With the 111th pick in the NFL draft the Rams take Brian Allen C

[OldSchool]

At 298 lb Allen is small but our starting center is 302 lb and that's fine

 

[den-the-coach]

FWIW's I even like Aaron Kromer more knowing he played at Miami of Ohio (The Cradle of Coaches) and IMO, likes Offensive Linemen that have Wrestled as Blythe was a wrestler as well. Leverage, quick hands, balance makes sense....Again many eyebrows were raised with this pick, including yours truly, but I have a feeling that Allen will be able to step in and not miss a beat and feel very strongly about the offensive line depth with the additions of Noteboom & Demby as well, that Aaron Kromer will have this line ready, in case of injury too.

 

[WestCoastRam]

Not a sexy draft at all. Like this pick the best though.

 

[den-the-coach]

At 298 lb Allen is small but our starting center is 302 lb and that's fine

A couple of Krispy Kreme's and he'll be fine or some baked kale chips for you health nuts, however, in fairness I have not had a doughnut since the summer of 95.

 

[Kevin]

I think it’s a reach. The Rams might have panicked a bit when Rankin and Cole went before their pick in the third round. We could be drafting another center next year.

 

[ReekofRams]

People get sucked into the media
Draftboard that the general public eat up which is developed by a few so called “expert” media types.

The reality is always different than the media board.

There is no proven science that works with drafting and no modern day prophet that always nails picks.

Teams do hard work to determine projected fit in system based on talent and required traits, and this is often at odds with a linear top 250 board or whatever.

Proof is in the pudding. So we wait and see.

If these so called experts from the media were truly the experts they claim to be, they'd be on one of the NFL team's staff.

 

[Corbin]

The Rams are pimpin our guy.


View: https://twitter.com/RamsNFL/status/990278502959190016

Haha dude has a nasty side to him!

 

[ReddingRam]

The reality is there are 32 diff realities. Every team has a diff board. Sure there are many consensus rankings, but teams will have a diff emphasis on some traits that will affect their rankings.

Nobody is projecting theses guys (Noteboom or Allen) to come in and start. We have starters at those positions. So we bring in "solid prospects" at a point in the draft that we only had a chance to do so, and are going to try and make them ready when the time is due. Getting guys that aren't at the "top of the position group" should not be a surprise. But getting quality dudes to mold ... that should be encouraging. At that point in the draft, you no longer are going for the "underwear Olympics" guys ... height, weight, speed. You are going after workers. Guys with the right mindset and traits that tell you they can be coached up

 

[LACHAMP46]

looked up Jason Kelcie who is often called undersized.... and while Kelcie is 6-3, he is listed as only 295

I don't think Kelsie is "undersized".....and light weight isn't terrible in rookies....I think length is more important....because they all can add muscle in the pros...

feel very strongly about the offensive line depth with the additions of Noteboom & Demby as well

Do you know anything about Demby?

I like Noteboom.....

Nobody is projecting theses guys (Noteboom or Allen) to come in and start. We have starters at those positions. So we bring in "solid prospects" at a point in the draft that we only had a chance to do so, and are going to try and make them ready when the time is due. Getting guys that aren't at the "top of the position group" should not be a surprise. But getting quality dudes to mold ... that should be encouraging. At that point in the draft, you no longer are going for the "underwear Olympics" guys ... height, weight, speed. You are going after workers. Guys with the right mindset and traits that tell you they can be coached up

Agree with this in part....I think in THIS draft....it was exceptionally deep....and good players could be found....I think Allen and Noteboom are "quality" guys....I just think the size of Allen is alarming....and his position drafted....didn't line up with most expectations....I hope he proves us all wrong.

 

[den-the-coach]

Do you know anything about Demby?

Never watched him play, but watched him via other sites and came away impressed and as @Memento put it best, he's like a Rodger Saffold lite. Plenty of room for growth in his frame at 6'5 319lbs and he played tackle at Maine, so his feet should be really good at guard. Did really well in the Senior bowl and I have always admired the program at the University of Maine.

I just happen to work with a few colleagues that played football there and many of us were wondering where he would end up and the fact he ended up in Los Angeles just made me look good as well.

 

[OldSchool]

Never watched him play, but watched him via other sites and came away impressed and as @Memento put it best, he's like a Rodger Saffold lite. Plenty of room for growth in his frame at 6'5 319lbs and he played tackle at Maine, so his feet should be really good at guard. Did really well in the Senior bowl and I have always admired the program at the University of Maine.

I just happen to work with a few colleagues that played football there and many of us were wondering where he would end up and the fact he ended up in Los Angeles just made me look good as well.

That’s one thing that’s interesting about our oline. We have 4 guys starting that in college we’re tackles and then one center. Us taking a tackle and already calling him a Guard is an interesting trend. Now I realize our two guards weren’t McVay or Kromer picks and I don’t know his past but the versatility is there and we’ve heard he likes it.

 

[Merlin]

View: https://twitter.com/RamsNFL/status/991457530030186496

 

[Merlin]

So pumped to watch this dude settle in this year in camp. This guy is gonna stick.

 

[bubbaramfan]

Allen is a bulldog. OL is all about leverage, and as a successful wrestler in college, Allen knows how to use it. I know it was a different era, but Ram HOF'er Tom Mack was considered too small to play center, and he was a master at using leverage.
Allen is a hardnosed football player, I trust Kromer knows what he's doing.

I keep hearing concerns Allen is too light at 302. Hell, I can put on 20 lbs. just by eating dinner at the all u can eat buffet for week no problem. I'm sure Ted Rath will find a program for him.

 

[1maGoh]

Allen is a bulldog. OL is all about leverage, and as a successful wrestler in college, Allen knows how to use it. I know it was a different era, but Ram HOF'er Tom Mack was considered too small to play center, and he was a master at using leverage.
Allen is a hardnosed football player, I trust Kromer knows what he's doing.

I keep hearing concerns Allen is too light at 302. Hell, I can put on 20 lbs. just by eating dinner at the all u can eat buffet for week no problem. I'm sure Ted Rath will find a program for him.

That might be a different kind of weight than he's looking for. Just saiyan.

 

[RamsOfCastamere]

OL in general went earlier than "projected" this round. How many people had Billy Price and Ragnow rated in the first round? Centers were being drafted and maybe they felt it's best to get their guy then and not gamble.

A lot of people had Settle rated higher than when he was drafted, and Holland, a guy praised by some here, wasn't drafted at all, so it's hard to predict how teams actually value these guys.