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A few people have asked me to do a mock where we don't pick a QB in Round 1. I bristled at this idea because it'll be deeply disappointing if it happens IRL. There are very very very few scenarios where this could happen and I'd still be on speaking terms with the Rams. This is one of the scenarios I could think of where I'd consider it good enough to see what happens this year without blowing my top. As always, this is what I'd do in this situation not necessarily what I expect the Rams to do. In this mock, Jenkins refuses to re-sign before FA and someone offers him an outlandish contract. In the draft, the top 3 QBs go before #15 and we can't find a trade up partner willing to accept a reasonable deal. Connor Cook goes in the late 1st to the Texans, Cardinals, or Broncos.
Cut
Nick Foles QB
Rodger Saffold OG
Re-sign
Trumaine Johnson - 5 years $55 million (tagged then re-signed)
Mark Barron - 4 years $22 million
Rodney McLeod - 4 years $22 million
Greg Zuerlein - 1 year veteran minimum
William Hayes - 3 years $15 million
Eugene Sims - 2 years $4 million
Tim Barnes - 2 years $3 million
Daren Bates - RFA Tender
Benny Cunningham - RFA Tender
Cody Davis - RFA Tender
Case Keenum - RFA Tender
Cory Harkey - 3 years $3 million
I let Nick Foles go because I don't think he's worth the roster spot. Everything else is pretty typical. I hate losing Jenkins. Would do my best to keep him.
Free Agency
Marvin Jones WR - 5 years $40 million
There's some risk here with Jones because he missed the entire 2014 season with an injury but he's a very talented kid that had a good bounce back year. Jones is a bigger WR that runs quality routes, has some wiggle after the catch, the speed to get deep, and can make tough catches in traffic. At 6'2" 200, he has a thin frame and can be out-muscled. Still, I think he has untapped potential. Could end up becoming a #1 guy with a bigger role. But at minimum, we get a good #2 WR.
Dwayne Allen TE - 4 years $24 million
There's some risk with this contract as Allen has had some injury issues thus far in his career but he's a great fit for our scheme. Allen didn't get many opportunities to catch passes in 2015 because the Colts desperately needed his blocking prowess but he proved in 2014 and 2012 how good of a pass catcher he is. Allen is an exceptional blocker and will fit perfectly into our run-oriented offense. However, he's also a good pass-catcher and a major red-zone threat. The big question with him is health.
Tyrunn Walker DT - 1 year $2 million
Walker isn't a well known guy but the Saints were very upset that they lost him last year to Detroit. Walker essentially took a "prove it" deal with the Lions and was off to a nice start before suffering an injury early in the year that knocked him out for the season. Walker still has a lot of potential as both a pass rusher and run stopper. He can play both the 1-tech and the 3-tech. He'll provide valuable depth behind Brockers and Donald.
Trade
Rams trade Round 2 Pick #14 and 2017 Round 5 Pick
Packers trade QB Brett Hundley
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2-V_AbmAn0
After the QBs go off the board, we put a call into the Packers during the first round. They're willing to deal Hundley because this is a draft deep on QBs they can develop. Some will wonder why we should trade for Hundley when we could have had him last year? Frankly, we should have taken him last year over Mannion. But either ways, the kid got to develop under one the NFL's best offensive minds in Mike McCarthy and behind arguably the NFL's best QB in Aaron Rodgers. I watched all of Hundley's throws from the 2015 Preseason and I think he fits well here. Hundley's footwork on drops and lower body mechanics still needed polishing at that stage but he was making full field reads, going through progressions, and making accurate throws. He still takes too many sacks at times because he tries to scramble rather than throwing the ball away. That all said, nobody doubts Hundley's tools. He's 6'3" 230 with 4.6 speed and a strong arm (strong enough that he needs to use better touch on some short passes). He was accurate in the preseason with the Packers (except for a few plays where he rushed the throw without setting his feet), he showed a feel for pressure in the pocket, and he looked good maneuvering the pocket and throwing under pressure. Best of all, Hundley did a nice job of protecting the ball. Something he did well his final year at UCLA. I think he's a good fit for what Fisher wants in a QB. He can make all the throws and he can make plays with his feet but he doesn't make a lot of bad decisions.
