Thoughts on drafting OT and C with 1st two picks

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yeesh - Stafford's protection:
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....and here's what our goat does with it: (oh and lookit Mariota lolol)
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All this talk about the OL not being up to par but the fact of that game was the defense went soft in the secondary during the second half, and you had two blocked kicks that were very makeable. This is what cost the Rams a victory plain and simple.
I'd put it on all three units with special teams being the most at fault. You just can't have two blocked kicks in one game.

The offense is to blame too though. 26 points is not enough against elite teams. And they had 26 with 12 plus minutes to go in the 3rd quarter. If the defense went soft, the offense went stale.
 
Depends on who's available at QB and how we feel about that player.

It also depends on where we land with the Falcons' pick.

I wouldn't mind using their pick as bait for a QB desperate team to get a ton of draft picks and use them on OL, CB, etc.
 
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At this point, as bad as Limmer and Dedich have been, would McClendon, Humphries, or Quessenberry be worse at back up guard? They are big guys and perhaps they can hold up better? Just an idea.

Havenstein, Avila, and Dedich are now listed as Questionable. Yikes
 
I get your point but as others have pointed out....due to the high bust rate of QB's in the draft, sometimes it makes sense to build your Oline and surrounding cast and then find that QB via cast offs such as Daniel Jones, Darnold etc. Think of Rich Gannon back in the day who won an MVP and 4 Pro Bowls. Foles actually won a Super Bowl with the right cast. So did Flacco, Dilfer, Rypien, Brad Johnson etc.

Not to mention the cost of a top QB these days.

Yes, ideally you land that top QB in the draft. Easier said then done.
Hitting on O line is no guarantee either as we should well know by now (Jason Smith, Greg Robinson, Joe Noteboom, Brian Allen... jury is still out on Avila). There are way more examples of teams solving O line issues without spending a first round pick than there are teams solving QB issues without one.
 
Not sure if Rambling Fan is any good, I'm guessing it isn't, but these stats they posted for our interior pass blocking are downright atrocious and scary.


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I got an idea. Before deciding whom the Rams should pick with their 1st, 2nd, 3rd or any other picks, why don’t we wait to see who they sign in free agency?
 
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Shelton can do the job if he has strong guards next to him. Rams probably figured ok we should have Avila and Dotson holding it down so we're good with a brainy smurf center. Then they lost both of them for stretches of the first three games.

What I find disappointing is that our second year center who got us to the NFCCG couldn't work on the calls and improve on them during camp. Because, well, we're gonna play him at OG instead as depth where he sucks ass. So now if we need him as a backup center he probably isn't any fucking better than he was last year. And his confidence has to be in the shitter so God help us if we do lose Shelton for any length of time.

Oh and that would have made sense had we kept the UDFA center who was making pancakes in preseason games. Alas.

Rams and OL could be a soap opera. :laugh3:
 
Best player available is the way to go. It's not like first round OTs or CBs can't be busts. Draft players, not positions.

That said, there's nothing more important than to address the QB position. Can't win without a good one. And a good one on a rookie contract will provide the team the cap space to hold on to most of, if not all, of the young talent coming up for contracts shortly.

And a young QB that can move can assist in pass protection. Notice how safe even the Rams defense rushes against a QB with the potential to threaten them with his legs. Rams OLine don't and won't enjoy that luxury with Stafford no matter who is on the OLine.
 
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Hitting on O line is no guarantee either as we should well know by now (Jason Smith, Greg Robinson, Joe Noteboom, Brian Allen... jury is still out on Avila). There are way more examples of teams solving O line issues without spending a first round pick than there are teams solving QB issues without one.
Jason Smith and Greg R were admitted busts. It happens.
Noteboom played OK but was injury prone. Not his fault.
Brian Allen was decent at least when available.
Avila I predict will be good when not hurt.
Your argument about QB1 vs OL1 is IMO probably correct.
But hard to argue with the OL first priority IMO.
Good OL = you're good, esp with a QB like Stafford.

BC
 
Still some Noteboom juju hanging around the locker room?
Not sure if Rambling Fan is any good, I'm guessing it isn't, but these stats they posted for our interior pass blocking are downright atrocious and scary.


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can’t waste Stafford like that.
 
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Still some Noteboom juju hanging around the locker room?

can’t waste Stafford like that.
Yeah totally agree. We all saw his scrambling prowess on display versus the Eagles. He's out there putting Michael Vick to shame :laugh2: ....... Looks like we are going to be more relying on Stafford's quick release and our skill players winning their matchups pretty quickly. I do wonder if that is affecting Stafford's ability to read more of the field on pass plays.
 
Shelton can do the job if he has strong guards next to him. Rams probably figured ok we should have Avila and Dotson holding it down so we're good with a brainy smurf center. Then they lost both of them for stretches of the first three games.

What I find disappointing is that our second year center who got us to the NFCCG couldn't work on the calls and improve on them during camp. Because, well, we're gonna play him at OG instead as depth where he sucks ass. So now if we need him as a backup center he probably isn't any fucking better than he was last year. And his confidence has to be in the shitter so God help us if we do lose Shelton for any length of time.

Oh and that would have made sense had we kept the UDFA center who was making pancakes in preseason games. Alas.

Rams and OL could be a soap opera. :laugh3:
Seems like a yearly conversation I'm definitely tired of having. Would definitely be nice to have an old line that could dominate on both passing and blocking downs.