Edwards starting at LG this Sunday!!!

[Elmgrovegnome]

Expectations...

But that is my point. You are not even giving him the first year. You are giving him 6 games (In which he hasn't played). Basically, what I am reading is that you think if a guy is drafted, and he isn't AT LEAST the first guy off the bench, immediately, he is a wasted draft pick. Sorry, I just completely disagree with that.

And yes, it is tough to get a read on. You generally can't judge a draft for 3 years, right? No matter how much YOU want instant results, it is TOO EARLY to judge a guy after 6 games. Period. You wanting results faster doesn't change that.

(EDIT) P.S. I am assuming, based on your standard, that you ABSOLUTELY HATED Goff at this point in his career. Six games in and The #1 Overall Pick in the draft couldn't even get on the field. And, he looked bad in the pre-season. I can't imagine how big of a bust you must have thought he was.

Nope. I was all for picking Goff. You are comparing a QB to an Olineman. Unless the QB is Russell Wilson making plays off the cuff you can't do that. QB is the most difficult position to play in sports.

I said many times through the years that picking a project t before round 4 is a wasted pick. In the first three rounds you look for instant contributors. Not necessarily stars, but someone who can do something that helps the team. Ron Bartell is a good example. He struggled early on and by the time he finally was getting good, his contract was coming up. So if that player evolves thanks to your coaching and then leaves, you got very little return on investment. If he never produces then it was a total waste. You'd be better off trading the pick for a proven NFL player.

The average NFL career is three years. In four years a rookie contract is up. So when using a top three pick its important to pick a player that is capable of contributing in some capacity in year one and starting by year two or in a rotation. Evans looks like a long shot. If Snead and Kromer had a better track record picking Olinemen, then I might be a bit more patient. I also agree that you need to give a draft class three years to truly evaluate it, but you can also give instant evaluation on what you know from watching college games on individual picks. You can watch pre-season games and get a feel for a guys potential to help the team, i.e. Natres Patrick. Pre-season games are mostly played against backups. So it's not like these players are being dominated by Starters.

You can like Evans all you want. It doesn't bother me. I don't know why it bothers you that I don't. But the state of the OLine should be a concern to any fan right now. First we hear that Eldrenkamp is the center of the future, then it's Allen, now a third round pick can't even beat out Demby as a backup. Demby is the lowest rated Olinemen on PFF by a long shot. Nobody is near him, but you don't need to read ratings to know that. If he's the best backup they have then this offense is in a lot of trouble. It's already suffering from Allen's poor play, which I also predicted last year, because I watched him for four years in college. You can hang onto hope all you want. I did that from 2006 to 2016. I just call em' like I see em' now.

 

[TexasRam]

I'm hoping for the best for Edwards. Honestly, I'm happy we are giving him a shot over Demby this week.

But Edwards coming out was viewed as potential backup. This dude isn't exactly Quentin Nelson in the house.

Hoping for the best, but don't get your hopes up too high. We passed on moving up a few spots for Risner and others that are playing well. We made our bed and now find out what sleeping in it feels like.

 

[tklongball]

Nope. I was all for picking Goff. You are comparing a QB to an Olineman. Unless the QB is Russell Wilson making plays off the cuff you can't do that. QB is the most difficult position to play in sports.

I said many times through the years that picking a project t before round 4 is a wasted pick. In the first three rounds you look for instant contributors. Not necessarily stars, but someone who can do something that helps the team. Ron Bartell is a good example. He struggled early on and by the time he finally was getting good, his contract was coming up. So if that player evolves thanks to your coaching and then leaves, you got very little return on investment. If he never produces then it was a total waste. You'd be better off trading the pick for a proven NFL player.

