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I have a feeling a lot of us feel a little bit let down with how FA has gone so far. Here's what I think we should do moving forward in FA.
Cut
Rodger Saffold OG
Re-sign
Daren Bates LB
Cory Harkey FB
Greg Zuerlein K
Eugene Sims DE
Cody Davis S
Mark Barron OLB
Trumaine Johnson CB (tagged)
Case Keenum QB
William Hayes DE
Tim Barnes C
Free Agency
Anquan Boldin WR
Rashad Johnson FS
Al Woods DT
Trade
Rams trade Round 1 Pick #15, Round 2 Pick #12, and 2017 Round 3 Pick
Ravens trade Round 1 Pick #6
Rams trade Round 2 Pick #14 and Round 6 Pick #15
Panthers trade Round 2 Pick #31, Round 3 Pick #31, and Round 5 Pick #31
Rams trade Round 4 Pick #12
Packers trade Round 4 Pick #27 and Round 5 Pick #27
We decide to move up for our QB. Baltimore is getting slightly better value on the chart.
Panthers are an aggressive team on draft day. We are looking to recoup some picks and are okay with waiting until the end of the 2nd for our guy.
Again, just trying to recoup a pick. Packers are typically willing to trade up for their guy on Day 3.
NFL Draft
Round 1 Pick #6 - Jared Goff QB California
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTNZjkdPTe8
Analysis: In terms of style, I think Goff compares most to Manning but I think his realistic ceiling is Rivers as expecting anyone to be Manning is unrealistic. According to Goff's OC, he was responsible for the entire offense at the LOS. He could call audible, change protections, change routes, etc. He had full freedom. Goff and his WRs develop hand signals to change their routes when they noticed an advantage. As a player, Goff is the best pure thrower in this class. He possesses a good but not elite arm. However, he has top shelf accuracy, touch, and anticipation. Goff put on a show at the Combine. On top of his throwing ability, Goff possesses extremely quick feet and polished footwork. He moves effortlessly in the pocket and is always in position to throw. Goff's instincts and feel for the pocket are as good as any QB that came out in the past few years. What issues does Goff have? He's coming out of an offense without a dense playbook and he has a thinnish frame at 6'4" 215. Oh, and his hands are 9 inches which is right at the bottom of the allowable range. Still, I don't think these are major issues. This kid is a future franchise QB and if he ends up on the Rams, we'll win at least one Super Bowl.
NFL Comparison: Philip Rivers
Round 2 Pick #31 - Tyler Boyd WR Pittsburgh
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfJHNtZ6JoU
Analysis: I've liked this kid since he was a true freshman. At 6'1" 197 pounds, Boyd is not a burner and doesn't offer dominating size and strength. This leads some to doubt whether he'll separate at the next level. People said the same thing about Keenan Allen and quickly found out that Allen had no trouble separating against NFL CBs. The same will be true of Tyler Boyd. While Boyd does not have elite athleticism or size, he does have outstanding acceleration, quickness, fluidity, and body control. He's also a highly intelligent receiver and a nuanced route runner. He makes crisp cuts, he attacks zone coverage effectively, and he understands how to run his routes in order to position the corner across from him to create separation. Due to his body control and awareness, Boyd works the sideline with veteran precision and does an excellent job of getting proper depth on his routes. Boyd also possesses a great pair of hands which allow him to make tough catches in traffic, go up and get the football in jump ball situations, come down with contested catches, and make acrobatic catches on inaccurate passes. He has the occasional concentration drop but that's not out of the ordinary in young players. In addition to that, Boyd is a very dangerous player with the ball in his hands because he has good vision, isn't afraid of contact, and can cut on a dime. He's a very elusive player. Aside from Boyd lacking dominating size and speed, the biggest weaknesses I see in his game are his inconsistent effort while blocking and his attitude. On film, Boyd comes off as a bit of a diva. He's prone to sulking and visible frustration if the ball isn't coming his way or the QB is making mistakes. But that's a pretty common trait in WRs. He'll need to control his temper and show a more consistent motor in the running game at the NFL level. Boyd's stock has fallen a tad because he ran a 4.58 40 but people act like that's a surprise. It's wasn't. Hasn't affected my evaluation one bit. If Boyd isn't here, Sterling Shepard would be another guy I'd target.
