I’m marveling at the jam-packed value contained in the ‘22 Snead/McVay draft haul…

[OregonRamsFan]

This is what happens when you match analytics with scouts & film analysis. As long as all three aspects are mutually supportive then you have the makings of a winner. When one of the 3 are out of sync then you are taking a potential flyer.

Les' background is as a scout so he knows what he's looking at. That's why I say, regardless of what McVay does in terms of his career longevity, the key to keeping this team on top is Les.

Are you saying that Les is more?

 

[majrleaged]

I love Snead and his terrific picks and trades.

However...

In Les's first 5 years with the Rams, the Rams went 7-8-1, 7-9, 6-10, 7-9, and 4-12.

In Les's next 5 years with the Rams, after McVay comes along, the Rams go 11-5, 13-3, 9-7, 10-6, and 12-5, while going to 2 Super Bowls and winning one.

As @den-the-coach would say, McVay is the straw that stirs the drink.

Obviously.

Yes, McVay is the difference maker. I think Snead is driven to give the coaches what they ask for. Not just what he thinks is best. This is why he looks so much better with McVay than Fisher.

 

[Tano]

Yes, McVay is the difference maker. I think Snead is driven to give the coaches what they ask for. Not just what he thinks is best. This is why he looks so much better with McVay than Fisher.

As someone stated earlier - drafting Quick instead of Jeffrey sounds so much like a Fisher pick

 

[Merlin]

@Merlin I think if you adjust for the round they were drafted in sure. But if you're talking straight up... yeah, there are no AD's or Gurley's in this draft class. Those guys are both 1 of 1's and were drafted at premium slots.

You can get them outside premium slots too like Kupp. Just pointing out drafts usually look their best right away.

I do think some of these guys have a chance to develop into difference makers. Durant has some serious ball awareness and the juice to be a top corner. His size has been overplayed IMO. Bruss is tough and strong, two traits that might mean early impact once he knows the scheme. OL nowadays have a gambling feel to them almost but him being sourced from Wisconsin hopefully helps him factor in quickly.

I'm definitely a positive type with picks but clearly the Rams went after guys who can contribute quicker in this haul. The project is Hardy and he is that late round freak type where they took a shot on a rusher, which is sorely needed.

 

[WestCoastRam]

Early reports sound really good on the class but one thing that's interesting his how much seasoning these young guys need. Unlike round 1-3 picks, these later picks often share something in common, a need to be in a NFL program where they learn for a year, put on muscle for a year, etc...

I think the hard thing about our strategy is that it doesn't necessarily produce instant starters the first year. As good as Decobie and Kendricks look the first week of camp, I imagine they still have a long way to go to supplant Hill, Long or Rochelle as a starter this season.

 

[Kupped]

Early reports sound really good on the class but one thing that's interesting his how much seasoning these young guys need. Unlike round 1-3 picks, these later picks often share something in common, a need to be in a NFL program where they learn for a year, put on muscle for a year, etc...

I think the hard thing about our strategy is that it doesn't necessarily produce instant starters the first year. As good as Decobie and Kendricks look the first week of camp, I imagine they still have a long way to go to supplant Hill, Long or Rochelle as a starter this season.

One reason I think we may be seeing Kendrick and Durant show up so much early is that they played A LOT of ball in college. Kendrick will be 22 in a couple of weeks and Durant is 24.

 

[Merlin]

Corner is a position where the good ones start immediately and are felt in a scheme.

One of the things that keeps that from happening for young corners is ball awareness and developing an instinct on when to get the head around, because QBs in this league will eat you up with that shit if you're a face guarder. So guys who have that stickiness to them and instinct on ball awareness generally can play pretty quick, it's just a matter of getting the scheme and calls down.

You want guys like that on the field. Only time that's not the case is if there are starters ahead of them locking shit down. But with this secondary you have Ramsey and a bunch of dudes who haven't been able to lock shit down. Even Hill is not a guy who does that. He does dumb shit, and that's why we got him back from Cleveland at that price.

Durant has the quicks, the long speed, and the ball awareness you want at corner. He's a little small, but he is going to play a ton of great corner for us and I don't see any depth chart issues that would prevent him from winning a job this year. You just cannot tell me a guy with those skills doesn't end up being one of our top three guys in that secondary. Unless he's dumb as F and can't get the scheme down.

 

[Kupped]

Corner is a position where the good ones start immediately and are felt in a scheme.

One of the things that keeps that from happening for young corners is ball awareness and developing an instinct on when to get the head around, because QBs in this league will eat you up with that shit if you're a face guarder. So guys who have that stickiness to them and instinct on ball awareness generally can play pretty quick, it's just a matter of getting the scheme and calls down.

