The Rambunctious Rebuild. (First Draft)

[Rambunctious]

Like others have said it's way early to be doing mocks but I wanted to make sure Stan had time to look over my ideas so he would know how to fix the team.

I tried to keep it as realistic as possible. I'm looking forward to everyone's comments. : )


Step #1




Step #2: Hire Mike Mularkey as the new Head Coach



I know everybody wants a big name like Cowher, Gruden, Fisher or Reid but with several openings more than likely by seasons end (Miami, KC, Jags, Chargers, Colt, Eagles) I just don’t think we will be able to land one of them. The rest of the names on the “available” list take a dramatic drop off and I pray we avoid them.

So I like going with Mularkey. He has experience as a head coach, I think he was instrumental in Matt Ryans’ progression into a great quarterback and his offense has put over 1,000 points on the board over the last three years while we have barely reached 600.

It will be up to him to bring in his own personnel.


Free Agency

I am looking for Stan to send a message to the fans with at least one big splash…

Free Agent #1: Paul Soliai - DT



… and by big I mean 355 pounds of run stuffing goodness. Our defensive ends are doing better than fine but now it is time to finally plug the hole (more like Grand Canyon) in the middle.

Free Agent #2: Harry Douglas - WR



Shouldn’t command a ton of money, knows Murlarkey’s system and is only 26 years old.

Free Agent #3: Chris Redman - QB



No I do not want us to pick up every Falcon in free agency but Douglas and Redman just make sense. I hope he never sees the field except in a preseason game but he knows the system and could be of value to Sam. Solid back-up.


Obviously I’d love to pick up Demetrius Bell in free agency… and by all means feel free to Stan. However the Bills would be idiots not to resign him and honestly after him the drop off is huge. So I am signing 2 in the “see if it sticks to the wall” method.

Free Agent #4: Jared Gaither - OT





I know he stunk it up last year and was injured the year before but… the dude is still just 25. This is a very low risk/ high reward signing. If he can get back to his Ravens form quickly we have scored big… if not we cut him before season starts. His price tag will be well under a million.

OT – Dennis Roland



He is nothing to write home about but I like his size, his age and hey he is from Missouri so there isn’t any reason to write home.

Resigns

Danny Amendola
Donnie Jones


The Draft

Round #1



Justin Blackmon

Come on you didn’t think I was going to pin all of our hopes on Douglas did you.

Round #2



Lamar Miller – RB – Miami

I really want to go with Oklahoma’s Ronnell Lewis here to give JL some help but I think Lamar is too good to pass on. Especially when the drop off between him and the rest of the running backs is pretty significant in my opinion. And yes I think SJax still has what it takes but a look ahead to 2013’s class didn’t wow me in the running back department either.

Round #3



Travis Lewis – OLB Oklahoma

Not the best at getting after the passer but plus skills on the run. Should fit in fine next to JL and is in my opinion he is NFL ready thanks to his experience.

Round #4



William Vlachos – C - Alabama

Wragge has done a decent job but we might as well get some young blood in here to grow with Sam and form a great duo for a long time. Vlachos isn't one of the top 2 or 3 centers coming out of this years’ draft but anyone from the offensive line that cleared the way for Trent Richardson has to be an upgrade for us.

Going homer and defense for my last two picks.

Round 6



Greg Scruggs - DE/DT – Louisville

Down in later rounds it quite honestly is a crapshoot but I have seen Scruggs play in person and I’ve interviewed him in the locker room. He has a great head on his shoulders, great passion for the game and great desire to win.



Round 7



Dexter Heyman – OLB – Louisville

Ditto

Well that's it. Nothing real sexy about it. Here would be the rough starting line-up

QB: Bradford/Redman
RB: Jackson/L. Miller
FB: B. Miller
WR: Blackmon/Douglas/Amendola/Salas/Pettis
TE: Kendricks/Hoomanawanui
LT: Gaither/Roland
LG: Smith
C: Vlachos
RG: Dahl
RT: Saffold
LDE: Quinn
DT: Soliai
DT: Scruggs
RDE: Long
OLB: Lewis
ILB: James Laurinitis
OLB: Chamberlain/Heyman
CB: Bartell/Fletcher/Murphy
FS: Quinten Mikell
SS: Darian Stewart
K: Josh Brown
P: Donnie Jones

[sosa39rams]

I dont like the fact that you let Lloyd go. I think that sets us back. I dont care much about the Douglas signing. Just another mediocre WR added to the core. I also dont like Travis Lewis. He is a diva, he struggles, and is in my opinion going to be a bust.

