Why the secret?

[PARAM]

Snead has said in the past that if he wants a player and he doesn't think he can sit in the spot he is in and get him he decides where he needs to get to and makes the deal to land in that slot.

Thats what he just did.

This tells me they know exactly which guy they want and had some intel that CLE may take that guy so they had to get to the #1 to make sure they didn't miss out. Otherwise they would have been talking to SD, Dallas or JAX because none of them are picking a QB this year. At least I would say that's a very, very safe bet they aren't.

Snead wasn't going to move up blindly, he is WAY to shrewd to do that. And he wasn't going to move up and "hope" he could get his guy. He knows who he wants and he just made sure he will get him.

This is one of a few reasons why I like Snead and am glad the Rams have him. He and Fisher are going to shut up the critics once they get the QB position settled.

Great points Les. I believe they know who they want and I believe it's Wentz. They had to trade up to #1 to assure they get him and Cleveland allegedly wanting Goff makes for a good smoke screen. My point is, they had to trade up to 1 even if they wanted Wentz and knew Cleveland wanted Goff. Why? Because they weren't going to work a trade with Cleveland. Cleveland wanted to get 'their guy'. They could have worked a trade with San Diego and though that wouldn't have cost nearly as much as the trade with Tennessee, it still would have been costly. And it would have given SF or Philadelphia the opportunity to jump ahead of them to #1. And if that meant Cleveland wanted to move down SF or Philadelphia, whichever team didn't move up to 1 could move up to #2 and get the 2nd QB.

That being said, secrets, particularly draft secrets are fun. They lend a bunch of intrigue to the draft and they may cause teams to do things they normally wouldn't. I'm glad they've put out rumors that they like Wentz....or Goff....hell put out a couple that they like Treadwell and Ramsey.

 

[bluecoconuts]

NFL wants it to be a secret. They've been harping on the media so much not to leak the pick, they want the Rams to keep it secret. They will wait the full 10 minutes as well despite knowing exactly who they want.

 

[den-the-coach]

NFL wants it to be a secret. They've been harping on the media so much not to leak the pick, they want the Rams to keep it secret. They will wait the full 10 minutes as well despite knowing exactly who they want.

That I don't mind because that 10 minutes they will be talking about only the Rams.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Hmm.. I'm already less comfortable with Wentz after reading that so many times.
Better go with Goff... ; )

First thing that came to mind when I thought of North Dakota

 

[Mackeyser]

Funny thing I said to my son yesterday .... " Do you notice Goff is still being announced as taking visits and private workouts, yet the news on Wentz has really come to a crawl in that regard?" ...... I wouldn't want "my guy" taking a risk of injury while working out for other teams who have NO shot at him ...... just sayin'......

Damn, son! That's a HUGE point! Well done!!! You're right!

Holy cow! Okay, this post is ground zero for why we need a multiple like button... X10...X100 or whatever...

Just wow. What a great observation.

Makes every bit of sense that Goff is fighting to be drafted #2 overall and thus is making visits and taking workouts and all that. All you have to do is look at what happened to Dante Fowler. Granted it was the first day of the rookie mini-camp, but still. Looking at HOW he did it, that move could EASILY have happened performing a drill.

 

[Mackeyser]

Why the secret? Well, it benefits the NFL with more interest in the draft. It benefits them, in case they find something out at the last second or their choice is hurt in a car crash or something.

What does it hurt? People would like to know sooner - but of course letting them know now means they won't enjoy draft day as much, which likely balances out. I'm a big fan of watching the draft (I miss it being two days only all weekend long) and if it were announced in advance, there would be very little reason as a Rams fan to watch the first night - this way I find out for sure, and then much of the broadcast will be analysis of the pick and which QB the Browns take.

There really is no advantage to the Rams to reveal it now.

Add in that playing ball with the NFL on this may help them in the future. They got a huge favor from the NFL, their move being approved. Since then they have agreed to be on HBO, taken 3 HOME games out of the country, and now this. If they had fought on any of them, when it came time to award future Super Bowls the NFL might have been less willing to choose LA - probably give them one, but that's it.

This is the long game the Rams are playing.

In addition, how many hundreds of millions of dollars of free media are the Los Angeles Rams getting including the NFL Network almost becoming the "Who are the Rams taking at #1" Network?

Even if the Rams are dead set on one guy, why would they give up all of that free media AND the good will that it generates with the league office and around the league really cranking up the hype machine prior to the draft?

I really don't think they aren't focused on a particular guy, although, as I said before, I still think they are going to keep grinding tape, background and every angle on both guy until the end to make sure.

That said, I feel totally comfortable that if they were on the clock right now, they could do it and very comfortably.

All of this "secrecy" and misinformation that Mike Silver acknowledged in his own reporting (while trying to insinuate that he was above it) is about really building the Los Angeles Rams as a national brand as well as synergistically feeding the Draft hype machine.

Granted, GMs around the league probably don't like it because their job would be a bit easier if they knew, but other than that, this secrecy benefits the league in just about every way.

We'll see soon enough...

 

[Mackeyser]

Great points Les. I believe they know who they want and I believe it's Wentz. They had to trade up to #1 to assure they get him and Cleveland allegedly wanting Goff makes for a good smoke screen. My point is, they had to trade up to 1 even if they wanted Wentz and knew Cleveland wanted Goff. Why? Because they weren't going to work a trade with Cleveland. Cleveland wanted to get 'their guy'. They could have worked a trade with San Diego and though that wouldn't have cost nearly as much as the trade with Tennessee, it still would have been costly. And it would have given SF or Philadelphia the opportunity to jump ahead of them to #1. And if that meant Cleveland wanted to move down SF or Philadelphia, whichever team didn't move up to 1 could move up to #2 and get the 2nd QB.