NFL Comparison: Keenan Allen
Round 3 Pick #13 - Nick Martin OG/C Notre Dame
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xUzWyiwXoY
Analysis: Zack's younger brother is a strong prospect in his own right. Isn't quite the nasty mauler that Evan Boehm is but Martin has a strong understanding of angles, good functional strength, and excellent feet and hands. I prefer him over Boehm because Martin is excellent in pass pro. He has quick feet and hands, a solid punch, and uses his hands extremely well. He definitely has polished handwork, good punch timing, and is comfortable handling games and blitzes up-front. Will give up a bit too much ground when getting bullrushed at times (although, I said the same thing about his brother) but keep his man in front of him, keeps his hands locked on, and does a great job of extending his arms and keeping the defender locked out. The only major knock I saw is that he has a tendency to get over-aggressive in both the run and passing game and can get caught with his head over his toes at times. He also needs to do a better job of bending at the knees. But he's a polished, smart OL that can play anywhere on the interior OL and fits our hybrid power/zone scheme.
NFL Comparison: John Sullivan
Round 3 Pick #31 - KeiVarae Russell CB Notre Dame
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0l3JGQvxLc
Analysis: Russell broke his leg late in the year or else I think he'd be gone in the 2nd. He checked into the combine at 5'11" 192. What's nice about Russell is that he has the versatility to play both the slot and outside. Russell's ball-skills really improved this year as in the past he tended to lock onto his man rather than play the ball. Russell has fluid hips, quick feet, and the long speed to recover when he gambles. His speed isn't elite but it's good and will allow him to run with most NFL WRs. He's a natural cover CB with sticky man coverage skills and good recognition in zone coverage. Russell also is a physical player willing to mix it up, take on blockers, and tackle in the open-field. Russell needs to do a better job of getting off blocks and his balance isn't great which hurts him when he has to change direction quickly at times. Still, this is a kid that would be going two rounds earlier if he didn't get injured late in the year and didn't have to sit out 2014 due to "academic dishonesty." He's a really talented kid. Watch him play against Juju Smith-Schuster. He did a great job against Juju. He picked off one pass, deflected another resulting in a pick, and had tight coverage on the one big catch Juju had on him.(Juju had like 5 catches for 60ish yards against him)
NFL Comparison: Logan Ryan
Round 4 Pick #27 - Dan Vitale TE/FB Northwestern
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeKI9mm_ZZY
Analysis: I bet you the Patriots love this guy. Vitale did everything for Northwestern. He lined up in the slot at WR, he played inline TE, he lead-blocked as a FB, and he pass blocked as a HB. At 6'1" 240, Vitale isn't your traditional TE but I love him for the Jared Cook role in the Rams offense. Vitale blew up the Combine posting the best 40, vertical jump, broad jump, short shuttle, and most bench press reps of any tight end. Vitale's official 40 was a 4.60 but many had him clocked in the 4.5s. When you turn on the film, you definitely see the speed to get over the top of the defense and the quickness to separate as a route runner. Vitale also was heavily praised during Senior Bowl week for his pass protection and run blocking skills. Vitale still is developing as a receiver because he moved around so much. His route running footwork needs to become more efficient and he needs to improve his coverage recognition skills and route awareness. Those will come with time, though. However, Vitale offers outstanding athleticism, sure hands, and great run after catch skills. As a blocker, his lack of length will hurt him inline. He'll have some trouble against DLs and longer LBs. However, he's a strong, physical kid who loves to hit. He's very much a willing blocker. He can definitely improve his blocking in space as he plays a bit out of control and he needs to use his hands better while run blocking. That all said, the desire is there and the strength is there. The only down side to his strength is that his frame is just about maxed out. Still, this is a kid that you can move all around the formation with the talent to take advantages of mismatches on the field. I'll tell you this much; he does not go down easy when he gets the ball in his hands. Some team is going to end up with one heck of a move TE.
