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I don't see us going with Nix. Doesn't really fit our scheme that well.
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I don't see us going with Nix. Doesn't really fit our scheme that well.
max
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Great job jrry. Looks very logical and doable.
Btw, what do you think of Blake Bortles?
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Looks like a good start to me. I have never been that in to evaluating outside reading others' reports and size speed achievements. With Fishers ties to SC I think Bailey might get a look and I like Pryor.
Joyner seem maybe a little high and doesn't have the size I want. I would put Roby, Roberson, and Dennard in front of him. Based on measurables.
fearsomefour
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A big physical run stopper fits every scheme in reality, but, I know what your saying. If the Rams draft a DT and I think they need to I do not want some undersized slasher. Great, 7 sacks a year and the Rams continue to get hammered in the run game….not interested. I think the possibility of drafting Nix has risen. He does get movement in the passing game and can collapse the pocket and has fallen down to 15 or later in most mocks because of his injury. If the Rams have the chance to add the top rated DT (most rankings I have seen) that late in the first round I think that is a no brainer. If Washington continues to lose and the Rams end up with a 5 pick or higher that means the real odds of adding the top T and DT in the draft. Or trading down if someone wants to overpay to get a QB. Good spot to be in. Just keep doing what your doing in DC.
fearsomefour
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From CBS Sports site on Aaron Donald DT Pittsburgh:
"ANALYSIS
Strengths: Comes off the snap like he's shot out of a cannon. His first step routinely beats opponents for immediate pressures. Has an effective arm-over swim move, though he doesn't use this often enough. His stature gives Donald the leverage advantage which he uses well to get under the pads of opponents and drive them into the backfield on bull-rushes.
Weaknesses: As with most undersized pass-rushers, when Donald's burst is contained his short arms limit his effectiveness. Donald keeps his legs churning and plays with effort, but he can get caught up in the hand-to-hand combat."
He is also leading the country in sacks per game (1.6…..that is not a mistype) and tackles for loss (2.4). So, certainly an explosive player. But he is tiny by DT standards. Barely 6 foot (if that) and at or just under 285 lbs. We have seen players be very successful with this size in the NFL, John Randle and our own DeMarco Farr pop to mind. But, it has to be a conern.
If the Rams release Langford and draft two DTs I could see this happening:
1a Matthews
1b Nix
2 Donald
CBS has him as the 5th DT and as a second rounder. His size may drop him. I have been using Langford as the fall guy for the substandard run D for a good part of the year….not fair I know and that is based on being able to save $4M by dropping him. If the Rams keep him then Donald may be a perfect fit for the DT rotation. If the Rams trade their pick down I could see grabbing Donald. I cant see using a top 12 pick for a guy that is going to be a rotational player more than likely.
Those numbers are amazing though.
"ANALYSIS
Strengths: Comes off the snap like he's shot out of a cannon. His first step routinely beats opponents for immediate pressures. Has an effective arm-over swim move, though he doesn't use this often enough. His stature gives Donald the leverage advantage which he uses well to get under the pads of opponents and drive them into the backfield on bull-rushes.
Weaknesses: As with most undersized pass-rushers, when Donald's burst is contained his short arms limit his effectiveness. Donald keeps his legs churning and plays with effort, but he can get caught up in the hand-to-hand combat."
He is also leading the country in sacks per game (1.6…..that is not a mistype) and tackles for loss (2.4). So, certainly an explosive player. But he is tiny by DT standards. Barely 6 foot (if that) and at or just under 285 lbs. We have seen players be very successful with this size in the NFL, John Randle and our own DeMarco Farr pop to mind. But, it has to be a conern.
If the Rams release Langford and draft two DTs I could see this happening:
1a Matthews
1b Nix
2 Donald
CBS has him as the 5th DT and as a second rounder. His size may drop him. I have been using Langford as the fall guy for the substandard run D for a good part of the year….not fair I know and that is based on being able to save $4M by dropping him. If the Rams keep him then Donald may be a perfect fit for the DT rotation. If the Rams trade their pick down I could see grabbing Donald. I cant see using a top 12 pick for a guy that is going to be a rotational player more than likely.
Those numbers are amazing though.
max
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Here ya go, jrry.....
Blake Bortles QB Central Florida
TALENT BOARD ROUND 1
STRENGTHSBlake has the size, arm strength, athletic talent and football intelligence to be considered the top quarterback in this draft. He is very strong in the pocket in spite of the fact that most of the time he is in a pro spread offense. He shows on film good accuracy and anticipation when he throws the ball and is very accurate when he breaks containment and throws on the run. Blake shows excellent leadership skills, is smart and reads defenses better than most quarterbacks going in the draft. He is a lot faster than he looks because of his size and will extend the play or gain the needed yardage on third and short (or long) if he has to run. Blake has the athleticism and quick feet to play under center. Under pressure and in the pocket he doesn’t panic or speed up his arm speed causing accuracy mistakes. He is cool and makes the players around him better. Every game I have seen him in this year he improves and becomes more confident in his decision making and pre-snap reads. I call him Blake (2 guns) Bortles because he has two guns to beat you with -- his arm and his legs. Don’t forget his brain, that’s a weapon too but I don’t think three guns is as dramatic as two guns.
