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Offensive line still needs addressing as Rams head to day two
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-ra...till-needs-addressing-as-rams-head-to-day-two
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-ra...till-needs-addressing-as-rams-head-to-day-two
EARTH CITY, Mo. -- As St. Louis Rams coach Jeff Fisher and general manager Les Snead discussed the decision to spend the No. 10 overall pick on Georgia running back Todd Gurley on Thursday night, the question hovered over them like the constant cloud that surrounded Pigpen in the old "Peanuts" comic strip.
Fisher and Snead dutifully ticked off the many reasons they loved Gurley and pointed to him as a "special" talent capable of turning a woeful offense on its ear. But before the Rams' power duo could retreat back to their upstairs draft room at Rams Park, the question came.
"So, who is going to block for him?"
It's a question that could have been asked in relation to any Rams running back or quarterback over the past couple of months. The Rams' need for help on the offensive line has been well-documented, but for those who might have missed it, they have glaring needs at center, guard and right tackle.
Snead was quick to respond to the query.
"We’ve drafted some people in the past and they did make this thing a three-day event. I didn’t decide that, so we have got to live through Friday and Saturday," Snead said. "So we’ll see if we can help improve that position there. We’ll still let the board guide us but we’re well aware (of the need)."
Of the players returning, only guard Rodger Saffold started on opening day last season and left tackle Greg Robinson is the only other projected starter with any sort of extensive experience. The Rams released tackle Jake Long and center Scott Wells on the eve of free agency in March.
Snead and Fisher have said multiple times that they could get by with one of the trio of Barrett Jones, Tim Barnes and Demetrius Rhaney handling the center job in 2015. A reunion with Wells later on also can't be ruled out.
But even if that's the case, the Rams still need to find a minimum of two starters on the offensive line. There remain a couple of obvious possibilities in free agency, including the possible re-signing of tackle Joe Barksdale and/or the addition of guard Justin Blalock.
The Rams have remained in contact with both players, but with a little less than $10 million in cap space and a rookie class to sign, they might not be able to afford both. Which means Friday night's second and third rounds could prove pivotal in how the Rams construct the offensive line moving forward.
During the pre-draft process the Rams are known to have brought in 12 offensive line prospects. Seven offensive linemen went in Thursday's first round, five of whom paid pre-draft visits to Rams Park.
That still leaves seven linemen who visited St. Louis -- South Carolina's A.J. Cann, Pittsburgh's T.J. Clemmings, Louisville's Jamon Brown, LSU's La'el Collins, Arizona State's Jamil Douglas, Florida State's Tre Jackson and Hobart's Ali Marpet -- available heading into Friday's proceedings. And that doesn't include Wisconsin's Rob Havenstein and Missouri's Mitch Morse, both of whom are known to have received interest from the Rams.
Other linemen that also rate highly and are still available include Oregon tackle Jake Fisher and Penn State tackle Donovan Smith, among others.
No matter which names the Rams turn in Friday, it's probably a safe bet that they'll be calling at least one offensive lineman's. Given the need, it wouldn't surprise if they doubled down upfront.
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-ra...till-needs-addressing-as-rams-head-to-day-two
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-ra...till-needs-addressing-as-rams-head-to-day-two
EARTH CITY, Mo. -- As St. Louis Rams coach Jeff Fisher and general manager Les Snead discussed the decision to spend the No. 10 overall pick on Georgia running back Todd Gurley on Thursday night, the question hovered over them like the constant cloud that surrounded Pigpen in the old "Peanuts" comic strip.
Fisher and Snead dutifully ticked off the many reasons they loved Gurley and pointed to him as a "special" talent capable of turning a woeful offense on its ear. But before the Rams' power duo could retreat back to their upstairs draft room at Rams Park, the question came.
"So, who is going to block for him?"
It's a question that could have been asked in relation to any Rams running back or quarterback over the past couple of months. The Rams' need for help on the offensive line has been well-documented, but for those who might have missed it, they have glaring needs at center, guard and right tackle.
Snead was quick to respond to the query.
"We’ve drafted some people in the past and they did make this thing a three-day event. I didn’t decide that, so we have got to live through Friday and Saturday," Snead said. "So we’ll see if we can help improve that position there. We’ll still let the board guide us but we’re well aware (of the need)."
Of the players returning, only guard Rodger Saffold started on opening day last season and left tackle Greg Robinson is the only other projected starter with any sort of extensive experience. The Rams released tackle Jake Long and center Scott Wells on the eve of free agency in March.
Snead and Fisher have said multiple times that they could get by with one of the trio of Barrett Jones, Tim Barnes and Demetrius Rhaney handling the center job in 2015. A reunion with Wells later on also can't be ruled out.
But even if that's the case, the Rams still need to find a minimum of two starters on the offensive line. There remain a couple of obvious possibilities in free agency, including the possible re-signing of tackle Joe Barksdale and/or the addition of guard Justin Blalock.
The Rams have remained in contact with both players, but with a little less than $10 million in cap space and a rookie class to sign, they might not be able to afford both. Which means Friday night's second and third rounds could prove pivotal in how the Rams construct the offensive line moving forward.
During the pre-draft process the Rams are known to have brought in 12 offensive line prospects. Seven offensive linemen went in Thursday's first round, five of whom paid pre-draft visits to Rams Park.
That still leaves seven linemen who visited St. Louis -- South Carolina's A.J. Cann, Pittsburgh's T.J. Clemmings, Louisville's Jamon Brown, LSU's La'el Collins, Arizona State's Jamil Douglas, Florida State's Tre Jackson and Hobart's Ali Marpet -- available heading into Friday's proceedings. And that doesn't include Wisconsin's Rob Havenstein and Missouri's Mitch Morse, both of whom are known to have received interest from the Rams.
Other linemen that also rate highly and are still available include Oregon tackle Jake Fisher and Penn State tackle Donovan Smith, among others.
No matter which names the Rams turn in Friday, it's probably a safe bet that they'll be calling at least one offensive lineman's. Given the need, it wouldn't surprise if they doubled down upfront.