NFL Draft
Round 1 Pick #15 - Laquon Treadwell WR Ole Miss
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J11Ro_RO7aE
Analysis: Normally, I'd say that you don't buy rims for a car you don't have.(draft a WR when you lack a QB) But the QBs are gone. In this case, we give ourselves an opportunity to improve our weapons with an incredibly talented player in Treadwell. As a blocker, Treadwell is tenacious, powerful, and has a mean streak. He looks to bury the defender and plays through the whistle. He's like Cortland Finnegan on offense. He pushes the DB's buttons all game long to try and tick the DB off. As a receiver, he's very physically talented. He doesn't possess burning speed but he's an extremely explosive athlete with crazy agility for a 6'2" 220 pound WR. When the ball is in his hands, Treadwell shows off great vision, surprising elusiveness, and the power/balance to run through tackles and stay on his feet. He's extremely physical with or without the ball in his hands and shows the ability to create separation using his size and strength. On top of this, Treadwell has great body control which makes him difficult to cover on back-shoulder throws and allows him to adjust to the ball in the air. His hands aren't elite but they're definitely good. He drops some passes and doesn't come down with some balls in traffic that guys like Alshon, Fitz, etc. do. However, he has the ability to climb the ladder and come down with the ball as well as snatch it away from defenders in contested catch situations. All in all, he's a stellar athlete with all the tools needed to be a standout #1 WR on this team. His route running and release need some development but the tools are there.
NFL Comparison: DeAndre Hopkins
Round 2 Pick #12 - Cody Whitehair OT/OG/C Kansas State
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFfYBjqTvdc
Analysis: Cody Whitehair played LT at Kansas State but is expected to slide inside at the next level. Some scouts have gone on the record that they believe he can play all 5 OL positions at the NFL level but will be best off inside. I think his versatility will be valuable here. He's lacking in length to play LT but you never know as a lot of people felt that way about David Bakhtiari, the Packers starting OL. The plan is to convert Whitehair to Center and develop him behind Barnes. In the meantime, he can backup any position on the OL. As a player, Whitehair has a wide base and a strong anchor. He's smooth on his feet even at LT. He also displays outstanding grip strength and once he engages the defender, they very rarely get his hands off of them. This makes him very effective at engaging blocks. However, he needs to improve his hand/arm positioning in his pass set and his hand placement when punching. His hands get outside the chest-plate too often which will get flagged at the NFL level. He's a natural knee bender with no flexibility issues. As a run blocker, Whitehair is a good technician and uses angles extremely well. He sustains his blocks and can drive defenders off the ball with his natural leverage. However, he only possesses solid power and doesn't possess much of a mean streak. All in all, Whitehair is excellent technician that has the ability to be a top tier pass protecting interior OL and a good run blocker although he lacks a true mean streak.
NFL Comparison: Josh Sitton
Round 3 Pick #13 - Ronald Blair DE/DT Appalachian State
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQApJa7eaqg
Analysis: Some of y'all might say "who?" and I wouldn't blame you. Blair hasn't gotten a lot of press but he's a player. This kid gave Clemson absolute fits this year posting 8 tackles and 2 sacks in that game. On the year, he put up 71 tackles, 19 TFLs, and 7.5 sacks. What I loved about Blair's game when I watched him was the effort. He was running sideline to sideline to try to make tackles and jump on the pile. App. State played him all over the DL (he played every spot: RDE, UT, NT, and LDE). Blair was consistently disruptive wherever he lined up. Blair measured in at 6'2" 284 at the Combine with 34 inch arms and 10.25 inch hands. The good news is that he didn't tear up the Combine (so he's still being underrated). He has the versatility to play both DE and DT for the Rams which will help with depth purposes. On the field, Blair has active hands to shed blocks, he has a variety of moves (although he'll need to continue to develop counter-moves), and he's very strong. He plays with a low pad level and being 6'2" with long arms gives him advantages in the run game. He's a very disruptive run defender with a nose for the ball. As a pass rusher, I don't know if he has the upside to be a double digit sacker but he's a disruptive enough player that you can't underestimate him. He has a nice arm-over swim move, he's a twitchy athlete, and he has very active hands which make him a real pain for OTs in pass pro especially considering his natural leverage and long arms. I think he's a really good fit on the Rams because of his versatility, run stopping prowess, and his motor. Watching him reminds me a lot of William Hayes.
