How Good Is Sammy Watkins?

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F. Mulder

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Even Fisher acknowledged that the offense has to be upgraded and based on the cap situation, some questionable previous signings, and the available players they will NOT go FA unless they go for someone like a mid-tier OL.

There is no question the OL has to, and will be addressed in some form. I think it will be a combination of existing Rams players (Jones, Long (when recovered) and Jones). I think Wells and Dahl are gone as is C Williams. I think they like Barnes as a decent backup and would prefer to have Barksdale as the #3 OT. Not sure what they do with S Smith and what will happen with Saffold. I think they draft one OL in the 1-2 rounds.

At QB they go all in with Bradford. He is literally playing for a place on this team in 2015 and a contract that pays him well. If he fails, or is hurt I can't see him signing for a lower contract nor the Rams wanting to invest more money and years in him (and I LIKE Bradford).

I think they are set at RB with the only position being if Pead grows up and gets it together or if they look for another mid/late round type. I think Richardson stays but returns to the role he should have been playing all along, which is COP/3rd down RB.

Where I am having trouble is with the WR position. I don't think they will even blink letting Pettis go and they obviously are in love with Austin. I think they were starting to see what they have in Bailey the last few games but the two wildcards are Givens and Quick. IF, they think Givens was suffering from a Sophomore slump then someone like M. Lee is probably out of the picture. IF they think Quick can step up in a huge way then they probably don't look at someone like Evans or Benjamin. I think they know that despite the emergence of Stacey and the flashes of Austin and Cook they have some potential playmakers on Offense but I also think they know they need one more. Now whether they think Givens bounces back or Quick steps up is the key question for me. Personally I'm not a big fan of Givens and would rather they go with someone like Watkins and keep Quick for one more year and have a much clearer idea on who he is after 2014.

Sorry for the ramble, I'm in Peru drinking Pisco Sour so I'm all over the place. My points are:

Bradford is playing for a contract and the Rams will know much better what they have after next year
OL must be addressed at some point early and some point again in the middle
RB is a lower priority
WR is the wildcard and putting another high pick for someone like Watkins would show they acknowledge they need one more playmaker AND Givens and/or Quick are still unproven

Defense is another post but I could easily see the first 3 picks being some combo of OL/WR/DB

FWIW, I'm on the Watkins bandwagon unless they cut ties with Quick/Givens and can get similar players like Lee, Evans, etc.

I feel the same about the OL. I think Mathews is most pro ready and most solid. IF they feel other OL have equal or more upside but aren't quite as ready as Mathews then I don't want to see them go OL until later in the first if possible.
 

Mojo Ram

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Good post Mulder and as usual we're on the same page.
It'll be a make or break year for both Bradford and B.Quick.

Ok so why are you in Peru?
Even Fisher acknowledged that the offense has to be upgraded and based on the cap situation, some questionable previous signings, and the available players they will NOT go FA unless they go for someone like a mid-tier OL.

There is no question the OL has to, and will be addressed in some form. I think it will be a combination of existing Rams players (Jones, Long (when recovered) and Jones). I think Wells and Dahl are gone as is C Williams. I think they like Barnes as a decent backup and would prefer to have Barksdale as the #3 OT. Not sure what they do with S Smith and what will happen with Saffold. I think they draft one OL in the 1-2 rounds.

At QB they go all in with Bradford. He is literally playing for a place on this team in 2015 and a contract that pays him well. If he fails, or is hurt I can't see him signing for a lower contract nor the Rams wanting to invest more money and years in him (and I LIKE Bradford).

I think they are set at RB with the only position being if Pead grows up and gets it together or if they look for another mid/late round type. I think Richardson stays but returns to the role he should have been playing all along, which is COP/3rd down RB.