CONCERNS
Blake has a decision to make whether to come out or not. He is a red shirt junior and the truth is after this year he has nothing more to learn or give his team at the college level. He has more to learn about reading defense, but that’s the norm for every quarterback coming out in the draft and he is not going to get any better learning that at the college level. Blake needs to go to the next level now and I don’t say that about a lot of juniors unless they show the maturity on the field that Blake showed this year.
BOTTOM LINE
Blake’s style of play is very much like Andrew Luck’s. Same size, arm strength, accuracy, athleticism, and football intelligence. His leadership skills are excellent and he can become a franchise quarterback very quickly at the next level for the team that drafts him. A franchise quarterback is a quarterback who can open the running game up with his accurate passing. He makes teams play the safeties back and off the line because of his ability to make all the throws with accuracy and make good decisions in his pre-snap reads and under pressure. Blake has the potential to be one of those types of quarterbacks and when you think you see a player like that…you draft him and you draft him early. If I had the 1st pick in the draft and needed a quarterback, I would not hesitate to select Blake because he has that type of franchise potential and he is further along in his ability to run any style offense than most junior or senior quarterbacks in this draft. Right now Blake is way under the radar like so many other quarterbacks in this draft because of all the marketing being done by the more highly thought of college programs. The first time I saw Blake, he made the hair on the back of my neck stand up and when that happens I go deep into evaluating because I need to understand why I had that type of reaction. As of this writing I have to consider Blake as one (if not the) top quarterback in this very deep quarterback draft class. It’s early and being considered the top quarterback for me personally could change but what will not change is consideration for Blake being considered (by me) as one of the top 10 players in this draft.
Drew Boylhart Dec/2013
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I like the work but I don't think you got nearly enough value in the trades. We traded back twice and only netted two extra twos? ...or am I missing something?
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Here ya go, jrry.....
Blake Bortles QB Central Florida
TALENT BOARD ROUND 1
STRENGTHSBlake has the size, arm strength, athletic talent and football intelligence to be considered the top quarterback in this draft. He is very strong in the pocket in spite of the fact that most of the time he is in a pro spread offense. He shows on film good accuracy and anticipation when he throws the ball and is very accurate when he breaks containment and throws on the run. Blake shows excellent leadership skills, is smart and reads defenses better than most quarterbacks going in the draft. He is a lot faster than he looks because of his size and will extend the play or gain the needed yardage on third and short (or long) if he has to run. Blake has the athleticism and quick feet to play under center. Under pressure and in the pocket he doesn’t panic or speed up his arm speed causing accuracy mistakes. He is cool and makes the players around him better. Every game I have seen him in this year he improves and becomes more confident in his decision making and pre-snap reads. I call him Blake (2 guns) Bortles because he has two guns to beat you with -- his arm and his legs. Don’t forget his brain, that’s a weapon too but I don’t think three guns is as dramatic as two guns.
CONCERNS
Blake has a decision to make whether to come out or not. He is a red shirt junior and the truth is after this year he has nothing more to learn or give his team at the college level. He has more to learn about reading defense, but that’s the norm for every quarterback coming out in the draft and he is not going to get any better learning that at the college level. Blake needs to go to the next level now and I don’t say that about a lot of juniors unless they show the maturity on the field that Blake showed this year.
BOTTOM LINE
Blake’s style of play is very much like Andrew Luck’s. Same size, arm strength, accuracy, athleticism, and football intelligence. His leadership skills are excellent and he can become a franchise quarterback very quickly at the next level for the team that drafts him. A franchise quarterback is a quarterback who can open the running game up with his accurate passing. He makes teams play the safeties back and off the line because of his ability to make all the throws with accuracy and make good decisions in his pre-snap reads and under pressure. Blake has the potential to be one of those types of quarterbacks and when you think you see a player like that…you draft him and you draft him early. If I had the 1st pick in the draft and needed a quarterback, I would not hesitate to select Blake because he has that type of franchise potential and he is further along in his ability to run any style offense than most junior or senior quarterbacks in this draft. Right now Blake is way under the radar like so many other quarterbacks in this draft because of all the marketing being done by the more highly thought of college programs. The first time I saw Blake, he made the hair on the back of my neck stand up and when that happens I go deep into evaluating because I need to understand why I had that type of reaction. As of this writing I have to consider Blake as one (if not the) top quarterback in this very deep quarterback draft class. It’s early and being considered the top quarterback for me personally could change but what will not change is consideration for Blake being considered (by me) as one of the top 10 players in this draft.
Drew Boylhart Dec/2013
Yep, a lot of good stuff noted(although a few things I'd add to the concerns). I started hyping Bortles last year after the Ball State Bowl Game. I was watching for a sleeper HB that I liked named Latavius Murray. Bortles was incredible in that game. Went back, watched some film and I called him a first round lock heading into this year. He has gotten even better. He definitely has that same look and style to his game that Luck has.
