Ask the DraftNICK! (Version 1.0)

[Country]

Nick, here is what I am thinking. We have a window, with Holt,Bruce, Jackson and Marc. Not much time with Bruce and Holt's not getting younger. With the O we have now. Why not take a shot to get the D front 7 set. If we can get the D to play average or better we have a real shot right now.


On the flip side maybe a 6th or 7th round DT breaks out. I said early we would not get a NT until next year, you said we can't wait. I agree, we have to get one this year. Some way some how....

I agree that the Rams have a window with the offense that they have so I don't mind if they are aggressive this year to get some impact players on defense.

but as the Redskins have shown being agressive and stupid does not pay off.

[SWFCRAM]

Nick, I seem to be more concerned than most about our running back situation. If something were to happen to Jackson then we need a quality back up and whilst durable last year, he took some bangs the year before. So my questions are, how early do you see the Rams looking at a back, who do you think is a good fit or do you think they'll use free agency to fix the problem?

Cheers

John

[mcpeepants232003]

I don't see why they haven't resigned Stephen Davis yet. He is not a star anymore but he was solid last year and we could then look at running back in the later rounds.

[Country]

I think that Minor or Fisher can hold it down in the case that the predator goes down.

Or we pass the ball 60 times, fun and gun.

[Nick]

Nick, here is what I am thinking. We have a window, with Holt,Bruce, Jackson and Marc. Not much time with Bruce and Holt's not getting younger. With the O we have now. Why not take a shot to get the D front 7 set. If we can get the D to play average or better we have a real shot right now.

I don't disagree that this team is capable of winning now, but again I don't think that means you trade a bunch of your middle round picks to move back up into round one. There are plenty of examples of non-first round picks who have come in and have had an immediate effect on their team (Lofa Tatupu in 2005, Marques Colston in 2006). There's still a chance that the higher rated prospect we'd take when we trade back into round one could bust out, and then instead of just losing that pick to a bust, we'll have lost two or three picks that could have been more worthwhile players selected later in the draft.

Nick, I seem to be more concerned than most about our running back situation. If something were to happen to Jackson then we need a quality back up and whilst durable last year, he took some bangs the year before. So my questions are, how early do you see the Rams looking at a back, who do you think is a good fit or do you think they'll use free agency to fix the problem?

Probably third round at the earliest. If you draft someone too high, then the expectation is that they're going to start at some point for you, and obviously we're not looking to take Steven Jackson out of his role as the starter.

As for who they're looking at, it depends on what kind of 'back they feel they need to compliment Jackson. Last year, we saw through the signing of Stephen Davis that the Rams were looking for more of a north-south power runner to compliment Jackson. Rumblings have suggested that now they're looking for a faster change of pace back who could come in as a receiver on third downs. If that's the case, Lorenzo Booker could be an option in round three. Another option is Chris Henry, though I really don't have a good feel about where his stock is right now. I've read anywhere from competing to be the 3rd RB off the board to a mid to late round pick.

I don't see why they haven't resigned Stephen Davis yet. He is not a star anymore but he was solid last year and we could then look at running back in the later rounds.

I believe there were significant concerns about his health and whether or not he'd be able to hold up through a full offseason session of camps and workouts. If he's not been signed by late in the summer, the Rams may give him another look.

Or we pass the ball 60 times, fun and gun.

After signing Bennett and McMichael, we've certainly acquired the weapons to do so.

[laram0]

Nick,

Wondering if you are familiar with any of the Draft Day sleepers listed below?

Katie Koss (Sporting News) and the War room scouts have a short list of players that they are considering the sleepers of the upcoming draft.

OT- Allen Barber, Missouri St.
CB- Michael Coe, Alabam St.
LB- Justin Durant, Hampton....considered the top sleeper
CB- Corey Graham, UNH
WR- Jacoby Jones, Lane
DT- Trey Lewis, Washburn
TE- Ben Patrick, Delware
WR- Laurent Robinson, Illinois St.
S- Daren Stone, Maine

Last years draft featured Marques Colston as the top sleeper according to the War room scouts.

LB- Justin Durant of Hampton sparks my curiosity the most.

Thanks

[stlramz]

Hey Nick,I was wondering what you think about the Rams trading down with Denver and having them get our 13th which is 1150 in points and grabbing there 21st and 56th which adds up to 1140 and taking Aaron Ross with the 21st pick,Getting Tank Tyler with our 52nd,and Lamar Woodley with their 56th.

[gdive22]

Nick,

LB- Justin Durant of Hampton sparks my curiosity the most.

Thanks

I really like Justin Durant too, but I don't think he's really a sleeper. His name comes up frequently on the NFL channel on Sirius and the Rams will be fortunate if he lasts until their pick in the 2nd round.

Here are some more names for the sleeper list. One thing I hope the Rams prioritize is finding a quality return specialist. I won't miss holding my breath watching Shaun McDonald catching punts and looking for a place to fall down.