NFL Comparison: Dallas Clark
Round 5 Pick #27 - Ronald Blair DE/DT Appalachian State
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQApJa7eaqg
Analysis: Some of y'all might say "who?" and I wouldn't blame you. Blair hasn't gotten a lot of press but he's a player. This kid gave Clemson absolute fits this year posting 8 tackles and 2 sacks in that game. On the year, he put up 71 tackles, 19 TFLs, and 7.5 sacks. What I loved about Blair's game when I watched him was the effort. He was running sideline to sideline to try to make tackles and jump on the pile. App. State played him all over the DL (he played every spot: RDE, UT, NT, and LDE). Blair was consistently disruptive wherever he lined up. Blair measured in at 6'2" 284 at the Combine with 34 inch arms and 10.25 inch hands. The good news is that he didn't tear up the Combine (so he's still being underrated). He has the versatility to play both DE and DT for the Rams which will help with depth purposes. On the field, Blair has active hands to shed blocks, he has a variety of moves (although he'll need to continue to develop counter-moves), and he's very strong. He plays with a low pad level and being 6'2" with long arms gives him advantages in the run game. He's a very disruptive run defender with a nose for the ball. As a pass rusher, I don't know if he has the upside to be a double digit sacker but he's a disruptive enough player that you can't underestimate him. He has a nice arm-over swim move, he's a twitchy athlete, and he has very active hands which make him a real pain for OTs in pass pro especially considering his natural leverage and long arms. I think he's a really good fit on the Rams because of his versatility, run stopping prowess, and his motor. Watching him reminds me a lot of William Hayes.
NFL Comparison: William Hayes
Round 5 Pick #31 - Alex McCalister DE Florida
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZW0erSBUzA4
Analysis: Alex is being listed as a 7th rounder/UDFA right now on some sites. I don't buy it. I wouldn't be surprised if he goes 4th round. He was kicked off of UF's team and has some character red flags/maturity issues. McCalister is also undersized at 6'6" 240 (listed) for a 4-3 DE. However, Eugene Sims was listed similarly his final year in college and we managed to get him up over 260. What makes McCalister such a great pick for me is that he was the best pass rusher on the a talented UF defense this year. McCalister has all of the tools needed to be a disruptive NFL edge rusher. He's 6'6" with long arms and an explosive get-off which allows him to threaten the edge. McCalister also can dip and bend around the corner and push the pocket using his length. He has outstanding balance for such a long defender, great agility, impressive speed, and has flashed a scary spin move. Basically, this kid is a risky prospect because he has character issues and needs to add weight and strength. But he has the tools to be a double digit sacker in the NFL. With the staff and players we have in place on defense and the DL, I think he's worth the risk for us. You don't find many guys with his talent on Day 3.