I think Bortles is going to be a real good one and is criminally underrated right now.
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I disagree. Nix is a thick, squatty NT. He is an ideal scheme fit in a 3-4 as a NT or in one of the few 4-3 alignments that still uses a 2 gap NT(such as Seattle or Jax). Brockers is for all intents and purposes our NT despite him lining up at the traditional UT spot. Langford acts as more of a UT in the NT spot. It's weird but it's how our defense operates. Nix doesn't offer enough pass rush potential to be worth to us what he is to 3-4 teams.
Really, the biggest issues for our run defense have been poor tackling on the second and third levels.
As far as Donald, don't let his size mislead you. He isn't the type of guy that gets blown off the ball. He has a strong lower base, excellent balance and natural leverage. He holds his ground well and has the ability to split the gap and make plays in the back-field. Think D'Marco Farr, John Randle and Geno Atkins. All undersized players that could hold their ground and attack the back-field.
Donald is undersized...he's a slasher but he's also surprisingly effective in the parts of his game you'd expect to be weaknesses.
I typically give us less value than normal in mock trades because I don't want overdo it and give myself too many picks to work with.
NERamsFan
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Hey Max and jrry32, I'd like to chime in on Bortles if that's okay.
The guy is a poor man's Luck, seriously. They are built the same and have the knack for 4th quarter comebacks. He has a great arm and great touch/accuracy. Aside from that, the guy knows how to work in the pocket and scramble around. Not quite on kap's level in terms of speed, but the guys knows how to extend a play and make something out of nothing; a Russell Wilson-type athleticism, if you will. And also, everyone, scouts and players included, rave about his leadership. Bortles has uncanny poise for a young qb.
IF, and it may be a longshot if, the guy comes out this year, someone will be getting as steal if he is not selected in the top 10, hell, top 5. He'll most likely stay another year and be a top 5 pick next year, but if he declared this year I would have no problem having a J. Mathews-Bortles draft... One sec, gotta change my briefs after that:jerkoff::razz::razz: Our franchise's outlook would be great with those two. Future stud LT and future stud QB. When was the last time those two were picked by the same team in the same draft?:yousure:
paceram
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If the Rams do decide to draft a QB somewhere in the 2014 Draft who would you like to see them consider and what round do you think the Rams will consider drafting a QB? The three I really like are A.J. McCarron, Blake Bortles and Derek Carr and if any of them are still available when the Rams pick in the 2nd round I hope the Rams at least consider them. I hope Bradford is healthy next season and keeps improving but just in case it would be nice to draft a QB that can be a quality backup to him and take over if necessary.
NERamsFan
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Yea just seen that on ESPN here at the gym. My immediate reaction was damn, we've lost a lot of leverage for a trade down if we land a top 3 pick. But from an optimist's point of view, this could be a blessing in disguise. It could "force" us to stay in the top 3 with little trade bait sitting there, ultimately leading us to selecting Matthews and not trading down!! This makes me really happy haha:bigup:. Also, and more importantly, it could make a guy like Bortles reconsider his likelihood decision of staying in school, allowing us the chance to draft our next franchise quarterback:wink::wow::woot::nau:
fearsomefour
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I know Nix is more of a traditional NT. I know he will probably get grabbed up by a 3/4 team. I think the DTs have been inconsistent for us vs the run….very inconsistant. I agree about the tackling being spotty on the second level. I dont think players are that type cast, or need to be that type cast, into specific roles. I could see Nix collasping the pocket as much if not more than Langford.
I did read up on Donald and was impressed. For sure an explosive play making DT. Results are all that matter. He would fit the D better for sure. I think a 285 lb guy is going to have issues adjusting to dealing with 330 lb Gs. Of course a big guy like Nix could have troulbe adjusting the NFL speed also.
I am not convinced that his size wont be an issue. But, if he is there later in the first round great, grab him and keep Langford on as well. His sack numbers (1.6 per game this year) are astounding.
Memento
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If I'm grabbing a defensive tackle, it would be Ra'Shede Hageman in the first round. I believe that kid is going to be absolutely dominant in this league, and I'll be seriously bummed out if we missed on him. I like Donald too, but Hageman is my first choice.
fearsomefour
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Hadnt heard of him until he came up on this thread. Looks like a player for sure. He is listed as a second rounder by most sites I have found…..for what that is worth, everything will move around Im sure between now and May.
lasvegasrams
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Mariota staying for his junior year just made all the qbs jump. I wonder if the Rams will bite.
As for a lineman in the first round, Fisher has never done that, so it will be interesting if he finally does
Memento
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Hageman's going to shoot up the draft boards like Dontari Poe did two years ago. There are very few defensive tackles with his athleticism, height, length, and ability to penetrate into the backfield. The closest comparison I could come up with is Richard Seymour. Add him to the rotation with Michael Brockers, and you've got yourself one of the most dominant young front fours in recent memory.