Where I am having trouble is with the WR position. I don't think they will even blink letting Pettis go and they obviously are in love with Austin. I think they were starting to see what they have in Bailey the last few games but the two wildcards are Givens and Quick. IF, they think Givens was suffering from a Sophomore slump then someone like M. Lee is probably out of the picture. IF they think Quick can step up in a huge way then they probably don't look at someone like Evans or Benjamin. I think they know that despite the emergence of Stacey and the flashes of Austin and Cook they have some potential playmakers on Offense but I also think they know they need one more. Now whether they think Givens bounces back or Quick steps up is the key question for me. Personally I'm not a big fan of Givens and would rather they go with someone like Watkins and keep Quick for one more year and have a much clearer idea on who he is after 2014.

Sorry for the ramble, I'm in Peru drinking Pisco Sour so I'm all over the place. My points are:

Bradford is playing for a contract and the Rams will know much better what they have after next year
OL must be addressed at some point early and some point again in the middle
RB is a lower priority
WR is the wildcard and putting another high pick for someone like Watkins would show they acknowledge they need one more playmaker AND Givens and/or Quick are still unproven

Defense is another post but I could easily see the first 3 picks being some combo of OL/WR/DB

FWIW, I'm on the Watkins bandwagon unless they cut ties with Quick/Givens and can get similar players like Lee, Evans, etc.

I feel the same about the OL. I think Mathews is most pro ready and most solid. IF they feel other OL have equal or more upside but aren't quite as ready as Mathews then I don't want to see them go OL until later in the first if possible.
 

max

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Bradford is playing for a contract and the Rams will know much better what they have after next year
OL must be addressed at some point early and some point again in the middle
RB is a lower priority
WR is the wildcard and putting another high pick for someone like Watkins would show they acknowledge they need one more playmaker AND Givens and/or Quick are still unproven

Defense is another post but I could easily see the first 3 picks being some combo of OL/WR/DB

FWIW, I'm on the Watkins bandwagon unless they cut ties with Quick/Givens and can get similar players like Lee, Evans, etc.

I feel the same about the OL. I think Mathews is most pro ready and most solid. IF they feel other OL have equal or more upside but aren't quite as ready as Mathews then I don't want to see them go OL until later in the first if possible.

Agree with most of that.

It makes sense that if they go OL in the first round it will be Matthews and no one else. I don't think Fisher is into drafting an OT in the first round unless he can plug him in and not worry a bit. And I'm not even sure Fisher is willing to pull the lever on Matthews.

Thing is, they've got these 2 great first round picks. And we can pretty much narrow it down to a few guys/positions. WR, Matthews, DB. I don't see them going with Clowney, a DT, LB, RB, TE, or QB. Do you?

I'm intrigued with Dennard. I think he's the wild card in the first round.
 

blackbart

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Snead coveted Quick and Tavon, big time.

If he doesn't covet Watkins, something's wrong. I mean, if he coveted those 2, he should be frothing at the mouth over Watkins.
I think every GM in the league likes what this kid has to offer but there is a difference in building an organization that can be a perennial winner and building a fantasy football team.

Watkins is a good player he is not a once in a generation talent and there may be someone "like" him in every draft. Snead needs to build the whole team and infuse talent for the long run at all of the positions. They have a plan and I will be rooting for whomever they bring in both in FA and the draft
 

rdlkgliders

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I must say the more I think about it the more reality sets in.
We could have Clowney or Watkins amongst others and boy the day after the first round ends that would feel pretty dam good.
 

iced

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I don't think Fisher is into drafting an OT in the first round unless he can plug him in and not worry a bit. And I'm not even sure Fisher is willing to pull the lever on Matthews.

Fisher has never been into drafting an o-linemen in the first round, period. regardless of position. hasn't done it in 18+ years
 

blackbart

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Fisher has never been into drafting an o-linemen in the first round, period. regardless of position. hasn't done it in 18+ years
Has he ever needed to?? He inherited a pretty good O line in Houston.
 

jrry32

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Lol no - that's not even remotely close to the same thing.

Now if you were to say that Evans had a knee injury in his last game and he dropped to the 3rd round cause of that, wonder what'd you say...

but i mean marcus lattimore was a 4th round talent all the way right?

Are you going to say that murray and mettenberger's draft stock (whatever they had) hasn't fallen too?