NFL Comparison: William Hayes
Round 4 Pick #12 - KeiVarae Russell CB Notre Dame
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0l3JGQvxLc
Analysis: Russell broke his leg late in the year or else I think he'd be gone in the 2nd. He checked into the combine at 5'11" 192. What's nice about Russell is that he has the versatility to play both the slot and outside. Russell's ball-skills really improved this year as in the past he tended to lock onto his man rather than play the ball. Russell has fluid hips, quick feet, and the long speed to recover when he gambles. His speed isn't elite but it's good and will allow him to run with most NFL WRs. He's a natural cover CB with sticky man coverage skills and good recognition in zone coverage. Russell also is a physical player willing to mix it up, take on blockers, and tackle in the open-field. Russell needs to do a better job of getting off blocks and his balance isn't great which hurts him when he has to change direction quickly at times. Still, this is a kid that would be going two rounds earlier if he didn't get injured late in the year and didn't have to sit out 2014 due to "academic dishonesty." He's a really talented kid. Watch him play against Juju Smith-Schuster. He did a great job against Juju. He picked off one pass, deflected another resulting in a pick, and had tight coverage on the one big catch Juju had on him.(Juju had like 5 catches for 60ish yards against him)
NFL Comparison: Logan Ryan
Round 6 Pick #15 - Alex McCalister DE Florida
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZW0erSBUzA4
Analysis: Alex is being listed as a 7th rounder/UDFA right now on some sites. I don't buy it. I wouldn't be surprised if he goes 4th round. He was kicked off of UF's team and has some character red flags/maturity issues. McCalister is also undersized at 6'6" 240 for a 4-3 DE. However, Eugene Sims was listed similarly his final year in college and we managed to get him up over 260. What makes McCalister such a great pick for me is that he was the best pass rusher on the a talented UF defense this year. McCalister has all of the tools needed to be a disruptive NFL edge rusher. He's 6'6" with 36 inch arms and an explosive get-off which allows him to threaten the edge. McCalister also can dip and bend around the corner and push the pocket using his length. He has outstanding balance for such a long defender, great agility, impressive speed, and has flashed a scary spin move. Basically, this kid is a risky prospect because he has character issues and needs to add weight and strength. But he has the tools to be a double digit sacker in the NFL. With the staff and players we have in place on defense and the DL, I think he's worth the risk for us. You don't find many guys with his talent on Day 3. Some will wonder why pick him when we took Blair earlier. Taking Blair gives us time to put weight on McCalister without having to throw him in too early if there's an injury.