The average NFL career is three years. In four years a rookie contract is up. So when using a top three pick its important to pick a player that is capable of contributing in some capacity in year one and starting by year two or in a rotation. Evans looks like a long shot. If Snead and Kromer had a better track record picking Olinemen, then I might be a bit more patient. I also agree that you need to give a draft class three years to truly evaluate it, but you can also give instant evaluation on what you know from watching college games on individual picks. You can watch pre-season games and get a feel for a guys potential to help the team, i.e. Natres Patrick. Pre-season games are mostly played against backups. So it's not like these players are being dominated by Starters.

You can like Evans all you want. It doesn't bother me. I don't know why it bothers you that I don't. But the state of the OLine should be a concern to any fan right now. First we hear that Eldrenkamp is the center of the future, then it's Allen, now a third round pick can't even beat out Demby as a backup. Demby is the lowest rated Olinemen on PFF by a long shot. Nobody is near him, but you don't need to read ratings to know that. If he's the best backup they have then this offense is in a lot of trouble. It's already suffering from Allen's poor play, which I also predicted last year, because I watched him for four years in college. You can hang onto hope all you want. I did that from 2006 to 2016. I just call em' like I see em' now.

All that is well and good, and you are certainly free to feel that way. But, it is still too early to judge a guy based on the pre-season only.

I am actually neutral on Evans. It is not that I like him (or that it bothers me that you don't), I just think it is not fair to any player to have that kind of standard, this far into their career. I mean, you are basically calling the guy a bust after his first pre-season. Was the guy learning and working on new/different techniques? Was he working through a minor injury that was hurting his performance? I don't know, but the point is it is a TINY sample size, and in the long run, is a very poor indicator of who/what he is going to be. I hope every player comes in and contributes also, I just don't give up on them if that don't immediately.

I agree that the O-Line is a shit-show right now. And yes, Front Offices miss on guys. Every FO, every year. And the O is going to struggle until the OL rights the ship.

 

[PhillyRam]

True. But Williams is a far superior player and most LT play till 36. I do not think you get him for a mere second.

He has missed 13 gms due to injury over the last 3 yrs...

Pass

 

[Merlin]

He has missed 13 gms due to injury over the last 3 yrs...

Pass

Yeah every time I imagine us acquiring Williams and signing him I picture an old and injured player with a big contract riding it into retirement. I was terrified he would be the move, and as pricey as the move for Jalen was he is young and elite so it's much easier to get behind for me at least.

What is funny is you see so many fans complaining about the picks. But when it comes to playing the young guys on the OL and weathering their development there is not a lot of patience. Even if we had those picks it's not like they're going to all be able to get right in there and excel.

I look at Rapp for example, who has balled since he got here, but who still makes mistakes particularly where he seems slow at times to react. It's rookie stuff even with a guy like him. Very rare to find the guys who are elite right out the gate, the AD types. They're out there but getting them is another story.

So for me at least I can get behind a young player like an Edwards who has the type of talent you want up front just needs to put it together. I've been behind Allen and Boom too so not just playing favorites here. It sucks but when upside is there I find it a LOT easier to be patient.

 

[PhillyRam]

Yeah every time I imagine us acquiring Williams and signing him I picture an old and injured player with a big contract riding it into retirement. I was terrified he would be the move, and as pricey as the move for Jalen was he is young and elite so it's much easier to get behind for me at least.

What is funny is you see so many fans complaining about the picks. But when it comes to playing the young guys on the OL and weathering their development there is not a lot of patience. Even if we had those picks it's not like they're going to all be able to get right in there and excel.

I look at Rapp for example, who has balled since he got here, but who still makes mistakes particularly where he seems slow at times to react. It's rookie stuff even with a guy like him. Very rare to find the guys who are elite right out the gate, the AD types. They're out there but getting them is another story.

So for me at least I can get behind a young player like an Edwards who has the type of talent you want up front just needs to put it together. I've been behind Allen and Boom too so not just playing favorites here. It sucks but when upside is there I find it a LOT easier to be patient.

I hate to say it, but it would not be the worst thing if this team plays the young guys so they know what they have prior to next off-season so they can intelligently retool the team.

Of course you cant get Goff killed in the process, but lets see Edwards & Corbitt and maybe even Evans at some point.

Lets see Darious Williams at CB and Obo/Patrick at OLB. Start Rapp at S & Gaines at NT. Bring up a few guys from the PS. And lets give Henderson the load at times at RB.

 

[badnews]

Nobody wants to talk about it but both veteran tackles have played much worse than any of us, or the coaches, could have anticipated.

I've said it before but if we are going to see it settle down, it has to start with better play from Hav and Whit too. I know they are being dragged down by the talent around them....
....but as we all know from endless QB debates, no excuses

 

[Faceplant]

Nobody wants to talk about it but both veteran tackles have played much worse than any of us, or the coaches, could have anticipated.

I've said it before but if we are going to see it settle down, it has to start with better play from Hav and Whit too. I know they are being dragged down by the talent around them....
....but as we all know from endless QB debates, no excuses

True story. This OL really misses Saffold, and to a lesser extent, Sully.

 

[den-the-coach]

True story. This OL really misses Saffold, and to a lesser extent, Sully.

However Saffold has underperformed in Tennessee

 

[Faceplant]

However Saffold has underperformed in Tennessee

Exactly. I think that is him missing Big Whit. The chemistry is what I was really getting at.

 

[Jacobarch]

However Saffold has underperformed in Tennessee

That's because the rest of the oline sucks

 

[Zaphod]

I hate to say it, but it would not be the worst thing if this team plays the young guys so they know what they have prior to next off-season so they can intelligently retool the team.

Of course you cant get Goff killed in the process, but lets see Edwards & Corbitt and maybe even Evans at some point.

Lets see Darious Williams at CB and Obo/Patrick at OLB. Start Rapp at S & Gaines at NT. Bring up a few guys from the PS. And lets give Henderson the load at times at RB.

With limited snaps allowed to NT, and SJD slowly earning more snaps (which admittedly varies by what the opposition is doing), I don't think Gaines is much more than a rotational backup at that position right now, but has the team considered playing him at 3T?

 

[BonifayRam]

I was told the Rams were going to be busy squeezing the heads of President Lincoln on all the few remaining Ram salary pennies they have?

 

[96GS#007]

Got nowhere to go but up regardless of how Edwards plays.

 

[LARAMSinFeb.]

However Saffold has underperformed in Tennessee

I really don't think holding on to Saff would've even been a great idea (although better than what we ended up doing) since he's aging too. I just have a problem with our FO seeming like nobody saw this coming. You have to value, invest in, and plan ahead for OL imo.

 

[OldSchool]

I just have a problem with our FO seeming like nobody saw this coming. You have to value, invest in, and plan ahead for OL imo.

Four draft picks and seven or eight UDFA over the last two drafts isn't planning ahead?

 

[den-the-coach]

You have to value, invest in, and plan ahead for OL imo.

True, but I think they did. They drafted Noteboom & Brian Allen to give them one year under their belt before being thrust into starting. They also brought back a guy they drafted in Demby too and drafted two additional Offensive Linemen this year in Edwards & Evans.

 

[Merlin]

I really don't think holding on to Saff would've even been a great idea (although better than what we ended up doing) since he's aging too. I just have a problem with our FO seeming like nobody saw this coming. You have to value, invest in, and plan ahead for OL imo.

I agree. Letting Saff get his "retirement" contract was important. Paying him would not have been smart.

Hindsight being 20/20 they should have stayed at their round 1 spot and taken Risner. Who most on this board loved in the pre-draft process. But I'm not going to get all crazy about it, I understand why they rolled the dice and was behind it, sadly did not see Boom & Allen needing so much time to develop. Oh and I really like Rapp and I'm glad we invested in a safety.

It's gonna be really nice to see Boom come back next year and be a core OL member though. Still rooting for him.