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Tipsheet: Experts line up on Rams draft
• By Jeff Gordon
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/colu...cle_757dc477-322e-58ee-8a5b-e457fcd8e3f7.html
As NFL experts produced their final mock drafts, a clear consensus emerged on the Rams.
This team needs more blocking. So while experts disagreed about which tackle or guard prospect would fall to the Rams, they generally agreed that Jeff Fisher, Les Snead and Co. would pick one of them.
Of course, the Rams could still pull one more draft maneuver before attempting their move back to SoCal. The team could move back in this draft, still add an offensive lineman and pick up an extra draft pick.
Or the Rams could add another wide receiving prospect to their pile, following the logic of earlier drafts.
Anyway, here is how the experts see it:
Mike Tanier, Bleacher Report: Brandon Scherff, T, Iowa: "The Rams offensive line currently consists of left tackle Greg Robinson, left guard Rodger Saffold and three question marks. Actually, Robinson is a question mark as well after a rough rookie season at left tackle. Last year’s starters Joe Barksdale (who was adequate), Davin Joseph (yeesh) and Scott Wells (multiple years of yeesh) won’t be back. Oft-injured left tackle Jake Long is also gone. The Rams are so thin on the offensive line and so stacked on the defensive line that Nick Foles will need more than a bright red shirt to protect him during full-squad practices. He will need a panic room. Scherff can help, whether he’s projected as a solid right tackle or a Pro Bowl-caliber guard. The Rams need help at both positions, and Scherff’s bruising style will make Jeff Fisher almost as happy as he gets when the Rams sign a defensive tackle to round out the fourth string."
Peter King, SI.com: Ereck Flowers, T/G, Miami: "A Jeff Fisher kind of player is the way three different front-office people around the league described the tackle who plays an edgy, combative style. This is probably a bit high for him, but the Rams have a need here and don’t want to take a receiver at 10 with the depth at that position in this draft. St. Louis, if Flowers and Greg Robinson both make it, would field two long-term tackles this season, both 23 or younger, Robinson on the left, Flowers on the right.
Mike Mayock, NFL.com: Flowers: "I think St. Louis would like to trade down. However, Flowers is a body mover; a developmental top-level player."
Pete Prisco, CBSSports: Andrus Peat, T, Stanford: "They have to get better on their line and Peat gives them a chance at a couple of spots. He was a left tackle in college, but I think he could go to the right side."
Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN.com: DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville: "Parker is a perfect fit at a need position. Easy call. Length, catch radius, explosiveness."
• DRAFT CHAT: Gordo Live at 6 p.m.
BRADFORD MOVING AGAIN?
Remember how we all wondered if failed Rams quarterback Sam Bradford would hold up under the intense scrutiny of ever-angry Philadelphia fans?
That could become a moot point today. Bradford's current role in Philly is that of trade chip.
Not only did the Eagles add Tim Tebow to their already crowded quarterback corps, coach Chip Kelly remains fixated on Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota.
There are all sorts of trade rumors out there, including some three-team whoppers. Peter King tossed this into the pile:
One NFL source in Chicago late Wednesday night told me Cleveland believes it has a good chance before the draft to deal for Bradford.
The Browns have become a quarterback graveyard, so we're guessing this prospect doesn't thrill the Bradford camp.
MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE
Questions to ponder while wondering if the Rams will remind their top pick to rent a place in St. Louis, not buy:
How does one become certified as a draft expert?
And since when do failed NFL executives qualify as draft experts?
Is it possible to draft a player who hasn't smoked marijuana at some point?
ASSESSING THE NFL DRAFT
He is what some of America's leading sports pundits have been writing about the draft:
Albert Breer, NFL.com: "Each draft has its own tapestry, and the design to this year's event makes one thing abundantly clear: The guys making the calls will have to earn their money in the first round. The class isn't as strong as last year's, but it's not as weak as 2013's group. And what it's missing in blue-chip talent, it makes up for in uncertainty. At a number of positions, there's a glaring lack of consensus on rank, and a sizable group of players who will fall where they do largely because of the preferences of those picking. As one NFC personnel executive puts it, 'You're gonna find out who can scout.' There are, of course, reasons that things are this way: Last year's top four overall picks and half of the first 34 selections were underclassmen, a fact that robbed some of the would-be elite from this year's draft. The number of early declarations is down, but almost every scout, personnel chief and general manager I've spoken with agrees that the number of enticing young juniors (20 years old, or barely 21) is high, which means the focus is on guys who aren't as developed, have less tape and have less of a track record. Although there aren't all that many blue-chip players, there are a ton of red-chip guys."
Jason La Canfora, CBSSports.com: "Some of the best pure talent in this draft comes with a catch. As character issues and off-field problems have become such prominent issues and garner the wrong kind of attention beyond the NFL in a post Ray Rice/Adrian Peterson/Aaron Hernandez/Greg Hardy landscape, this draft serves as another sociological experiment. It is something of a referendum on how much these concerns really matter -- let's not pretend talent and immense promise don't still pretty much trump all in many situations. If not for varied missteps and, in some cases, much more serious past allegations and infractions, the top 10 of this draft might have looked quite different than it will come Thursday. Randy Gregory is, in the eyes of many evaluators I spoke to, the best pass rusher in the draft. Dorial Green-Beckham, from a metrics and athletics perspective, draws comparisons to Randy Moss -- one of the most dynamic receivers in NFL history. Marcus Peters may be the best cover corner in the draft. None will go as high as they would have without their red flags (again, as varied as they are or are perceived to be). The question remains, how high do they still end up being selected, and by whom?"
Don Banks, SI.com: "In a quirk of fate, one of the NFL’s biggest pre-draft storylines for the second consecutive year involves a University of Missouri defensive end who happens to be the reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year. But the last-minute spotlight has found Shane Ray for far different reasons this week than last year’s history-making Michael Sam saga. Ray, unlike Sam, was considered an almost certain early-first-round pick in his year’s draft and was lumped among the five best available pass-rushing prospects. At least, that is, until early Monday morning, when Ray was cited for marijuana possession after being pulled over for a traffic violation just west of Columbia, Mo. Ray, unlike Sam, was considered an almost certain early-first-round pick in his year’s draft and was lumped among the five best available pass-rushing prospects. At least, that is, until early Monday morning, when Ray was cited for marijuana possession after being pulled over for a traffic violation just west of Columbia, Mo. The timing of the incident immediately created major concerns among NFL teams that now had cause to question Ray’s judgment and maturity level, and led to many predictions that his draft stock will suffer the consequences, with him perhaps falling out of the opening round or even further than that."
Matt Brown, Sports on Earth: "NFL draft history is littered with obvious impact players who fell too far, and thus it is littered with the decision-makers who foolishly let it happen and missed out on a potential franchise player. This year's candidate is obvious, as recent trends suggest that deflated demand exists for him: Someone is going to eventually feel really bad for passing on Todd Gurley. It won't be the case of a player like Tom Brady falling through the cracks; it will be the case of overthinking instead of taking the best player available. Gurley has the unfortunate stigma of being a star running back in an age in which modern football rejects such players as unworthy of significant investments. He also comes with a torn ACL, from November, which provides a readymade excuse for teams to pass on him beyond the trend of running backs being devalued. As it stands, injury history is the only significant knock on Gurley's game as a prospect. He was the best player in college football last year -- and may have beat Marcus Mariota to the Heisman had he not gotten suspended for selling autographs, then gotten hurt -- and he is the best player in the NFL draft. Neither a torn ACL nor a frivolous NCAA suspension changes that."
Greg Cosell, Yahoo! Sports: "It's pretty clear that this draft class of quarterbacks has a top two, and then a big gap before you get to No. 3. And there's no consensus on who No. 3 is. It's a thin quarterback class, which is bad news if you need a quarterback and can't land Jameis Winston or Marcus Mariota. I have Colorado State's Garrett Grayson as my third-ranked quarterback in this class. But he has some work to do, too. Like many other quarterbacks coming to the NFL, Grayson ran a shotgun spread offense in college and didn't have a meaningful amount of snaps under center. But it was a well-schemed passing game that featured NFL route concepts like bunch and stack releases, three-level stretch, flat/curl routes with a seam seal. And Grayson showed an excellent understanding of those pass-game concepts, and the ability to process and isolate quickly."
MEGAPHONE
"I'm a nice guy. It is hard for me to say 'no.' I've been learning to control that and to do that. It's going to help me in the long run. When people come to me, asking to borrow some money, I'm going to tell them I can't do that. I'm going to tell them that this is something I deserve. I worked for this. I didn't see (them) there with me when I was working hard to get here."