Other than that, Its nice.

[xkidflowx]

lloyd, amendola, blackmon salas will make us a prety good offensive threat!

[Rambunctious]

I'm not against Lloyd. I like Lloyd a lot. I just don't think he is going to be with us next year.. I don't think he will want to be here next year.

I don't put a lot of stock in trying to get inside a players head by just watching the game on tv... but Lloyd looks frustrated when the throws are so off he can't make the catch and even looks frustrated that he has to go to the ground to get most of the catches he has made.

I commend him for acting as professional as SJax does in the situation but unlike SJax I think he will get as far away from the Rams as he can.

[hill_Bartell=Probowl]

Isn't Jared Gaither with the Chargers?

[THOLTFAN81]

In regards to Demetrius Bell, believe it or not, the Bills are reshuffling their line to try and figure out whats going on, and Bell was just recently benched, so clearly they dont see him as a top priority. Would be some steal.

[Rambunctious]

Isn't Jared Gaither with the Chargers?

Yes he is. He got cut from K.C. and picked up by the Chargers. I still believe he will be a free agent at the end of the year though.

[Rambunctious]

In regards to Demetrius Bell, believe it or not, the Bills are reshuffling their line to try and figure out whats going on, and Bell was just recently benched, so clearly they dont see him as a top priority. Would be some steal.

I sure hope you are right. I would love Bell.

I think when I put something like this together I have this nagging voice in the back of my head saying "we are the Rams... it probably won't work out in our favor." : )

[THOLTFAN81]

I sure hope you are right. I would love Bell.

I think when I put something like this together I have this nagging voice in the back of my head saying "we are the Rams... it probably won't work out in our favor." : )

Hopefully the new management can shake that black cloud finally.

[HUbison]

Douglas, Redman, Scruggs, Heyman.............dude, you are really jonesin' for some Cardinals, aren't you?

[HUbison]

Greg Scruggs - DE/DT – Louisville

Down in later rounds it quite honestly is a crapshoot but I have seen Scruggs play in person and I’ve interviewed him in the locker room. He has a great head on his shoulders, great passion for the game and great desire to win.

Just as an aside, I happen to ride next to him on an airplane a few months ago. He's a very nice young man. Very pleasant to talk with.

[Rambunctious]

Douglas, Redman, Scruggs, Heyman.............dude, you are really jonesin' for some Cardinals, aren't you?

The more Cardinals I can get on the Rams the better chance I have of convincing the paper to send me to some games to do some feature stories.

[BarronWade]

alright theres plenty to like but there is some not to like lets start from the top:

Blow it up and get Mike Mularkey= Very good

Free Agency/ re-sign = sorry i do not like it at all

Paul Soliai is very good at eating up cushions and taking on multiple blockers so there is going to be a 3-4 team that will need him more and pay more than we should.

I say no to douglas he is just not needed. We have depth at WR we just need better starters...And lloyd has said over and over he likes being in St. louis because he is felt wanted which team wants him more than us?

Redman is fine

I say no to both OTs...we need interior line play not the outsides. Saffold had a good rookie year and a sophmore slump but started turing it around toward the end he needs to be given another shot at LT...with stronger interior line play i think we can keep Dahl at RT maybe move smith to RG not LG pair him with dahl to create holes for s-jax

The Draft: Great! i like it

Blackmon is obvious...with mularkeys running game we are going to need a back like miller...Lewis is good... its hard to mock the rest rest of the draft this early so im not going to comment on it...Also i would not start so many rookies

WR1-Lloyd, WR2-Blackmon, WR3-Danny

Overall its good!

[FestusRam]

Harry Douglas would be a great value signing. Hes a talented WR and could pan out quite nicely without players like Roddy White and Jones to take away targets.