Intrigue looms as Rams dangle No. 2 pick
BY JIM THOMAS • jthomas@post-dispatch.com > 314-340-8197 | Posted: Sunday, March 4, 2012 12:35 am | (5) Comments
Griffin believes he was even faster at combine
Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III blew the scouts away Sunday at the NFL combine. With Stanford QB Andrew Luck expected to go No. 1 overall to Indianapolis, Griffin's performance at the combine has made the Rams' No. 2 overall draft spot a highly valuable trade chip. (AP Photo)
In a perfect world at Rams Park, this is the week the team finalizes a trade-down from the No. 2 spot in the draft.
Granted, the actual trade can’t be executed until March 13, the start of the free agency and training period. But you always can agree to terms before that — or at least get close to that — which is what the Rams would like to do before free agents hit the market. Or before teams have much of a chance to kick the tires on Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning.
Manning is due a $28 million roster bonus March 8, a bonus the Colts almost certainly aren’t going to pay given Manning’s neck problems. Unless there’s a restructured contract between now and then, which also appears highly unlikely, Manning will be released and become a free agent.
He could be joined on March 13 by prospective free agents Jason Campbell of Oakland, Matt Flynn of Green Bay, Kyle Orton of Kansas City and Alex Smith of San Francisco. The Packers (Flynn) still can use a franchise tag to keep their quarterback. The 49ers can’t, because they used the tag on safety Dashon Goldson. The Saints’ Drew Brees was taken off that market Saturday when he received the ‘‘franchise’’ tag.
So there could be more options for quarterback-needy teams over the next 10 days, meaning it won’t be as much of a seller’s market for Baylor’s Robert Griffin III (and the Rams’ No. 2 pick).
Working in the Rams’ favor, however, is the rookie wage scale instituted for the 2011 draft class. The No. 2 pick in last year’s draft, linebacker Von Miller, signed a four-year, $21 million deal with Denver, a huge savings over the last No. 2 pick under the old system, defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. He signed a five-year, $68 million deal with Detroit.
If the Rams are successful in trading out, and Griffin indeed is the No. 2 pick this year, he will get a contract similar to Miller. And that figures to be a lot cheaper than any contract signed by Manning, if he reaches the market, and maybe even be cheaper than any deal Flynn gets in free agency.
So far, however, the quarterback-needy teams don’t seem to be in a hurry to get Griffin. They might be waiting to see what happens with Manning, Flynn and the others. They might be waiting to do their due diligence and watch Griffin throw at his pro day March 21.
In the meantime, the Rams are talking and will continue to talk with potential trade partners. According to league sources, this was the trade landscape entering the weekend:
• Cleveland (No. 4 pick): The Browns are unwilling at this point to include their second first-round pick, No. 22, as part of any trade package with the Rams.
• Washington (No. 6): The Redskins appear willing to trade their first-round pick next year, as well as their No. 6 overall pick this year. But they aren’t willing to include their second-rounder this year, which isn’t acceptable to the Rams.
• Miami (No. 8): This one appears to be dead in the water, somewhere off Florida’s Gold Coast. After losing the tug-of-war for coach Jeff Fisher, the Dolphins aren’t eager to do business with the Rams — or do the Rams any favors.
• Seattle (No. 12): No chance. The last thing the Rams want to do is send RG3 to a division rival and face him twice a year. The same applies for Arizona, which picks 13th.
The Rams don’t deny there are a few “mystery” teams they’re talking to, but the two serious contenders remain Cleveland and Washington. And Washington continues to rate as the frontrunner, in part because it’s an organization that hasn’t been shy about making the big move under owner Dan Snyder. The same can’t be said about Cleveland, although the Browns do have the “tie-breaker” edge. If offers from the Browns and the Redskins end up being close, the Browns have the edge because they pick a couple spots higher.
The Rams seem to be using as their model the 2004 draft day trade between San Diego, which had the No. 1 pick, and the New York Giants, at No. 4.
