No Secret Rams going young on the OL

[CeeDub]

The Rams passed on some of the bigger names on OL in FA like Iupati and Franklin and signed lower level FA Garrett Reynolds, not sure if Blalock is still in play and not if sure Rams are bringing back Barksdale, it appears the writing might be on the wall that the Rams will finally invest higher draft choices on premium OL prospects which would be the smart way to go knowing the depth of the OL prospects this year and the success of Zack Martin and Joel Bitinio last year. Also, we have quite a bit of our young talent on offense and defense will be coming up for FA in 2016 and 2017 so we can't be weighed down with high salaries at multiple positions, plus we have thrown a lot of money at the OL in past 3 years and it hasn't panned out for us, so why not invest in OL in draft. Another thing that is important for us this year is getting tough and physical lineman as we have been man handled by the interior lines of 49ers, Seahawks, and Cardinals, remember the final Cardinals game last year, the DT were in our backfield all game we can't continue to have that happen if we want to get out of the basement of the NFC West and make playoffs.

If we do not bring back Barksdale then we will need to find day one starters for LG and RT and we can accomplish that out of our selections in Rounds 1 - 2. I wouldn't be surprised if we dipped into OL with at least three of our 6 selections this year.

1st Round

G/T
Schreff - Cignetti had Mankins at Fresno State so this would be no surprise
L. Collins - people are forgetting about this guy, he could be better than Schreff overall

T
Flowers - mean and nasty, technique is an issue but we have Boudreau
Clemmings - this guy has great potential but is not ready to start, he is at least year away
Peat - not in love with this guy, but has tree trunks for thighs, view him more as left tackle

2nd Round

G/T
Arie Kouandijo - he will be way better than his brother, very intelligent, very good in support of his center and left tackle, he is day 1 plug an play player
AJ Cann - tough and solid, not All Pro, could be just a younger Justin Blalock
Laken Tomlinson - tough kid who handled Shelton at Senior Bowl and would great for us to handle the tough interior DT we face in NFC West
Donovan Smith - really like this kid, tough and nasty and had solid Senior Bowl week
Daryl Williams - tough and solid, just gets the job done, maybe a little smaller version of Phil Loadholt

I am sure my Rams brothers/sisters have some more on your lists but these are just a few I like and think we should target.

 

[SierraRam]

I like where you're going here @CeeDub - One thing I learned doing our Mock draft last month, there are a bunch of very good OL prospects in this draft. I hope your right and we go OL early and often! Like a lot of people on this forum, I'm in favor of trading out of #10, and moving to the 15 - 20 range and snagging Cam Erving. If we get another 2nd or 3rd, we can get fill out our line with starters and quality depth.

Along with Erving, I'd love to get two of the following: Erick Flowers, T.J. Clemmings, Tre Jackson, Cann, Tomlinson, Donovan Smith, Mitch Morse, Ty Sambrailo, Rob Havenstein

Arie Kouandijo is talented enough to surpass his brother, but his injury history is scary!

 

[Merlin]

Couldn't agree more.

Our need at OL is so bad that many of us have tired of discussing it and have moved on to dreaming of WR, RB, and even defense.

But Fish is practical and now that his defense is on the cusp my hope is they go with young, cheap, and high talent options at last to finish up this OL.

Could be Scherff. Could be Flowers. Could be Collins and the Rams may move down and take one of them. But whoever it is I see them taking the guy they believe can be their future RT.

Then go get OG in round 2 or 3 depending on QB, trade down pick, etc.

 

[PressureD41]

Hopefully we are able to trade down twice in Rd 1 and build an OL that can be equal to the talent we have on our DL.. Simply put we gotta win in the trenches.
trade down to approx 15, then again into early 20's. In the 20's is the sweet spot for OL value imho

 

[shaunpinney]

I'd like to see us move back and pick up Scherff in R2 and maybe look at picking up AJ Cann or Ty Sambraillo in R2, but I doubt we'll go O-line in 1 and 2.

 

[Memphis Ram]

If we do not bring back Barksdale then we will need to find day one starters for LG and RT and we can accomplish that out of our selections in Rounds 1 - 2. I wouldn't be surprised if we dipped into OL with at least three of our 6 selections this year.

