LA Rams have a good draft class to find a center

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dieterbrock

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Is this true? He played tackle in college and guard in the NFL. He hasn't played C yet.
Yeah, I know he was a T/G in college and only played C in Senior bowl, I dont follow the Browns so I'm not sure what their plans were for him. Just saw it listed as C on pro football ref, (not that it means anything) and only saw it listed as OL elsewhere

233CLEAustin CorbettC2320200
 

I like Rams

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I stopped reading at Jamal Demby. No way this guy has watched games after mentioning Demby as a possible starter.
 

Tano

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I just saw Landon Dickerson had two torn ACLs in his career at Alabama.

No thanks on him. His knee is going to be gone by year 5 and arthritis will really kick in by then.
 

FarNorth

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While it's not an immediate need, grooming another tackle is extremely important as well. Because I value the OLine above all else, I'm personally hoping for their evaluations to target the best linemen available in both rounds two and three. Controlling the clock by running effectively while protecting the QB protects the defense more than any single player they could draft at CB, edge, DL, or LB. Returning the OLine to a standard where the QB can stand in the pocket longer produces more YPA for all eligible receivers. NOTHING is more important than improving the quality and depth of that unit.

For example, many consider Russell Wilson as a top flight QB but since they tend to ignore the OLine, he can't beat the Rams by throwing from the turf. Kurt Warner was considered washed up until Russ Grimm fixed the Card's offensive line. At the turn of the century, the Chiefs had a dominant offense with middling skill talent (their best WR was Eddie Kennison) because the line plus Tony Gonzales meant everyone they put at RB would go to the Pro Bowl. The same was true when Dickerson left the Rams as one of our best lines paved the way for both Charles White and Greg Bell to have 1,000+ yard seasons.

Actually I've been thinking that, if the Rams believe they have a center on the roster, then left tackle might be an immediate need. Depends of course on what McVay and now Carberry think of Noteboom.

In any event, I would not be shocked if the Rams passed on a center, or even if they drafted a potential left tackle.
 

FarNorth

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Medical flags could plop top center Dickerson into Rams lap in draft (ramblinfan.com)
Medical flags could plop top center Dickerson into Rams lap in draft
by Jay Blucher
View attachment 44902

The LA Rams are looking for an offensive center in the 2021 NFL Draft. That’s no secret. What you may not realize is the fact that a top center may fall to the Rams at 57. Wouldn’t that be something?

There aren’t many centers the size of Alabama’s Landon Dickerson in the NFL, and perhaps on the planet, either.

At 6-foot-6 and 335 pounds, you can pick your cliche to insert here: a mountain of a man, a grizzly bear of a man, a behemoth of a man, a human fireplug, a Titan. There’s no denying he’s a massive mauler, whose style of ferocious play reminds NFL scouts of the Indianapolis Colts’ Quenton Nelson.

If he were to be drafted by the LA Rams, he would almost certainly be new offensive line coach Kevin Carberry’s dream addition. Imagine adding this year’s winner of the Rimington Award as the top center in the collegiate ranks to seamlessly fill the shoes of the now-departed Rams center Andrew Blythe.

And while we are on the subject of collegiate accolades, Dickerson is also the co-Jacobs Award winner along with Alabama teammate Alex Leatherwood as the best blocker in the SEC. And he’s a unanimous first-team AP All-American, to boot.

Ahh, but he will never be available at where the Rams pick in round two of the 2021 NFL Draft, will he? I mean, the 57th pick of the draft is very deep into day two, and he will surely be off the board by the time the Rams are on the clock, though, right? Not necessarily.

As the draft approaches, there’s a school of thought out there, draft-inspired whispers, that teams might be a bit hesitant about selecting Dickerson because of medical concerns surrounding his recent spate of injuries. Medical flags and all that. They dropped prospects in the 2020 NFL Draft like rocks off a tall building. And now, Dickerson faces that same bane heading into the 2021 NFL Draft. Medical flags can shatter the dreams of NFL hopefuls.

After all, he did miss parts of four college seasons, with a torn ACL of the right knee in 2016; a season-ending right ankle injury in 2017; a left ankle sprain that kept him off the gridiron for most of the 2018 season, and a torn left knee ACL suffered late in the 2020 season. That particular injury kept him out of showing his stuff at this year’s Senior Bowl.

One torn knee ACL might give pause, but both knees? Some draft experts are even saying he could be a physically-unable-to-perform (PUP list) candidate who might not be fully rehabbed enough to start the season.

His upcoming medical evaluation will be telling.

That all says “slides down” in the draft to me. . . where he just maybe possibly could (hopefully) fall in the Rams lap. And the Rams have many traits in the draft, one of which is blowing past medical flags. This could get very interesting.

Probably too much to hope for, but I would love to see this dude as a Ram. To hell with a finesse oline. How about some power?
 

