Today's NFL, what's more valuable?

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Obviously, QB is #1. And 2 or 3 of them will get drafted in the top 5 next year.

But, is OT and DE (or 3-4 LB) clearly the next most valuable still?

Maybe it's changed with the new rules, and WR is more valuable now.

Right now, who would you rather have Calvin Johnson or a young Orlando Pace?
 
BonifayRam

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The great class act of Jackie Slater was a Right OT but he would do just great but a OLT like Orlando would be just as good...but for most others it would be a Right DE like Quinn. Not any difference between a OT & a 43 DE.

A 34 OSLB'er would not rate as high with me. Guess that just about sets up this yrs Rams/skins top five selection either its a DE Clowney or a OT Mathews if they are gone then trade down.
 
Angry Ram

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max said:
Obviously, QB is #1. And 2 or 3 of them will get drafted in the top 5 next year.

But, is OT and DE (or 3-4 LB) clearly the next most valuable still?

Maybe it's changed with the new rules, and WR is more valuable now.

Right now, who would you rather have Calvin Johnson or a young Orlando Pace?
Click to expand...

With the new rules...all posistions are becoming more important.

You need a good OL. Remember when gaurds and centers were afterthoughts...now they are front and center literally and figuartively. And WRs need to make plays. The emergence of guys like AJ Green or Megatron has teams wanting a guy like that, or @ the very least something what Denver has. And of course you need the QB.

On defense...

Pass rushers come from all over left, right, middle, secondary. So there's that. Oh and you need a never ending supply of CBs to cover said WRs.

PLUS the rookie scale makes all positions an option @ any spot in the draft (except of course for K and P).
 
max

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  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
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My thought is that OLs can be developed and coached up. You can take big men like Barkesdale who are dropped from other teams and make them competent players. It's so much to do with synergy of the entire 5 guys.

But you don't get WR1 who are dropped from other teams. These guys are out on an island. It's them one on one with the best CB.

Demoff said getting WRs in FA is not a profitable method. Outside of VJackson, there haven't been many who have done well. Then there's Drew Bennett.

You want a stud WR1? You draft him.
 
CGI_Ram

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It's a tough call... The oline protects the QB and opens up the running game.

But there are more solid tackles than stud WR like Megatron.

I'd take CJ.
 
RamFan503

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Yeah. I don't have a problem with taking a QB with one of our first picks. QBs have great value and can be a real smart investment. I don't think we need a QB but it's hard to deny the trade value we've seen for back-ups throughout the league. Personally, I think if there is a great prospect sitting there and u don't like the trade offers, you call the other teams' bluffs and snag him. Someone will pay when their QB either doesn't pan out or goes down to injury.

Now I would love to see us complete some of our units. I would like to see us complete our defensive backfield and our O-line first. A stud DT to play beside Brockers would also be nice. Everyone is so young, I frankly have no idea what we have in our receiving corp just yet. Not sure I'd like to see them go WR early unless there is an immediate impact player. I just don't know that player exists in this draft.

I love a great D-line so another monster in the middle would be great. I just think we are a little more needy at other positions.
 
Rabid Ram

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Angry Ram said:
With the new rules...all posistions are becoming more important.

You need a good OL. Remember when gaurds and centers were afterthoughts...now they are front and center literally and figuartively. And WRs need to make plays. The emergence of guys like AJ Green or Megatron has teams wanting a guy like that, or @ the very least something what Denver has. And of course you need the QB.

On defense...

Pass rushers come from all over left, right, middle, secondary. So there's that. Oh and you need a never ending supply of CBs to cover said WRs.

PLUS the rookie scale makes all positions an option @ any spot in the draft (except of course for K and P).
Click to expand...
Unless you are the Jaguars lol
 
rhinobean

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Calvin Johnson! Who's that in the 2014 draft? Sure fire, can't miss dude?
 
V3

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max said:
Obviously, QB is #1. And 2 or 3 of them will get drafted in the top 5 next year.

But, is OT and DE (or 3-4 LB) clearly the next most valuable still?

Maybe it's changed with the new rules, and WR is more valuable now.

Right now, who would you rather have Calvin Johnson or a young Orlando Pace?
Click to expand...

I'm sure the conventional answer is to say OT but if you look at all the teams that have taken an OT at the top and those players turned out to be Pro-Bowlers, I don't think many have even gone to the playoffs(if they did, they didn't go far). For example, Joe Thomas, Jake Long, Matt Kahlil, etc have all been drafted very high yet their respective teams have done nothing. Players like Okung and Clady were also drafted high but if you look a little deeper, you'll see that they've been injured and their teams haven't really missed them at all. Many of the top teams do just fine with average to solid LT play. (Here's an article I accidentally stumbled upon when looking for all the recent OT's that were taken high that agrees with me: http://mmqb.si.com/2013/10/30/nfl-offensive-tackles-rethinking-the-blind-side-and-position-value/).

Now look at all the top teams in the NFL and you'll almost always find an stud WR or TE for the QB to throw to. Baltimore, NY Giants, N.O., Green Bay, etc all had elite, or at least very good, WR's or TE's when they won.

So to answer the original question, I'd rather take the DE or WR over a LT. There's very little evidence that in today's game an elite LT is needed.
 
CGI_Ram

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This much I know... Thanksgiving Day; Mathew Stafford would have been lucky to look average without Calvin Johnson.
 
TexasRam

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I don't think there is one formula that is better than the next. A Case can be made for every position. Literally every super bowl champion teams has had a strength at all positions mentioned.

The best thing for a team to do is draft the position that makes your team better. If I am weakest at LT and serviceable at DE then i go LT. But if I a horrible at DE then an upgrade there is more important than a LT.

In the Rams case we have a HUGE need at safety, CB and WR#1 not to mention the losses in free agency that might include Saffold etc. Not sure there is a CB or safety worthy of being picked in the first half of round 1, let alone the Skins pick we have that may be within the top 5. With that pick it looks like it will be a WR#1.
 
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