Rams Can't Ignore Defense on Day 1 of Draft

[punahou]

I cant rem his name ATM--- but I feel the West Virginia MLB is better than Laurenitis, and can be drafted in R3. I do think however that if Maulauga is there at R2 - he is the choice. MLB imo is definatley a greater need than DT at this point in time, and yes Ive been preaching to take Curry in R1 then the OT. Look at it this way- given that Curry is an OLB by trade: we put Will and CUrry outside, and put whomever average joe in the middle-- the range of the 2 OLB may compensate. Then again we can put himin the middle....We've all heard this before-- defense wins championships. Im not sure Ive ever heard that OTs win championships. Of the upper echleon teams out there, who has the star OT on the left side? Most of the upper teams have SOLID defenses with managable offensive lines.

[C-Mob 71]

My pops told me back when I was a young boy that "if you score you MIGHT win, but if they NEVER score you will NEVER lose." Its time for the Rams to field a great defense and get back to respectability. I still think Bell would make a good RT, and we are all high on Greco at LG. Lets get some play makers in here from the first few rounds for Spags to work with on d. I want offenses around the NFL to tremble when they see St. Louis on their schedule- not lick their chops.

[39thebeast]

As much as the Rams should go D WR is still a huge need and may provide better value. A guy like Hakeem Nicks or Robiskie is more likely to be available becuase WRs fall.

James Laurantis- may not be there
Clint Sintim- to stiff and bad in coverage to be a 4-3 guy
Ron Brace- The heaviest DT Spags has ever coached in Phili or NY 317 pounds. Brace is a slower guy who might not be the best fit
Evander Hood- makes the most sense even though he isn't a pure NT, he could be Barry Cofield and rotate with Ryan.

If Lauranatis is there you can't pass on him. If he isn't and Nicks is there you can't pass on him. If they are both gone that is when you come into a situation where it could be Hood vs. Robiskie and other WRs

[rNemesis]

There are just too many holes to fill this year. Like TXRAMSFAN said, I think we should look to get better in 2009 and try to win in 2010 because there are too many holes to fill to try and win this year because of the previous crappy regime. We need help at OT, DT, WR, LB, and CB. Thats a lot of needs that probably cannot be addressed good enough in one year. Plus we probably dont even have a lot of money to spare.

[thoey]

We have too many holes to realistically think that one player is going to turn either side of the ball around, so I don't think we should get pigeon-holed into any position in any round. That is why I think we should draft BPA day one and depth in day two.

That being said, if Curry is there at #2, he is still the man in my opinion.

[jbell15]

If we take Curry, we have to go OT in round two.
If we draft monroe/smith, we can take the BPA at either LB, DT, or WR.
We can ignore defense in the first two rounds, but the next two or three should be dedicated to the d.

[Nick]

That would, of course, mean that WR wuld have to wait until Round 3. At that point, I'm holding out (increasingly fleeting) hope that Robiskie might still be there. If not, Ramses Barden might be a good option.

I'm a fan of Juaquin Iglesias if he's there in the third, as well.

That being said, I think what the Rams do with their second pick on Day 1 has to be about value. If one of the receivers slips and is available with our second round pick, I'm not opposed to going that route. If a LB like Laurinaitis slips, I think he's a strong option as well. If Brace or Hood are there, I really like the idea of going OL in round one and DL in round two.

But I don't want to see this team get into a situation where they feel as if they need to reach for a position of need when there are better graded players on the board who are also at a position of need, but offensively instead.

In my last mock draft, three of the four players you identified as second round possibilities were off the board. The fourth - Laurinaitis - ended up being our pick, but he could have gone ahead of us. At that point, I'm not sure there's great value in a defensive front seven player at MLB or DT. I'd rather not reach if the value isn't there.

Billy D has gone on record saying we need a "big ole fat sloppy guy" to play nose. Any ideas on who would qualify? Probably a day 2 selection.

Here are some names that I would say qualify as potential 4-3 nose tackles as well as what round I'd look for them to come off the board: Ron Brace (1-2), Dorell Scott (3-4), Terrance Taylor (4-6), Chris Baker (5-7), Roy Miller (6-UDFA). I'm sure there are a few others that are slipping through right now, but I just skimmed for guys that I remembered as standing out as possible NTs. Obviously you'd then have to take that list and make sure they fit Devaney's four pillars as well.

What about Scott McKillop in Round 3 for MLB? Or if he's gone Derry Beckwith?

I think Beckwith comes off the board before McKillop, probably somewhere in that 2-3 range. Ultimately my concern with Beckwith is whether or not he'll be able to hold up on the inside, taking on the occasional blocker and shedding to make a play. A part of me wonders if he wouldn't be better suited outside where he wouldn't have to sift through as many blocks when trying to make plays.

As for McKillop, a part of me doubts he'll be the best value on the board in the third round. Here's a guy whom I've been kind of concerned with through the whole process, because I don't see a great athlete and I don't see great physical tools. He didn't stand out in Senior Bowl practice when I watched him then. But he just finds a way to make plays and be around the ball during a game. He's an intriguing prospect though I think he gets a bit overhyped by fans. If he's there in the fourth, I think we start considering him.

It's pathetic in the fact that we have an opportunity to draft at least 5 different positions in Round 1 and be ok. We could go DE, DT, WR, OT, or LB and be ok. That's the pathetic/good thing about it.

I tend to lean towards the good side of things, because I think it means we have less of a chance to screw it up.

I cant rem his name ATM--- but I feel the West Virginia MLB is better than Laurenitis, and can be drafted in R3.

