrid
Rest of picks traded to NE for Chris Long.