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Rams adjusting to life without a lot of picks
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/16368/rams-adjusting-to-life-without-a-lot-of-picks
INDIANAPOLIS -- In terms of draft capital, there's been no wealthier team than the St. Louis Rams in the past three years.
Since making the blockbuster trade with the Washington Redskins before the 2012 NFL draft, the Rams have made multiple trades and received enough compensatory choices to make a combined 28 picks in those drafts. Even in 2013, when the Rams actually traded some of their picks to move up for receiver Tavon Austin at No. 8, they still had seven selections.
This year, however, things figure to be quite a bit different. Compensatory picks won't be divvied up until next month's owners meetings and the Rams could receive a choice or two. But for now, they only have five picks to work with in this year's draft.
"I feel like we're drafting on a diet," general manager Les Snead said. "So I don't know how that's going to go. But I think we've evolved to the point where the glaring needs are probably less and less. We're always the kid in the candy story, you're going to want a lot. The 'wants' are always going to be there. But we're getting to the point where we've got to use each pick strategically in trying to build our football team."
The Rams dealt their fourth- and sixth-round selections to Tampa Bay for safety Mark Barron during the season and their original seventh-round choice went to Atlanta as part of the trade down that yielded linebacker Alec Ogletree in 2013. As it stands, they hold picks in each of the first three rounds, one in the fifth round and New England's pick in the seventh round from a trade for receiver Greg Salas.
Of course, since trades are what got extra picks for the Rams in the first place, it's entirely possible they could make more trades to add more picks as the draft nears. To this point, neither Snead nor coach Jeff Fisher have ruled out the possibility of a trade, even if it meant moving up and having fewer picks.
"I think you always plan now that you’re going to have five and you could always, the only way you are getting more picks is trading back," Snead said. "You can plan somewhat for that but you have got to have a dance partner. I think the way you sell that is, OK, that plan is there, there’s multiple players at one (spot) and if there’s multiple then maybe you trade back and get picks. That’s a game-time decision."
Given the team's needs, particularly on the offensive line and at quarterback, it also could become something of a dangerous game where they try to shoehorn needs into their few picks at the expense of more talented players.
That's become something of a common occurrence when it comes to quarterbacks where teams will overextend themselves to get one. Snead said he hopes to avoid falling into such a mistake.
"You have got to value the quarterbacks the way you do any position," Snead said. "If one’s there and you think he’s got a future, I think it would definitely be time to take him. I don’t think that would be a waste at all."
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/16368/rams-adjusting-to-life-without-a-lot-of-picks
INDIANAPOLIS -- In terms of draft capital, there's been no wealthier team than the St. Louis Rams in the past three years.
Since making the blockbuster trade with the Washington Redskins before the 2012 NFL draft, the Rams have made multiple trades and received enough compensatory choices to make a combined 28 picks in those drafts. Even in 2013, when the Rams actually traded some of their picks to move up for receiver Tavon Austin at No. 8, they still had seven selections.
This year, however, things figure to be quite a bit different. Compensatory picks won't be divvied up until next month's owners meetings and the Rams could receive a choice or two. But for now, they only have five picks to work with in this year's draft.
"I feel like we're drafting on a diet," general manager Les Snead said. "So I don't know how that's going to go. But I think we've evolved to the point where the glaring needs are probably less and less. We're always the kid in the candy story, you're going to want a lot. The 'wants' are always going to be there. But we're getting to the point where we've got to use each pick strategically in trying to build our football team."
The Rams dealt their fourth- and sixth-round selections to Tampa Bay for safety Mark Barron during the season and their original seventh-round choice went to Atlanta as part of the trade down that yielded linebacker Alec Ogletree in 2013. As it stands, they hold picks in each of the first three rounds, one in the fifth round and New England's pick in the seventh round from a trade for receiver Greg Salas.
Of course, since trades are what got extra picks for the Rams in the first place, it's entirely possible they could make more trades to add more picks as the draft nears. To this point, neither Snead nor coach Jeff Fisher have ruled out the possibility of a trade, even if it meant moving up and having fewer picks.
"I think you always plan now that you’re going to have five and you could always, the only way you are getting more picks is trading back," Snead said. "You can plan somewhat for that but you have got to have a dance partner. I think the way you sell that is, OK, that plan is there, there’s multiple players at one (spot) and if there’s multiple then maybe you trade back and get picks. That’s a game-time decision."
Given the team's needs, particularly on the offensive line and at quarterback, it also could become something of a dangerous game where they try to shoehorn needs into their few picks at the expense of more talented players.
That's become something of a common occurrence when it comes to quarterbacks where teams will overextend themselves to get one. Snead said he hopes to avoid falling into such a mistake.
"You have got to value the quarterbacks the way you do any position," Snead said. "If one’s there and you think he’s got a future, I think it would definitely be time to take him. I don’t think that would be a waste at all."