Clausen never had an injury that made him fall; and I actually had him predicted in the 2nd round. (character reasons, peformance)

http://www.sffootball.net/news-media/rams-interest-in-lions-larry-warford-more-evidence-of-his-value

It's exactly the same thing. You're making excuses because the argument you presented was debunked. Marcus Lattimore with blown out knees is a 4th round talent...sadly.

How about this...Mike Williams led all rookies in 2010 as a 3rd round pick with 964 yards and 11 TDs...he beat out 1st round picks Dez Bryant and DeMaryius Thomas. There we go, more proof ON TOP OF Keenan Allen that you shouldn't draft WRs in the first round. Let me guess...Mike Williams was really a 1st round WR too?
 

iced

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http://www.sffootball.net/news-media/rams-interest-in-lions-larry-warford-more-evidence-of-his-value
You're making excuses because the argument you presented was debunked. Marcus Lattimore with blown out knees is a 4th round talent...sadly.

talking about making excuses, as well as having your cake and eating it too.

So injuries affect draft stock - thanks for making my point.

How about this...Mike Williams led all rookies in 2010 as a 3rd round pick with 964 yards and 11 TDs...he beat out 1st round picks Dez Bryant and DeMaryius Thomas. There we go, more proof ON TOP OF Keenan Allen that you shouldn't draft WRs in the first round. Let me guess...Mike Williams was really a 1st round WR too?

Williams never had an injury pre-draft that dropped his stock..

Really reaching there
 

jrry32

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talking about making excuses, as well as having your cake and eating it too.

So injuries affect draft stock - thanks for making my point.

Yep. When you have a career threatening injury, it tends to affect your draft stock. Especially when nobody knows how good you'll be when you come back from it.

Not even comparable to Allen.

Yep, injuries affect draft stock. Everything affects draft stock.

Williams never had an injury pre-draft that dropped his stock..

Really reaching there

He had character concerns. Larry Warford had concerns over his weight. So there we go, Larry Warford was a first round talent but concerns over his weight dropped him to the 3rd. Prove me wrong.

You're welcome to keep arguing but you lost this argument a long time ago and are just refusing to admit your argument was a poor one(not that it was necessarily wrong...but the premise you argued off of was disproven). Keenan Allen was a 3rd round pick. Larry Warford was a 3rd round pick. Your argument applies to this year's WRs just as much as it did to this year's OGs.

Trying to apply special conditions doesn't make your argument any less wrong. Keenan Allen was a 3rd rounder. That's a fact. He was not a first round pick.
 

jrry32

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18 years of drafting...

he never needed to?

yea cause you can get talent in the later rounds, my point..

You can get talent in later rounds at any position. In 9 years of draft, Ted Thompson(Green Bay GM) has never taken a WR in the first round. Yet he's managed to come away with players like Jordy Nelson, Greg Jennings, James Jones and Randall Cobb. I can very easily find other examples at other positions with other teams.

If you are refusing to draft players(discounting special teams) in the first round because of the position they play, you're doing yourself and your team a disservice.
 

iced

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You can get talent in later rounds at any position. In 9 years of draft, Ted Thompson(Green Bay GM) has never taken a WR in the first round. Yet he's managed to come away with players like Jordy Nelson, Greg Jennings, James Jones and Randall Cobb. I can very easily find other examples at other positions with other teams.

If you are refusing to draft players(discounting special teams) in the first round because of the position they play, you're doing yourself and your team a disservice.

that's not what i was saying. my point was fisher has never done it in his 18 years - should we expect a tiger to change it's stripes? that's just wishful thinking, imo.
 

jrry32

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pretty much how i feel

I might be a very stubborn person at times but I think you should take a look at what was ORIGINALLY said by you.
Whom were all outplayed by 3rd rounder warford - a very popular predraft target for a lot of ram fans.

To which I pointed out that Keenan Allen was a 3rd round pick and outproduced all the WRs in this class as a rookie.

