If DT Alan Branch is available at 13?

[mcpeepants232003]

If Branch turned out like Rogers everyone on this site would be ecstatic and didn't Rogers have question marks when he was coming out and so did Warren Sapp. I know this is no indicator of whether or not Branch will turn out but plenty of players have question marks. I don't see how you could pass on the best player at the position you need the most.

[jkramsfan]

I'm not saying we don't pick him because of Kennedy. I'm saying he has the potential to be exactly like Kennedy.......a collegiate stud who got by on over-powering other college lineman; and a lack of work ethic to translate it to the next level. He's #8 on my board (assuming the top 5 offense players are gone). If the other 7 are gone, take him........but everyone better realize that we are taking a huge gamble on Kennedy: the sequel.

name one guy who isn't a gamble in the draft,no one is a sure thing,the only person i would put in the can't miss group is C.Johnson WR,the draft is a crapshoot so i say lets take him.

[81~BIG-GAME]

If he is there,we should take him IMO.I would be lying if I said I didn't have any worries over his attitude I do,but he is just to big a talent to turn down especially that he plays a position we have a big need at..:l

[HUbison]

He also has the potential to be exactly like Shaun Rogers, yet you never seem to mention that.

name one guy who isn't a gamble in the draft,no one is a sure thing,the only person i would put in the can't miss group is C.Johnson WR,the draft is a crapshoot so i say lets take him.

Somewhere around the small town of Searcy, Arkansas my college communications professor is writhing in pain for not failing me outright, because it seems I am not getting my point across worth a darn. My bad, I accept responsibility for that shortcoming. I'll try again.

Everything you wanted to know about HUb's opinion on Alan Branch, but were afraid to ask:

1. I'm not against Branch as the #13 pick, with the assumption that the other 7 defenders I have ahead of him being gone.

2. He's the #2 DT behind Okoye.

3. Some people are holding Branch up as the answer to our NT and run stopping problems. These same people need to understand the pieces are in place for Branch and Kennedy to be the exact same player.

4. Maybe Branch is the greatest DT since Joe Greene, maybe he's no better than Jimmy Kennedy, I don't know! I'm simply preparing some for the possibilty of the latter. Truth be told Kennedy isn't as bad as the perception of Kennedy (cross reference Travis Fisher).

5. There's no such thing as a "sure thing" in the draft, NOT EVEN Calvin Johnson.

6. If the Rams select Branch with one of my top 7 defenders still on the board, one of two things will happen:

--- a) he will live up to expectations --- I will celebrate just like everyone else. Trust me, folks....I have NO problem being wrong. I'm good at it.

--- b) he will not live up to expectations --- I will moan and complain just like everyone else, BUT I will not say I told you so. I have no problem being right, either.

[general counsel]

In the immortal tradition of Granny Bison, Hubison has laid it our perfectly for all of us. I challenge anyone to disagree with his assertions. The one i really love is that kennedy isnt as bad as he looks, mainly because i dont think anyone could be as bad as kennedy looks.

Bottom line to me is that if he is the best guy left, we have to take him, we cant afford to pass just because something "might" go wrong.

One other point. Kennedy is in his contract year. If we pass on branch, kennedy has a great year and walks (like pickett because many guys on this board will be screaming dont pay him, he only had one good year), what do you intend to do then?

ramming speed to all and long live granny bison

general counsel

[txramsfan]

HUb....does Searcy still close at 9 PM even with DST? lol

Anyway, DT's may be the hardest position to figure out on draft day. They really don't get that many tackles, and their job is mainly to plug up holes so that others can do the tackling. DLew was great in college......bust in the pros. Same with Kennedy. Pickett however played pretty good but the Rams associated him with Arch and DLew, which is unfortunate.

My opinion on the first round? Best player available, regardless of position. The only first round pick in recent memory that panned out has been Jackson. We have an OT who can't remember the snap count, a DT that has played like a practice squad inductee, a LB in Arch who now can't even get his bonus money from Washington, a DT in DLew who can't find a spot on anyones bench. The draft hasn't been kind for the Rams drafting for need, so why not take the best talent on the board.....even if it's Brady Quinn? At least he'd have two or three years to develop under Bulger.

[Country]

The flags about Branch are why I am a Tank Tyler fan. Kennedy and DLew were soft, they had no toughness whether mental or physical. I am scared that Branch is the same way he will dominate when he can but he won't fight someone better than him.

You can say what you want about Tank Tyler's arrests and conditioning, but the guy appears to be a fighter andf he brings explosion and intensity to the field. I am hoping that the KC coach that made Branch almost quit is at the NC state pro day.