NFL Comparison: Aaron Lynch
Projected Starters
QB: Brett Hundley
HB: Todd Gurley
FB: Cory Harkey
XWR: Marvin Jones
ZWR: Laquon Treadwell vs. Kenny Britt
SLWR: Tavon Austin
TE: Dwayne Allen
LT: Greg Robinson
LG: Jamon Brown
C: Tim Barnes
RG: Cody Wichmann
RT: Rob Havenstein
LDE: Will Hayes
LDT: Michael Brockers
RDT: Aaron Donald
RDE: Robert Quinn
OLB: Mark Barron
MLB: Alec Ogletree
OLB: Akeem Ayers
LCB: Trumaine Johnson
RCB: E.J. Gaines
SLCB: LaMarcus Joyner
FS: Rodney McLeod
SS: T.J. McDonald
K: Greg Zuerlein vs. Ross Martin (UDFA)
P: Johnny Hekker
LS: Jake McQuaide
Cut
Nick Foles QB
Rodger Saffold OG
Re-sign
Trumaine Johnson - 5 years $55 million (tagged then re-signed)
Mark Barron - 4 years $22 million
Rodney McLeod - 4 years $22 million
Greg Zuerlein - 1 year veteran minimum
William Hayes - 3 years $15 million
Eugene Sims - 2 years $4 million
Tim Barnes - 2 years $3 million
Daren Bates - RFA Tender
Benny Cunningham - RFA Tender
Cody Davis - RFA Tender
Case Keenum - RFA Tender
Cory Harkey - 3 years $3 million
I let Nick Foles go because I don't think he's worth the roster spot. Everything else is pretty typical. I hate losing Jenkins. Would do my best to keep him.
Free Agency
Marvin Jones WR - 5 years $40 million
There's some risk here with Jones because he missed the entire 2014 season with an injury but he's a very talented kid that had a good bounce back year. Jones is a bigger WR that runs quality routes, has some wiggle after the catch, the speed to get deep, and can make tough catches in traffic. At 6'2" 200, he has a thin frame and can be out-muscled. Still, I think he has untapped potential. Could end up becoming a #1 guy with a bigger role. But at minimum, we get a good #2 WR.
Dwayne Allen TE - 4 years $24 million
There's some risk with this contract as Allen has had some injury issues thus far in his career but he's a great fit for our scheme. Allen didn't get many opportunities to catch passes in 2015 because the Colts desperately needed his blocking prowess but he proved in 2014 and 2012 how good of a pass catcher he is. Allen is an exceptional blocker and will fit perfectly into our run-oriented offense. However, he's also a good pass-catcher and a major red-zone threat. The big question with him is health.
Tyrunn Walker DT - 1 year $2 million
Walker isn't a well known guy but the Saints were very upset that they lost him last year to Detroit. Walker essentially took a "prove it" deal with the Lions and was off to a nice start before suffering an injury early in the year that knocked him out for the season. Walker still has a lot of potential as both a pass rusher and run stopper. He can play both the 1-tech and the 3-tech. He'll provide valuable depth behind Brockers and Donald.
Trade
Rams trade Round 2 Pick #14 and 2017 Round 5 Pick
Packers trade QB Brett Hundley
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2-V_AbmAn0
After the QBs go off the board, we put a call into the Packers during the first round. They're willing to deal Hundley because this is a draft deep on QBs they can develop. Some will wonder why we should trade for Hundley when we could have had him last year? Frankly, we should have taken him last year over Mannion. But either ways, the kid got to develop under one the NFL's best offensive minds in Mike McCarthy and behind arguably the NFL's best QB in Aaron Rodgers. I watched all of Hundley's throws from the 2015 Preseason and I think he fits well here. Hundley's footwork on drops and lower body mechanics still needed polishing at that stage but he was making full field reads, going through progressions, and making accurate throws. He still takes too many sacks at times because he tries to scramble rather than throwing the ball away. That all said, nobody doubts Hundley's tools. He's 6'3" 230 with 4.6 speed and a strong arm (strong enough that he needs to use better touch on some short passes). He was accurate in the preseason with the Packers (except for a few plays where he rushed the throw without setting his feet), he showed a feel for pressure in the pocket, and he looked good maneuvering the pocket and throwing under pressure. Best of all, Hundley did a nice job of protecting the ball. Something he did well his final year at UCLA. I think he's a good fit for what Fisher wants in a QB. He can make all the throws and he can make plays with his feet but he doesn't make a lot of bad decisions.