NFL Comparison: Aaron Lynch
Projected Starters
QB: Jared Goff
HB: Todd Gurley
FB: Cory Harkey
XWR: Tyler Boyd vs. Kenny Britt
ZWR: Anquan Boldin
SLWR: Tavon Austin
TE: Lance Kendricks
LT: Greg Robinson
LG: Jamon Brown
C: Tim Barnes vs. Nick Martin
RG: Cody Wichmann
RT: Rob Havenstein
LDE: Will Hayes
LDT: Michael Brockers
RDT: Aaron Donald
RDE: Robert Quinn
OLB: Mark Barron
MLB: Alec Ogletree
OLB: Akeem Ayers
LCB: E.J. Gaines
RCB: Trumaine Johnson
SLCB: LaMarcus Joyner
FS: Rashad Johnson
SS: T.J. McDonald
K: Greg Zuerlein vs. Ross Martin (UDFA)
P: Johnny Hekker
LS: Jake McQuaide
Cut
Rodger Saffold OG
Re-sign
Daren Bates LB
Cory Harkey FB
Greg Zuerlein K
Eugene Sims DE
Cody Davis S
Mark Barron OLB
Trumaine Johnson CB (tagged)
Case Keenum QB
William Hayes DE
Tim Barnes C
Free Agency
Anquan Boldin WR
Rashad Johnson FS
Al Woods DT
Trade
Rams trade Round 1 Pick #15, Round 2 Pick #12, and 2017 Round 3 Pick
Ravens trade Round 1 Pick #6
Rams trade Round 2 Pick #14 and Round 6 Pick #15
Panthers trade Round 2 Pick #31, Round 3 Pick #31, and Round 5 Pick #31
Rams trade Round 4 Pick #12
Packers trade Round 4 Pick #27 and Round 5 Pick #27
We decide to move up for our QB. Baltimore is getting slightly better value on the chart.
Panthers are an aggressive team on draft day. We are looking to recoup some picks and are okay with waiting until the end of the 2nd for our guy.
Again, just trying to recoup a pick. Packers are typically willing to trade up for their guy on Day 3.
NFL Draft
Round 1 Pick #6 - Jared Goff QB California
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTNZjkdPTe8
Analysis: In terms of style, I think Goff compares most to Manning but I think his realistic ceiling is Rivers as expecting anyone to be Manning is unrealistic. According to Goff's OC, he was responsible for the entire offense at the LOS. He could call audible, change protections, change routes, etc. He had full freedom. Goff and his WRs develop hand signals to change their routes when they noticed an advantage. As a player, Goff is the best pure thrower in this class. He possesses a good but not elite arm. However, he has top shelf accuracy, touch, and anticipation. Goff put on a show at the Combine. On top of his throwing ability, Goff possesses extremely quick feet and polished footwork. He moves effortlessly in the pocket and is always in position to throw. Goff's instincts and feel for the pocket are as good as any QB that came out in the past few years. What issues does Goff have? He's coming out of an offense without a dense playbook and he has a thinnish frame at 6'4" 215. Oh, and his hands are 9 inches which is right at the bottom of the allowable range. Still, I don't think these are major issues. This kid is a future franchise QB and if he ends up on the Rams, we'll win at least one Super Bowl.
NFL Comparison: Philip Rivers
Round 2 Pick #31 - Tyler Boyd WR Pittsburgh
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfJHNtZ6JoU
Analysis: I've liked this kid since he was a true freshman. At 6'1" 197 pounds, Boyd is not a burner and doesn't offer dominating size and strength. This leads some to doubt whether he'll separate at the next level. People said the same thing about Keenan Allen and quickly found out that Allen had no trouble separating against NFL CBs. The same will be true of Tyler Boyd. While Boyd does not have elite athleticism or size, he does have outstanding acceleration, quickness, fluidity, and body control. He's also a highly intelligent receiver and a nuanced route runner. He makes crisp cuts, he attacks zone coverage effectively, and he understands how to run his routes in order to position the corner across from him to create separation. Due to his body control and awareness, Boyd works the sideline with veteran precision and does an excellent job of getting proper depth on his routes. Boyd also possesses a great pair of hands which allow him to make tough catches in traffic, go up and get the football in jump ball situations, come down with contested catches, and make acrobatic catches on inaccurate passes. He has the occasional concentration drop but that's not out of the ordinary in young players. In addition to that, Boyd is a very dangerous player with the ball in his hands because he has good vision, isn't afraid of contact, and can cut on a dime. He's a very elusive player. Aside from Boyd lacking dominating size and speed, the biggest weaknesses I see in his game are his inconsistent effort while blocking and his attitude. On film, Boyd comes off as a bit of a diva. He's prone to sulking and visible frustration if the ball isn't coming his way or the QB is making mistakes. But that's a pretty common trait in WRs. He'll need to control his temper and show a more consistent motor in the running game at the NFL level. Boyd's stock has fallen a tad because he ran a 4.58 40 but people act like that's a surprise. It's wasn't. Hasn't affected my evaluation one bit. If Boyd isn't here, Sterling Shepard would be another guy I'd target.
