Fisher Doesn't Take First Round Ol

[Rams and Gators]

Agree with the bolded portion but can you imagine an O line like the one I've posted below if we could pull it off with a couple of trade downs?

Long/G. Robinson/Barnes or B. Jones/Saffold/Barksdale

In this scenario, if Long is not ready for the season opener, and I would be surprised if he is, either Saffold or Robinson could play LT until Jake is ready having Barnes or Jones fill the OG position.

My preference is to draft a OG who can feasibly play OT until Long comes back, and Robinson seems to fit that role, So I'd be happy with that.

 

[Rams and Gators]

Who can name what unit of the 2012/2013 Rams teams had more injuries by far than any other unit? DL-LB-DB-ST-QB-RB-WR-TE-OL????

QB, 100% of our starters ended the season on IR.

 

[BonifayRam]

My preference is to draft a OG who can feasibly play OT until Long comes back, and Robinson seems to fit that role, So I'd be happy with that.

Or draft a OT who can play OG. Like Saffold.

 

[iced]

With the second overall pick?

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/reach

i fully expect a trade down

 

[BonifayRam]

i fully expect a trade down

Me & you both!

 

[A55VA6]

Doesnt make sense. You can find good players regardless of position later in the draft if your skilled/lucky enough.
One thing that does not change is that 45% of the players you have to line up on every offensive play are Olineman. If you line struggles your entire O is going to struggle. A guy like Stacy was found late and did some nice things for sure. He was still taking time off and splitting plays. Those five guys up front (ideally) are playing every offensive snap in game. It only makes sense to invest in those positions.

If we do draft OL in the 1st round I want Robinson or Lewan. I don't like Matthews much.

 

[Ramifications]

We should have drafted Aaron Curry instead. :lol:

What an ugly, brutal first round that year. After Stafford at 1.1, some of the next best players were Brian Cushing at 1.15 and Percy Harvin at 1.22 (respective offensive and defensive Rookie of the Year).

 

[RamsCanada]

I hate drafting OL first round. I'm glad fisher does the same. You can find quality players deeper in the draft.

The only offensive linemen I don't like taking in the first round(particularly the top 20 slots) are tackles. There is something about it that I don't think. I have no factual evidence to back this claim up, but I feel like the top rated guards in the draft are a lot safer picks than the top rated tackles. And over the last five or so years, the top rated guards didn't have that bust factor as much as the top rated tackles.

 

[Ramifications]

I generally agree with you about not taking safeties early, but would consider a top 10 pick on a safety if it was a superstar type. Kenny Easley. Sean Taylor. Eric Berry. Earl Thomas went outside the top 10, but given a do over and with hindsight, I'm pretty sure many teams would take him in a heartbeat, he is a legit DPOY candidate and the best player on the best defense in the league (he might be the best player on the team, period). You can make a case that the safety position is even more important than it was a decade ago, with the proliferation of TEs like Graham and Gronk.

But Clinton-Dix and Pryor aren't in that class, and may not even be top half of the first round grade like Vaccaro and Reid last year. Not sure there is an obvious top 10 CB, either.

If we can trade down once or twice, I like the fact that we can have the best of both worlds, still get two potentially blue chip, elite players at need, high impact positions (LT and WR?). Maybe even three if we acquire CLEs two first rounders (FS or CB?) and also possibly multiple second and third round picks for positions like interior OL, LB, RB, more DB.

I don't think they take a LB in the first (rationale given in the other thread), and do think they take a QB, possibly somebody like Murray round 4-5.

 

[Ramifications]

The only offensive linemen I don't like taking in the first round(particularly the top 20 slots) are tackles. There is something about it that I don't think. I have no factual evidence to back this claim up, but I feel like the top rated guards in the draft are a lot safer picks than the top rated tackles. And over the last five or so years, the top rated guards didn't have that bust factor as much as the top rated tackles.

I hadn't thought about it, but since you brought it up, guards are more protected. While tackles can be protected by scheme to an extent (by a TE, chipping WR or RB, etc.), ultimately they are exposed and on an island in a way guards aren't, flanked by OL.

* edit/add - and in addition, perhaps there are more elite pass rushing DEs than DTs, so OTs would be tested more severely if so. I think run blocking is easier to start with for rookie/young OL.

 

[laramsoriginal]

I've been saying for the weeks that the rams will trade back to 8th or 10th pick and select the first CB taken in the draft. Then trade back from 13th to about 16 or 18th and select the first Safety.