Green-Beckham, to ESPN the Magazine.
• By Jeff Gordon
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/colu...cle_757dc477-322e-58ee-8a5b-e457fcd8e3f7.html
As NFL experts produced their final mock drafts, a clear consensus emerged on the Rams.
This team needs more blocking. So while experts disagreed about which tackle or guard prospect would fall to the Rams, they generally agreed that Jeff Fisher, Les Snead and Co. would pick one of them.
Of course, the Rams could still pull one more draft maneuver before attempting their move back to SoCal. The team could move back in this draft, still add an offensive lineman and pick up an extra draft pick.
Or the Rams could add another wide receiving prospect to their pile, following the logic of earlier drafts.
Anyway, here is how the experts see it:
Mike Tanier, Bleacher Report: Brandon Scherff, T, Iowa: "The Rams offensive line currently consists of left tackle Greg Robinson, left guard Rodger Saffold and three question marks. Actually, Robinson is a question mark as well after a rough rookie season at left tackle. Last year’s starters Joe Barksdale (who was adequate), Davin Joseph (yeesh) and Scott Wells (multiple years of yeesh) won’t be back. Oft-injured left tackle Jake Long is also gone. The Rams are so thin on the offensive line and so stacked on the defensive line that Nick Foles will need more than a bright red shirt to protect him during full-squad practices. He will need a panic room. Scherff can help, whether he’s projected as a solid right tackle or a Pro Bowl-caliber guard. The Rams need help at both positions, and Scherff’s bruising style will make Jeff Fisher almost as happy as he gets when the Rams sign a defensive tackle to round out the fourth string."
Peter King, SI.com: Ereck Flowers, T/G, Miami: "A Jeff Fisher kind of player is the way three different front-office people around the league described the tackle who plays an edgy, combative style. This is probably a bit high for him, but the Rams have a need here and don’t want to take a receiver at 10 with the depth at that position in this draft. St. Louis, if Flowers and Greg Robinson both make it, would field two long-term tackles this season, both 23 or younger, Robinson on the left, Flowers on the right.
Mike Mayock, NFL.com: Flowers: "I think St. Louis would like to trade down. However, Flowers is a body mover; a developmental top-level player."
Pete Prisco, CBSSports: Andrus Peat, T, Stanford: "They have to get better on their line and Peat gives them a chance at a couple of spots. He was a left tackle in college, but I think he could go to the right side."
Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN.com: DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville: "Parker is a perfect fit at a need position. Easy call. Length, catch radius, explosiveness."
• DRAFT CHAT: Gordo Live at 6 p.m.
BRADFORD MOVING AGAIN?
Remember how we all wondered if failed Rams quarterback Sam Bradford would hold up under the intense scrutiny of ever-angry Philadelphia fans?
That could become a moot point today. Bradford's current role in Philly is that of trade chip.
Not only did the Eagles add Tim Tebow to their already crowded quarterback corps, coach Chip Kelly remains fixated on Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota.
There are all sorts of trade rumors out there, including some three-team whoppers. Peter King tossed this into the pile:
One NFL source in Chicago late Wednesday night told me Cleveland believes it has a good chance before the draft to deal for Bradford.
The Browns have become a quarterback graveyard, so we're guessing this prospect doesn't thrill the Bradford camp.
MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE
Questions to ponder while wondering if the Rams will remind their top pick to rent a place in St. Louis, not buy:
How does one become certified as a draft expert?
And since when do failed NFL executives qualify as draft experts?
Is it possible to draft a player who hasn't smoked marijuana at some point?
ASSESSING THE NFL DRAFT
He is what some of America's leading sports pundits have been writing about the draft:
Albert Breer, NFL.com: "Each draft has its own tapestry, and the design to this year's event makes one thing abundantly clear: The guys making the calls will have to earn their money in the first round. The class isn't as strong as last year's, but it's not as weak as 2013's group. And what it's missing in blue-chip talent, it makes up for in uncertainty. At a number of positions, there's a glaring lack of consensus on rank, and a sizable group of players who will fall where they do largely because of the preferences of those picking. As one NFC personnel executive puts it, 'You're gonna find out who can scout.' There are, of course, reasons that things are this way: Last year's top four overall picks and half of the first 34 selections were underclassmen, a fact that robbed some of the would-be elite from this year's draft. The number of early declarations is down, but almost every scout, personnel chief and general manager I've spoken with agrees that the number of enticing young juniors (20 years old, or barely 21) is high, which means the focus is on guys who aren't as developed, have less tape and have less of a track record. Although there aren't all that many blue-chip players, there are a ton of red-chip guys."
