Which Rams rookie will contribute the most in 2014

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Evening conversation: Which Rams rookie will contribute the most in 2014
By Ryan Van Bibber@justRVB

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Sam Greenwood

Good evening, friends. Grab a drink, pull up a chair. Let's chat.

Tonight, let's talk about the rookies. Specifically, which rookie, be it a member of the St. Louis Rams 2014 draft class or one of the undrafted free agents the team added, will make the biggest impact, positive impact, on the team this year.

We're obviously going to get oodles of answers for one of the two first-round picks. So let's break it up into two parts. I really think Aaron Donald will make the biggest impact. But that's not really a surprise. He's probably one of the more polished rookie defensive tackles we've seen in a long time. Sure, he'll have to learn the ins and outs of the NFL game, and he'll have to adjust to the size and speed of opponents here, but good technique and the brains to go with it is a great place to start.

So we'll break it into two parts:

1a) Which rookie makes the biggest overall contribution, and

1b) Which rookie will surprise us with his contribution?

Among the surprises, I'm going with Marcus Roberson, the undrafted cornerback out of Florida. I know that's a leap ... he did go undrafted after all. But that had to do with his health. And by all accounts, he's healthy now. If he stays healthy heading into the season, he's got the talent to emerge as a contributor, part of the secondary rotation. He's also got instincts, which is something you just can't teach.

So who are your picks?
 
It's too easy just to choose two of the top four picks. I'm gonna actually make a surprise pick, because to me, Joyner and Mason wouldn't be surprised if they contributed.

1. Donald
2. Sam

If Sam can beat out someone and make the team, I'm sure the coaches will find a way to utilize him. Waufle likes to use all his guys to a certain extent. Sam could find himself on the field from time to time.
 
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1. Robinson - Rams drafted him to road grade this year. No problem

2. Joyner - The main beneficiary of the desperate throws & wounded ducks caused by our pass rush.

I took these two over Donald only because I expect them to see a lot more snaps at first.
 
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to my mind, given that he's already going to be a day one starter, it would have to be greg robinson having the biggest rookie impact on the team. likewise, because he's almost certainly going to see lots of action on the defensive line this season, aaron donald figures to be close behind. that being the case, i think it's more interesting to ask who will have the biggest impact aside from those two. i'm going to say e.j. gaines.
 
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A) Robinson
Robinson will really help our run game.

B) TJ Moe
This is a very bold prediction, but if he becomes the next Amendola, he will certainly help our team.
 
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Donald and Joyner are the smart picks, clearly. But that's too easy so I'll go with Mason, who may be a huge surprise. I love Stacy and all, but he gets dinged up a lot and Mason has the extra gear that nets TDs from anywhere on the field. He is a tough runner between the tackles, thus a really nice fit for this offense and the holes should be enormous.
 
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Ramrasta said:
I predict Joyner. Not that Donald and Robinson won't dominate but I suspect Joyner will have worked his way into starting safety by mid-season and starts making plays we haven't seen from that position in a decade.
Click to expand...

What kind of plays are you referring to? Because your post kinda made me think about OJ Atogwe and his awesomeness when he was with us. Atogwe types of plays?
 
Contribution- Donald

Surprise- Joyner

Joyner is going to start in Nickel situations, but I have a feeling by the end of the season the Rams are going to be hard pressed not to be playing him every down. Heart and soul guys are so rare in today's "me first" era, and he has captain written all over him
 
I believe Robinson will have the greatest impact, because he will play every snap from day one

Joyner will be the surprise. He has a great attitude and will play in a great position of need
We will rely on a few rookies to play well. I love Donald, but am tempered a little, knowing that DT's sometimes
take a while to develop.
 
The whole 'taking every snap' thing does seem to point to Robinson, especially considering he's taking over for the single weakest position on the offense from 2013.

Joyner may be pretty huge, though... remember Finnegan in the early part of 2012? That's the role Joyner will play. That's a massively important part of the D.
 
JackDRams said:
What kind of plays are you referring to? Because your post kinda made me think about OJ Atogwe and his awesomeness when he was with us. Atogwe types of plays?
Click to expand...

I was always a fan of Atogwe. He was definitely my favorite Rams safety and he seemed to always make incredible plays at least once a game. The downside was his consistency but I believe Joyner will be a top 10 safety in time without worries in that department. I can still remember a game in Tampa where Atogwe was doing the Soulja Boy, hahaha
 
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Ramrasta said:
I predict Joyner. Not that Donald and Robinson won't dominate but I suspect Joyner will have worked his way into starting safety by mid-season and starts making plays we haven't seen from that position in a decade.
Click to expand...

This is basically how I was going to respond. Joyner will play himself into a starting role.

I will add, biggest surprise will be Greg Reid FSU. Kid has always had talent and NFL talent, as long as he stays out of trouble I believe he has the skillset to succeed in the NFL.
 
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