FarNorth

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https://theramswire.usatoday.com/2021/02/19/rams-lions-matthew-stafford-frank-ragnow-read-defense/

So apparently Stafford is great at reading defenses and line calls, so good that he was ahead of his C in Detroit. Having a rookie at C shouldn't be a problem then.

If a draft rookie center can really play-- I mean already has the physical skills at a near NFL level-- I do think the Rams could work with a him on the signal calls to potentially make him viable as a starter. Might take half a season to get it going.

But for that matter Stafford may take a while to get dialed in too. Learning a new, high precision offense is not instantaneous.
 

SeminoleRam

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Personally, I will be very happy if the Rams end up drafting Meinerz, Humphrey or Dickerson (But, His Medical History does concern me a little!) with their 2nd round pick! Just think the Rams have to get Stafford a quality Center whether it is with the Draft or Trade! I just can’t see the Rams spending/trading that much to get him and not provide him with a GOOD Center!!!

For some reason I really like Meinerz!
 

CGI_Ram

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NFL draft: Rams could snap up offensive linemen

After making their first big decision of the offseason in acquiring quarterback Matthew Stafford, the Rams face another in figuring out who’ll snap the ball to him.

Last year’s starting center, Austin Blythe, signed with the Kansas City Chiefs. The previous starting center, Brian Allen, hasn’t played since a November 2019 knee injury. The other center on the roster is Coleman Shelton, an undrafted special-teams player.

Could the Rams find their fourth straight new opening-week center in this month’s NFL draft?

“Because it’s such a nuanced position of almost being the second QB on the field, it’s hard just to project a rookie can do it,” Rams general manager Les Snead said in March, before Blythe’s departure became official. “(It’s) a little bit harder to project them than other positions.”

But this might be the year to try.

Center isn’t the only offensive-line position the Rams should be looking at in the draft, which will be held April 29 to May 1.

Left tackle is another. Andrew Whitworth will be 40 in December and is taking his career one year at a time. The Rams need a successor at the position, with Joe Noteboom and Bobby Evans the top backup tackles on the roster.

Because of trades, the Rams have no first-round pick for the fifth draft in a row. Unless or until Snead makes his usual draft-day deals, they have picks in the second round (57th overall), third (88th and 103rd), fourth (141st), sixth (209th) and seventh (252nd). No. 103 is compensation for losing executive Brad Holmes to the Lions, and No. 141 is compensation for losing free agents in 2020.

Whom the Rams draft will depend a lot on who’s still available when they select.

Here’s a look at intriguing centers and tackles who could be on the board when the Rams’ turns come up:

Centers

Landon Dickerson, Alabama

At 6-foot-6, 333 pounds, Dickerson is a former guard who won the Rimington Trophy as the nation’s top center after helping the Crimson Tide to the national championship as a junior in 2020.

The highest-rated center in NFL.com’s analysis, he’s viewed as a second-round pick but could slip lower because of concerns about knee and ankle injuries in college.

It’s unclear how reassured scouts were when Dickerson made a show of turning cartwheels at Alabama’s pro day.

Creed Humphrey, Oklahoma

An ex-wrestler respected for his leadership qualities, the Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year as a junior in 2020 went into the draft process well-regarded and only raised his stock in Oklahoma pro-day testing.

He’s rated as a second-round pick, so he’s another who could be available at No. 57.

Josh Myers, Ohio State

Myers moved from guard to center as a sophomore and started there as a junior for the national championship runners-up.

Analysts laud his football IQ, suggesting he could become an NFL starter sooner than most young centers.

Others to watch include: Kendrick Green, Illinois (All-Big-Ten center-guard); Quinn Meinerz, Wisconsin-Whitewater (guard-center).

Tackles

Teven Jenkins, Oklahoma State

This draft class is rich with offensive-tackle prospects, perhaps too many for them all to be taken before the Rams have a chance.

Jenkins, All-Big-12 and a three-year college starter at right and left tackle, could become a steal for a team picking in the second or third round.

Jalen Mayfield, Michigan

He played mostly right tackle in college, and made only 15 starts before declaring for the draft as a junior, but an NFL team could gamble that a player with his talent could be trained to play on the left.

Forecasters have him going anywhere from the first to third round.

D’Ante Smith, East Carolina

NFL.com analyst Daniel Jeremiah sees the Rams taking Smith with a third-round pick. He has experience playing guard before two years as a college starter at left tackle. That could appeal to the front office and coaching staff that value flexibility.

“I’m not so sure Whitworth’s not going to play until he’s 60,” Jeremiah joked on the NFL Network, “but eventually, you’re going to have to pass the torch and I think D’Ante Smith is somebody who can play outside, can play inside.”

Others to watch include: Walker Little, Stanford (injured in 2019, opted out in 2020); James Hudson, Cincinnati (raw talent with only 11 college starts).
 

dang

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I wouldn’t chance R2.57 on Dickerson due to his injury history. It reminds me too much of Barrett Jones. If a couple C prospects are available Perhaps Trade that R2.57 for 2 picks then use the highest pick for C and use the other pick for another solid player.
 