The rams will then have 3 second round picks where they can choose two guards and let them compete for the LG starting position, assuming dhal/wells is released and saffold resigned.
With the 3rd second round pick the rams can then select a OLB/ILB or even a DT.
Then add a athletic-big WR Coleman in the 3rd round. In the 4th round draft an OT.

 

[Ramifications]

Went back to 2005 on Most Teams....here's a list of the interior OL'ers selected in the first rounds.
Jon Cooper
Chance Warmack
Kyle Long
Travis Frederick
Mike Pouncey
DeCastro
Kevin Zeitler
Alex Mack
Watkins
James Carpenter
Mike Iupati
Eric wood
Albert Brandon
Ben Grubbs
Nick Mangold
Daven Joesph
Chris Spencer
Logan Manikins

About 1/4 of these guys were playing after the regular season was over. These interior OL'ers were selected by some of these teams...New England, Seattle, San Francisco, KC Chiefs & Philadelphia.

Most might have been overreaching, not the most compelling point. Nice list and thanks for the correction.

It has been pointed before, but Eric Wood bears an uncanny, striking resemblance to the kid from Bad Santa...
http://blogs.buffalobills.com/2013/03/22/eric-wood-ready-to-assume-leadership/
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0962260/

Cooper and Warmack are rare, not sure the last time a guard went in the top 10, let alone two (I would have had no problem if we had taken Warmack, but it would have been more palatable if we were already at that spot, rather than trading up). Definitely some good names on the list. Your post brings to mind a few questions for me.

What does the first round OT list look like?

Also, it would be interesting to see a breakdown across all rounds to see a frequency distribution of where guards were taken (not sure if there is a draft site where you can just punch in a position and easily extract that information?).

 

[ReddingRam]

Here is my view ... for what it's worth ... you don't take an OL in the first Rd .. especially high, unless that player is on par with the likes of Orlando Pace, Walter Jones, Tony Bosselli , Joe Staley, etc. From what I have seen and things I have read there are NO OL in this draft with those credentials. I also see a lot on here and other boars clamouring for Cyril Richardson .... well reports out of the Senior Bowl practices are that he isn't looking good and his short comings are coming to light. I'll pass. And I think Fisher will too. In the 1st Rd. the values are in the S, CB , LB , DT and even WR.

 

[Alan]

Ramifications questioning Einstein:
Also, it would be interesting to see a breakdown across all rounds to see a frequency distribution of where guards were taken.

The NFL has evolved so much that I doubt that breakdown would provide any useful information. Using small time periods would help in that regard but would then bring up the problem of having a small sample size. It's all relative.

 

[Ramifications]

The NFL has evolved so much that I doubt that breakdown would provide any useful information. Using small time periods would help in that regard but would then bring up the problem of having a small sample size. It's all relative.

Definitely evolution impacts some things. Yet other constants do endure. Teams don't take FBs or TEs #1 overall (not sure about a half century ago, but in recent decades). Not certain OL pedigree distribution falls into the former or latter category?

 

[BonifayRam]

The NFL has evolved so much that I doubt that breakdown would provide any useful information. Using small time periods would help in that regard but would then bring up the problem of having a small sample size. It's all relative.

Yes on that evolved word...I am of the opinion that the OT's are also evolving some too. OG's & OT's of 2014 are much different that the same in 1990's. I think we have touched on that subject lightly in the past and maybe its worth reviewing again when my one working brain cell cools off.

 

[Alan]

BonifayRam speaking in epochs:
I think we have touched on that subject lightly in the past and maybe its worth reviewing again when my one working brain cell cools off.

I'm almost 63 you know. Do we have that much time? :lol:

 

[Alan]

Ramifications modifying the playing field:
Definitely evolution impacts some things. Yet other constants do endure. Teams don't take FBs or TEs #1 overall (not sure about a half century ago, but in recent decades). Not certain OL pedigree distribution falls into the former or latter category?

You weren't talking about #1 overall picks so my response didn't address that. #1 overall picks are a different story but even there, times have changed. How many OTs were drafted #1 before Orlando Pace vs since Orlando Pace?

 

[CGI_Ram]

I prefer skill positions and playmakers high in the draft.

But, with Fisher, I wouldn't read into history to find his tendencies. He's not always been the decision maker.