Rams 2013 First Round Picks: Av's Ridiculously Early Projection

[AvengerRam]

Allow me to be the first...

Here are my picks for the Rams two first round choices in 2013, taking into account what I believe/hope will be the primary needs.


Manti Te'o, LB, Notre Dame
Te'o is a 6'2, 255 lb. wrecking crew. While some will project him as a MLB/ILB, I think he would be awesome as a SLB in a 4-3 set. He has Patrick Willis level talent. Put him next to James Laurinaitis and... look out.


Ray Ray Armstrong, S, Miami (FL)
Armstrong's size (6'2, 216) and speed (likely a 4.4s range) make him yet another "freak" to come out of Miami's system at the safety position. Compares to Sean Taylor.

[Rambos]

One thing is for sure we should not have as many needs next year. I was all for moving back and loading up on picks this year. Next year take the elite first round players. These two look good to me.

[general counsel]

Ladies and gentlemen of the Horns, may i present the President and CEO of the Jason Smith fan club, THE AVENGER!!!!!

Av, i sure hope you are correct regarding our needs. If offensive tackle is not a major need in next year's draft (let alone guard), that means that Jason Smith must have had a pretty good year for us and has agreed to a contract with a cap number something well below next year's 11 million plus number he is currently scheduled to cost us (unless you are counting on us signing a free agent tackle before the draft next year).


Both the guys you mentioned seem very intriguing, especially the guy with the two first names!

Ramming speed to all

general counsel

[codeman123]

Some names to remember:

LB Shane Skov (Stanford)
WR Marquess Wilson (Wash St)
WR Keenan Allen (Cal) --> very AJ Green-ish
DE Bjoern Werner (Florida St)

[AvengerRam]

Ladies and gentlemen of the Horns, may i present the President and CEO of the Jason Smith fan club, THE AVENGER!!!!!

Av, i sure hope you are correct regarding our needs. If offensive tackle is not a major need in next year's draft (let alone guard), that means that Jason Smith must have had a pretty good year for us and has agreed to a contract with a cap number something well below next year's 11 million plus number he is currently scheduled to cost us (unless you are counting on us signing a free agent tackle before the draft next year).


Both the guys you mentioned seem very intriguing, especially the guy with the two first names!

Ramming speed to all

general counsel

You're correct... I'm putting faith in our OTs. Most early projections have the Rams looking to replace Smith and/or Saffold next year... I'm holding out faith that they won't need to. Same can be said for the WR position.

I will say this... if come next year, our top two needs are LB and S, that probably will mean we had a pretty decent year.

[39WillRunYaOva]

Ladies and gentlemen of the Horns, may i present the President and CEO of the Jason Smith fan club, THE AVENGER!!!!!

Av, i sure hope you are correct regarding our needs. If offensive tackle is not a major need in next year's draft (let alone guard), that means that Jason Smith must have had a pretty good year for us and has agreed to a contract with a cap number something well below next year's 11 million plus number he is currently scheduled to cost us (unless you are counting on us signing a free agent tackle before the draft next year).


Both the guys you mentioned seem very intriguing, especially the guy with the two first names!

Ramming speed to all

general counsel

Smith already restructured this seasons contract and is only making like half of what he was making before.

[general counsel]

Smith restructured, but next year's cap value, which is the last year of his contract now (smith agreed to remove the last year of the contract) is 11 million or so. He took a huge cash hit, but because of the pro ration of the bonus, the cap savings to the rams over the next couple of years isnt what you would think it would be. If smith is going to stay with the rams after this year, he will need to restructure again for sure.

ramming speed to all

general counsel

[Rambunctious]

If I read it right originally Smith's base salary is less than a million next year but his bonus for making the roster will be over 11 million. So even if he has a stellar year the Rams will have to ask themselves if a good to great right tackle is worth 12 million dollars.

Maybe he can restructure and I hope AV is right but my money is on an OT in the first round next year.

[RockinRam]

Robert Woods out of USC is a guy I'd be interested in.

Manti Te'o alongside Laurinaitis would make us have the scariest Front 7 in the league.

[SWFCRAM]

Sorry Av, but I just don’t think that Ray Ray Armstrong will still be there at pick 32.

[TekeRam]

Sorry Av, but I just don’t think that Ray Ray Armstrong will still be there at pick 32.

Te'o could fall there though.

[Rambos]

Both these guys look good to me but are either of them worth the number one overall pick that we get from the Skins....

[mde8352gorams]

I'm hoping that Matt Daniels (I think that's his name) the kid we signed as UDFA out of Duke who hits like Ronnie Lott, will eliminate and needs we may have at safety for years to come.

I agree with GC, we may be in the business for a 1st round tackle. Barrett Johnson (hope I have the last name right) from Alabama would be on my radar screen if we're looking there. But I hope you're right and with a decent year we may have some luxuries in the draft.

Go Rams!

[RebelYell]

Is it too early to pull out the "typical, both of those guys would have been available with our second round pick"?


edit: It's Barrett Jones, not Johnson. Jones will be next year's DeCastro. Excellent off the field and pro-bowl on the field. Kid could start any of the 5 positions on the o-line in the NFL.

[mde8352gorams]

Is it too early to pull out the "typical, both of those guys would have been available with our second round pick"?


edit: It's Barrett Jones, not Johnson. Jones will be next year's DeCastro. Excellent off the field and pro-bowl on the field. Kid could start any of the 5 positions on the o-line in the NFL.

Thanks for the correction RebelYell. I would like to add Ricky Wagner from Wisc. to the list for the OL. He's a tackle, but that maybe where we'll need help by next year. Incidentally the other reason for Barrett Jones is he can step in at center when Wells is ready to retire.

Go Rams!