IMO, the Rams could find day one starters for LG & RT in rounds 3 & 4, too.

 

[LumberTubs]

I'd like to see us move back and pick up Scherff in R2 and maybe look at picking up AJ Cann or Ty Sambraillo in R2, but I doubt we'll go O-line in 1 and 2.

I don't think Scherff will be available in round 2. For some reason, people think he's the best o line prospect in the draft despite the fact that any decent NFL DE/DT will push him backwards over and over and over again and then, in the case of DE's, beat him inside at will. Just my opinion obviously.

 

[shaunpinney]

I don't think Scherff will be available in round 2. For some reason, people think he's the best o line prospect in the draft despite the fact that any decent NFL DE/DT will push him backwards over and over and over again and then, in the case of DE's, beat him inside at will. Just my opinion obviously.

Apologies, that should have read in Round 1 - AJ Cann or Sabraillio in 2

 

[Big Game]

I like what your predicting for drafting OL, but remember this FO is known for drafting the "BPA". So if someone like Amari Cooper is sitting there at 10 i think they take him. But i do agree 3 out of six picks may be for the OL.

 

[snackdaddy]

If the Rams are going with 1st and 2nd year players on the line, you gotta expect ups and downs in 2015. Might have to wait until 2016 before we see any real improvement. Hope Foles can hold up.

 

[FRO]

I have no problem going young on the offensive line, but don't expect playoffs if we do so. Aaron Donald had an outstanding rookie year, but he didn't hit his stride until a quarter to a half of the season was over. Greg Robinson didn't even play for a good portion of games. Rookies rarely come out of the blocks at full speed. So if we go young expect some rough play in the first quarter of the season, then expect that rookie wall to hit near the end of the year. We don't have a huge margin of error with the likes of Arizona and Seattle in the division.

The bottom line is we have failed over the last 3 years to really build the offensive line. That's should have been the primary objective on offense. They built a great defensive line and it has catapulted their defense to near elite level.

 

[BonifayRam]

You would be Mr.Magoo without his glasses not to see a heavy need in the OL for the Rams in this draft. I believe Snead stands excellent chance to receive some very good offers to trade back down from the top #10 pick. Snead's team has been consistent in fielding for 3 straight seasons nasty poor OFFENSIVE teams. With the OL being the major weakness. The way I see it the only big talented offensive prospects that stands to be a solid great pick is one of the top 2 WR's (Cooper & White).

Unless Snead can inject some outstanding talent into this current OL cadre, Fisher 4th straight loosing season is already well on its way for 2015 even if they go BPA WR. Thinking you can get a 3rd rd OG or maybe even a second OL like a 4th rd OT does very little in preventing another losing season with this current OL. Its still a loosing season but a great BPA advocates members will be delighted with just having selected the BPA. Even with Donald BPA & awards Fisher continued his downward trending loosing record with only winning 6 games & landing on the bottom of his division. I wonder what an all pro ORG Zack Martin starting in place of dismal Davin Joseph in 2014 would have done as far as winning games & even better what better position it would an all pro ORG put us in with our OL crisis today.

Snead has had over 30 draft selections in 3 NFL drafts & only has ONE starting OL to show. Of the 14 first & second day draft selections he has only utilized one pick on the OL. Looks like the lack of attention in this OL has come home to roost.

Snead will also be looking at many top defensive prospects that will have Fisher in a drooling defensive high. Problem is most of these talented defense prospects look to fit 34 defenses -->{NT, DE & OSLB'ers} plus the top CB. But they could fall into the BPA category.

IMO this scenario will be sitting up the BPA vs. the possible excellent trade offers that should be TEMPTING Snead. Some of those playoff teams who have a bounty of draft selections in this draft could be drooling to offer up a couple of second day draft picks along with a late round first round pick to have the opportunity to get one of those 34 defense prospects or that WR Cooper or White.

As I see it if the Rams do the trade down it would provide Snead the ammo to move around to get the OL prospects that fit what Bou wants & provides many more opportunities to secure a BPA on the Rams board. Are BPA's only used in the first round? Why not get a few more opportunities at the BPA in rounds 2 & 3?