NFL Draft
Round 1 Pick #15 - Laquon Treadwell WR Ole Miss
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J11Ro_RO7aE
Analysis: Normally, I'd say that you don't buy rims for a car you don't have.(draft a WR when you lack a QB) But the QBs are gone. In this case, we give ourselves an opportunity to improve our weapons with an incredibly talented player in Treadwell. As a blocker, Treadwell is tenacious, powerful, and has a mean streak. He looks to bury the defender and plays through the whistle. He's like Cortland Finnegan on offense. He pushes the DB's buttons all game long to try and tick the DB off. As a receiver, he's very physically talented. He doesn't possess burning speed but he's an extremely explosive athlete with crazy agility for a 6'2" 220 pound WR. When the ball is in his hands, Treadwell shows off great vision, surprising elusiveness, and the power/balance to run through tackles and stay on his feet. He's extremely physical with or without the ball in his hands and shows the ability to create separation using his size and strength. On top of this, Treadwell has great body control which makes him difficult to cover on back-shoulder throws and allows him to adjust to the ball in the air. His hands aren't elite but they're definitely good. He drops some passes and doesn't come down with some balls in traffic that guys like Alshon, Fitz, etc. do. However, he has the ability to climb the ladder and come down with the ball as well as snatch it away from defenders in contested catch situations. All in all, he's a stellar athlete with all the tools needed to be a standout #1 WR on this team. His route running and release need some development but the tools are there.
NFL Comparison: DeAndre Hopkins
Round 2 Pick #12 - Cody Whitehair OT/OG/C Kansas State
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFfYBjqTvdc
Analysis: Cody Whitehair played LT at Kansas State but is expected to slide inside at the next level. Some scouts have gone on the record that they believe he can play all 5 OL positions at the NFL level but will be best off inside. I think his versatility will be valuable here. He's lacking in length to play LT but you never know as a lot of people felt that way about David Bakhtiari, the Packers starting OL. The plan is to convert Whitehair to Center and develop him behind Barnes. In the meantime, he can backup any position on the OL. As a player, Whitehair has a wide base and a strong anchor. He's smooth on his feet even at LT. He also displays outstanding grip strength and once he engages the defender, they very rarely get his hands off of them. This makes him very effective at engaging blocks. However, he needs to improve his hand/arm positioning in his pass set and his hand placement when punching. His hands get outside the chest-plate too often which will get flagged at the NFL level. He's a natural knee bender with no flexibility issues. As a run blocker, Whitehair is a good technician and uses angles extremely well. He sustains his blocks and can drive defenders off the ball with his natural leverage. However, he only possesses solid power and doesn't possess much of a mean streak. All in all, Whitehair is excellent technician that has the ability to be a top tier pass protecting interior OL and a good run blocker although he lacks a true mean streak.
NFL Comparison: Josh Sitton
Round 3 Pick #13 - Ronald Blair DE/DT Appalachian State
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQApJa7eaqg
Analysis: Some of y'all might say "who?" and I wouldn't blame you. Blair hasn't gotten a lot of press but he's a player. This kid gave Clemson absolute fits this year posting 8 tackles and 2 sacks in that game. On the year, he put up 71 tackles, 19 TFLs, and 7.5 sacks. What I loved about Blair's game when I watched him was the effort. He was running sideline to sideline to try to make tackles and jump on the pile. App. State played him all over the DL (he played every spot: RDE, UT, NT, and LDE). Blair was consistently disruptive wherever he lined up. Blair measured in at 6'2" 284 at the Combine with 34 inch arms and 10.25 inch hands. The good news is that he didn't tear up the Combine (so he's still being underrated). He has the versatility to play both DE and DT for the Rams which will help with depth purposes. On the field, Blair has active hands to shed blocks, he has a variety of moves (although he'll need to continue to develop counter-moves), and he's very strong. He plays with a low pad level and being 6'2" with long arms gives him advantages in the run game. He's a very disruptive run defender with a nose for the ball. As a pass rusher, I don't know if he has the upside to be a double digit sacker but he's a disruptive enough player that you can't underestimate him. He has a nice arm-over swim move, he's a twitchy athlete, and he has very active hands which make him a real pain for OTs in pass pro especially considering his natural leverage and long arms. I think he's a really good fit on the Rams because of his versatility, run stopping prowess, and his motor. Watching him reminds me a lot of William Hayes.
