Plug and Play

[CRAZYHORNS]

Who do you feel the Rams can draft and immediately plug into the starting lineup and get an upgrade at that position.

Here is my short list.....

1. Landry
2. Willis
3. Hall
4. Timmons
5. Nelson

I just do not think Branch and the rest of the DL players are ready to make an immediate impact.....

[BIG-BLUE]

Carriker will make an immediate impact on what ever team he's drafted by. The kid Has size, speed, versatility & a motor that won't stop. And the same can be said about Wills.

I do feel that the DT"s in this draft are all projects.

[Bar-bq]

Carriker will make an immediate impact on what ever team he's drafted by. The kid Has size, speed, versatility & a motor that won't stop. And the same can be said about Wills.
.

Bingo! Which is why my vote goes in a three-way tie. LaRon Landry, Adam Carriker and Pat Willis.

[CRAZYHORNS]

Seems like alot of people like this kid Carriker. Is it because he had a great combine or did you like him before the media attention?

Go Rams

[HUbison]

Seems like alot of people like this kid Carriker. Is it because he had a great combine or did you like him before the media attention?

Go Rams

The kid was a monster long before the Combine. I think he would have been a day 1 pick last year, but he came back for his senior season. Last summer, my 2007 draft board had two names on it......Paul Posluzny and Adam Carriker. The need for DL help has pushed Puz down to #9 on my board, but I've still got Carriker as my #2 pick.

[RamsFan16]

Players I think could come in and start Week 1 of the Regular Season:

1. Amobi Okoye
2. Alan Branch
3. Patrick Willis
4. Adam Carriker (DT)
5. Laron Landry

[HUbison]

Who do you feel the Rams can draft and immediately plug into the starting lineup and get an upgrade at that position.

IMO, this is the most impossible question in football. It's an excellent question, and I'm glad CH asked it. But there's just no way of knowing. There are Colstens out there in the 7th who will start and never look back, and there are Bunkley's in the the 1st who won't start a single game and contribute very little.

If anyone has a good system for answering this question, there are millions to be made by it.

[CRAZYHORNS]

This is true it's far from an exact science. However, you do have some players that most agree will play and start in the NFL.

Lets consider these players who were drafted....

Sean Taylor
Roy Williams
Reggie Bush
Brian Urlacher
S. Jackson
Heath Miller
and the list goes on and on......


Colsten was a late round find

[Country]

Any DTs that the Rams draft will get immediate playing time. With as many problems as Branch may or may not have he would be an immediate upgrade over Kennedy.

[CRAZYHORNS]

Are you sure of that? I would not bet the farm on Branch.

[RealRam]

Alan Branch ... hmm, I would agree with Crazyhorns on not placing too much yet on this young DT, that is, as a starter. I think he first needs to develop into the pros.

Carriker, yes. Ditto on Landry and Willis.

[rams_fan81]

Of the guys on your list i would say that Landry could make the best impact

[CRAZYHORNS]

It's very easy to blame all the problems on Kennedy. But Kennedy did not miss all those open tackles.

The D needs to improve

Adding a probowl Defensive Tackle will not solve the Rams problems unless the team plays better as a team.......

Everyone needs to take care of business and trust that the guy next to him is going to do what it takes to make a play. Playing defense is more about attitude mixed in with a little more bad attitude, intimidation, and a dash of determination (wanting it more than the other guy).....

I did not feel or see anykind of leadership on the defensive side of the ball.... Instead I wittnessed confusion blown assignments and very poor tackling......
How many times did the Rams blitz and failed to sack or rush the QB. The effort seemed very poor most of the time. I remember London Flecther blitzing and he often missed the QB but he often rushed or disrupt the play. London was not the biggest or quickist player on the field but he had alot of heart and was determined to make a play..... I remember when the Rams had several defensive players with alot of heart Little, Wistrom, Flecther, and Bly.... How about now????????

How many times did you see the Rams blitz last year and the majority of the time the QB was not touched or rushed.

Gentlemen, unless Branch brings alot of attitude and/or determination he will not be the solution IMO.....

I just DO NOT BUY INTO this quick fix solution. Get a DT and the problems will go away.....

That is why I am ignoring the DT position in Round 1 and lean towards getting a play maker who will bring it every play... Drafing one of these players may not fix all the problems but IMO will be a step in the right direction

LANDRY
WILLIS
I may consider Carriker due to the his reported high motor style......
Go Ramd

[Bar-bq]

and there are Bunkley's in the the 1st who won't start a single game and contribute very little.
.

Gee, Hub, sure wish we took bunkley

However, the Ngata/Hill debate is one which may spur debate amangst a few of my fellow clanrammers.

[Bar-bq]

Players I think could come in and start Week 1 of the Regular Season:

1. Amobi Okoye
2. Alan Branch
3. Patrick Willis
4. Adam Carriker (DT)
5. Laron Landry

RF16, This is a nice list considering our present needs and may also serve as a bit of a draft board come late april. But i think the ability of someone like Okoye or Branch to come in an make an instant impact is not overly proportionate to our needs. That is, Branch and especially Okoye may still be a little raw. I think what CH was getting at with this question is the college players who demonstrated throughout their college years that certain characteristic of being a pro-ready player.

Is Okoye pro-ready? I'm thinking he might just need a little time before we plant him into our lineup full-on.

However, Willis, Carriker and Landry (who have become the consensus picks in this thread) have shown the throughout theit college careers the motor, willingness, physical skills and readiness to contribute to our defense right away.

However, need does play a factor, in that, if we draft someone who will not see the field, then they have very little chance of actually making an impact. Which makes Okoye and Branch viable options. That is not a comparison between the skill level of the 5 players mentioned, it's a comparison of their demonstration of their readiness. But, their immpact, as aforementioned, is conducive to playing time.

Take last year, Vince Young and Matt Leinart, for example. Leinart was deemed the more 'pro ready' and probably was. Vince Young came out, and from the time he started, won more games that Leinart did. But consider the what the stats show. Leinart completed 56.8% of his throws for a 78.0 passer rating and 6 throws of 40 or more yards, whilst Young completed only 51.7% for a 66.1 rating and only 1 throw of 40+ yards.

Both threw 1 more INT that TD, and Young threw 1 more (12, 13) in each category, than Leinart (11, 12). Considering the fact that Young had 2 more starts, it can be deemed that Leinart, who also threw for 400 more yards, was the more pro-ready passer. It was Young's playmaking ability that allowed him to succeed with the Titans.

You have to wonder if the playmaking ability of these 2 DTs is comparable to that of a Carriker, Landry or Willis, who have demonstrated their pro-readiness throughout their collegiate careers.

As Hub said, however, this is no exact science. And, seeing as I'm not millions of dollars better off in pocket, please feel free to disconsider whatever you feel like from my post-