Have The Rams Indicated Interest In A 1st Round Ot?

[Boffo97]

Just out of curiosity and hopefully not bringing the endless-for-the-next-three-months debate into ANOTHER thread, have Snead or Fisher or Demoff said anything indicating they were considering an OT with their first pick, other than simple due diligence?

 

[jjab360]

Snead said Fisher has no "philosophy" against taking offensive linemen high in the draft despite never drafting a first-round pick on the offensive line. Snead said the two have "laughed" about it.

 

[Tron]

Just out of curiosity and hopefully not bringing the endless-for-the-next-three-months debate into ANOTHER thread, have Snead or Fisher or Demoff said anything indicating they were considering an OT with their first pick, other than simple due diligence?

Well, from a Snead interview a few weeks ago, he basically said they were drafting no one because they had no needs lol.

 

[jap]

Just out of curiosity and hopefully not bringing the endless-for-the-next-three-months debate into ANOTHER thread, have Snead or Fisher or Demoff said anything indicating they were considering an OT with their first pick, other than simple due diligence?

Snead and The Fisher King are veteran personnel guys who will never say squat about who they are taking until their draft card is announced by Goodell. Demoff will confine himself to general statements and stay away from specific personnel questions until Snisher makes their moves.

 

[jjab360]

Nick Wagoner article on Greg Robinson

“I have no reservation whatsoever,” Fisher said. “The only position I would not draft would be a punter or a kicker in the first round.”

As Fisher and general manager Les Snead readily point out, sometimes the stars have to align just right for something to come together in the draft.

"Jeff and I have laughed about that,” Snead said. “He doesn’t have a core philosophy that no (I won’t take one). It’s just over the years, how it evolved.”

 

[jjab360]

That's all they're gonna give up, tbh. They've also been pretty lukewarm about having to add another receiver, don't think that's a smokescreen.

 

[Boffo97]

So, so far, nothing specifically saying they're seeing it as a need, just that they deny Fisher has a no-early-linemen policy.

And Jap makes a great point. They're going to play things close to their vests.

And, to be fair, I've seen nothing indicating they consider #1 WR a need either.

 

[A55VA6]

Yesterday Fisher said that pretty much all positions are options in the 1st round.. just no kickers, punters, or snappers lol.. please don't read too far into his joke though. QB won't be drafted 1st round lol

 

[jap]

Yesterday Fisher said that pretty much all positions are options in the 1st round.. just no kickers, punters, or snappers lol.. please don't read too far into his joke though. QB won't be drafted 1st round lol

In long snapper, Jake MacQuaide, kicker, Greg the Leg, and Pro Bowler punter, Johnny Hekker, the Rams arguably have the best special teams battery in the entire league.

 

[Boffo97]

Yesterday Fisher said that pretty much all positions are options in the 1st round.. just no kickers, punters, or snappers lol.. please don't read too far into his joke though. QB won't be drafted 1st round lol

And as I pointed out, we probably won't see any early 1st round centers any time soon.

Fullbacks would be a huge long shot.

 

[Tron]

And as I pointed out, we probably won't see any early 1st round centers any time soon.

Fullbacks would be a huge long shot.

I'd add running back to that list as well, not because we wouldn't use better depth, but because unless they are Peterson like, not likely to be drafted in the 1st.

 

[Boffo97]

I'd add running back to that list as well, not because we wouldn't use better depth, but because unless they are Peterson like, not likely to be drafted in the 1st.

I've noticed that trend too, which is somewhat weird to me. Certainly RB is very important to most clubs (which is why I hope there's no Stacy Sophomore Slump)

 

[Memphis Ram]

Something I put together last year.

When Should Fisher Have Used a 1st Rounder at OLine?
1995 - #3 overall selection. Took QB Steve McNair.

1996 - #14 overall selection. Took RB Eddie George.
Next lineman didn’t come off board until #21

1997 - #18 overall selection. Took DE Kenny Holmes.
Still had former 1st Rd LT Hopkins. Used 4th rounder on Runyan the previous draft.
Next interior lineman off the board went #30 overall (Ross Verba)

1998 - #16 overall selection. Took WR Kevin Dyson.
OTs set. Inherited former 1st Rd LG Matthews still playing at high level.
Next interior lineman didn’t come off board until #26 overall (Faneca)

1999 - #16 overall selection. Took DE Jevon Kearse.
Entire Oline Set with same OTs & LG and prior year draftee Olsen (who started 9 years for Fisher) at RG.

Had prior year drafted Kevin Long at C, but he was upgradable. And C Damien Woody selected immediately after Kearse. Pass rushers harder to find than centers.

2000 - #30 overall selection. Took LB Keith Bulluck.
UFA Fred Miller takes over for departed Jon Runyan. Titans going for it as rest of the Oline is still set.

2001 - Traded #29 overall selection to Rams for DE Kevin Carter.
Still going for championship with same starting Oline. BTW, next Olineman selected after the Ryan Pickett selection didn’t come off the board until the middle of second round.