That being said, secrets, particularly draft secrets are fun. They lend a bunch of intrigue to the draft and they may cause teams to do things they normally wouldn't. I'm glad they've put out rumors that they like Wentz....or Goff....hell put out a couple that they like Treadwell and Ramsey.

As I posted before, it didn't matter who Cleveland wanted because as Peter King has reported, at least two other teams, one of them the Eagles, was in the mix with an offer to move up to #1. SF might be the other, but he wasn't sure. What I find striking is that SINCE THE TRADE, word from SF reporters is that SF may go Defense or trade down and we're getting even more firm resolve from them in keeping Kaep whereas when SF had the chance to trade up to #1, the talk was very different. SF has gone pretty quiet. They are not talked about as a trading partner to go up to two for Goff. Eagles are and now, the Cowboys are very, very much in the mix and they look like they're taking a super hard look at Goff and may even trade up to #2 to get him.

I know what Silver says. But the fact that Wentz hasn't afaik gone on any further private workouts and Goff is still going on them (ESPECIALLY because they have the same agent!) lends me to believe that Wentz is not risking further injury and is going to be the #1 pick and Goff is fighting to be the #2 pick. It would make NO SENSE if Goff was favored for Wentz to be counseled to sit and Goff to be taking private workouts.

 

[12intheBox]

One other team who had a solid offer to come to #1 was the NY Jets who were offering Mo Wilkerson as part of the package.

Who would have thought of that? Only a genius - I tell ya.

 

[Ramfansince79]

They obviously don't think so. They're at 1 so no one can trade ahead of them, including Cleveland.

IMO, trading out again to recoup picks is an admission from them that they made a mistake.

Or that they pulled one of the all-time great trade sequences in NFL history--moving up from 15 to 2 to get the franchise QB they covet and give up far less than the "trade value" chart says they should have.

 

[Mackeyser]

One other team who had a solid offer to come to #1 was the NY Jets who were offering Mo Wilkerson as part of the package.

Who would have thought of that? Only a genius - I tell ya.

They're not going to be able to pay him so why not trade him?

 

[kurtfaulk]

That I don't mind because that 10 minutes they will be talking about only the Rams.

are you sure they won't go to a commercial break?

.

 

[DR RAM]

We REALLY like both guys....says Jeff Fisher, freaking the Browns out, and if they want, not our guy, make them pay for it.

 

[den-the-coach]

are you sure they won't go to a commercial break?

.

Not that early, so yes, I am sure!

 

[Gandalf]

One other team who had a solid offer to come to #1 was the NY Jets who were offering Mo Wilkerson as part of the package.

Who would have thought of that? Only a genius - I tell ya.

I wonder if the Jets were willing to give up their entire draft to get that #1 pick?

 

[RAMbling818]

The Rams could also be doing a favor to Wentz' and Goff's agent. I'm sure their agent would love to make it appear like both guys are worthy of being the #1 pick. By keeping their pick a secret, the Rams allow both players to continue to get a considerable amount of hype as the draft approaches.

 

[Mackeyser]

The Rams could also be doing a favor to Wentz' and Goff's agent. I'm sure their agent would love to make it appear like both guys are worthy of being the #1 pick. By keeping their pick a secret, the Rams allow both players to continue to get a considerable amount of hype as the draft approaches.

That sounds like a Fisher type move. One thing another poster mentioned, Goff is still making private workouts. Wentz isn't, at least that I've heard. Which would make sense. Keep playing them up, but tell Wentz to shut it down to not risk getting hurt. Have Goff keep pounding the pavement trying to get that #2 pick.

 

[dolphinlover123]

That sounds like a Fisher type move. One thing another poster mentioned, Goff is still making private workouts. Wentz isn't, at least that I've heard. Which would make sense. Keep playing them up, but tell Wentz to shut it down to not risk getting hurt. Have Goff keep pounding the pavement trying to get that #2 pick.

Do you guys have any general ideas about what kind of stuff goes on in the private workouts? If so, how would they get hurt from these private workouts? I'm curious as to what kind of risk you are talking about?

I do get your point though. That maybe if the Rams told Wentz that they are 100% picking him for the #1 pick, Wentz would stop going to these private workouts. But I'm still a little iffy about that too.

 

[Ramhusker]

As I posted before, it didn't matter who Cleveland wanted because as Peter King has reported, at least two other teams, one of them the Eagles, was in the mix with an offer to move up to #1. SF might be the other, but he wasn't sure. What I find striking is that SINCE THE TRADE, word from SF reporters is that SF may go Defense or trade down and we're getting even more firm resolve from them in keeping Kaep whereas when SF had the chance to trade up to #1, the talk was very different. SF has gone pretty quiet. They are not talked about as a trading partner to go up to two for Goff. Eagles are and now, the Cowboys are very, very much in the mix and they look like they're taking a super hard look at Goff and may even trade up to #2 to get him.

I know what Silver says. But the fact that Wentz hasn't afaik gone on any further private workouts and Goff is still going on them (ESPECIALLY because they have the same agent!) lends me to believe that Wentz is not risking further injury and is going to be the #1 pick and Goff is fighting to be the #2 pick. It would make NO SENSE if Goff was favored for Wentz to be counseled to sit and Goff to be taking private workouts.

Unless, they are playing the ol "bait and switch" on everyone. Hmmmmmm :shades:. This is fun!

 

[12intheBox]

I wonder if the Jets were willing to give up their entire draft to get that #1 pick?

At least - and almost certainly much much more out of future years drafts.