NFL Comparison: William Hayes
Round 4 Pick #12 - KeiVarae Russell CB Notre Dame
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0l3JGQvxLc
Analysis: Russell broke his leg late in the year or else I think he'd be gone in the 2nd. He checked into the combine at 5'11" 192. What's nice about Russell is that he has the versatility to play both the slot and outside. Russell's ball-skills really improved this year as in the past he tended to lock onto his man rather than play the ball. Russell has fluid hips, quick feet, and the long speed to recover when he gambles. His speed isn't elite but it's good and will allow him to run with most NFL WRs. He's a natural cover CB with sticky man coverage skills and good recognition in zone coverage. Russell also is a physical player willing to mix it up, take on blockers, and tackle in the open-field. Russell needs to do a better job of getting off blocks and his balance isn't great which hurts him when he has to change direction quickly at times. Still, this is a kid that would be going two rounds earlier if he didn't get injured late in the year and didn't have to sit out 2014 due to "academic dishonesty." He's a really talented kid. Watch him play against Juju Smith-Schuster. He did a great job against Juju. He picked off one pass, deflected another resulting in a pick, and had tight coverage on the one big catch Juju had on him.(Juju had like 5 catches for 60ish yards against him)
NFL Comparison: Logan Ryan
Round 6 Pick #15 - Alex McCalister DE Florida
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZW0erSBUzA4
Analysis: Alex is being listed as a 7th rounder/UDFA right now on some sites. I don't buy it. I wouldn't be surprised if he goes 4th round. He was kicked off of UF's team and has some character red flags/maturity issues. McCalister is also undersized at 6'6" 240 for a 4-3 DE. However, Eugene Sims was listed similarly his final year in college and we managed to get him up over 260. What makes McCalister such a great pick for me is that he was the best pass rusher on the a talented UF defense this year. McCalister has all of the tools needed to be a disruptive NFL edge rusher. He's 6'6" with 36 inch arms and an explosive get-off which allows him to threaten the edge. McCalister also can dip and bend around the corner and push the pocket using his length. He has outstanding balance for such a long defender, great agility, impressive speed, and has flashed a scary spin move. Basically, this kid is a risky prospect because he has character issues and needs to add weight and strength. But he has the tools to be a double digit sacker in the NFL. With the staff and players we have in place on defense and the DL, I think he's worth the risk for us. You don't find many guys with his talent on Day 3. Some will wonder why pick him when we took Blair earlier. Taking Blair gives us time to put weight on McCalister without having to throw him in too early if there's an injury.
NFL Comparison: Aaron Lynch
Projected Starters
QB: Brett Hundley
HB: Todd Gurley
FB: Cory Harkey
XWR: Marvin Jones
ZWR: Laquon Treadwell vs. Kenny Britt
SLWR: Tavon Austin
TE: Dwayne Allen
LT: Greg Robinson
LG: Jamon Brown
C: Tim Barnes
RG: Cody Wichmann
RT: Rob Havenstein
LDE: Will Hayes
LDT: Michael Brockers
RDT: Aaron Donald
RDE: Robert Quinn
OLB: Mark Barron
MLB: Alec Ogletree
OLB: Akeem Ayers
LCB: Trumaine Johnson
RCB: E.J. Gaines
SLCB: LaMarcus Joyner
FS: Rodney McLeod
SS: T.J. McDonald
K: Greg Zuerlein vs. Ross Martin (UDFA)
P: Johnny Hekker
LS: Jake McQuaide
