The Rams worst draft pick

[den-the-coach]

Where ever he is I hope Rich Brooks has a dog that doesn't like him, is afflicted with constant gas and stubs his toe in the middle of the night.

When the Rams moved to St. Louis in 1995, John Shaw focusing so much on the move hired Steve Ortmayer from the Raiders, who also was GM of the Chargers (87-89) as Vice President of Football Operations...The Rams had a few Coaches on their Radar and I was rooting for Gene Stallings, who was the Alabama Head Coach, won a national title and was well regarded in St. Louis being Head Coach of the Cardinals before their move.

Back then, the Rams moved at a snail's pace when interviewing Coaches and they interviewed Emmitt Thomas, Ernie Zampese & Ray Rhodes. Rhodes they wanted to hire, but took too long and Rhodes interviewed in Philadelphia and they did not let him leave without a contract. The Rams were shocked by the move and had to regroup.

Mike Ditka was getting plenty of steam as a potential hire, but there was no way Ortmayer was going to hire Ditka. The Rams then interviewed Richie Brooks, who only had like two winning seasons in Eugene, but was highly regarded in the college ranks and renown CFL Head Coach Don Matthews and it was very close, but Ortmayer had a bond with Brooks as Brooks brought Ormayer to Kentucky years later, when he went back to the collegiate ranks.

As to Brooks all I can remember about him is wearing the Papa Smurf blue hat when the Rams played in Pittsburgh, Brooks looked like a goof in that hat and I could not get past that. Always thought Brooks was an offensive coach, but after being fired by the Rams in 96, went on to be the DC of the Falcons and was their DC when they went to the Super Bowl in 98, but I loved kicking their butt in 99 with Brooks looking clueless on how to stop the Rams in the booth.

Ormayer tried the Raider approach overseeing the Rams going after troubled players like Phillips, which at the time, I knew was idiotic, especially with a talent like Eddie George on thew board. George was just as good and his character was off the charts, so why Phillips? I understood the Kennison pick, because Kennison returned punts and was bigger than Harrison, but Harrison ran pristine routes and had some of the best hands, but again understood the Kennison selection.

So all in all, Brooks was a fall back, Rhodes is who the Rams wanted, they were just too slow and blamed the move, but that was the Ram organization in a nutshell back then, very much like the Laker organization of present day.

 

[fearsomefour]

When the Rams moved to St. Louis in 1995, John Shaw focusing so much on the move hired Steve Ortmayer from the Raiders, who also was GM of the Chargers (87-89) as Vice President of Football Operations...The Rams had a few Coaches on their Radar and I was rooting for Gene Stallings, who was the Alabama Head Coach, won a national title and was well regarded in St. Louis being Head Coach of the Cardinals before their move.

Back then, the Rams moved at a snail's pace when interviewing Coaches and they interviewed Emmitt Thomas, Ernie Zampese & Ray Rhodes. Rhodes they wanted to hire, but took too long and Rhodes interviewed in Philadelphia and they did not let him leave without a contract. The Rams were shocked by the move and had to regroup.

Mike Ditka was getting plenty of steam as a potential hire, but there was no way Ortmayer was going to hire Ditka. The Rams then interviewed Richie Brooks, who only had like two winning seasons in Eugene, but was highly regarded in the college ranks and renown CFL Head Coach Don Matthews and it was very close, but Ortmayer had a bond with Brooks as Brooks brought Ormayer to Kentucky years later, when he went back to the collegiate ranks.

As to Brooks all I can remember about him is wearing the Papa Smurf blue hat when the Rams played in Pittsburgh, Brooks looked like a goof in that hat and I could not get past that. Always thought Brooks was an offensive coach, but after being fired by the Rams in 96, went on to be the DC of the Falcons and was their DC when they went to the Super Bowl in 98, but I loved kicking their butt in 99 with Brooks looking clueless on how to stop the Rams in the booth.

Ormayer tried the Raider approach overseeing the Rams going after troubled players like Phillips, which at the time, I knew was idiotic, especially with a talent like Eddie George on thew board. George was just as good and his character was off the charts, so why Phillips? I understood the Kennison pick, because Kennison returned punts and was bigger than Harrison, but Harrison ran pristine routes and had some of the best hands, but again understood the Kennison selection.

So all in all, Brooks was a fall back, Rhodes is who the Rams wanted, they were just too slow and blamed the move, but that was the Ram organization in a nutshell back then, very much like the Laker organization of present day.

All true.
I do remember Rhodes and Ditka being hyped.
Brooks was a total disaster.

 

[Corbin]

View: https://youtu.be/Lf_kpi92A9U


Watch this! Lol. Bust interviews bust.

 

[Angry Ram]

Good? What was he good at? He couldn’t run routes. He was very easily knocked off course or tackled. And he had some punt returns but regressed with them too. A lot of people had high expectations for him. I don’t think he delivered on any of them.

