Here's what Thor Nystrom of yahoo sports thinks of the Rams draft.
Los Angeles Rams: F
The Rams made a show in the lead-up to the NFL Combine that they would not be sending their GM and head coach. During the team’s Super Bowl celebration, GM Les Snead wore a shirt reading “[Expletive] them picks.” The Rams have shown there is more than one way to skin a cat. But their lack of scouting effort stuck out like a sore thumb this weekend. This is a non-athletic class with almost zero upside – I see a lot of summer cuts.
I expect stuff like this. Some of it is practical. How can a team with no picks in the top-100 Ace-a-draft?
That's OK. However, in my opinion, the tone of the commentary shows disdain and some anger.
Nystrom has been around a while. His life is covering college players and evaluating their pro potential.
The Combine and the Draft are his professional life. And he's pretty good at it.
The Rams come along and do things differently. Very differently. In this case, with regard to how they value and use picks, value the Combine and look at measurables. It's the opposite of what the Old Guard "experts" (like Thor Nystrom) do and have done for decades.
And the Rams have had success! Guys like Nystrom are pissed-off. It's great!
It's the same with regard to how the Rams manage the cap, and trade-away first rounders. The veteran commentators and analysts on ESPN and the NFLN have been critical of the Rams' strategy. But it's working. Really Well!!! Some have given the Rams credit but most continue to be critical, although in a more passive aggressive manner. If they were more direct, someone would yell '
Hey Dick-head! They won the Super Bowl!'
One other thing, the NFL has been a Copy-Cat-League since I was a kid. Teams are starting to copy the Rams. Only half the teams had their own first round pick on Thursday night. Teams are making trades to win now. The Rams
and their success, are a major reason. Not many of the commentators will say it because those guys ARE the Old Guard.
Man, I wrote a log post here. Could have just said what I initially thought ...
Fuck Thor Nystrom!