DT Andre Coleman (Albany) - PFW describes him as having similarities to a young La' Roi Glover
RB Chris Henry (Arizona) - Big RB that ran sub 4.4 at the combine. Did not start at Arizona. Seems to have upside and physical tools.
CB Geoffery Pope (Howard) - Small CB with great speed. Late Riser. Will probably be a high day 2 pick.
WR Craig Davis (LSU) - Well built athletic WR with durability issues. Has good return skills.
WR/RS Yamon Figurs (Kansas St) - Probably too frail to be more than a situational WR, but IMO is the best return specialist in the draft.

If I had to pick one, I hope the Rams take Figurs. He reminds me a lot of Andre Coleman the dynamic RS of the Chargers during their SB year. He would be a huge upgrade for the Rams return game.

[Bar-bq]

Okie doke, Mr Seiler, Can you rate for me, your list of 2nd round DE's?

[Nick]

Sorry it's taken me so long to respond. Been busy with classes, and I actually had a response typed out the other night but the computer froze, which was pretty frustrating. Anyways...

Wondering if you are familiar with any of the Draft Day sleepers listed below?

Allen Barber: Mid round guy, probably fourth or fifth rounder, had a pretty impressive combine, best 40-yard dash of all offensive linemen, athleticism likely makes him a better fit in a zone blocking scheme

Michael Coe: Sneaks into the third round I think, could project to either corner or safety at the next level, I think he'd be a good fit for a Cover/Tampa 2 scheme so Chicago at the end of the third round might be an option for him

Justin Durant: Very solid WILL linebacker prospects, will have to be in a scheme that allows him to run unimpeded because he's not good at getting through the trash, another potential prospect for Chicago in the third if he lasts that long

Corey Graham: Another guy who will likely perform best in a zone scheme, probably a mid Day Two guy at best, I don't think he was able to work out at the combine, injury concern as well as concern about level of competition

Jacoby Jones: Very good sleeper WR prospect, I think there's a chance he goes in round three but 4-5 might be more realistic, very good athlete whom IMO is pretty well rounded as a receiver in that he has good size and will compete for the ball in the air but also has solid speed to go vertical, brings return ability to the table as well, says all the right things in every interview I've heard with him

Trey Lewis: Not familiar with him at all, but just looking at his pro day numbers it seems as if he moves fairly well for a prospect of his size, would have liked to see a better bench number though

Ben Patrick: Competing with Zach Miller to be the second tight end off the board, I currently have him going to Seattle in round two, size is only okay but I think he's a pretty good short to intermediate receiving TE especially coming from a small school, isn't a great blocker but is willing to contribute

Laurent Robinson: Fairly well rounded receiver in that he has both the height and the speed, would have liked to have seen a better shuttle from him and I've read concerns about his toughness, but he would be a solid pick in mid Day Two I think, sounds like he has a good work ethic.

Daren Stone: Right off the bat the size leaps out at you, so much so that you wonder if he wouldn't work as a WILL linebacker in some schemes, that being said at 6'3" and nearly 220 pounds you've got to have more upper body strength (13 reps at the combine), would be worth consideration in the later rounds if you're looking for a safety who can come up and support the run

Hey Nick,I was wondering what you think about the Rams trading down with Denver and having them get our 13th which is 1150 in points and grabbing there 21st and 56th which adds up to 1140 and taking Aaron Ross with the 21st pick,Getting Tank Tyler with our 52nd,and Lamar Woodley with their 56th.

Personally I wouldn't be a huge fan simply because I'm not a member of either the Tank Tyler or LaMarr Woodley fan clubs. Tyler has a lot of red flags for multiple character concerns, which given the new emphasis on character in the league means he could end up costing us in the end. Woodley hasn't looked good at all in workouts, though his pro day I hear was better. Still I can't help but wonder how much of his success came from having Branch getting a lot of attention in the middle of that line. But if you're looking to address CB, DT, and DE in the first two rounds and like these guys as prospects, then this would be a solid trade. I'm wondering who Denver is trading up to get though. If we're trading down to 21, I'd be tempted to just take Harrell there. Or maybe Revis if he's still on the board. Or even a defensive end.

DT Andre Coleman (Albany) - PFW describes him as having similarities to a young La' Roi Glover
RB Chris Henry (Arizona) - Big RB that ran sub 4.4 at the combine. Did not start at Arizona. Seems to have upside and physical tools.
CB Geoffery Pope (Howard) - Small CB with great speed. Late Riser. Will probably be a high day 2 pick.
WR Craig Davis (LSU) - Well built athletic WR with durability issues. Has good return skills.
WR/RS Yamon Figurs (Kansas St) - Probably too frail to be more than a situational WR, but IMO is the best return specialist in the draft.