2002 - #15 overall selection. Took DT Albert Haynesworth.
Matthews out. Replaced by journeyman backup at center. Remaining Oline starters still there. Stud DT harder to find than C. Besides, the first C drafted in this class went #43 overall (Bentley) which was one selection prior to the Titans 2nd round choice.

2003 - #28 overall selection. Took CB Andre Woolfolk.
Journeyman C out. Replaced by prior year late round choice. All other starters remain.
Next C selected after Woolfolk was Al Johnson at #38 overall who busted.

2004- 27th overall pick, but Titans traded out of 1st round.
Only change on Oline was rookie OG Jacob Bell replacing starting LG.
Could have stayed put and landed #34 overall selection OG Chris Snee, but we don’t know what grade they had on him or if they thought they could have got him at their newly acquired #40 selection.

2005 - #5 overall selection. Took CB Pac Man Jones
Only change to Oline was addition of high 2nd round (#41 overall) then RT Michael Roos.
Followed that up with a gold strike 4th rounder and current RT David Stewart. Though Pac Man didn't pan out, by draftnik standards, there was no other Olineman was deemed worthy of #5 overall selection (Alex Barron's draft class).

2006 - #3 overall selection. Took QB Vince Young.
The only lineman in that draft class worthy of that high a selection went immediately after Young in LT D’Brickashaw Ferguson. But, remember the Titans desperately needed a QB AND were already set at OT with Roos and Stewart. Note: Guards stayed the same. Prior to the draft, the team brought in UFA Kevin Mawae for center who played 4 years for Fisher.

2007 - #19 overall selection. Took S Michael Griffin.
Same set OLine from previous season.

2008 - #24 overall selection. Took RB Chris Johnson.
OTs set. Both guards gone. Bell to Rams. Olson’s career over. However, the next interior lineman didn’t come off the board that draft until #39 overall (Chico Richal who busted).

2009 - # 30 overall selection. Took WR Kenny Britt.
Oline set , though C Mawae near end. Next Center off the board after selection went almost 20 spots later at #49 overall (Unger).

2010 - #16 overall selection. Took DE Derrick Morgan.
Selected over #17 overall Mike Iupati and #18 overall Maurkice Pouncey. But again, pass rushers are harder to find than interior lineman. Couple that with the 2009 team finishing 28th in points allowed (offense #16 in points scored) and the team had just lost DE Kyle Vanden Bosch to free agency that offseason.

2012 - Rams trade down and select Michael Brockers whom was their highest rated player.

BTW, the next Olineman didn't come off the board until #23 overall (Rieff).

 

[Ram_of_Old]

Well, with Jake Long coming back from an injury, it may be something they are thinking about. But they are not going to give up their cards this early in the game. And I am thankful for that!

 

[jjab360]

Yesterday Fisher said that pretty much all positions are options in the 1st round.. just no kickers, punters, or snappers lol.. please don't read too far into his joke though. QB won't be drafted 1st round lol

They said they don't have a philosophy against drafting any position other than K or P in the first round, but they've made it pretty clear that QB isn't an option this year.

 

[Tron]

I've noticed that trend too, which is somewhat weird to me. Certainly RB is very important to most clubs (which is why I hope there's no Stacy Sophomore Slump)

Agree, thats why I want to draft another RB between the 3rd and 7th round to add to the rotation and help Stacy out. A big back is what we are truly missing. Jeremy Hill is my preference right now in the 3rd.

But I agree, RB is a very very important position, it is surprising that they aren't selected hardly in the first anymore. Hyde has a chance this year, but he is the only one IMO. Would love to have Hyde also, but don't want to spend a 2nd on a rb when we already have our starter.

 

[jjab360]

Agree, thats why I want to draft another RB between the 3rd and 7th round to add to the rotation and help Stacy out. A big back is what we are truly missing. Jeremy Hill is my preference right now in the 3rd.

But I agree, RB is a very very important position, it is surprising that they aren't selected hardly in the first anymore. Hyde has a chance this year, but he is the only one IMO. Would love to have Hyde also, but don't want to spend a 2nd on a rb when we already have our starter.

I just want a RB with good patience and vision. If they have speed, that's a bonus, if they have power, that's an even bigger bonus. However, the most important part to finding another Stacy type steal at RB are those first two factors, imo.

 

[Tron]

I just want a RB with good patience and vision. If they have speed, that's a bonus, if they have power, that's an even bigger bonus. However, the most important part to finding another Stacy type steal at RB are those first two factors, imo.

I like Hill because he has above average Balance. Maybe not as good as Stacy(though few have balance that good). Decent patience and vision. Above average I would say. Not the best, but combined with his power and balance, makes a real good combo for his size. I agree though that Patience and vision are huge factors.

 

[duckhunter]

I just want a RB with good patience and vision. If they have speed, that's a bonus, if they have power, that's an even bigger bonus. However, the most important part to finding another Stacy type steal at RB are those first two factors, imo.

No fumblers also.

 

[jjab360]

No fumblers also.

1)Vision
2)Patience
3)Quickness
4)Ball Security
5)Power
6)Speed

3-6 are all pretty close together, imo.