Jason La Canfora, CBSSports.com: "Some of the best pure talent in this draft comes with a catch. As character issues and off-field problems have become such prominent issues and garner the wrong kind of attention beyond the NFL in a post Ray Rice/Adrian Peterson/Aaron Hernandez/Greg Hardy landscape, this draft serves as another sociological experiment. It is something of a referendum on how much these concerns really matter -- let's not pretend talent and immense promise don't still pretty much trump all in many situations. If not for varied missteps and, in some cases, much more serious past allegations and infractions, the top 10 of this draft might have looked quite different than it will come Thursday. Randy Gregory is, in the eyes of many evaluators I spoke to, the best pass rusher in the draft. Dorial Green-Beckham, from a metrics and athletics perspective, draws comparisons to Randy Moss -- one of the most dynamic receivers in NFL history. Marcus Peters may be the best cover corner in the draft. None will go as high as they would have without their red flags (again, as varied as they are or are perceived to be). The question remains, how high do they still end up being selected, and by whom?"
Don Banks, SI.com: "In a quirk of fate, one of the NFL’s biggest pre-draft storylines for the second consecutive year involves a University of Missouri defensive end who happens to be the reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year. But the last-minute spotlight has found Shane Ray for far different reasons this week than last year’s history-making Michael Sam saga. Ray, unlike Sam, was considered an almost certain early-first-round pick in his year’s draft and was lumped among the five best available pass-rushing prospects. At least, that is, until early Monday morning, when Ray was cited for marijuana possession after being pulled over for a traffic violation just west of Columbia, Mo. Ray, unlike Sam, was considered an almost certain early-first-round pick in his year’s draft and was lumped among the five best available pass-rushing prospects. At least, that is, until early Monday morning, when Ray was cited for marijuana possession after being pulled over for a traffic violation just west of Columbia, Mo. The timing of the incident immediately created major concerns among NFL teams that now had cause to question Ray’s judgment and maturity level, and led to many predictions that his draft stock will suffer the consequences, with him perhaps falling out of the opening round or even further than that."
Matt Brown, Sports on Earth: "NFL draft history is littered with obvious impact players who fell too far, and thus it is littered with the decision-makers who foolishly let it happen and missed out on a potential franchise player. This year's candidate is obvious, as recent trends suggest that deflated demand exists for him: Someone is going to eventually feel really bad for passing on Todd Gurley. It won't be the case of a player like Tom Brady falling through the cracks; it will be the case of overthinking instead of taking the best player available. Gurley has the unfortunate stigma of being a star running back in an age in which modern football rejects such players as unworthy of significant investments. He also comes with a torn ACL, from November, which provides a readymade excuse for teams to pass on him beyond the trend of running backs being devalued. As it stands, injury history is the only significant knock on Gurley's game as a prospect. He was the best player in college football last year -- and may have beat Marcus Mariota to the Heisman had he not gotten suspended for selling autographs, then gotten hurt -- and he is the best player in the NFL draft. Neither a torn ACL nor a frivolous NCAA suspension changes that."
Greg Cosell, Yahoo! Sports: "It's pretty clear that this draft class of quarterbacks has a top two, and then a big gap before you get to No. 3. And there's no consensus on who No. 3 is. It's a thin quarterback class, which is bad news if you need a quarterback and can't land Jameis Winston or Marcus Mariota. I have Colorado State's Garrett Grayson as my third-ranked quarterback in this class. But he has some work to do, too. Like many other quarterbacks coming to the NFL, Grayson ran a shotgun spread offense in college and didn't have a meaningful amount of snaps under center. But it was a well-schemed passing game that featured NFL route concepts like bunch and stack releases, three-level stretch, flat/curl routes with a seam seal. And Grayson showed an excellent understanding of those pass-game concepts, and the ability to process and isolate quickly."
MEGAPHONE
"I'm a nice guy. It is hard for me to say 'no.' I've been learning to control that and to do that. It's going to help me in the long run. When people come to me, asking to borrow some money, I'm going to tell them I can't do that. I'm going to tell them that this is something I deserve. I worked for this. I didn't see (them) there with me when I was working hard to get here."
Green-Beckham, to ESPN the Magazine.