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Countdown to Combine: St. Louis Rams OTs
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/16173/countdown-to-combine-st-louis-rams-2
A closer look at the areas the St. Louis Rams could address in the draft. We continue today with a look at the offensive tackles, which are scheduled to work out Thursday in Indianapolis.
Position of need: Offensive tackle. Left tackle Jake Long is coming off his second consecutive major ACL injury and is a likely cap casualty or at least a candidate to come back at a much cheaper rate. Even if he does, the Rams are already committed to Greg Robinson as their left tackle. Right tackle Joe Barksdale is a free agent and unless his market proves to come in lower than expected, he too could be gone. Either way, the Rams would be wise to look for help at tackle. In 2014, they allowed sacks on 8.7 percent of dropbacks against four or fewer pass-rushers, highest in the NFL. Overall the Rams allowed pressure (a sack or duress) on 33 percent of their dropbacks last season, third highest in the NFL.
Three players the Rams could target in the draft:
Brandon Scherff (OT), Iowa: Early returns from the pundits indicate that Scherff is the best offensive lineman in this year's draft class. Although pundit opinions and team opinions can often differ, Scherff seems to be a logical fit for a team like the Rams should he last to their pick at No. 10. At 6-foot-4 and 320 pounds, Scherff has drawn comparisons to Zack Martin as a player who could plug in at tackle or guard right away and make an impact. The big thing for the Rams and Scherff this week will be getting a full look at his medical history. The combine is best for getting medical information and Scherff has had some issues, including a reported broken fibula and dislocated right ankle in 2012.
La'el Collins (OT), LSU: Collins could be considered a guard as well and played guard and tackle in college but we'll put him here because, like Scherff, he could be appealing for the Rams because of that versatility. Collins is 6-foot-4 and 308 pounds, which makes him something of a 'tweener. He's a little on the short side for tackle but not as heavy as a guard. It shouldn't be a problem for him but keep an eye on his measurements and his bench press in Indy.
Ereck Flowers (OT), Miami: Flowers figures to stand out as the prototype for what teams are looking for in a tackle. He's listed at 6-foot-6 and 325 pounds with long arms and good agility. Flowers is a big, tough tackle who looks on tape like the type of player who would fit in well with the Rams. There are a few questions about his quickness and some think he's a bit raw but the Rams haven't shied away from players who need some fine tuning in the past. They'll need to figure out where those tune-ups might be needed before moving forward on him as a prospect.
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/16173/countdown-to-combine-st-louis-rams-2
A closer look at the areas the St. Louis Rams could address in the draft. We continue today with a look at the offensive tackles, which are scheduled to work out Thursday in Indianapolis.
Position of need: Offensive tackle. Left tackle Jake Long is coming off his second consecutive major ACL injury and is a likely cap casualty or at least a candidate to come back at a much cheaper rate. Even if he does, the Rams are already committed to Greg Robinson as their left tackle. Right tackle Joe Barksdale is a free agent and unless his market proves to come in lower than expected, he too could be gone. Either way, the Rams would be wise to look for help at tackle. In 2014, they allowed sacks on 8.7 percent of dropbacks against four or fewer pass-rushers, highest in the NFL. Overall the Rams allowed pressure (a sack or duress) on 33 percent of their dropbacks last season, third highest in the NFL.
Three players the Rams could target in the draft:
Brandon Scherff (OT), Iowa: Early returns from the pundits indicate that Scherff is the best offensive lineman in this year's draft class. Although pundit opinions and team opinions can often differ, Scherff seems to be a logical fit for a team like the Rams should he last to their pick at No. 10. At 6-foot-4 and 320 pounds, Scherff has drawn comparisons to Zack Martin as a player who could plug in at tackle or guard right away and make an impact. The big thing for the Rams and Scherff this week will be getting a full look at his medical history. The combine is best for getting medical information and Scherff has had some issues, including a reported broken fibula and dislocated right ankle in 2012.
La'el Collins (OT), LSU: Collins could be considered a guard as well and played guard and tackle in college but we'll put him here because, like Scherff, he could be appealing for the Rams because of that versatility. Collins is 6-foot-4 and 308 pounds, which makes him something of a 'tweener. He's a little on the short side for tackle but not as heavy as a guard. It shouldn't be a problem for him but keep an eye on his measurements and his bench press in Indy.
Ereck Flowers (OT), Miami: Flowers figures to stand out as the prototype for what teams are looking for in a tackle. He's listed at 6-foot-6 and 325 pounds with long arms and good agility. Flowers is a big, tough tackle who looks on tape like the type of player who would fit in well with the Rams. There are a few questions about his quickness and some think he's a bit raw but the Rams haven't shied away from players who need some fine tuning in the past. They'll need to figure out where those tune-ups might be needed before moving forward on him as a prospect.
