This draft rests on Rapp and Henderson

[TheTackle]

This is not to negate what Snead and McVey did, but after pulling off more trades than I can ever remember in Rams history, Snead could have stayed put and picked practically all the same players bar Henderson and Rapp

Byron Murphy anyone?

Staying put could have brought in (for example)

Murphy, OT Bobby Evans, FS Chauncey Gardens-J, DT Greg Gaines, OT David Edwards, LB Dakota Allen (Scott would prob have been a priority FA)

They clearly wanted Henderson (in a big way) and were very comfortable taking Rapp who looks like a solid pick one pick back from Nasir Adderley (who has star potential)

I was surprised by the Gaines trade - thought they were trading up for Mack Wilson! Wanted Edge D’Andre Walker who went 1 pick ahead of our T David Edwards pick. Might we have shipped the 7th to get above them? Just my two cents

LB remains a shining weakness going into 2019 with the DL significantly weakened...

 

[FrantikRam]

This is not to negate what Snead and McVey did, but after pulling off more trades than I can ever remember in Rams history, Snead could have stayed put and picked practically all the same players bar Henderson and Rapp

Byron Murphy anyone?

Staying put could have brought in (for example)

Murphy, OT Bobby Evans, FS Chauncey Gardens-J, DT Greg Gaines, OT David Edwards, LB Dakota Allen (Scott would prob have been a priority FA)

They clearly wanted Henderson (in a big way) and were very comfortable taking Rapp who looks like a solid pick one pick back from Nasir Adderley (who has star potential)

I was surprised by the Gaines trade - thought they were trading up for Mack Wilson! Wanted Edge D’Andre Walker who went 1 pick ahead of our T David Edwards pick. Might we have shipped the 7th to get above them? Just my two cents

LB remains a shining weakness going into 2019 with the DL significantly weakened...

I disagree.

LB is SIGNIFICANTLY improved. Littleton will be better. Kiser will be better than Hager/Wilson/injured Barron. Allen replaces Kiser from last year. Fowler/Matthews is much better than what we had at OLB last year.

Brockers/Suh/Donald is better on paper than Brockers/Gaines/Donald, but Brock wasn't great last year and hopefully will be back to himself. Gaines against the run will be better than Suh in the regular season, and to offset Suhs loss in the playoffs we will be able to have Fowler/Matthews/Ebukam/Donald rushing in subpackages

Our front 7 is much better IMO. Secondary also has phenomenal depth now.

 

[12intheBox]

I would say that if Rapp and Henderson completely bust and Evans, Long, and Allen (or any of the other members of this class) turn into pro bowlers, this draft will be considered a success. We took Greg Robinson 2 overall the year we drafted Aaron Donald. I still call that draft a rousing success. If you strike gold, it doesnt matter if the first swings of the axe missed.

 

[TheTackle]

I disagree.

LB is SIGNIFICANTLY improved. Littleton will be better. Kiser will be better than Hager/Wilson/injured Barron. Allen replaces Kiser from last year. Fowler/Matthews is much better than what we had at OLB last year.

Brockers/Suh/Donald is better on paper than Brockers/Gaines/Donald, but Brock wasn't great last year and hopefully will be back to himself. Gaines against the run will be better than Suh in the regular season, and to offset Suhs loss in the playoffs we will be able to have Fowler/Matthews/Ebukam/Donald rushing in subpackages

Our front 7 is much better IMO. Secondary also has phenomenal depth now.

I like you optimism, but Suh and the line played lights out in big contests - when you need them.

How has LB become a strength? Obo is the dark horse here. Fowler was on the team last season? He might improve, I would go so far as say, he needs to it ed could be in trouble. Mathews was a good get at the price, but not the player he was. Barron played very well in the playoffs and is a much better coverage LB than anything we have now

I am not a hater, but there are as many unknowns with our LBs - possibly more - than we had last year

 

[TheTackle]

I would say that if Rapp and Henderson completely bust and Evans, Long, and Allen (or any of the other members of this class) turn into pro bowlers, this draft will be considered a success. We took Greg Robinson 2 overall the year we drafted Aaron Donald. I still call that draft a rousing success. If you strike gold, it doesnt matter if the first swings of the axe missed.

I and others here hated the Robinson pick. I even stated at the time that we should trade down, accrue picks and take Martin. To think Donald and Martin might well have taken us past the patriots - have to disagree. We got lucky with Whit hitting free agency - the Bengals messed up big time!! Without that good fortune we would all be still bemoaning the Robinson disaster

 

[TheTackle]

I think both will be solid contributors - perhaps they see Henderson as our Kamara - he has a slightly different skill set, but brings similar juice

As I said I am not negating, but we did a lot of trading and really only leveraged that into these two players - the rest would have been picked regardless

I would say that if Rapp and Henderson completely bust and Evans, Long, and Allen (or any of the other members of this class) turn into pro bowlers, this draft will be considered a success. We took Greg Robinson 2 overall the year we drafted Aaron Donald. I still call that draft a rousing success. If you strike gold, it doesnt matter if the first swings of the axe missed.

nt

 

[12intheBox]

I and others here hated the Robinson pick. I even stated at the time that we should trade down, accrue picks and take Martin. To think Donald and Martin might well have taken us past the patriots - have to disagree. We got lucky with Whit hitting free agency - the Bengals messed up big time!! Without that good fortune we would all be still bemoaning the Robinson disaster

Had we not taken Robinson, and the Rams turned into a slightly better team, we would still have Jeff Fisher.

Any draft hindsight for me always comes down to this. What happened turned out great for us. It may have sucked at the time and no one would argue that Robinson was really the right choice at 2 - but it sure worked out well for us.

 

[TheTackle]

Had we not taken Robinson, and the Rams turned into a slightly better team, we would still have Jeff Fisher.

