Pro Football weekly

[eauclare]

is reporting there is a feud developing with the Rams brass. Devaney reportedly wants to go with Chris Long, while the defensive coaches want Dorsey. They stated it got so tense in one meeting that a defensive coach was asked to leave the room while speaking against Long. Another talent evaluator said it made no sense to draft Dorsey when AC can play the three technique.

The article went on to say the Rams would like to trade out of the #2 spot, but don't know if there is much intrest.

The wild card was said to be this: draft Mcfadden and trade SJ. However, there are character issue concerns with him even though he is top on their board.

[RedArcher7]

Let's not let the guy we hired to do this, do this. Does this really suprise anyone? Rams officials can't get a long, maybe we were better letting Linehan get all the frat boys together.

[shower beers]

I think we're going to take Dorsey, like it or not.(which I do not)

But either player will certainly help our defense. That much can easily be said.

[smitheRAM]

sounds like a first class rumor.

[Mooselini]

Whatever. I don't care any more. Just draft Chris Long.

[RamWraith]

Here is the article:
----------

The Way We Hear It — draft edition

Rams split over defensive talent, seek to trade down

By Nolan Nawrocki
April 22, 2008


PFW personnel analyst Nolan Nawrocki will post "The Way We Hear It — draft edition" Wednesday and Thursday for the final times prior to the NFL draft. E-mail your draft questions to him at ASKquestions@pfwmedia.com. He'll be answering selected questions on this Web site Wednesday for the final time before the draft.
Chris Long, Glenn Dorsey

Virginia DE Chris Long (left)
and LSU DT Glenn Dorsey
With the Dolphins having agreed to terms with Michigan OT Jake Long, the Rams can now begin negotiating with their pick, and the way we hear it, they have narrowed their choices down to two selections — Virginia DE Chris Long and LSU DT Glenn Dorsey.

The problem the Rams now face is a very clear division among the top decision makers. The way we hear it, newly appointed executive V.P. of player personnel Billy Devaney, in his first decision-making role, is leaning toward the safest selection, Chris Long.

However, the coaching staff, especially on defense, is not on board with the selection, according to multiple team sources. The way we hear it, the coaches think Dorsey is the best defensive player in the draft and have made their feelings well known in the draft room. In recent meetings, discussions have become so heated that a prominent member of the coaching staff was asked to leave the room after piping in with his opinion of the less desirable (in his opinion) Long.

At the heart of the debate is what the Rams’ defense needs most and where precisely Long would play in their defense. Their top need was clearly offensive tackle, but an argument could be made that the team is in more dire need of help off the edges, with Leonard Little approaching his mid-30s and James Hall struggling to stay healthy and produce.

For Jim Haslett’s 4-3 pressure defense to be effective, he needs speed coming off the edges, and Long does not provide great edge burst. Sources say Long is rated considerably lower than Dorsey on the Rams’ draft board, but team needs appear to be driving the Rams’ decision. Confounding the problem was the selection of DT Adam Carriker in the first round a year ago, not to mention all of the defensive tackles the Rams have drafted in recent years, including Jimmy Kennedy, Damione Lewis and Ryan Pickett.

“The best spot to play Carriker is over the guard,” one evaluator said. “He can move outside on third downs, but he is best at the three-technique position. I don’t know how anyone could justify spending the second overall pick on another defensive tackle. If they do, the building is doomed. They will be known for all the defensive tackles they messed up in the 2000s. They should be trying to trade down.”

The Saints have made attempts to trade up, having contacted the Rams, Falcons and Chiefs, among others, and have already made lowball offers that could begin to escalate with the Dolphins off the clock. With Dorsey now available at No. 2, and Falcons first-year GM Thomas Dimitroff believed to have Dorsey stacked most highly on his draft board, the Saints could be forced to pull the trigger with St. Louis if they want to land the local standout. However, with very few potential suitors for the No. 2 overall pick, the Saints could hold their cards and potentially get away with exchanging little.

The other issue that could block a trade, the way we hear it, is that the Saints are looking to hold on to their second-round pick in the event they can swing a trade with the Giants for TE Jeremy Shockey.

As a result, the Saints are less likely to give up much, and the Rams could be forced to choose between Dorsey or Long, as much as a trade down would benefit their roster and allow them to acquire multiple picks to fill pressing needs on both lines, especially at offensive tackle.