NFL Comparison: Keenan Allen
Round 3 Pick #13 - Nick Martin OG/C Notre Dame
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xUzWyiwXoY
Analysis: Zack's younger brother is a strong prospect in his own right. Isn't quite the nasty mauler that Evan Boehm is but Martin has a strong understanding of angles, good functional strength, and excellent feet and hands. I prefer him over Boehm because Martin is excellent in pass pro. He has quick feet and hands, a solid punch, and uses his hands extremely well. He definitely has polished handwork, good punch timing, and is comfortable handling games and blitzes up-front. Will give up a bit too much ground when getting bullrushed at times (although, I said the same thing about his brother) but keep his man in front of him, keeps his hands locked on, and does a great job of extending his arms and keeping the defender locked out. The only major knock I saw is that he has a tendency to get over-aggressive in both the run and passing game and can get caught with his head over his toes at times. He also needs to do a better job of bending at the knees. But he's a polished, smart OL that can play anywhere on the interior OL and fits our hybrid power/zone scheme.
NFL Comparison: John Sullivan
Round 3 Pick #31 - KeiVarae Russell CB Notre Dame
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0l3JGQvxLc
Analysis: Russell broke his leg late in the year or else I think he'd be gone in the 2nd. He checked into the combine at 5'11" 192. What's nice about Russell is that he has the versatility to play both the slot and outside. Russell's ball-skills really improved this year as in the past he tended to lock onto his man rather than play the ball. Russell has fluid hips, quick feet, and the long speed to recover when he gambles. His speed isn't elite but it's good and will allow him to run with most NFL WRs. He's a natural cover CB with sticky man coverage skills and good recognition in zone coverage. Russell also is a physical player willing to mix it up, take on blockers, and tackle in the open-field. Russell needs to do a better job of getting off blocks and his balance isn't great which hurts him when he has to change direction quickly at times. Still, this is a kid that would be going two rounds earlier if he didn't get injured late in the year and didn't have to sit out 2014 due to "academic dishonesty." He's a really talented kid. Watch him play against Juju Smith-Schuster. He did a great job against Juju. He picked off one pass, deflected another resulting in a pick, and had tight coverage on the one big catch Juju had on him.(Juju had like 5 catches for 60ish yards against him)
NFL Comparison: Logan Ryan
Round 4 Pick #27 - Dan Vitale TE/FB Northwestern
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeKI9mm_ZZY
Analysis: I bet you the Patriots love this guy. Vitale did everything for Northwestern. He lined up in the slot at WR, he played inline TE, he lead-blocked as a FB, and he pass blocked as a HB. At 6'1" 240, Vitale isn't your traditional TE but I love him for the Jared Cook role in the Rams offense. Vitale blew up the Combine posting the best 40, vertical jump, broad jump, short shuttle, and most bench press reps of any tight end. Vitale's official 40 was a 4.60 but many had him clocked in the 4.5s. When you turn on the film, you definitely see the speed to get over the top of the defense and the quickness to separate as a route runner. Vitale also was heavily praised during Senior Bowl week for his pass protection and run blocking skills. Vitale still is developing as a receiver because he moved around so much. His route running footwork needs to become more efficient and he needs to improve his coverage recognition skills and route awareness. Those will come with time, though. However, Vitale offers outstanding athleticism, sure hands, and great run after catch skills. As a blocker, his lack of length will hurt him inline. He'll have some trouble against DLs and longer LBs. However, he's a strong, physical kid who loves to hit. He's very much a willing blocker. He can definitely improve his blocking in space as he plays a bit out of control and he needs to use his hands better while run blocking. That all said, the desire is there and the strength is there. The only down side to his strength is that his frame is just about maxed out. Still, this is a kid that you can move all around the formation with the talent to take advantages of mismatches on the field. I'll tell you this much; he does not go down easy when he gets the ball in his hands. Some team is going to end up with one heck of a move TE.