Those are facts. Factual truths. At that point, your premise has been shown to be faulty. Your argument is not inherently wrong but you need to find a new premise to argue off of. Instead, you merely continued to argue the same thing but erroneously claimed that Allen was a first rounder. Sorry, iced, but there's nothing but media speculation that backed up Allen being a first rounder. The same people that have claimed players like Donte Paige-Moss, Dwight Jones, Jevan Snead, etc. were first rounders.

Allen showed first round ability on the field. So did Warford. But neither were drafted in the first round. That's what happens in the draft. Talented players fall. Which was the crux of your argument against OLs. Issue is that he can be used just as much against WRs. But the truth here is that your premise that used Warford as an example was exposed to be faulty. You're better off going back and trying to make a different argument than continue to deny what is a fact.

With that, I am done with this argument.
 

jrry32

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that's not what i was saying. my point was fisher has never done it in his 18 years - should we expect a tiger to change it's stripes? that's just wishful thinking, imo.

How many times did Fisher draft a LB in the first round?(Once...Keith Bulluck) I would hope that tiger would be welcome to change if it's necessary for his team. :wink:

Plus, they went out and spent big money on Jake Long and Scott Wells...so obviously, they're willing to put resources into the OL. Don't see why that wouldn't apply to the draft.
 

iced

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I might be a very stubborn person at times but I think you should take a look at what was ORIGINALLY said by you.


To which I pointed out that Keenan Allen was a 3rd round pick and outproduced all the WRs in this class as a rookie.

Those are facts. Factual truths. At that point, your premise has been shown to be faulty. Your argument is not inherently wrong but you need to find a new premise to argue off of. Instead, you merely continued to argue the same thing but erroneously claimed that Allen was a first rounder. Sorry, iced, but there's nothing but media speculation that backed up Allen being a first rounder. The same people that have claimed players like Donte Paige-Moss, Dwight Jones, Jevan Snead, etc. were first rounders.

Allen showed first round ability on the field. So did Warford. But neither were drafted in the first round. That's what happens in the draft. Talented players fall. Which was the crux of your argument against OLs. Issue is that he can be used just as much against WRs. But the truth here is that your premise that used Warford as an example was exposed to be faulty. You're better off going back and trying to make a different argument than continue to deny what is a fact.

With that, I am done with this argument.

you admit he has first round talent, acknowledge injuries affect draft stock, but yet keep acting as if that didn't play a crucial part in it...

he was the top 3 at worst WR in the class prior to the knee injury - that's a fact.

You can tell me my argument is wrong all you want - thanks for the 2 cents.
 

-X-

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I might be a very stubborn person at times but I think you should take a look at what was ORIGINALLY said by you.


To which I pointed out that Keenan Allen was a 3rd round pick and outproduced all the WRs in this class as a rookie.

Those are facts. Factual truths. At that point, your premise has been shown to be faulty. Your argument is not inherently wrong but you need to find a new premise to argue off of. Instead, you merely continued to argue the same thing but erroneously claimed that Allen was a first rounder. Sorry, iced, but there's nothing but media speculation that backed up Allen being a first rounder. The same people that have claimed players like Donte Paige-Moss, Dwight Jones, Jevan Snead, etc. were first rounders.

Allen showed first round ability on the field. So did Warford. But neither were drafted in the first round. That's what happens in the draft. Talented players fall. Which was the crux of your argument against OLs. Issue is that he can be used just as much against WRs. But the truth here is that your premise that used Warford as an example was exposed to be faulty. You're better off going back and trying to make a different argument than continue to deny what is a fact.

With that, I am done with this argument.
you admit he has first round talent, acknowledge injuries affect draft stock, but yet keep acting as if that didn't play a crucial part in it...

he was the top 3 at worst WR in the class prior to the knee injury - that's a fact.

You can tell me my argument is wrong all you want - thanks for the 2 cents.
You two gonna kiss soon, or continue the dance of seduction?
 

jrry32

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You two gonna kiss soon, or continue the dance of seduction?

Nah. I'm done. I don't hold any grudges based on disagreements. Iced knows this. This isn't our first go around. :bigup: