My last mock

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fearsomefour

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So, I came into this mock with a few assumptions (yes, I know that saying about assumptions).
First, I released Finnigan and Dahl and Wells, resigned Barnes, Smith, Clemons. Added a mid level CB in FA and C Fernando Velasco from the Steelers to replace Wells.
So, coming into the draft have added a CB for depth, upgraded the C spot (hopefully) and secured some O line depth. The biggest needs to me are Oline, safety and D depth all around. I see no real need at WR (unless it is a game changer), RB, TE, FB, DE or ST.

I tried to match up need with player ranking when making choices. Sometimes need overrode where I personally would want to take a player (HaHa Dix for example) and sometimes potential and positional rank factored in. Tried to find relatively highly ranked players (for their position) for each pick. The hiring of Williams sort of influenced my thinking as well as I assume Dunbar would be brought back. The only trades was a trade down for Cleveland 2 first rounders and a trade up in the second round sending our 7th this year, 3rd next year to move up. Positional rank in ()
So, here is what played out in this mock....

1) J Matthews, OT....No big surprise. I think he is gonna be great and can start week 1 at LT if Long is not back, if Long is back then Mattews can slide inside to LG. Either way a day one starter. (1)

1) HaHa Dix, S....Higher than I would like to have taken him, but, the highest rated S in the draft and a team need. In two other drafts I watched before I jumped in he was gone once at 13 and taken at 15 in the other. (1)

1) Kyle Van Noy, OLB....There were three guys I really like at this spot that were available in this mock that I dont really think will be available on this late on draft day, one other being Aaron Donald DT. The reason I went with Van Noy is he is day 1 ready in my opinion and will be an upgrade over Dunbar. Drafting either a DT or OLB here is with the idea of cementing the front 7 with playmakers than can both assist the Dbackfield as it grows and keep games close for the O. (4)

2) Stephon Tuitt, DT....This would be a steal and why I moved up a couple spots to get him. Disappointing season last year, but, I think has the potential to be the best DT in the draft. Cudju could easily be a cap casuality (cap number of $900,000). Tuitt provides immediate improved depth and a future starter. (4)

3) Joel Bitonio, G....Played T at Nevada but projocts more as a G. Could be one of those versatile linemen the Rams like. With a new C and Long, Matthews and Barksdale locking down 3 Oline spots, Bitonio can provide versatile depth or compete with Barnes and Jones for the starting RG spot. (9, as a T)

4) Christian Kirksey, OLB....Not a big need with Ogletree, JL and Van Noy but a solid player who can provide depth right away. This pick was taken with the opposite understanding as above....Van Noy drafted and Dunbar cut. Best rated CB is another option here. (10)

5) David Fales, QB....Dont know if he will fall to the 5th round in the real draft, but, there is a chance. I decided I was going QB in the 5th or 6th round no matter what. (9)

6) Preston Brown, ILB....Dont know much about him, but, we need to find a real MLB to back up JL. At some time JL is going to miss some time. (8)


So, all the players drafted were ranking in the top 10 at their positions (accourding to CBS anyway). I would love a first round like that. Adding the top rated OT and S and a top five OLB would be great. A case can be made that Dix is going too high and a WR could be taken there. I would love to get Matthews and Van Noy, both day 1 players in my book which is what you want in round 1. That last pick in the first was tricky, there were guys there that I like a lot (Van Noy, Donald ect) that I dont think will be there that late on draft day. So, a starting T, S and OLB. Added quality at DT, G, OLB and QB.
Not perfect (really?? three LBs) but not terrible. I know, no WRs. I cant justify any of the WR in the top five and the best ones were gone by 13. With the guys we have I am not interested in another project. TE, RB, FB, DE, ST were of no need.
 

laramsoriginal

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Tuitt would be a great get in the second round.

I am a ND fan and I can say the kid is a freak of nature the way he runs around at 6'6 320LB's.

TUITT had a frustrating year due to recovering from a sport hernia before the season
 

Tron

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Could live with this. Still don't want Matthews really, but understand it.
 

BonifayRam

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I would be jumping for joy if we were able to land OL Matthews & your 3rd rd selection would be a great OLG. The 5th rder. would be an outstanding selection too. I do believe he would fit rather nicely into Sam back up.

It would seem that OLT Gerald Robinson is thought of so much highly @ RODville than Jake Matthews & I do not have a real bonified dog in that hunt.....but if the Rams have to cut the well seasoned OL vets for CC or injury or just poor performance the need for a pass pro rookie OL'er is in critical! Robinson while be a beast in run blocking just has not put much time in pass protection period. There is some asembly needed with him on his pass protection.

Fisher will need an instant plug in either @ OLT for the rehabbing Jake Long or Chris Williams starting post OLG or Harvey Dahl old ORG post or take up the all important swing OT post a hat that EX Ram Saffold wore last season....OL'er Jake Matthews can do it all and has done it all. JM is a ready to go out of the box player with no assembly needed ! however most other Ol'ers have varying stages of assembly ....that assembly can take up so much time I give up on the crap & shelve it!
 

fearsomefour

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I would be jumping for joy if we were able to land OL Matthews & your 3rd rd selection would be a great OLG. The 5th rder. would be an outstanding selection too. I do believe he would fit rather nicely into Sam back up.

It would seem that OLT Gerald Robinson is thought of so much highly @ RODville than Jake Matthews & I do not have a real bonified dog in that hunt.....but if the Rams have to cut the well seasoned OL vets for CC or injury or just poor performance the need for a pass pro rookie OL'er is in critical! Robinson while be a beast in run blocking just has not put much time in pass protection period. There is some asembly needed with him on his pass protection.

Fisher will need an instant plug in either @ OLT for the rehabbing Jake Long or Chris Williams starting post OLG or Harvey Dahl old ORG post or take up the all important swing OT post a hat that EX Ram Saffold wore last season....OL'er Jake Matthews can do it all and has done it all. JM is a ready to go out of the box player with no assembly needed ! however most other Ol'ers have varying stages of assembly ....that assembly can take up so much time I give up on the crap & shelve it!
Matthews ability to play day 1 and his ability to play T or G is the biggest reason I selected him over Robinson. I dont have a dog in the fight either between those two. If the team a guy was gonna be a lock down LT for a decade then you take that guy. Who knows when Long comes back (week 1, week 5?) and in what state he comes back.
I like Bitonio at G quite a bit. T feet and some quickness and a Gs body. He plays LT so LG could come more naturally to him. Versatility is the thing with him.
I had the Rams signing Fernanado Velasco to replace Wells at C via FA....any opinion of him?
I love the idea of Ogletree/JL/Van Noy at LB, but again, not really a huge need if Dunbar comes back, which with Williams in the fold now I assume he will.
 

jrry32

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Looks good to me although I'm not a big HCD guy.
 

fearsomefour

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Looks good to me although I'm not a big HCD guy.
Yeah I hear ya. More of a need pick. The S class is thin in this draft supposedly. The way the draft played out I was looking to land starters with the first three picks. I was targeting Donald but thought it was too high to take him at 13, plus, his rotations would probably be limited somewhat. I figured by taking HCD we would get the top rated T (debatable with Robinson, I know) and top rated S. Another way to go could have been to take Donald at 13 and draft a S in the second round....the 2 rated guy was still there then.
I also dont think Tuitt will be there when he was, although I traded up to get him.
 

rams24/7

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I understand the NEED for a FS, but I think we can get better value at #13. Dix imo is grossly overrated. I also don't quite get you saying we resign Dunbar AND we add 2 LBs in the first 4 rounds? So we have 5 LBs? Why sign Dunbar then?
 

laramsoriginal

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Not sure why everyone is so down on HaHa. He has the athletic ability to really help the rams secondary by covering a lot of field.

I agree that I would like to see the rams trade down to the later teens to draft him. If such a trade happens and the rams end up with HaHa, rams would have upgraded the secondary tremendously.
 

fearsomefour

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I understand the NEED for a FS, but I think we can get better value at #13. Dix imo is grossly overrated. I also don't quite get you saying we resign Dunbar AND we add 2 LBs in the first 4 rounds? So we have 5 LBs? Why sign Dunbar then?
I hear ya. I am assuming Dunbar will resign with Williams on board. I would still take Van Noy as he is an upgrade to me. We have almost no LB depth. With the second OLB pick I almost went there by default, taking a CB there makes sense as well. Like I said, I went into that with a vet CB signed in FA so drafting a developmental CB was not super appealing to me.
 

fearsomefour

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Not sure why everyone is so down on HaHa. He has the athletic ability to really help the rams secondary by covering a lot of field.

I agree that I would like to see the rams trade down to the later teens to draft him. If such a trade happens and the rams end up with HaHa, rams would have upgraded the secondary tremendously.
I think it has more to do with it being a thin class at S than him so much. So, him being the number one rated guy at S doesnt mean he is not overrated, a lot of guys seem to think he is overrated.