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- Jun 20, 2010
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- The Dude
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St. Louis Rams
Help added: The Rams have some notable high draft picks on the roster, with the likes of Sam Bradford, Chris Long, the disappointing Jason Smith and even Robert Quinn. This year, in dropping the No. 2 pick to the Redskins for a massive haul of current and future draft picks, they added what I consider a lot of keepers, some with major upside, with an emphasis on creating more depth in the roster. This is something rivals like San Francisco and Seattle have done in recent years. D-tackle Michael Brockers will need some development time, but he has a lot of talent and could be a very good player later in 2012 and into the next few seasons. Wide receiver Brian Quick is another high-upside player who I think needs more development than the Rams might want, but at least he's another target in a weapon-deficient passing game. Isaiah Pead provides explosiveness in the run game, a very good complement to Steven Jackson, and Trumaine Johnson could either hang on at corner or convert to safety. Even wideout Chris Givens is a keeper and could help early. The wild card will be Janoris Jenkins. If he can focus on football, this is a Pro Bowl talent. On instincts alone he can be very good; if off-the-field issues don't get in the way, he's a potential star.
The Rams had a draft where they got few guarantees, but it's hard to see them not getting some players, and for a team that really needed to upgrade overall talent, you could do a lot worse. Also, keep an eye on Kendall Langford, a sneaky-good pickup at defensive tackle.
Questions that remain: The concern for me isn't Bradford as a talent -- I've seen nothing that says he doesn't have the ability of a No. 1 pick -- it's whether he can continue to adapt. This will be his third offense in three years in the league, and for the third straight year, he has a below league-average cast of pass-catching talent to work with. The return of Danny Amendola is a good thing, but we're not talking about Wes Welker here. Last year, poor offensive line play was a problem, and I thought Bradford was often out of rhythm, and didn't deal well with the pressure, particularly when it was in his face. Hopefully, Scott Wells helps this group, and Rodger Saffold can progress and show some of the promise he held as a rookie. Mostly, I just hope the staff can work to Bradford's strengths. Last year was a disaster, an offense that was out of the range of the talent trying to execute it.
Next year's help now: Levine Toilolo, TE, Stanford
Lance Kendricks is a good player, but Bradford would love the option of a 6-foot-8 matchup nightmare.
St. Louis Rams
Help added: The Rams have some notable high draft picks on the roster, with the likes of Sam Bradford, Chris Long, the disappointing Jason Smith and even Robert Quinn. This year, in dropping the No. 2 pick to the Redskins for a massive haul of current and future draft picks, they added what I consider a lot of keepers, some with major upside, with an emphasis on creating more depth in the roster. This is something rivals like San Francisco and Seattle have done in recent years. D-tackle Michael Brockers will need some development time, but he has a lot of talent and could be a very good player later in 2012 and into the next few seasons. Wide receiver Brian Quick is another high-upside player who I think needs more development than the Rams might want, but at least he's another target in a weapon-deficient passing game. Isaiah Pead provides explosiveness in the run game, a very good complement to Steven Jackson, and Trumaine Johnson could either hang on at corner or convert to safety. Even wideout Chris Givens is a keeper and could help early. The wild card will be Janoris Jenkins. If he can focus on football, this is a Pro Bowl talent. On instincts alone he can be very good; if off-the-field issues don't get in the way, he's a potential star.
The Rams had a draft where they got few guarantees, but it's hard to see them not getting some players, and for a team that really needed to upgrade overall talent, you could do a lot worse. Also, keep an eye on Kendall Langford, a sneaky-good pickup at defensive tackle.
Questions that remain: The concern for me isn't Bradford as a talent -- I've seen nothing that says he doesn't have the ability of a No. 1 pick -- it's whether he can continue to adapt. This will be his third offense in three years in the league, and for the third straight year, he has a below league-average cast of pass-catching talent to work with. The return of Danny Amendola is a good thing, but we're not talking about Wes Welker here. Last year, poor offensive line play was a problem, and I thought Bradford was often out of rhythm, and didn't deal well with the pressure, particularly when it was in his face. Hopefully, Scott Wells helps this group, and Rodger Saffold can progress and show some of the promise he held as a rookie. Mostly, I just hope the staff can work to Bradford's strengths. Last year was a disaster, an offense that was out of the range of the talent trying to execute it.
Next year's help now: Levine Toilolo, TE, Stanford
Lance Kendricks is a good player, but Bradford would love the option of a 6-foot-8 matchup nightmare.
