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- Jun 20, 2010
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D.J. Gelner
http://www.insidestl.com/insideSTLcom/S ... Draft.aspx
I think we can all agree that the “Greatest Show on Turf”-era Rams were the most successful St. Louis Rams teams ever, if not some of the greatest years in the history of the entire franchise.
[wrapimg=right]http://www.insidestl.com/Portals/0/STL%20Rams/250_GSOT.jpg[/wrapimg]As you may recall, the 1998 Rams went 4-12 with “Pretty” Tony Banks under center, handing the ball off to leading rusher June Henley, and occasionally connecting with leading receiver Ricky Proehl. One short year later, the Rams would be Super Bowl Champions.
How did the Rams manage such a quick turnaround? Part of it was having an experienced coach at the helm in Dick Vermeil. Another part was Mike Martz falling into their laps, as well as a number of notable free agent additions (Adam Timmerman, and though he didn’t have an impact in 1999, Trent Green). Add in a once-in-a-generation grocery store clerk calling the signals and luck certainly paid a huge role in catapulting the Rams from the cellar to the penthouse.
But people forget that the early GSOT-era teams were built through the draft or by trading draft picks for established talent. If the Rams, now led by Jeff Fisher, want to make a similarly brisk turnaround, it’s going to take some prescient drafting over the next couple of years. So let’s see if we can figure out some pointers the Rams would be well-served to utilize as this year’s draft approaches.
Right before the 1999 draft, the Rams traded 2nd and 5th round picks for “malcontent” running back Marshall Faulk of the Indianapolis Colts. I think we all know how that one turned out; Faulk is now a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and considered perhaps the best multi-purpose back of all time.
The Rams were able to nab Faulk for a discount because of his contract situation, and rumors out of Indianapolis that he was a “bad influence” in the locker room, which proved not to be true. There is plenty of value to be had out there by trading picks, which have no guarantee of success, for established players in the league. No one's saying that there will ever be another value of quite the caliber of the Faulk deal, but there are certainly chances to trade picks for players, especially if the Rams move down again.
If the Rams choose to keep their picks, though, where did the drafts leading up to the GSOT hit more often than not?
Wide Receivers
Tackles
Cornerbacks
And Defensive Ends
In short, contrary to many armchair GMs' deeply-rooted principles about evaluating college athletes, they built the team from the outside in.
From 1996 to 1999, the Rams drafted five running backs, including all-time bust Lawrence Phillips and some guy named Raymond Priester. Robert Holcombe was the only one of the group to make an impact on the Super Bowl-winning squad, and that was as a fullback.
Over that same period of time, the Rams took three wide receivers, the worst of which was Eddie Kennison—and he stuck around the league for quite a while. Torry Holt obviously contributed to the team’s success and was a first round pick, but the team’s biggest “get” was Az Hakim as a third round pick in 1998 out of San Diego State. All three of those wideouts that the Rams took were “fast,” though Holt (4.44 forty time) was perhaps not regarded as quite the “athletic” specimen as fellow 1999 first rounders David Boston (4.47 forty, but significantly larger than Holt) and Troy Edwards, who washed out of the league fairly quickly.
The Rams only took two tackles from 1996-1999; Fred Miller was a seventh round pick in 1996, the year before the Rams made Orlando Pace the first pick of the 1997 draft. You can even count a third if you want to lump in Ryan Tucker, who was drafted as a center in the third round in 1997, but performed very capably at tackle once Miller moved on after the 1999 season.
Perhaps the greatest spate of good fortune for the Rams came in their evaluation of defensive backs; with veteran Todd Light entrenched at one cornerback spot, the team nonetheless spent picks on Dexter McCleon (2nd round 1997), Taje Allen (5th round 1997), and Dre Bly (2nd Round, 1999). This cornerback depth was a big part of how the Rams’ defense was able to come together to rank sixth in the league in yards allowed, and fourth in points allowed, a season after ranking tenth and 24th, respectively, in those categories.
The Rams made Kevin Carter the first St. Louis Ram when they selected him first overall in the 1995 draft, the year after they brought Demarco Farr aboard as an undrafted free agent. The Rams hit when they took defensive ends early from 1995 through 1999; third round and above selections included Grant Wistrom and Leonard Little. They did spend a couple of later round picks on guys that didn’t stick, though, like Cedric White and Lionel Barnes.
So what exactly does this mean for the Rams this season? Certainly the league has changed a bit over the past decade-plus; passing numbers are up, which puts a premium on the five passing positions on both sides of the ball. Now, more than ever, the focus is on the outside edges of the field. Quarterbacks, wideouts, offensive tackles (especially blind side tackles), pass rushers (usually defensive ends) and cornerbacks are increasingly important.
The 1999 Rams ended up with these positions in abundance, but only because they spent early draft picks on those positions for a full three years before they improved. Without Orlando Pace locking down the left side, Kurt Warner probably takes a few more hard hits than he already did. Though Isaac Bruce’s talent was undeniable, going into 1999 observers questioned whether or not he would ever be healthy, which led the team to draft Holt. Bly joined a talented defensive backfield to give the team three starting caliber players at corner. And Carter and Wistrom worked seamlessly in with the rest of the defensive line to keep opposing quarterbacks running for their lives.
That’s not to say that the “up-the-middle” spots aren’t important; both Faulk and Timmerman were essential to the Rams’ Super Bowl run, as were big bodies in the middle on defense like Ray Agnew and a playmaking, do-everything linebacker like London Fletcher.
But the Rams were able to find those players in ways other than drafting them. They traded for Faulk. They signed Agnew as a free agent. Heck, the entire interior line was made up of other teams’ cast-offs and street free agents. This is no knock against those guys; they obviously proved their worth. But the team didn’t have to expend any draft picks to collect that talent, and often the “found” players are the difference between a .500 team and a perennial contender.
Maybe it helps to think of the value proposition from a more philosophical angle. The league is becoming more about big plays, both offensively and defensively. Offenses turn toward the vertical passing game as the quickest way to gain a lot of yards and put up a lot of points. With more quarterbacks dropping back, defenses have emphasized turnovers and getting to the quarterback. When any play is potentially lethal, even from deep inside a team’s own territory, that third-down sack could be the difference between getting the ball back with good field position and six points going the other way. This isn’t exactly rocket science, but I thought it relevant to point out based on the history of the Rams franchise in St. Louis in particular.
I’ve already broken down where the 2012 Rams currently stand position-by-position, but their strength is already up the middle, except at left guard and defensive tackle, which are, admittedly, pretty thin at the moment. The Rams are all-in on QB Sam Bradford. MLB James Laurinaitis is as smart and athletic of a “Mike” linebacker as you’ll find. C Scott Wells should help Harvey Dahl solidify the interior of the o-line. Quintin Mikell is a fine playmaker at safety. RB Steven Jackson still has one or two good years left in the tank.
Where this team needs a lot of help is on the outside at those positions that the late 90s Rams teams targeted before the whole operation began to crumble. They need the wideouts that can strike from any distance. They need another shutdown corner (or two) and perhaps another pass-rusher to take pressure off of Chris Long and Robert Quinn. Those are the types of players that you generally can’t find in free agency because they make themselves so valuable to their teams (Obviously, recent Rams signee CB Cortland Finnegan is an exception, but hey, there always is one).
It’s up to the current regime at Rams Park to identify those kinds of difference-makers more than anything else. Because as we all well know, the opposite of “difference” is “the same old thing,” and I doubt Rams fans have any tolerance left for the status quo in the 2012 season, even with a new coach and GM in place.
Quick Notes
-The Rams signed former Eagles DT Trevor Laws on Wednesday. Laws should help fill some of the massive hole up the middle on defense, but he never lived up to his second round billing in Philadelphia. The team still could use another defensive tackle before the season begins.
-I hope to start my day-by-day draft guides next week, but circumstances may force me to go in a different direction and put those up closer to the draft. Thanks for reading.
http://www.insidestl.com/insideSTLcom/S ... Draft.aspx
I think we can all agree that the “Greatest Show on Turf”-era Rams were the most successful St. Louis Rams teams ever, if not some of the greatest years in the history of the entire franchise.
[wrapimg=right]http://www.insidestl.com/Portals/0/STL%20Rams/250_GSOT.jpg[/wrapimg]As you may recall, the 1998 Rams went 4-12 with “Pretty” Tony Banks under center, handing the ball off to leading rusher June Henley, and occasionally connecting with leading receiver Ricky Proehl. One short year later, the Rams would be Super Bowl Champions.
How did the Rams manage such a quick turnaround? Part of it was having an experienced coach at the helm in Dick Vermeil. Another part was Mike Martz falling into their laps, as well as a number of notable free agent additions (Adam Timmerman, and though he didn’t have an impact in 1999, Trent Green). Add in a once-in-a-generation grocery store clerk calling the signals and luck certainly paid a huge role in catapulting the Rams from the cellar to the penthouse.
But people forget that the early GSOT-era teams were built through the draft or by trading draft picks for established talent. If the Rams, now led by Jeff Fisher, want to make a similarly brisk turnaround, it’s going to take some prescient drafting over the next couple of years. So let’s see if we can figure out some pointers the Rams would be well-served to utilize as this year’s draft approaches.
Right before the 1999 draft, the Rams traded 2nd and 5th round picks for “malcontent” running back Marshall Faulk of the Indianapolis Colts. I think we all know how that one turned out; Faulk is now a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and considered perhaps the best multi-purpose back of all time.
The Rams were able to nab Faulk for a discount because of his contract situation, and rumors out of Indianapolis that he was a “bad influence” in the locker room, which proved not to be true. There is plenty of value to be had out there by trading picks, which have no guarantee of success, for established players in the league. No one's saying that there will ever be another value of quite the caliber of the Faulk deal, but there are certainly chances to trade picks for players, especially if the Rams move down again.
If the Rams choose to keep their picks, though, where did the drafts leading up to the GSOT hit more often than not?
Wide Receivers
Tackles
Cornerbacks
And Defensive Ends
In short, contrary to many armchair GMs' deeply-rooted principles about evaluating college athletes, they built the team from the outside in.
From 1996 to 1999, the Rams drafted five running backs, including all-time bust Lawrence Phillips and some guy named Raymond Priester. Robert Holcombe was the only one of the group to make an impact on the Super Bowl-winning squad, and that was as a fullback.
Over that same period of time, the Rams took three wide receivers, the worst of which was Eddie Kennison—and he stuck around the league for quite a while. Torry Holt obviously contributed to the team’s success and was a first round pick, but the team’s biggest “get” was Az Hakim as a third round pick in 1998 out of San Diego State. All three of those wideouts that the Rams took were “fast,” though Holt (4.44 forty time) was perhaps not regarded as quite the “athletic” specimen as fellow 1999 first rounders David Boston (4.47 forty, but significantly larger than Holt) and Troy Edwards, who washed out of the league fairly quickly.
The Rams only took two tackles from 1996-1999; Fred Miller was a seventh round pick in 1996, the year before the Rams made Orlando Pace the first pick of the 1997 draft. You can even count a third if you want to lump in Ryan Tucker, who was drafted as a center in the third round in 1997, but performed very capably at tackle once Miller moved on after the 1999 season.
Perhaps the greatest spate of good fortune for the Rams came in their evaluation of defensive backs; with veteran Todd Light entrenched at one cornerback spot, the team nonetheless spent picks on Dexter McCleon (2nd round 1997), Taje Allen (5th round 1997), and Dre Bly (2nd Round, 1999). This cornerback depth was a big part of how the Rams’ defense was able to come together to rank sixth in the league in yards allowed, and fourth in points allowed, a season after ranking tenth and 24th, respectively, in those categories.
