Jrry32 No OL in the 1st Mock - 3/8/13

[jrry32]

Alright so I thought I'd do a mock for the possibility that both Lane and Warmack are gone before Pick #16. Here it is:
Cuts
Steven Jackson HB
Wayne Hunter OT
Harvey Dahl OG
Quintin Mikell
Cap Space - 18 million

Re-signings
Robert Turner OL - 2 years 2 million(1 mil cap hit)
Williams Hayes - 2 years 4 million(2 mil cap hit)
Cap Space - 15 million

Free Agency

Phil Loadholt RT
Projected Contract: 5 years/30 million, 5 million SB, 14 million guaranteed(5 mil cap hit)

DJ Moore CB
Projected Contract: 2 years 2 million(1 mil cap hit)

Tony McDaniel DT
Projected Contract: 2 years 2 million(1 mil cap hit)

Brad Jones MLB/SLB
Projected Contract: 2 years 2 million(1 mil cap hit)
Cap Space - 7 million

NFL Draft
Round 1 Pick #16 - Tavon Austin WR West Virginia

Round 1 Pick #22 - Justin Hunter WR Tennessee

Round 2 Pick #16 - Barrett Jones OG/C Alabama

Round 3 Pick #16 - Bacarri Rambo FS Georgia

Round 4 Pick #16 - Duke Williams SS Nevada

Round 5 Pick #16 - Gerald Hodges OLB Penn State

Round 6 Pick #16 - Michael Williams TE Alabama

Round 7 Pick #16 - Latavius Murray HB UCF

NFL Draft Explanation: Just a brief explanation of a few picks, I decided that I thought we'd take a shot on the upside and explosiveness of Hunter at #22 over the relative safeness of Allen. Some might question Barrett Jones at LG but remember that the LGs Fisher used in Tennessee were a lot like Jones and Jones offers us a future Center with Wells being older. Fisher used Bruce Matthews, Jacob Bell, Eugene Amano, Leroy Harris and Zach Piller as his LGs in Tennessee. All but Piller were around 300 to 310 and all but Piller and Bell were guys who played Center at one time or another. I really liked the combination of Rambo and Williams. Rambo is the rangy gambler Center-Fielder while Williams is the versatile and extremely athletic SS that can play in the box, man up on the slot and play deep. He's undersized but plays big and is not afraid to come up in run support or lay the lumber. Murray is a great role player for what we need. The Rams seem content moving forward with a HB by committee approach with Pead and Richardson. Murray offers a big HB who can block, catch the football(3rd down HB) and pick-up short yardage/red-zone situations.

Projected Starters:
QB: Sam Bradford
HB: Daryl Richardson
FB: Lance Kendricks
SE: Justin Hunter
FL: Chris Givens
SL: Tavon Austin
TE: Michael Williams
LT: Rodger Saffold
LG: Barrett Jones
C: Scott Wells
RG: Rokevious Watkins
RT: Phil Loadholt

LDE: Chris Long
LDT: Kendall Langford
RDT: Michael Brockers
RDE: Robert Quinn
WLB: Gerald Hodges
MLB: James Laurinaitis
SLB: Jo-Lonn Dunbar
LCB: Cortland Finnegan
RCB: Janoris Jenkins
NCB: Trumaine Johnson
FS: Bacarri Rambo
SS: Duke Williams

K: Greg Zuerlein
P: John Hekker
LS: Jake McQuaide
KR: Tavon Austin
PR: Tavon Austin

Wow...our only 30+ year old starter would be Scott Wells! Thoughts?

 

[bluecoconuts]

I really like that draft. I think the only thing I really worry about is OG. Rookie on one side, second year player who's essentially a rookie due to injury on the other, makes me nervous. If there is a way to keep Dahl I'd be happier, that's for sure. I actually like the idea of doubling up on WR in the first, granted the 'safe' onlinemen are gone.

 

[jrry32]

I really like that draft. I think the only thing I really worry about is OG. Rookie on one side, second year player who's essentially a rookie due to injury on the other, makes me nervous. If there is a way to keep Dahl I'd be happier, that's for sure. I actually like the idea of doubling up on WR in the first, granted the 'safe' onlinemen are gone.

I think they're planning to move forward with Watkins at RG. So I just don't think it'll matter if we keep Dahl.

I trust Boudreau. He got Shelley Smith, Joe Barksdale and all those others OL ready to play on the fly.

Plus Barrett Jones is a high IQ technician. Don't feel like there should be many growing pains. The only thing I worry about with him is durability which imo is why he'll be around in the mid 2nd.

 

[-X-]

I can get behind that draft. But I'm also not thrilled with piecing together an interior line with rookies and unprovens. I mean, it *could* work out with Boudreau coaching them up, but I think at this stage of the game, and with the trauma associated with having such shaky lines over the past 5 years, I think I'd like Dahl to remain as well. What do we really know about Watkins anyway? That he's big? I think I'd like to see him play more than *one* game before I can see his upside as an asset.

Also, can you show me some instances of where free agents commit to 2 year deals @ $1M a year? I see that you sign those contracts quite a bit, but I can't think of an instance where that happens all that much. It's typically either a one year deal or a multi-year deal when a player hits the open market. And I hope we can get Hayes back at that number, but I think it might be higher. If so, and it's too much, then we might need to adjust your board to include another D-lineman somewhere high in the draft.