In essence, the teams swapped first-round picks, with the Giants also sending San Diego a third-round pick in ’04, and first- and fifth-round picks in the ’05 draft.
(Before the trade, the Chargers had drafted Eli Manning at No. 1 even though Manning had stated he didn’t want to play for San Diego. The Giants had selected Philip Rivers at No. 4. So those players were actually swapped and not the blank draft picks.)
Under that model, if the Redskins were to offer that second-rounder in this year’s draft, plus their first-rounders this year and next, the Rams just might call it a deal. Media reports about the Rams reaping three or four first-rounders for Griffin are very optimistic. Griffin might be charming and talented ... .but not that charming and talented.
The danger in moving down to the sixth spot with Washington is that it might move the Rams out of range of Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon and Louisiana State cornerback Morris Claiborne. It’s generally considered a “six-player” draft — meaning there are six elite players at the top: quarterbacks Andrew Luck of Stanford and Griffin; offensive tackle Matt Kalil of Southern California; Blackmon; Claiborne; and running back Trent Richardson of Alabama.
That could result in a situation where the quarterbacks go 1-2, the Minnesota Vikings taking Kalil at No. 3, Cleveland — after missing out on Griffin — settling for Blackmon at No. 4 and Tampa Bay taking Claiborne at No. 5.
That would leave the Rams at No. 6 and only Richardson remaining among the “elite six.” With Steven Jackson still productive at running back, and Richardson coming off knee surgery, would taking Richardson really be the way to go for the Rams?
Of course, they always could attempt to trade down again out of the six-hole. Perhaps to a team that just has to have Richardson. Perhaps to a team that wants Texas A&M’s Ryan Tannehill, who’s generally regarded as the third-best QB in the draft.
If that’s the case, the Rams would be trading out of elite-prospect territory into the realm of the “very good,” which can be a dangerous place to go. Then again, in any given draft, about half of the elite prospects never turn into elite NFL players.
It’s a lot for the Rams to think about between now and the draft, and even between now and March 13.
Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football ... z1oAMCxdKB
BY JIM THOMAS • jthomas@post-dispatch.com > 314-340-8197 | Posted: Sunday, March 4, 2012 12:35 am | (5) Comments
Griffin believes he was even faster at combine
Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III blew the scouts away Sunday at the NFL combine. With Stanford QB Andrew Luck expected to go No. 1 overall to Indianapolis, Griffin's performance at the combine has made the Rams' No. 2 overall draft spot a highly valuable trade chip. (AP Photo)
In a perfect world at Rams Park, this is the week the team finalizes a trade-down from the No. 2 spot in the draft.
Granted, the actual trade can’t be executed until March 13, the start of the free agency and training period. But you always can agree to terms before that — or at least get close to that — which is what the Rams would like to do before free agents hit the market. Or before teams have much of a chance to kick the tires on Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning.
Manning is due a $28 million roster bonus March 8, a bonus the Colts almost certainly aren’t going to pay given Manning’s neck problems. Unless there’s a restructured contract between now and then, which also appears highly unlikely, Manning will be released and become a free agent.
He could be joined on March 13 by prospective free agents Jason Campbell of Oakland, Matt Flynn of Green Bay, Kyle Orton of Kansas City and Alex Smith of San Francisco. The Packers (Flynn) still can use a franchise tag to keep their quarterback. The 49ers can’t, because they used the tag on safety Dashon Goldson. The Saints’ Drew Brees was taken off that market Saturday when he received the ‘‘franchise’’ tag.
So there could be more options for quarterback-needy teams over the next 10 days, meaning it won’t be as much of a seller’s market for Baylor’s Robert Griffin III (and the Rams’ No. 2 pick).
Working in the Rams’ favor, however, is the rookie wage scale instituted for the 2011 draft class. The No. 2 pick in last year’s draft, linebacker Von Miller, signed a four-year, $21 million deal with Denver, a huge savings over the last No. 2 pick under the old system, defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. He signed a five-year, $68 million deal with Detroit.
