St. Louis Rams like what they see in Aaron Curry

St. Louis Rams like what they see in Aaron Curry
By Jim Thomas
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Monday, Feb. 23 2009

INDIANAPOLIS — Every morning before the start of the day's official activities
at the NFL scouting combine, the Rams' brain trust looks at game tape of
players they will interview that night.

Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry was on their interview list Sunday night, so
they looked at tape of him Sunday morning.

"Curry was the first guy we put (tape) on, and we were like, 'Wow! This guy is
special,'" Rams general manager Billy Devaney said. "He is really good on tape.
And then we started talking about the intangibles, and to a man, everybody said
he's top of the line."

And you should see him in the interview room.

Curry's media session Saturday was one of the most impressive that veteran
combine reporters could remember. Charisma. Confidence. Character. Human
interest. Curry had it all.

Curry even had a little sugar for draftniks among Rams fans.

"St. Louis would be an awesome team to play for," Curry said. "They picked up
Chris Long last year, and he had some words of advice for me going into my
senior season. Telling me to just stay focused and continue to play with the
passion that I play with, and everything else would take care of itself.

"To play along with a guy like Chris Long and the energy and the passion that
he plays with would be amazing."

To date, most of the pre-draft speculation has revolved around the possibility
of the Rams taking an offensive tackle or a wide receiver with the No. 2
overall pick.

But they do need help at linebacker, particularly middle linebacker. And in
case you missed it, they did just hire a defensive-oriented head coach in Steve
Spagnuolo.

Assuming that Will Witherspoon moves back to the weakside spot outside, the
Rams need someone to play the middle. At 6-1 1/2, 254 pounds, Curry certainly
is big enough for that job.

"He's got the size to play inside," Devaney said. "He's got the athletic
ability to play either outside (position). He's a tackling machine. I think
that adds to his value — he really can play any of those positions."

At Wake Forest, Curry stayed mainly the strong side, which often involves
playing over the tight end and doing some of the grunt work on defense. It's
not usually a position that's associated with top-five picks in the draft.

But Curry has some special qualities.

"Versatility. Explosion. All those kinds of things," said one veteran NFC
scout. "Smart. Great kid. But it's mainly explosion. It's a game of movement
and he explodes to the ball."

A three-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference performer, Curry had 105 tackles and
16 tackles for losses last season en route to the Butkus Award as college
football's top linebacker. As a junior in 2007, he had four interceptions,
returning three for touchdowns.

"He's a beast, man," said Wake Forest cornerback Alphonso Smith, who's also at
the combine. "If you talk to him or see him walking around, you probably won't
think that. Just because of the way he carries himself. He's really quiet and
very humble and really laid back. I call him The Humble Beast."

So, is Curry the best linebacker in the draft?

"By far, it's not even close," Smith said.

Is he the best defensive player in the draft?

"By far, it's not even close," Smith said.

None of this seemed possible for Curry coming out of high school in
Fayetteville, N.C. A lightly recruited 195-pounder, Curry drew interest only
from Wake Forest, East Carolina and some non-Football Bowl Subdivision schools.

"All the doubters are really what motivates you in the weight room when you've
got your last set coming up and somebody's telling you to get it done," Curry
said. "You know that you have to get it done because there are some people out
there that believe you can't get it done."

But Curry, who earned his degree in sociology in December, still had hurdles —
and doubters — to overcome in college.

Curry remembers coming home for the summer — "I want to say after my sophomore
year" — only to find that his mother (Chris) and two brothers had been evicted
from their home. The family scattered for a while, staying with friends and
relatives. It was a sobering experience.

"To know that at any given moment anything can be just stripped from you like
that," Curry said. "That was one of the biggest turning moments in my life,
where I realized I had to do something, and football was it."

Curry thought of turning pro after his junior season, but the NFL advisory
committee came back with only a third-round grade. Not that he needed any more
motivation, but there it was.

"That was another day that burns in the back of my mind," Curry said. "The
doubters helped me get there, but it's not the only thing that motivated me."

For proof of additional motivation, look no farther than the area above each
wrist where Curry has tattooed the names of his brothers, Brandon and
Christopher.

And check out the tattoos on his upper left shoulder: Underneath a "barcode"
for his favorite box of candy (Jujubes), is his birth date, and the words
"Property of Chris Curry."

I really like this guy but #2 is much too high for him. However if we trade down a few spots I would love to pick up this guy.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by itsguud

I really like this guy but #2 is much too high for him. However if we trade down a few spots I would love to pick up this guy.

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I don't know if he would be there much farther past us. The only realistic trade would be to the Raiders, and I doubt he would fall that far and I doubt that trade would even be done. If Devaney thinks he's the BPA, we will take him at two.

But boy he sounds good, someone who could shore up our poor defense.