NFL Comparison: Dallas Clark
Round 5 Pick #27 - Ronald Blair DE/DT Appalachian State
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQApJa7eaqg
Analysis: Some of y'all might say "who?" and I wouldn't blame you. Blair hasn't gotten a lot of press but he's a player. This kid gave Clemson absolute fits this year posting 8 tackles and 2 sacks in that game. On the year, he put up 71 tackles, 19 TFLs, and 7.5 sacks. What I loved about Blair's game when I watched him was the effort. He was running sideline to sideline to try to make tackles and jump on the pile. App. State played him all over the DL (he played every spot: RDE, UT, NT, and LDE). Blair was consistently disruptive wherever he lined up. Blair measured in at 6'2" 284 at the Combine with 34 inch arms and 10.25 inch hands. The good news is that he didn't tear up the Combine (so he's still being underrated). He has the versatility to play both DE and DT for the Rams which will help with depth purposes. On the field, Blair has active hands to shed blocks, he has a variety of moves (although he'll need to continue to develop counter-moves), and he's very strong. He plays with a low pad level and being 6'2" with long arms gives him advantages in the run game. He's a very disruptive run defender with a nose for the ball. As a pass rusher, I don't know if he has the upside to be a double digit sacker but he's a disruptive enough player that you can't underestimate him. He has a nice arm-over swim move, he's a twitchy athlete, and he has very active hands which make him a real pain for OTs in pass pro especially considering his natural leverage and long arms. I think he's a really good fit on the Rams because of his versatility, run stopping prowess, and his motor. Watching him reminds me a lot of William Hayes.
NFL Comparison: William Hayes
Round 5 Pick #31 - Alex McCalister DE Florida
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZW0erSBUzA4
Analysis: Alex is being listed as a 7th rounder/UDFA right now on some sites. I don't buy it. I wouldn't be surprised if he goes 4th round. He was kicked off of UF's team and has some character red flags/maturity issues. McCalister is also undersized at 6'6" 240 (listed) for a 4-3 DE. However, Eugene Sims was listed similarly his final year in college and we managed to get him up over 260. What makes McCalister such a great pick for me is that he was the best pass rusher on the a talented UF defense this year. McCalister has all of the tools needed to be a disruptive NFL edge rusher. He's 6'6" with long arms and an explosive get-off which allows him to threaten the edge. McCalister also can dip and bend around the corner and push the pocket using his length. He has outstanding balance for such a long defender, great agility, impressive speed, and has flashed a scary spin move. Basically, this kid is a risky prospect because he has character issues and needs to add weight and strength. But he has the tools to be a double digit sacker in the NFL. With the staff and players we have in place on defense and the DL, I think he's worth the risk for us. You don't find many guys with his talent on Day 3.
NFL Comparison: Aaron Lynch
Projected Starters
QB: Jared Goff
HB: Todd Gurley
FB: Cory Harkey
XWR: Tyler Boyd vs. Kenny Britt
ZWR: Anquan Boldin
SLWR: Tavon Austin
TE: Lance Kendricks
LT: Greg Robinson
LG: Jamon Brown
C: Tim Barnes vs. Nick Martin
RG: Cody Wichmann
RT: Rob Havenstein
LDE: Will Hayes
LDT: Michael Brockers
RDT: Aaron Donald
RDE: Robert Quinn
OLB: Mark Barron
MLB: Alec Ogletree
OLB: Akeem Ayers
LCB: E.J. Gaines
RCB: Trumaine Johnson
SLCB: LaMarcus Joyner
FS: Rashad Johnson
SS: T.J. McDonald
K: Greg Zuerlein vs. Ross Martin (UDFA)
P: Johnny Hekker
LS: Jake McQuaide