If the Rams are successful in trading out, and Griffin indeed is the No. 2 pick this year, he will get a contract similar to Miller. And that figures to be a lot cheaper than any contract signed by Manning, if he reaches the market, and maybe even be cheaper than any deal Flynn gets in free agency.
So far, however, the quarterback-needy teams don’t seem to be in a hurry to get Griffin. They might be waiting to see what happens with Manning, Flynn and the others. They might be waiting to do their due diligence and watch Griffin throw at his pro day March 21.
In the meantime, the Rams are talking and will continue to talk with potential trade partners. According to league sources, this was the trade landscape entering the weekend:
• Cleveland (No. 4 pick): The Browns are unwilling at this point to include their second first-round pick, No. 22, as part of any trade package with the Rams.
• Washington (No. 6): The Redskins appear willing to trade their first-round pick next year, as well as their No. 6 overall pick this year. But they aren’t willing to include their second-rounder this year, which isn’t acceptable to the Rams.
• Miami (No. 8): This one appears to be dead in the water, somewhere off Florida’s Gold Coast. After losing the tug-of-war for coach Jeff Fisher, the Dolphins aren’t eager to do business with the Rams — or do the Rams any favors.
• Seattle (No. 12): No chance. The last thing the Rams want to do is send RG3 to a division rival and face him twice a year. The same applies for Arizona, which picks 13th.
The Rams don’t deny there are a few “mystery” teams they’re talking to, but the two serious contenders remain Cleveland and Washington. And Washington continues to rate as the frontrunner, in part because it’s an organization that hasn’t been shy about making the big move under owner Dan Snyder. The same can’t be said about Cleveland, although the Browns do have the “tie-breaker” edge. If offers from the Browns and the Redskins end up being close, the Browns have the edge because they pick a couple spots higher.
The Rams seem to be using as their model the 2004 draft day trade between San Diego, which had the No. 1 pick, and the New York Giants, at No. 4.
In essence, the teams swapped first-round picks, with the Giants also sending San Diego a third-round pick in ’04, and first- and fifth-round picks in the ’05 draft.
(Before the trade, the Chargers had drafted Eli Manning at No. 1 even though Manning had stated he didn’t want to play for San Diego. The Giants had selected Philip Rivers at No. 4. So those players were actually swapped and not the blank draft picks.)
Under that model, if the Redskins were to offer that second-rounder in this year’s draft, plus their first-rounders this year and next, the Rams just might call it a deal. Media reports about the Rams reaping three or four first-rounders for Griffin are very optimistic. Griffin might be charming and talented ... .but not that charming and talented.
The danger in moving down to the sixth spot with Washington is that it might move the Rams out of range of Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon and Louisiana State cornerback Morris Claiborne. It’s generally considered a “six-player” draft — meaning there are six elite players at the top: quarterbacks Andrew Luck of Stanford and Griffin; offensive tackle Matt Kalil of Southern California; Blackmon; Claiborne; and running back Trent Richardson of Alabama.
That could result in a situation where the quarterbacks go 1-2, the Minnesota Vikings taking Kalil at No. 3, Cleveland — after missing out on Griffin — settling for Blackmon at No. 4 and Tampa Bay taking Claiborne at No. 5.
That would leave the Rams at No. 6 and only Richardson remaining among the “elite six.” With Steven Jackson still productive at running back, and Richardson coming off knee surgery, would taking Richardson really be the way to go for the Rams?
Of course, they always could attempt to trade down again out of the six-hole. Perhaps to a team that just has to have Richardson. Perhaps to a team that wants Texas A&M’s Ryan Tannehill, who’s generally regarded as the third-best QB in the draft.
If that’s the case, the Rams would be trading out of elite-prospect territory into the realm of the “very good,” which can be a dangerous place to go. Then again, in any given draft, about half of the elite prospects never turn into elite NFL players.
It’s a lot for the Rams to think about between now and the draft, and even between now and March 13.
Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football ... z1oAMCxdKB