The Rams made Kevin Carter the first St. Louis Ram when they selected him first overall in the 1995 draft, the year after they brought Demarco Farr aboard as an undrafted free agent. The Rams hit when they took defensive ends early from 1995 through 1999; third round and above selections included Grant Wistrom and Leonard Little. They did spend a couple of later round picks on guys that didn’t stick, though, like Cedric White and Lionel Barnes.
So what exactly does this mean for the Rams this season? Certainly the league has changed a bit over the past decade-plus; passing numbers are up, which puts a premium on the five passing positions on both sides of the ball. Now, more than ever, the focus is on the outside edges of the field. Quarterbacks, wideouts, offensive tackles (especially blind side tackles), pass rushers (usually defensive ends) and cornerbacks are increasingly important.
The 1999 Rams ended up with these positions in abundance, but only because they spent early draft picks on those positions for a full three years before they improved. Without Orlando Pace locking down the left side, Kurt Warner probably takes a few more hard hits than he already did. Though Isaac Bruce’s talent was undeniable, going into 1999 observers questioned whether or not he would ever be healthy, which led the team to draft Holt. Bly joined a talented defensive backfield to give the team three starting caliber players at corner. And Carter and Wistrom worked seamlessly in with the rest of the defensive line to keep opposing quarterbacks running for their lives.
That’s not to say that the “up-the-middle” spots aren’t important; both Faulk and Timmerman were essential to the Rams’ Super Bowl run, as were big bodies in the middle on defense like Ray Agnew and a playmaking, do-everything linebacker like London Fletcher.
But the Rams were able to find those players in ways other than drafting them. They traded for Faulk. They signed Agnew as a free agent. Heck, the entire interior line was made up of other teams’ cast-offs and street free agents. This is no knock against those guys; they obviously proved their worth. But the team didn’t have to expend any draft picks to collect that talent, and often the “found” players are the difference between a .500 team and a perennial contender.
Maybe it helps to think of the value proposition from a more philosophical angle. The league is becoming more about big plays, both offensively and defensively. Offenses turn toward the vertical passing game as the quickest way to gain a lot of yards and put up a lot of points. With more quarterbacks dropping back, defenses have emphasized turnovers and getting to the quarterback. When any play is potentially lethal, even from deep inside a team’s own territory, that third-down sack could be the difference between getting the ball back with good field position and six points going the other way. This isn’t exactly rocket science, but I thought it relevant to point out based on the history of the Rams franchise in St. Louis in particular.
I’ve already broken down where the 2012 Rams currently stand position-by-position, but their strength is already up the middle, except at left guard and defensive tackle, which are, admittedly, pretty thin at the moment. The Rams are all-in on QB Sam Bradford. MLB James Laurinaitis is as smart and athletic of a “Mike” linebacker as you’ll find. C Scott Wells should help Harvey Dahl solidify the interior of the o-line. Quintin Mikell is a fine playmaker at safety. RB Steven Jackson still has one or two good years left in the tank.
Where this team needs a lot of help is on the outside at those positions that the late 90s Rams teams targeted before the whole operation began to crumble. They need the wideouts that can strike from any distance. They need another shutdown corner (or two) and perhaps another pass-rusher to take pressure off of Chris Long and Robert Quinn. Those are the types of players that you generally can’t find in free agency because they make themselves so valuable to their teams (Obviously, recent Rams signee CB Cortland Finnegan is an exception, but hey, there always is one).
It’s up to the current regime at Rams Park to identify those kinds of difference-makers more than anything else. Because as we all well know, the opposite of “difference” is “the same old thing,” and I doubt Rams fans have any tolerance left for the status quo in the 2012 season, even with a new coach and GM in place.
Quick Notes
-The Rams signed former Eagles DT Trevor Laws on Wednesday. Laws should help fill some of the massive hole up the middle on defense, but he never lived up to his second round billing in Philadelphia. The team still could use another defensive tackle before the season begins.
-I hope to start my day-by-day draft guides next week, but circumstances may force me to go in a different direction and put those up closer to the draft. Thanks for reading.