About this draft.

[OldSchool]

I was going to look these up. This saves a lot of effort. Surprisingly overall low grades for the Rams considering the reviews I read on each pick. At least MMQB gave the Rams an A.

Universally downgraded because no 1st round pick but they won't count Ramsey for us unlike say the Colts where they get credited for trading for Buckner.

 

[Merlin]

One thing of note about Anchrum is the way Caldwell crosstrains his group at different positions much like Kromer does. So it would not surprise me if the Rams were to try him at Center, in fact he seems to fit better there to my old school perception of Centers being all short and squatty like a dwarf warrior in plate mail with an oversized shield.

Ok so had a nerd moment there. But I do think I'd try him there at the least and if he shows well and helps on teams he might find himself with a depth job so he can learn the calls.

 

[Loyal]

My biggest issue with Snead has been how many picks (several prime) has he spent on RBs, going all the way back to 2012 when he spent 2--and best one he picked up was an UDFA?

Gurley was obviously the best, most productive; but it was ultimately not cost effective due to that premature extension.

The 2017 draft was a monster draft. People forget how JJ3 was due to explode and have a monster season. Reynolds would start on a lotta teams. Not everybody is as deep as the Rams at WR. Just take a look. Kupp was gonna be a star for anybody who wasn't looking for a deep threat/highlight reel. All he does is catch passes--A LOT.
...but another RB bombed out of that draft too.

Friendof Todd, will you change your user name to FriendofCam?

 

[Merlin]

From Deadpool off the Herd Board...This is should change his name to Grace, because he's simply amazing.

Yes I'm a big fan of both him and alyo and have read them for years. They both do incredibly deep dives don't know where they find the time.

We're pretty blessed as Rams fans IMO. I think the years of losing and the draft being our Super Bowl created an environment of draft awareness that is a little better than the fan bases of some other teams. Just visiting some other teams' boards shows that I think. But guys like them definitely lead the charge.

 

[ReekofRams]

We are all here to share opinions.

I learn more about the team from you guys than anywhere else. More about the NFL, college, the inner workings of plays and coaching.

All of it...

That’s the power of a cool community.

As a bonus; Boobies and really important stuff like that.

But I don’t have any boobies.

 

[Angry Ram]

My biggest issue with Snead has been how many picks (several prime) has he spent on RBs, going all the way back to 2012 when he spent 2--and best one he picked up was an UDFA?

Gurley was obviously the best, most productive; but it was ultimately not cost effective due to that premature extension.

Umm, Daryl Richardson, Zac Stacy, and John Kelley were or are 5th round and beyonds; I wouldn't call those "prime picks". Its very hard for me to get on board the criticism of Les Snead with those dime a dozen picks.

Tre Mason developed mental issues; something that never came up during college. Not sure how you can criticize a GM for something that would happen 2 years later.

Todd Gurley's payday wasn't premature. He had come off a great bounce back year and followed up with a legendary 2018 season. Injuries and attitude later he gets cut it happens. Again, not sure how can get on the team for something that would happen in the future.

 

[MauiRam]

"About this draft"

The first three guys drafted have solid film/track records in college. There are a couple with NFL bloodlines which more often than not transition well into the NFL. This draft is a far cry from days of yonder when the Rams seemed besotted with numbers generated at the Combine. Remember Gaston Green? Brian Quick? More recently Tavon Austin comes to mind. Then there was Greg Robinson who could bench press a Buick, but couldn’t even remember the snap count – same with with Alex Barron who managed 22 false starts in his first 2 seasons with the Rams. All were high first round picks with the exception of Brian Quick who was the first player picked in round two om 2012.

Our draft may not be shiny like a new penny, but the emphasis on acquiring “smart football players” will pan out over time. I am happy with our first 3 picks, and am cautiously optimistic with the remainder. Time will tell.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

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I don’t recall Cap ever being scared to do anything.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Correct - you have no credibility.
...well, except that you admit that fact.

Say something positive about the Rams...anything...I'll take "I like the weather in CA"...something.

Maybe none with you, but the feeling is mutual.

 

[1maGoh]

I don’t recall Cap ever being scared to do anything.

Well that was definitely in the movie, not that he was afraid at that time, so I'm not sure if this is the world's worst internet tough guy impression or if you really meant to hijack this thread to discuss comics and the contradictory nature of bravery...

But I like the second one more and I try to believe in the internet goodness of people (sometimes). Anyway, I'd disagree. I think Cap did know fear. Cap wasn't stupid, and when facing all the things he did, only the stupid people aren't afraid. It's the willingness to stand up and do what you believe is right anyway that makes someone brave. And Cap was brave, beyond a doubt.

Contrast that to a character like the Hulk and you can see the difference. Until Smart Hulk came along, he didn't know any fear. He wasn't brave, he was immune.

Tony Stark on the other hand, is also mostly not brave. He thinks he's so damn answer he doesn't have anything to fear. When he finds out he's wrong his world crumbles. Sometimes, more common in comics and TV shows, he needs encouragement from his brave friends. In the MCU he would do crazy shit, say things he shouldn't in venues he shouldn't, and double down on the "no really I'm smarter than all of you" and usually make situations worse.

What are your thoughts on that?

 

[iamme33]

Universally downgraded because no 1st round pick but they won't count Ramsey for us unlike say the Colts where they get credited for trading for Buckner.

don't know but maybe buckner trade was completed in one year and ramsey is a two year deal. you are right if both are two year deals there is some bias involed by someone.

 

[Memento]

It's the willingness to stand up and do what you believe is right anyway that makes someone brave. And Cap was brave, beyond a doubt.