[HUbison]

HUb....does Searcy still close at 9 PM even with DST? lol

tx, my man, 9pm is the middle of the night in Searcy. Most folks have been asleep for 3 hours by that time.

[keith m. klink]

of course they will take him,even if he is the next coming of kennedy. because if we don't , and he goes somewhere else and becomes a star, all the fan's will call for linehans head. but if we take him and he needs 4 years to do anything, we wasted a draft pick instead of getting someone to help the team. if i was in that position. i would trade it for multiple picks and draft more to be sure to get someone who will help.

[general counsel]

tx, i think you undervalue the tye hill pick.

ramming speed to all

general counsel

[txramsfan]

tx, i think you undervalue the tye hill pick.

ramming speed to all

general counsel

Jury is still deliberating that pick here in Texas gc....he had a decent year, he was solid. However, he's like the girl friend of a girl you know. "Oh tx, she's sweet, everyone likes her, great personality". Nothing fancy.

Not yet. I'm willing to give him a few more years though.

[Nick]

1. I'm not against Branch as the #13 pick, with the assumption that the other 7 defenders I have ahead of him being gone.

Having viewed your list, I can agree with Gaines Adams, Jamaal Anderson, LaRon Landry, and Amobi Okoye being taken ahead of Branch. But if the Rams pass on Branch for Patrick Willis, Leon Hall, or Adam Carriker, I'm not going to be dancing in the street. I don't think any of those three players presents better value @ 13 than Branch except maybe Carriker simply because of his outstanding workouts. That being said, Adam was a borderline first rounder based on his play during the season but skyrocketed up charts because of what he could do in drills. That's something to think about as well.

The fact remains though that none of the other players mentioned gives us an option at our biggest position of need, nose tackle. Maybe that wouldn't have been such an important consideration had we signed someone in free agency at that position, but we didn't do one thing to address it. If you're going to live by the BPA philosophy, then you also have to attempt to address immediate needs in free agency. The biggest need we had was ignored. We're going to have to do something to shore it up. If we pass on Branch @ 13, what's the solution?

The entire draft process is surrounded by uncertainty. Every player has aspects that are concerning, and no player is a lock to be great. Is there a chance for Branch to turn into Kennedy? Certainly. Does that concern me? Absolutely, probably more than I let on. But is there also a chance that Branch could turn into Shaun Rogers? Oh absolutely. Is that something we can afford to pass on having done nothing to improve the position thus far? Again, I don't think so.

If you look at a prospect and drop him because as GC said something "might" go wrong, then you have no business drafting anyone at all. May as well trade all of your draft picks for veterans, because none of these players are locks to be great. Every prospect has the chance of flopping, but the bottom line is that Branch is the highest rated player at our biggest position of need in a class that does not feature many other good players at this position. That's going to be very hard to pass on @ 13.

The flags about Branch are why I am a Tank Tyler fan.

I view Tyler's multiple off the field red flags as much larger areas of concerns than what Branch has been criticized for, especially if the NFL proceeds with their "three strike" behavioral policy that's been debated. Tyler's outstanding toughness isn't going to help you if he finds himself suspended for additional off the field issues. To see someone prefer Tyler over Branch based on, of all things, the red flags each of them has is a really strange position to take, IMO.

[MASSIVE]

I just love reading all the post about who the RAMS will pick in the draft. Reading why one guy will be better than another and the reasons why. With all this information I am more lost than ever as to who would be the best pick @13. But I have complete confidence that the coaching staff will pick the best player that will help us the most-who ever that is.:l

[HUbison]

The fact remains though that none of the other players mentioned gives us an option at our biggest position of need, nose tackle.

But how much value do we place on someone's position in comparison to the talent of every player available? Yes, we have positions to fill, NT being paramount, but how much talent do we pass over to take a position of need?

The entire draft process is surrounded by uncertainty.

Well sure, that's why there's a draft in the first place. If there were no uncertainty, players would be ranked and assigned to teams based on their records (sounds a little too THX-1138 to me). They all have questions, they all have uncertainities......but those questions have to be factored in, not simply categorically dismissed simply because they all have them.

Again, I got nothing against Branch. If he's there at 13, take him. But I think there is a level of concern there that should be factored in.

P.S. --- I know we both enjoy these discussions, but IMO, the whole thing is moot. I don't see any way that Branch makes it to 13.

[txramsfan]

I just love reading all the post about who the RAMS will pick in the draft. Reading why one guy will be better than another and the reasons why. With all this information I am more lost than ever as to who would be the best pick @13. But I have complete confidence that the coaching staff will pick the best player that will help us the most-who ever that is.:l

Massive, I'm with ya buddy. There will be so much debate on this topic that by the end of it all, someone will have a strong theory on why the Rams should draft Lindsey Lohan and make it sound feasible.