The wild card, the way we hear it, with RB Steven Jackson struggling to stay healthy and a decision needed to be made on his future, is the Rams’ top-rated player, Darren McFadden, which could open the door for Jackson to be traded. Head coach Scott Linehan has made character a point of emphasis in the selection process, as has Devaney, which lessens the likelihood that the Arkansas back would be drafted second overall. However, if the Rams were to truly follow their board, McFadden would be playing in St. Louis next season.

[eauclare]

sounds like a first class rumor.

I'm sure it will be one of many over the next few days. The Rams have to keep the Falcons, Raider and Jets guessing, playing one against the other. Good old high stakes poker.

[RamWraith]

Please keep in mind PFW is as reliable as a stopped watch

[Rambos]

Rams can now begin negotiating with their pick

Per the NFL the Rams cannot negotiate with any player.Heard this on ESPN, first time a team closed a deal so soon with the first pick.

[max]

If Devaney wants Chris Long then that should be the pick. Assistant coaches don't make the decision. They want to voice an input fine. But they don't decide anything.

We brought Devaney in here to run the draft. I hope he does his job.

[Fat Pang]

Sounds like rumour-mongering to me and an attempt to add colour to the #2 pick by reporting controversy fleshed out by trade machinations.

If we get Dorsey it gives us a great rotation inside and the option of moving Carriker outside on certain downs. Not sure that's best for Carriker and I'm nervous about Dorsey's injury background.

If we get Long it seems to me that we're getting another Grant Wistrom. Great effort, great hustle, a really solid team player but not a guy who is going to post double-digit sack seasons too often.

So either player will give you good value for that pick in my opinion, although there are risks with both. The '...talent evaluator...' referred to as saying the "...building is doomed.." strikes me as journalistic device if for no other reason than I don't see any talent evaluator judting a draft prospect by a who a potential team drafted in the past. To be blunt, the Rams drafting Kennedy, Lewis and Pickett doesn't make Dorsey a bad pick.

I don't see any value in us trading down past #4 or #5 unless we pick up a ridiculous amount of 2nd and 3rd round picks for doing so, so I think the trade stories are a little thin on credibility too.

We need a defensive end.

And we should pick accordingly unless we think we can use the leverage of the #2 pick to squeeze draft choices out of a team who covet McFadden or Ryan.

So for my money its Long or Gholston. Dorsey scares me a little.

[kmixr]

ok now that j long has been signed it seems that our options should be clearer yet the buzz seems to indicate otherwise? i like c long but some on this board seem to think that he would be like our beloved past warrior grant wistrom and not be a "double digit sack guy" which got me to thinking, how many player's in the league are getting more than 10 sacks a year on a regular basis? i think the answer is almost none. so even if dorsey is rated slightly higher as a player our need is not at d tackle folks. so barring a big haul of picks for trading down, then long has to be the guy. we will be extremely glad we did in the years to come !

[Fat Pang]

As I said, I don't think he will be a major sack artist but I'd probably still pick him. No objection to long its a statment of opinion.I'd be happy with either but Dorsey is a little scary to me on the basis that no-one has managed to pierce the fog that surrounds his injury.

If we could get an authoritative opinion on that my fears regarding picking him would lessen.

[shower beers]

I think the fog of his injuries is speculation from people who don't have the information that scouts, teams, etc. have.

There have been numerous occasions where people have said he has been cleared, that they have no concerns, etc.

I, being in the party of not knowing, can't tell you if he is or he isn't, but in my opinion, the people who are saying he's not healthy are not coaches or doctors.

[Nick]

If Devaney wants Chris Long then that should be the pick. Assistant coaches don't make the decision. They want to voice an input fine. But they don't decide anything.

We brought Devaney in here to run the draft. I hope he does his job.

This is basically where I come down on this one. It's a tough situation, as you don't want to take a prospect that you know the defensive staff doesn't have as their top preference, but what did we bring Devaney here to do? If we're not going to give his opinion the respect and significance it deserves, why hire him in the first place?

I think the fog of his injuries is speculation from people who don't have the information that scouts, teams, etc. have.

There have been numerous occasions where people have said he has been cleared, that they have no concerns, etc.

I, being in the party of not knowing, can't tell you if he is or he isn't, but in my opinion, the people who are saying he's not healthy are not coaches or doctors.

According to the Pro Football Weekly article and Howard Balzer, it has been team doctors who have questioned his health. Additionally, you can't exactly believe the words of a GM or coach when it comes to the draft and this time of the year, so we're back in square one with that.


EDIT: From Bernie on this topic...

Regarding the PFW article--There's no big internal division, sorry.

--B