I say that the real hero of the entire saga...was the kid in Winter Soldier at the computer who had the choice of either obeying Rumlow, sending the killer satellites into the sky and killing off everyone who could be a threat to Hydra (including, if you believe Jasper Sitwell, Stephen Strange and Spiderman)...or potentially getting a bullet in the head by Rumlow (who had a gun to his head if I do recall correctly).

What does the kid say?

"Sorry...Captain's orders."

He wasn't a superhero, didn't have any super powers...but that moment of bravery might've saved everyone. Without him, Thanos - and numerous other supervillains - wins.

 

[ReddingRam]

My biggest issue with Snead has been how many picks (several prime) has he spent on RBs, going all the way back to 2012 when he spent 2--and best one he picked up was an UDFA?

Gurley was obviously the best, most productive; but it was ultimately not cost effective due to that premature extension.

The 2017 draft was a monster draft. People forget how JJ3 was due to explode and have a monster season. Reynolds would start on a lotta teams. Not everybody is as deep as the Rams at WR. Just take a look. Kupp was gonna be a star for anybody who wasn't looking for a deep threat/highlight reel. All he does is catch passes--A LOT.
...but another RB bombed out of that draft too.

I heard Gil Brandt once say "you draft a CB and a RB in every draft. you can never have enough of them and they are the quickest to get on the field".

 

[ReddingRam]

One thing of note about Anchrum is the way Caldwell crosstrains his group at different positions much like Kromer does. So it would not surprise me if the Rams were to try him at Center, in fact he seems to fit better there to my old school perception of Centers being all short and squatty like a dwarf warrior in plate mail with an oversized shield.

Ok so had a nerd moment there. But I do think I'd try him there at the least and if he shows well and helps on teams he might find himself with a depth job so he can learn the calls.

Snead mentioned on Sirius XM today that he can play both G and C. Never said where he got that from, but that is where they are looking to move him to is IOL. He will learn/compete at both positions

 

[1maGoh]

I heard Gil Brandt once say "you draft a CB and a RB in every draft. you can never have enough of them and they are the quickest to get on the field".

It seems to me that if they are the quickest to get on the field you wouldn't need to get one every year. The players that take a long time to develop should be drafted every year so you have a steady pipeline of talent. Now clearly Gil Brandt of better at this than I am, but I'm just breaking out down how I see it.

 

[ReddingRam]

It seems to me that if they are the quickest to get on the field you wouldn't need to get one every year. The players that take a long time to develop should be drafted every year so you have a steady pipeline of talent. Now clearly Gil Brandt of better at this than I am, but I'm just breaking out down how I see it.

Well ... pertaining to the RB position ... it is also the smallest "life span'. But you can also draft, use and replace easiest ... so in today's NFL, that makes sense. We never should have paid that contract to Gurley

 

[Merlin]

Snead mentioned on Sirius XM today that he can play both G and C. Never said where he got that from, but that is where they are looking to move him to is IOL. He will learn/compete at both positions

Awesome.

 

[bluecoconuts]

Spider-Man > Captain America

 

[1maGoh]

Spider-Man > Captain America

That's a matter of debate and perspective.

 

[PhillyRam]

I started what I thought was "deep diving" into the NFL draft in '89 because the Rams had traded my favorite player (#29) and were sitting flush that spring with a windfall of picks. It was the first year I ordered the "Scout's Handbook" from Joel Buschbaum, and I recall clearly opening its magical orange cover and digesting what at that time was one of very few options to attain an inside line on the evaluation of the players.

So enter draft day and I'm feeling that excitement we're all so familiar with, the hope that our team will load up and this will be the draft that starts a dynasty with our young QB Jim Everett at the helm. Rams' picks start rolling in...

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Good times. Honestly I should have divested myself of this habit after that, or at the least in the first few years of the early 90s, but a funny thing happened.... After a fantastic playoff run in '89 the draft became my Super Bowl because the Rams were dogshit for the first 9 years of the decade. The fact that they drafted like a fucking dumpster fire was beside the point, because it took a few years to really know for sure. Well, ok, to be fair it didn't take that long given how bad we drafted but you get the idea.

Over the years I've encountered fans who want to agree with every pick the team makes. Fans who find reasons to hate almost every pick. And then the biggest group which is the fans who have their favorites because they saw more of their games and were more familiar with the prospects. Most of us are in that last group tbh. Because the truth is the NFL teams know more about these guys than we do, they get to sit down with not only the player but his coaching staff, teachers/professors, people around the team, etc, as well as nearly unlimited tape of even the small school kids. And they know what they're looking for, what skills they want to prioritize.

So basically the team does know better than we do. But that doesn't mean they're always right and in fact history has shown the draft is a fucking crap shoot. And I'll add this... Fans, for all our bluster and insanity, put more emphasis on the game film because it's all we have. And sometimes the game film is right.

Bottom line here is I have realized the fun part is the journey (you can do this all year) not the actual destination of whether the team has an epic draft. And so, frustrating though it is to have the WR you want (Rison) go off the board to the Colts one pick after your team took a bust DE named Bill Hawkins, even though you might snap your tv controller in half over it and then be cursed to watch him go on to a fine career in another team's colors, I think the key is trying to sit back and enjoy the moment. Or maybe that's my age speaking idk.

I remember loving that 89' draft. All year i loved Gary at Miami. Thought he would be a great complete back.

Hawkins was at least going to be a solid 8-10 sack guy. But i really loved the Brian Smith pick from out of Auburn. Auburn's D was great that year, and I thought Smith was a steal.

Well, Gary couldn't hold onto the football.

Hawkins blew out his knee early on... In fact i think he did it twice eventually.

And Smith was a bust.... Could never make a play.

So yeah you never know what will happen.