 

[jrry32]

I can get behind that draft. But I'm also not thrilled with piecing together an interior line with rookies and unprovens. I mean, it *could* work out with Boudreau coaching them up, but I think at this stage of the game, and with the trauma associated with having such shaky lines over the past 5 years, I think I'd like Dahl to remain as well. What do we really know about Watkins anyway? That he's big? I think I'd like to see him play more than *one* game before I can see his upside as an asset.

Also, can you show me some instances of where free agents commit to 2 year deals @ $1M a year? I see that you sign those contracts quite a bit, but I can't think of an instance where that happens all that much. It's typically either a one year deal or a multi-year deal when a player hits the open market. And I hope we can get Hayes back at that number, but I think it might be higher. If so, and it's too much, then we might need to adjust your board to include another D-lineman somewhere high in the draft.

They're placeholder contracts if anything. They're all depth signings. Too hard to project what teams will pay them. Sometimes it's the minimum, sometimes it's 1.5 to 2 million a year.

But yea, could have done 1 year deals instead to simplify things.

As for Dahl, I think we're moving on. Just my interpretation/guess. I feel like whether it's Shelley Smith, Brandon Washington, Rok Watkins or a OG not on the roster, we're planning to move forward without Dahl next year. I feel like they're high on Rok...but again, just a guess.

 

[den-the-coach]

First off jrry thank you I always enjoy your posts in reference to the draft and when you throw in free agents, it's an added bonus. My fear going forward is any depth chart with Daryl Richardson at the top of it. IMO Pead started looking better at season's end and Richardson looked over matched against teams like the Hawks & 49ers.

Just not a fan of small backs and Richardson was like a cheap sweater because he looked smaller as the year progressed. Now I know the Rams could have high hopes for Terrence Ganaway..A.K.A. The Duke of Sandwich, however, IMO the draft should should have a RB that can contribute in it and I do realize many of your drafts have had Lattimore.

My question what do you think about Mike Gillislee of Florida? Seems like a perfect fit because he's bigger than Richardson & Pead being 5-11 210lbs runs inside well and does a great job of picking up the blitz something which Richardson & Pead struggled with. Gillislee needs to work on catching the football, but Richardson & Pead excell in that area and Gillislee did not have a ton of carries in his career at Florida (344) so there is still plenty of miles left on the tread...Just wondering your thoughts?

 

[duckhunter]

I'm ok with this all the way around. If you don't take OL in the first it gets a little tough to get value quality and need at those 1s. The top 4 OL probably aren't there. Barrett Jones can back up all three interior positions and tackles probably also. He's still on the mend from ACL injury but he's quality that we don't currently have.

I really think the doubling up of safety and WR is smart when you get a draft this deep at those positions. Hodges is as good as any WLB in this draft.

Getting a RT in FA makes the most sense to me. The rest you can work around easier.

 

[jrry32]

First off jrry thank you I always enjoy your posts in reference to the draft and when you throw in free agents, it's an added bonus. My fear going forward is any depth chart with Daryl Richardson at the top of it. IMO Pead started looking better at season's end and Richardson looked over matched against teams like the Hawks & 49ers.

Just not a fan of small backs and Richardson was like a cheap sweater because he looked smaller as the year progressed. Now I know the Rams could have high hopes for Terrence Ganaway..A.K.A. The Duke of Sandwich, however, IMO the draft should should have a RB that can contribute in it and I do realize many of your drafts have had Lattimore.

My question what do you think about Mike Gillislee of Florida? Seems like a perfect fit because he's bigger than Richardson & Pead being 5-11 210lbs runs inside well and does a great job of picking up the blitz something which Richardson & Pead struggled with. Gillislee needs to work on catching the football, but Richardson & Pead excell in that area and Gillislee did not have a ton of carries in his career at Florida (344) so there is still plenty of miles left on the tread...Just wondering your thoughts?

Gillislee is solid. Only issues are that he had some ball security and ankle/nagging injury issues at UF. However, my biggest issue with Mike is that he's expected to go in the same range as Le'Veon Bell...and I personally prefer Bell.

 

[den-the-coach]

Gillislee is solid. Only issues are that he had some ball security and ankle/nagging injury issues at UF. However, my biggest issue with Mike is that he's expected to go in the same range as Le'Veon Bell...and I personally prefer Bell.

Good point about Bell and you can't argue that Bell is not big enough at 6-2 244lbs...But my concern with Bell since I've been watching him (see many Big Ten games) is pass protection he seems always to try to cut instead of setting to anchor himself...With his size he should just stand up in pass protection and take on the rusher, but he blocked like a smaller back...Just an observation as I get concerned with pass protection because Richardson & Pead did not impress in that area, however, Bell is nimble for his size and had one of the best 3 cone drills.

 

[sloramfan]

i think austin is gonna be a star... great pick

i just hope he can stay healthy...

go rams

slo

 

[CGI_Ram]

i think austin is gonna be a star... great pick

i just hope he can stay healthy...

go rams

slo

I just hope he falls to us.

I'm worried, like every year, a skilled position player goes higher than everyone expects (think Ted Ginn). Austin could be that guy.

 

[A55VA6]

Watched tape on Tavon Austin. I want him. He's explosive.

 

[-X-]

Watched tape on Tavon Austin. I want him. He's explosive.

Well, then, let's go get him!