I don't care about all that, and your and my definition of "good" will be different. It's not like he didn't do anything during his time here. He produced and was a contributor to the offense and STs. Remember all those long runs called back by penalties by other players? Calling him the worst draft pick is ridiculous IMO.

Also, maybe in the hindsight game, the expectations were not realistic? I mean, looking back at it, how could anyone say his college production would translate to the pros at the same level, where everything is bigger, stronger, faster?

 

[fearsomefour]

Apparently Mardy Gilyard is still trying to learn the playbook...,

He should have roomed with Brian Quick.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

I don't care about all that, and your and my definition of "good" will be different. It's not like he didn't do anything during his time here. He produced and was a contributor to the offense and STs. Remember all those long runs called back by penalties by other players? Calling him the worst draft pick is ridiculous IMO.

Also, maybe in the hindsight game, the expectations were not realistic? I mean, looking back at it, how could anyone say his college production would translate to the pros at the same level, where everything is bigger, stronger, faster?

I know a few respected posters that did.

It was a pivotal time. Taking Hopkins would have worked out so much better. Maybe it wasn't the worst pick, but the timing of it pushes it up the list .

 

[Ramlock]

Phillips

 

[ramfan46]

Is there a worst 3 year stretch for 1st rounders? 05-07 with Alex Barron, Tye Hill and Adam Carriker. No wonder we were the bottom of the barrel for a decade.

 

[Angry Ram]

I know a few respected posters that did.

It was a pivotal time. Taking Hopkins would have worked out so much better. Maybe it wasn't the worst pick, but the timing of it pushes it up the list .

No it doesn't. He was seen as the best player during that time. Deandre Hopkins was picked 27th and fell that far because of his alleged hotel poop rage.

Again, everyone placed the bar so high, that very few NFL players actually ever accomplish, that he had no chance to meet any of them.

Not saying he was some epic player when he was here, but c'mon he did his time here and was a solid player and contributor for the team.

 

[badnews]

Can we re-live the pain of bad FA's too?

I will go first: Drew Bennett.

 

[coconut]

Ty Hill and Trung Canidate also come to mind.

Nailed it!

 

[Riverumbbq]

Can we re-live the pain of bad FA's too?

I will go first: Drew Bennett.

Jason Brown, Jacob Bell, Scott Wells, Jake Long, Davin Joseph, Harvey Dahl, Kyle Turley ...
I can't remember the name of that CB Fisher brought in as a F/A, but he sucked.

 

[Ramrocket]

Chris Claiborne was another FA disaster.

 

[tklongball]

View attachment 29079

I was going to say Klopfenstein deserves honorable mention. LOL

 

[tklongball]

Wait, I take it back, If we had drafted Whitworth (who was taken 9 picks later) instead of Klopfenstein, we wouldn't have had to draft Jason Smith OR Greg Robinson. :shocking:


Screw Honorable Mention, My Answer IS Klopfenstein

 

[tklongball]

Now I am really depressed. I started looking back at those drafts, and imagine who we could have had. I know this is all hind-sight, but if we had taken Whitworth, we could have traded back in 2009 and instead of taking Jason Smith, we could have gotten Clay Mathews and another player. Then in 2014, we could have taken Aaron Donald AND Khalil Mack.

Now I've made myself sad.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

No it doesn't. He was seen as the best player during that time. Deandre Hopkins was picked 27th and fell that far because of his alleged hotel poop rage.

Again, everyone placed the bar so high, that very few NFL players actually ever accomplish, that he had no chance to meet any of them.

Not saying he was some epic player when he was here, but c'mon he did his time here and was a solid player and contributor for the team.

Solid? Did the Rams trade up for a punt returner? He wasn't solid in anything but that. But, I guess he did more than awoke of these other guys that people mentioned.

 

[Akrasian]

Now I am really depressed. I started looking back at those drafts, and imagine who we could have had. I know this is all hind-sight, but if we had taken Whitworth, we could have traded back in 2009 and instead of taking Jason Smith, we could have gotten Clay Mathews and another player. Then in 2014, we could have taken Aaron Donald AND Khalil Mack.

Now I've made myself sad.

Nah, if the Rams had been intelligent enough to draft well, they would have won enough games to not have the picks to take Donald and Mack, for instance. Butterfly effect, you know.

 

[tklongball]

Nah, if the Rams had been intelligent enough to draft well, they would have won enough games to not have the picks to take Donald and Mack, for instance. Butterfly effect, you know.

No, I know. And every pick changes every other pick, etc. Fun, yet sort of depressing to think about.

 

[Farr Be It]

Jason Brown, Jacob Bell, Scott Wells, Jake Long, Davin Joseph, Harvey Dahl, Kyle Turley ...
I can't remember the name of that CB Fisher brought in as a F/A, but he sucked.

I wouldn’t put Dahl in this category. Even Wells was solid for a year or two. Dahl was a beast. Lunch pail mauler that maybe stayed on a year too long.