You want guys like that on the field. Only time that's not the case is if there are starters ahead of them locking shit down. But with this secondary you have Ramsey and a bunch of dudes who haven't been able to lock shit down. Even Hill is not a guy who does that. He does dumb shit, and that's why we got him back from Cleveland at that price.

Durant has the quicks, the long speed, and the ball awareness you want at corner. He's a little small, but he is going to play a ton of great corner for us and I don't see any depth chart issues that would prevent him from winning a job this year. You just cannot tell me a guy with those skills doesn't end up being one of our top three guys in that secondary. Unless he's dumb as F and can't get the scheme down.

Agree on all of that.

The thing I think you may be overlooking with Hill is his versatility. No, he doesn't have the best ball instincts... but he worked hard and was able to play really well at several positions in the secondary. He played more than Ramsey in the STAR in '20.. and would just lay his fucking body out to make plays in the run game.

I guess I'm saying the Rams will have the good kind of problems when it comes to making a decision on who gets that 3rd corner role....
(I'm making the assumption that Rochell gets #2)

 

[WestCoastRam]

Also... shame about Lake. He's missing valuable time. Really was interested in what he could provide in the secondary, we were most likely going to wait to next year to see it but now it's almost a certainty.

 

[Kupped]

Also... shame about Lake. He's missing valuable time. Really was interested in what he could provide in the secondary, we were most likely going to wait to next year to see it but now it's almost a certainty.

I'm interested in seeing him.... but don't see how he compliments Fuller... he's almost a twin.
Maybe he'd be in 3 safety units? But I don't see him moving past Rapp in those formations at this point. For his flaws.. Rapp is a veteran who knows his role.
Scott is the only safety on the roster with deep speed... but Yeast seems like a guy who could play that role as well.

 

[WestCoastRam]

I'm interested in seeing him.... but don't see how he compliments Fuller... he's almost a twin.
Maybe he'd be in 3 safety units? But I don't see him moving past Rapp in those formations at this point. For his flaws.. Rapp is a veteran who knows his role.
Scott is the only safety on the roster with deep speed... but Yeast seems like a guy who could play that role as well.

In a 2-safety shell system I expect you'd want a bunch of overlap in the skill sets of your starting safeties. But guy is gonna need some seasoning and if a player misses more than one week of camp, it's pretty tough to make any dent with entrenched starters in front of them.

 

[Kupped]

In a 2-safety shell system I expect you'd want a bunch of overlap in the skill sets of your starting safeties. But guy is gonna need some seasoning and if a player misses more than one week of camp, it's pretty tough to make any dent with entrenched starters in front of them.

You'd want some overlap, but if you're rotating into a single-high.. you need a guy that can fly, imo. I'd say that's why we'll see Scott at FS bunch.
I'm speculating, of course.. but Scott seems to show a growing ability to make plays from deep.. from interceptions on Brady.. to snot-knocker hits on Deebo.

 

[WestCoastRam]

You'd want some overlap, but if you're rotating into a single-high.. you need a guy that can fly, imo. I'd say that's why we'll see Scott at FS bunch.
I'm speculating, of course.. but Scott seems to show a growing ability to make plays from deep.. from interceptions on Brady.. to snot-knocker hits on Deebo.

Well, I definitely want Scott to take the next step (I feel like I've been waiting for that for two years) and Jourdan happens to think he has.

 

[Flint]

Early reports sound really good on the class but one thing that's interesting his how much seasoning these young guys need. Unlike round 1-3 picks, these later picks often share something in common, a need to be in a NFL program where they learn for a year, put on muscle for a year, etc...

I think the hard thing about our strategy is that it doesn't necessarily produce instant starters the first year. As good as Decobie and Kendricks look the first week of camp, I imagine they still have a long way to go to supplant Hill, Long or Rochelle as a starter this season.

True, but the last year or so we were saying the same thing about Long, Rochelle or Scott. It’s a bonus if one of these guys develops this year.

 

[Kupped]

True, but the last year or so we were saying the same thing about Long, Rochelle or Scott. It’s a bonus if one of these guys develops this year.

I honestly don't think we were saying/seeing close to the same from the Rams secondary last season. The big news last season was how much D Long got roasted against Cowboys.. and Rochell was, obviously, a guy who had some growing to do.

Kendrick and Durant have been making plays from go and look like they can actually contribute early in the season. Add to that Long building on a strong finish to last season, Troy Hill and Rochell taking a nice step in year 2? This secondary will be NASTY.

 

[Merlin]

Agreed. The secondary is way ahead of where it was last year. Hopefully it will translate into high end play on that back end.