Dang. His official 40 time was a 4.56. That is fast for a linebacker his size. I think he weighs like 256 or something. He's got speed and size. Easily the best defensive player in the draft. I actually hope we draft him now and get a decent lineman in the second.

This guy straight tore it up at the combine. After seeing his workouts, I think I can go either way between Smith/Monroe or Curry at this point. He's a really special player.

Yeah, I am pretty much sold on Curry right now. The reason for this is because he is by far the best defensive player in the draft and is an amazing linebacker. All of the top linemen in this draft are good, but not great compared to the others. I would rather take a rare player at his position than a good player. I say we go for Curry.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by shower beers

This guy straight tore it up at the combine. After seeing his workouts, I think I can go either way between Smith/Monroe or Curry at this point. He's a really special player.

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After Crabtree's injury and Andre Smith's fatass no showing the combine i think it is down to three.

Aaron Curry
Eugene Monroe
Jason Smith


Honestly im an not a fan of Curry at all. He will prorbaly be a good LB but we dont have the 5th pick. We have the 2nd pick and i dont think a MLB should go in the top 3. We have a bigger need at OT than at MLB.

If we look to get an OT in the 2nd round we will probably take William Beatty who has problems run blocking. So there is a pretty big marginal difference from J. Smith/ Monroe and Beatty.

Rey Maluga just injured himself at the combine and that may mean the he slips past the Broncos then maybe we make a trade to go up and get him. Or if James Laurinitis slips for us.

However i think we will address the MLB spot in FA by taking Channing Crowder (if u didn see my avatar). And if he is off the board we can get a cheap lesser known big MLB.:

Paris Lenon 6-2 245 pounds
Napoleon Harris 6-3 255 pounds (he might come really cheap if he can start)
Andrea Davis 6-1 250 pounds

Quote:

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Originally Posted by itsguud

I really like this guy but #2 is much too high for him. However if we trade down a few spots I would love to pick up this guy.

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I think if we don't take him at 2, Kansas City probably will at 3.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bar-bq

i think if we don't take him at 2, kansas city probably will at 3.

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we need to get him at two

Wow this guy impresses me more and more every day, I was verry skeptical when Hub first brought it up, but now I'm convinced.

Great find Hub

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bar-bq

I think if we don't take him at 2, Kansas City probably will at 3.

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I doubt it. The Chiefs have a new offensive head coach and i think he might want to start the over at the QB. This is how i see it:

1. Lions- Jason Smith
they got 2 1st rounders and the 1st pick qb is expensive and Smith was impressive at the combine.
2. Rams- Eugene Monroe
We need an OT more than a MLB.
3. Chiefs-Stafford
If Stofford falls to them they will take him.
4. Seahawks-BJ Raji
They are too much of cowards to take a risky Crabtree. Well there loss they miss out on the Great one or God's 2nd son (props where props are due Weedle this was an good accurate nickname)
5. Browns-Aaron Curry
This is where is see Curry lands. I know the nigga is a beast but we have more needs.



*Another reason i think the Rams take Monroe or J. Smith is because Devany's crew filled in a need at QB instead of taking the 2nd best Defensive player (Chris Long was the best) in Dorsey.

While OT is regarded by most as a bigger need, I think a more important factor is the dropoff from the top OTs from pick 2 to pick 35 as opposed to the dropoff at LB.

I think Curry is emerging as a special prospect. Meanwhile, the OT pool is pretty deep.

Right now, I'd go with Curry.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AvengerRam

While OT is regarded by most as a bigger need, I think a more important factor is the dropoff from the top OTs from pick 2 to pick 35 as opposed to the dropoff at LB.

I think Curry is emerging as a special prospect. Meanwhile, the OT pool is pretty deep.

Right now, I'd go with Curry.

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A while back I remember you as being very high on BJ Raji .. Has Curry passed him on your board?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AvengerRam

While OT is regarded by most as a bigger need, I think a more important factor is the dropoff from the top OTs from pick 2 to pick 35 as opposed to the dropoff at LB.

I think Curry is emerging as a special prospect. Meanwhile, the OT pool is pretty deep.

Right now, I'd go with Curry.

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There are young MLBs in free agency like Channing Crowder who will come cheap. And last year we missed out on Jake Long so this year we should take Eugene Monroe.

Or we could just wait till the 2nd round and get a "solid" OT cuz "this year the OT position is so deep" Then we find out we got a Alex Barron type player.

I dont think we want a solid OT. We need one that can replace Barron. What if William Beatty is taken in the 1st along with Oher, A. Smith, J. Smith, Britton, and Monroe. Where will we look? Phil Loadholt?

[quote=djdeeznutz;275977]"I doubt it. The Chiefs have a new offensive head coach and i think he might want to start the over at the QB."

It could happen, but I won't bet on it. They also have a new VP Scott Peoli ( correct me if I'm wrong) who came from the Patriots and he never believed in drafting QB's that high. ( Tom Brady, Matt Cassell)