By Jeff Gordon
STLTODAY.COM SPORTS COLUMNIST
02/08/2010
Had Jake Locker entered the 2010 NFL Draft, Rams general manager Billy Devaney would have had an easy decision to make.
He could have traded out of the first overall slot, banking at least one extra pick in this deep draft, then drafted Locker later in the first round.
But Locker stayed in school, so Devaney is still weighing his options. He needs to make a sensible move at quarterback rather than aim for something sexier.
He faces quite a dilemma. The free-agent marketplace seems devoid of real talent at that position.
The trade mart offers more intrigue, particularly with the Eagles mulling the immediate futures of Donovan McNabb, Kevin Kolb and Michael Vick.
The NFL Draft has a couple of high-end prospects -– Sam Bradford and Jimmy Clausen -- and many developmental quarterbacks for the later rounds.
Watching this play out will be great fun for the good citizens of Rams Nation. There are many ways Devaney can go.
Keeping
Marc Bulger (at a reduced rate) is an option. Former Rams quarterback Kurt Warner reminds us not to write him off.
“I think Marc is extremely talented,” Warner said last week. “I think he brings a lot to the table. But the thing you always realize as a quarterback is that you're never going to have great success if you don't have great players around you. They've obviously been going through a rebuilding process. A lot of changes have taken place over the last few years. Although Marc can still play, he hasn't had the opportunity to really do what he is capable of doing. That has been the frustrating part.
“You get labeled a lot of times based on the big picture, especially when you've had success. They expect, regardless of what goes on around you, you are supposed to throw for 30 touchdowns and 4,000 yards every year. I know I got caught in that mix when I went to New York and didn't have the gaudy stats, they are like, well, this guy is not the same guy, he can't bring much to the table, but so much is based on the team and what's around you and what opportunities you get.”
Acquiring Vick from the Eagles is another option, one that is quite popular with many STLtoday.com users. Former Rams linebacker
Will Witherspoon, now an Eagle, offered this character reference for his teammate:
“(Vick) had to learn a life lesson the tough way. I think he's moved beyond it. He's just trying to get back into the game, just understanding what kind of player he can be and make sure he gets himself back into that role, understand how to get himself back to the level of player he was before. I think he is doing a great job.
“He paid a price that was tenfold more than most anybody else out there would get. He lived up to what he did. He did prison time for what most people get a year's probation and hanging out in their back yard.”
Drafting Bradford is a third option. Devaney is eager to see how Sam's injured shoulder is healing.
“I think he is hell of a player,” Devaney said last week. “We all know what the key on Bradford will be. We're anxious to see him at the combine in about three weeks. It will be interesting to see where he is physically. I don't know what his rehab consists of right now, if he is throwing the ball, what his plans are. We need to find that out. But I think the guy is a great player.”
A long-range option is Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, who figures to fall to the middle rounds of this draft.
“I think the guy will eventually play,” Devaney said. “The intangibles are rare. I think the guy is a quarterback. He is a quarterback or nothing. He's not a tight end or running back. He is a quarterback or nothing at all. He has the intangibles that you need to play that position, the leadership, the toughness, the intelligence. So there is something to work with. He just needs work with his mechanics. It is not going to happen overnight. It is going to take a year, it might take two years. I think the guy will play.”
Some experts are convinced the Rams will make a play for Vick, who would love to move into a starting role somewhere in the NFL. At the moment, the Eagles seem ready to keep McNabb for his final contract year, hang onto Kolb as the heir apparent and move Vick.
(If another team makes a huge play for McNabb, though, all bets are off. The Eagles could end all the drama between coach Andy Reid and his quarterback and let Vick and Kolb fight it out for the job.)
Some local observers believe Bulger is finished as a Ram, although Devaney expects Marc to play next year and insisted Bulger is “still in the process” at Rams Park.
Some draft experts inside the Rams will target a quarterback at the top of the draft and move away from defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, a young man Devaney describes as “an impact player at a position where it’s hard to make an impact.”
But this franchise doesn’t HAVE to spend its first pick on a quarterback. There are other avenues to explore.
Remember, the Rams found a Hall of Fame-caliber quarterback (Warner) in the Arena Football League and a Pro Bowl-caliber quarterback (Bulger) on the street.
The Rams should employ a veteran quarterback (Bulger or somebody younger, depending on who shakes loose) as a stopgap starter next season. The Rams should also draft somebody in the middle of the upcoming draft to compete against young incumbents Keith Null and Mike Reilly.
In another year, perhaps the Rams will finally be ready to put a young quarterback in position to succeed. At that point, perhaps investing large draft dollars in a first-round pick will make sense -– IF the other young quarterbacks don’t progress in the meantime.
That would be the least exciting avenue to travel, but the most prudent.
BRM
Linear Mode