Most all those best talented OL'ers should be grouped tightly from around (1st-rd.)#25 thru (3rd-rd.)#95. Of course I would favor having five selections during the first two days of the draft than to just adding another WR that will be very hard to fully utilize with one of NFL weakest Offensive Lines.

 

[junkman]

Great post, @CeeDub , I like how your mind works.

The fact that the Rams haven't been moving more strongly means a few things in my mind:

1. Exactly as you say, the Rams will be drafting OL early and often. No need for me to add on more than what you said here about the first 2 rounds.
2. The Rams have more faith in a their youngsters than we do (because we don't see them play every day). B Jones, Rhaney, Washington... perhaps the Rams staff thinks there is a starter in the group.
3. The Rams don't mind taking OL later in the draft. Let's not forget, once upon a time it was unheard of to take an OG or C in the first 3 rounds. Yeah, times have changed, but you can still find quality OL deep in the draft.

 

[BonifayRam]

times have changed, but you can still find quality OL deep in the draft.

Yes your 100% true with other 31 NFL teams.

But I have been busy trying to find or discover any factual evidence to indicate that the above statement can be applied to the Rams with Fisher & Snead duo?

I just hope the Rams don't pass on superior talent because they're now forced to take OL.

I sure hope Fisher does not pass on a chance to greatly improve the non functioning OL unit in order to secure another talented WR.

 

[V3]

I just hope the Rams don't pass on superior talent because they're now forced to take OL.

 

[Tailback]

Jake Fisher earned rave reviews at the Oregon pro day.

 

[junkman]

I have been busy trying to find or discover any factual evidence to indicate that the above statement can be applied to the Rams with Fisher & Snead duo? Yes your 100% true with other NFL teams but I just can't find it with Fisher.

True enough. They seem to have preferred FAs (Wells and Long) and reclamation projects (Barksdale, Mike Person, Brandon Washington, Travis Bond) over their own draft picks. Kinda depends on what happens with BJones and Rhaney. Once you get into those late round picks (Person, Bond, Rhaney...), nabbing someone with promising attributes from another team's practice squad is just as good as drafting them. It helps that you get some pre-season tape on them.

PS - Travis Bond is a free agent, I kinda liked what I saw of him with the Rams and would not mind seeing him get another chance.

 

[DaveFan'51]

Hopefully we are able to trade down twice in Rd 1 and build an OL that can be equal to the talent we have on our DL.. Simply put we gotta win in the trenches.
trade down to approx 15, then again into early 20's. In the 20's is the sweet spot for OL value imho

If we trade down TWICE those picks we get better be Good/High ones!!

IMO, the Rams could find day one starters for LG & RT in rounds 3 & 4, too.

The way O-Lineman have tended to go in the 1st and 2nd rounds, over the past few years, I doubt seriously any of the Plug and Play / Day one starters will make it to the 3rd and 4th rounds. JMO!

 

[BonifayRam]

If we trade down TWICE those picks we get better be Good/High ones!!

The way O-Lineman have tended to go in the 1st and 2nd rounds, over the past few years, I doubt seriously any of the Plug and Play / Day one starters will make it to the 3rd and 4th rounds. JMO!

There is a very big reason that OL'ers go higher than there grades or their projected rounds to go.

Constant Injuries to starting NFL OL is one very big reason ...Ol'ers take serious attrition. Thus they just seems to be a great need for decent OL'ers but it just seems that the defense skill & talent level of these college defensive players (front seven) are so much better quality & add that the amount of them is also high in comparison to the OL'ers.

I am sure many think differently but IMO the bottom line defensive players are just better complete ready to play football players overall coming out.

 

[rking4441]

Nick Wagoner ✔ @nwagoner Follow
Fisher said initial asking price for Barksdale was a little surprising but that has settled some and now "it makes sense to get Joe back."

10:39 AM - 25 Mar 2015

Nick Wagoner ✔ @nwagoner Follow
A couple more things from Fisher on the OL: He acknowledged that there are "some things" they could still do in FA, not just Barksdale.

11:35 AM - 25 Mar 2015


Nick Wagoner ✔ @nwagoner Follow
Fisher again expresses confidence in Barrett Jones and mentions second-year Demetrius Rhaney as an option at center.

11:39 AM - 25 Mar 2015

https://twitter.com/nwagoner/status/580740745855815681