BonifayRam

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Rams News: Rams land C Creed Humphrey in CBS Sports mock - Turf Show Times
Random Ramsdom:

Rams bolster interior with OU pivot


By MTPeterson@ZoneTracks Apr 19, 2021, 8:55am CDT
Reese’s Senior Bowl
Photo by
The players seen mocked to the Rams at No. 57 have been all over the place. Just off the top of my head, we’ve seen offensive tackle, guard, center, inside linebacker, edge rusher, and safety.

If I had to pin down one position group that has been the most-consistently mocked to the Rams, it’d have to be offensive line. Between tackle and center, I’d say those are your two.

In Chris Trapasso’s latest two-round mock at CBS Sports, the Rams land the draft’s best pivot in Oklahoma’s Creed Humphrey, an uber-athletic player who would start immediately in Los Angeles.

According to Kent Platte and his relative athletic score (RAS), Humphrey is the most-athletic center since 1987, the date from when his numbers begin. At 6’4 and 302 pounds, Humphrey ran an 5.11 in the 40, but post great numbers in the vertical (33 inches), broad (9’4”), and the short shuttle (4.49).

Creed Humphrey is a OC prospect in the 2021 draft class. He scored a 10 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 1 out of 494 OC from 1987 to 2021. https://t.co/4M42BZppb4 #RAS via @Mathbomb pic.twitter.com/PqwkWCjCYJ
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 6, 2021

1618926102220.png


The two-time Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year would, without a doubt, be a notable upgrade over Austin Blythe and give the Rams an excellent center to work with new quarterback Matthew Stafford as he begins his tenure in L.A.
As always, let me know what you all think of the pick!
 
Last edited:

blackbart

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Rams News: Rams land C Creed Humphrey in CBS Sports mock - Turf Show Times
Random Ramsdom:

Rams bolster interior with OU pivot


By MTPeterson@ZoneTracks Apr 19, 2021, 8:55am CDT
Reese’s Senior Bowl
Photo by
The players seen mocked to the Rams at No. 57 have been all over the place. Just off the top of my head, we’ve seen offensive tackle, guard, center, inside linebacker, edge rusher, and safety.

If I had to pin down one position group that has been the most-consistently mocked to the Rams, it’d have to be offensive line. Between tackle and center, I’d say those are your two.

In Chris Trapasso’s latest two-round mock at CBS Sports, the Rams land the draft’s best pivot in Oklahoma’s Creed Humphrey, an uber-athletic player who would start immediately in Los Angeles.

According to Kent Platte and his relative athletic score (RAS), Humphrey is the most-athletic center since 1987, the date from when his numbers begin. At 6’4 and 302 pounds, Humphrey ran an 5.11 in the 40, but post great numbers in the vertical (33 inches), broad (9’4”), and the short shuttle (4.49).



View attachment 45011

The two-time Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year would, without a doubt, be a notable upgrade over Austin Blythe and give the Rams an excellent center to work with new quarterback Matthew Stafford as he begins his tenure in L.A.
As always, let me know what you all think of the pick!
Sounds great on paper, looks like he could be a good anchor. How does Bonifay’s evaluation look?

Would love to see how they handle things in the room just before snd during the draft.
 

Shuie3225

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I just saw Landon Dickerson had two torn ACLs in his career at Alabama.

No thanks on him. His knee is going to be gone by year 5 and arthritis will really kick in by then.

Frank Gore had two torn ACLs before he ever got to the NFL. Went on to play like 15 years and had a HOF career at a much more demanding position. Pretty sure Dickerson wont be around at 57 regardless.
 

Merlin

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Frank Gore had two torn ACLs before he ever got to the NFL. Went on to play like 15 years and had a HOF career at a much more demanding position. Pretty sure Dickerson wont be around at 57 regardless.
I've cooled on Dickerson considerably and I absolutely love his film. If he stays healthy he's going to have a great career but at this point after the Gurley bullshit and Lewis last year already having knee bullshit I'm so over the knee stuff it's not funny. So I've come around to the more conservative takes on him. If the Rams take him I'll be hopeful of course but at this point it seems smarter to just take a guy like Creed.

Ideally we get one of the defenders or maybe a WR or TE who could be there at 57. But if they just get center over with I'm good with that because it's such a big need.
 

Loyal

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I've cooled on Dickerson considerably and I absolutely love his film. If he stays healthy he's going to have a great career but at this point after the Gurley bullshit and Lewis last year already having knee bullshit I'm so over the knee stuff it's not funny. So I've come around to the more conservative takes on him. If the Rams take him I'll be hopeful of course but at this point it seems smarter to just take a guy like Creed.

Ideally we get one of the defenders or maybe a WR or TE who could be there at 57. But if they just get center over with I'm good with that because it's such a big need.
or a safety...