I think you're thinking as another school. As a WVU alum, the only Mountaineer linebackers I know of in this draft are Mortty Ivy and John Holmes, and both are outside guys IMO.

Look at it this way- given that Curry is an OLB by trade: we put Will and CUrry outside, and put whomever average joe in the middle-- the range of the 2 OLB may compensate.

I tend to agree with this. If you draft Curry and plan to keep him outside, then find a two-down MLB who specializes in stopping the run inside the box.

We've all heard this before-- defense wins championships. Im not sure Ive ever heard that OTs win championships.

You've never heard the phrase, "Games are won and lost in the trenches?"

[Bar-bq]

I think it truly depends on the type of talent that's available. I mean, it is conceivable that all of the players mentioned in the original post are gone by the time we pick.

At the moment, I can see as many as four DT's in round one depending on how things fall. Obviously Raji will be the first as high as pick six. Perja Jerry out of Mississippi could well be the next to go, I think as high as Tampa Bay at pick Nineteen. Of course, that would mean that they would have to pass on a QB. If it comes down to a choice between Jerry and Josh Freeman, I think that it's conceivable that Jerry is the man. Next comes Brace, and there are a myriad of 3-4 teams looking for a Nose Tackle. I think if he has an exceptional few weeks in interviews and private workouts leading up to the draft, he could go as high as Denver at pick 12. Other teams to look at would be later in the first, my favorites being Miami at pick 25 and Indianapolis at pick 28. I think Brace, at the moment, could go at 25 and Hood basically becomes a Colt because they have such a serious need at DT: he's essentially a De Facto selection.

Similarly, Laurinitis and Sintim could see their numbers called earlier than we'd like them to. Detroit, Miami and New England represent three of the most legitimate possibilities.

Which gets me to thinking: If they're all gone, and a player like Hakeem Nicks is still available, it seems like a given that we'd take him. I'd like to add in a "yeah but" clause.

If we select Monroe or Smith in round one, I wouldn't put it past Devaney and Spagnuolo to go back to the offensive line in round two. If Beatty or Britton are available, regardless of whether or not Nicks, Laurinitis or Brace are also there, it would not surprise me in the least if we came away with two offensive tackles.

[Bar-bq]

I think you're thinking as another school. As a WVU alum, the only Mountaineer linebackers I know of in this draft are Mortty Ivy and John Holmes, and both are outside guys IMO.

I'm betting Clint Sintim, ILB, Virginia.

[r8rh8rmike]

I think it truly depends on the type of talent that's available.

I agree. Nothing would really surprise me as to how the draft goes. Depending on who's available and who's targeted, scenarios can change and I would assume any and all options will be left open with regard to the day 1 picks.

[Rambos]

After reading what Spags said about how to build a team, I think we go,

round one Monroe or J.Smith

round two Ron Brace, DT

[HUbison]

IMO, the worst thing the Rams can do is going into a selection saying "at this spot we have to draft a (fill in position)".

I want the Rams to work 25 hours a day until draft time stacking their board. Once the draft gets here, the work should be done. When the Rams are on the clock, grab the highest rated player and move on down the road.

I believe Shakespeare said it best when he stated, "Thine Rams doth sucketh something awful!" Here's my strategy for the Rams draft.

Round 1 - BPA
Round 2 - BPA
Round 3 - BPA
Round 4 - BPA
Round 5 - BPA
Round 6 - BPA
Round 7 - BPA

[AvengerRam]

I get the notion of BPA for a team like the Rams, but I still think you have to be a bit more strategic.

If the Rams believe that that starting-caliber OTs (Monroe, J.Smith, Oher, Britton, Beatty, A.Smith) will all be gone in Round 1, but project that a starting-caliber NT or MLB will still be there at pick #35, I think you have to go OT in Round 1. Of course, that is premised on my belief that the BPA in this draft is anything but clear-cut. I'd say its probably Curry, but not by a huge margin over Monroe, J.Smith, Raji and, possibly, Crabtree. With relative parity at the top, I do think need becomes the "tiebreaker."

[HUbison]

With relative parity at the top, I do think need becomes the "tiebreaker."

I agree. I am assuming the Rams board will factor that in. Hypothetically, if the Rams rank Curry at 9.2, Monroe at 8.8, and Smith at 8.6, then a "need factor" of, say, 0.5 is added to the OT position vs. the LB position. So that.....

1. Monroe 9.3 (8.8)
2. Curry 9.2 (9.2)
3. Smith 9.1 (8.6)

DISCLAIMER: These are just made up numbers. A quantitative depiction of a qualitative point.

That being the case, I only ask the Rams to be true to the board. Don't reach for a better prospect if it overlooks the need factor. As well, don't reach for a lesser prospect simply because it feels a need.

[txramsfan]

What does it matter....Curry needs his own Dos Equis commercial. I mean he has to be the greatest rookie alive as some of you are making him out to be. There is no other rookie to even consider. Weak O line? Forget it, it's Curry. Weak pass rush? Forget it, its' Curry. Weak running game? Who cares, it's Curry. No QB? So, it's Curry. Most of you aren't even thinking about what a team may or may not need, you've watched him maybe once in your life, and are rallying around all these "experts" who say he's the best. No one knows anything yet. I hope the Rams don't even consider him at draft time, it's a waste to draft a LB that high. OT is becoming the most important position on the O line and seeing how our O line has more holes than any economic package that would come out of any congress and to have the chance to take one of the best two in the draft is a blessing.