Any draft hindsight for me always comes down to this. What happened turned out great for us. It may have sucked at the time and no one would argue that Robinson was really the right choice at 2 - but it sure worked out well for us.

That literally makes no sense? As for Fisher, I think it would have taken Aaron Rogers to save his job, the offense was that bad

I am not raining negativity here. Byron Murphy looks like a stud and there were other players taken - e.g. Risen - who might well go on to have better careers than our picks at CB and OL. To say that is not blasphemy. After all the were not simply throwing darts hoping to hit one. Henderson might be a star, same with Rapp, but if not and Murphy or another player rated 30 spots higher is, they made a mistake

 

[Mojo Ram]

We got lucky with Whit hitting free agency

How so?

 

[Mojo Ram]

Henderson might be a star, same with Rapp, but if not and Murphy or another player rated 30 spots higher is, they made a mistake

This type of logic is basically useless in grading a draft the day after it happened. The sheer amount of variables and unknowns involved in 32 teams drafting over 200 players who've never played a single down in the NFL says so.

 

[JackDRams]

This is all just speculation. You say they could have stayed where they were and still gotten the guys they wanted. You don’t know that. One trade can change the makeup of the entire draft. If we don’t trade back here, or don’t move up here. You don’t know how these guys are ranked by other teams. If we don’t trade up for a guy, he could be gone. If we stay put and draft a guy, maybe that team that didn’t trade up with us, takes a Greg Gaines with their pick and now he’s gone. I understand being a little butt hurt for not getting your guys. I really wanted David Long, LB from Wake in the fifth. We took a lineman that may never be shit. Long should have been a day two pick. But we’re not the GM. We speculate.

 

[JackDRams]

This type of logic is basically useless in grading a draft the day after it happened. The sheer amount of variables and unknowns involved in 32 teams drafting over 200 players who've never played a single down in the NFL says so.

Common senseless logic I would have said. Yeah, their are mistakes every year with picks. Give me one team that picks the absolute best player at every single pick in a draft. It’s never happened in history and never will.

 

[FrantikRam]

I like you optimism, but Suh and the line played lights out in big contests - when you need them.

How has LB become a strength? Obo is the dark horse here. Fowler was on the team last season? He might improve, I would go so far as say, he needs to it ed could be in trouble. Mathews was a good get at the price, but not the player he was. Barron played very well in the playoffs and is a much better coverage LB than anything we have now

I am not a hater, but there are as many unknowns with our LBs - possibly more - than we had last year

Fowler joined the team Midway through the year. No way he was as impactful last year as this year with an off-season with the team. Fowler this year is an upgrade over Fowler last year

 

[Akrasian]

Fowler joined the team Midway through the year. No way he was as impactful last year as this year with an off-season with the team. Fowler this year is an upgrade over Fowler last year

He also played better as the season went along. The Rams seem convinced he will keep on improving with the Rams' coaching. Barring injury (of course) I expect him to play quite well, even if he never reaches the heights predicted when he was drafted.

 

[TheTackle]

This is all just speculation. You say they could have stayed where they were and still gotten the guys they wanted. You don’t know that. One trade can change the makeup of the entire draft. If we don’t trade back here, or don’t move up here. You don’t know how these guys are ranked by other teams. If we don’t trade up for a guy, he could be gone. If we stay put and draft a guy, maybe that team that didn’t trade up with us, takes a Greg Gaines with their pick and now he’s gone. I understand being a little butt hurt for not getting your guys. I really wanted David Long, LB from Wake in the fifth. We took a lineman that may never be crap. Long should have been a day two pick. But we’re not the GM. We speculate.

Really? You think our trades caused a butterfly effect, whereby every other team didn’t pick the players they wanted?? I am not bitter, I am just making a solid point. All that trading amounted to no top pick, Rapp and Henderson - the rest ended up playing out almost identically, if we had stayed put

Yes, I think Murphy might have been the pick if I me, but they clearly liked Rapp enough to trade down. I wonder who they would have stayed at 31 for?

 

[TheTackle]

This type of logic is basically useless in grading a draft the day after it happened. The sheer amount of variables and unknowns involved in 32 teams drafting over 200 players who've never played a single down in the NFL says so.

Really, then why even scout players in the first place - this kind of logic is what builds a contender??

I am not negating Rapp or Henderson - let’s hope they prove to be key contributors - as Murphy looks the ticket. We will soon find out, as we will face him twice a year.

Where did I grade the draft??

 

[Mojo Ram]

Really, then why even scout players in the first place - this kind of logic is what builds a contender??

The Rams aren't the only team scouting players or trying to draft the best players. You make it sound as if the Rams are drafting with 31 other teams that have idiots running things.

 

[WestCoastRam]

I liked this draft, I was a little hot about Henderson but really didn't know anything about the kid (and my emotions were a bit clouded over the enigma that is Gurley's knee). But this draft is not about studs. I think we got some great depth and good role-players. What this draft does is set us up well for next year when we lose a lot of guys and need to go into the draft most likely looking for one or two day 1 starters.

I think we'll be less inclined to reach for need next year.

I'd argue that all the trading allowed us to stay squarely in the middle class of the draft and build depth with contributors.

If we're gonna say the draft rests on anyone, I think you have to include Gaines, Evans and Long with Henderson and Rapp. The Rams really spread their capital across all these guys equally (even if they were drafted at different spots).

 

[TheTackle]

How so?

If Whit doesn’t hit free agency, or signs elsewhere - who was going to play LT? We got lucky Whit was available in the first place. Look at how it worked out for the Bengals. They should have locked him up, period. Instead, they had a disaster. The Robinson miss could and in al probability should have still been costing us even now. Thankfully Whit dropped in our lap and Snead and McVey made sure he didn’t get away