If you don't think Durant is a sleeper though, I'm not sure how you can call Henry or Davis sleepers either.

Davis to me is a mid second round WR and is in that next tier of guys with Steve Smith, Sidney Rice, Anthony Gonzalez, and Jason Hill. Henry has really made a name for himself after his combine workout and could sneak into the first day, but might be more of an early Day Two kind of guy. Rams have been really interested.

Figurs seems to have a number of fans here at the Clan. I don't see a lot of upside in him in terms of developing into a starting caliber receiver, but he seems to offer a lot in the return game and after the impact Devin Hester had last year, Figurs could go higher than expected.

Okie doke, Mr Seiler, Can you rate for me, your list of 2nd round DE's?

1. Anthony Spencer (I think he goes rd 1, but if he falls into rd 2 he'd be at the top of my list)
2. Charles Johnson
3. Victor Abiamiri
4. Tim Crowder
5. Ray McDonald (if we miss out on Carriker, McDonald could be a similarly versatile guy in rd 2)
6. LaMarr Woodley
7. Ikaika Alama-Francis
8. Quentin Moses

[GreatCowGuru]

Nick, with the steaks so high for us in this year's draft, and the probablility that Okoye being gone at #13, is it possible that the Rams would be willing to trade some second day picks for a chance at another first day hunk of beef? Seriously, I would like to see an OL who can bust chops drafted along with a good DT AND a WR who has the skills to filet our opponent's D. I'm leaning towards a DT or OT in rd. 1, the other in rd. 2, and the WR in the third. Which guys would you consider USDA Prime selections for the Rams?

[Goldenfleece]

Hey Nick, what do you think of Eric Weddle, the safety out of Utah? I saw an article on him at Sportsline.com, then noticed he led Kirwan's list of draft picks who forced the most turnovers. From what I've read, he's played all over the field from corner to safety to runningback and quarterback, he's returned kicks, and he held Calvin Johnson to 2 catches for 19 yards when his team played Georgia Tech. When do you expect him to be taken, and do you think the Rams would have any interest?

[evil disco man]

Nick,

Given the lack of true SLB prospects in this draft, do you see any inside linebackers that might be able to convert to that position?

:l

-jake-

[thoey]

Hey Nick, what happened to (Steve) Breston, WR / KR from Michigan. I haven't heard anything on him lately.

[Nick]

Nick, with the steaks so high for us in this year's draft, and the probablility that Okoye being gone at #13, is it possible that the Rams would be willing to trade some second day picks for a chance at another first day hunk of beef?

It's possible. They were certainly willing to do it last year with Byrd, though I suspect this year we're in less of situation where we feel like we need to trade up and add more players of higher quality. I mean, the Rams did a fairly good job in free agency addressing a number of positions - they acquired a new starter at RDE, added more help at TE and receiver, added a starting caliber LB, added safety and CB depth. Personally in the middle rounds, I think the Rams will be content hanging back where they are, unless of course someone they love starts to drop and they want to make a move on a specific person. Who specifically those players could be, hard to say.

Hey Nick, what do you think of Eric Weddle, the safety out of Utah?

I project him as a safety at the next level, though I'm sure some teams are looking at him as a corner as well. He's going to have to add some weight and muscle to succeed at the position at the next level, I think. But personally I have him going around the mid to late second round. There are a number of teams in that area that I think would be nice destinations for him - Carolina, Jacksonville, Cincinnati, Green Bay, Denver, Philadelphia, San Diego, or Tampa even. As for the Rams, I'm not sure how big of an option he'd be. I think he gets a look, especially if the coaching staff isn't sold on Jerome Carter as an eventual replacement for Chavous.

Given the lack of true SLB prospects in this draft, do you see any inside linebackers that might be able to convert to that position?

First one off the top of my head is Patrick Willis, though I think he'll be more productive inside the box where he can make plays to either side because of his range. I don't see him available @ 13, either.

Another name to consider is Brown's Zak DeOssie. This guy's getting a lot of buzz as a Belichick-like player. Measured in at 6'4" 250 pounds at the combine and then proceeded to run a sub 4.6 forty. His 26 bench reps was tied for second best among ILB prospects, and he displayed what I feel is good agility in the three cone and shuttle drills. There are some questions about his ability in coverage but I think as a small school prospect in the fourth round he could be worked on and developed. I think he goes end of the third to be honest, though.

There really are not a large group of inside guys who I think would succeed over the tight end and in coverage there that also display the strength and ability to get through traffic to make plays on that side. I think a couple of them, should they move outside, would be more successful on the weak side.

Hey Nick, what happened to (Steve) Breston, WR / KR from Michigan. I haven't heard anything on him lately.

I think he put up some solid numbers at the combine, but focused on position drills at his pro day. He's a Day Two guy to begin with and is just kind of hovering there for right now. I don't think he's really done anything to shift his stock one way or another, but he's someone to watch for on Day Two.