UPDATED - Official Clanram Draft Board (Post-Combine) - Comment Here

[BarronWade]

Spoon = 240 lbs.
Curry = 254 lbs. Brinkley = 249 lbs.

Sorry i kept looking at the pre-combine wieght:

Curry 247 and Brinkley 275

[LongBlood]

Do you guys remember how we built a championship. We drafted Orlando Pace with the 1st pick in the 1998 draft.

1997, not 1998. We won 5 games that year, then draft Wistrom...and the next yr we only won 4. When we drafted Holt in '99 6th overall we went 13-3.

[HUbison]

Yea but on Game film we will still see him as a WLB not MLB.

Describe for me, if you will, what exactly will the game film show that classifies him as a WLB, not a MLB.

I would like to compare Aaron Curry to another Defensive stud fron last year's draft. Vernon Ghoulston. Gholston's game tape showed him as a OLB (i think) and then he got drafted as a DE.

Other way around, hoss.

Do you guys remember how we built a championship. We drafted Orlando Pace with the 1st pick in the 1998 draft.

1997, my man. We took Wistrom in '98.

[AvengerRam]

There is a much bigger adjustment from playing LB to DE or vice versa than from moving from one LB spot to another.

[txramsfan]

Bottom line still though with Curry is this: He didn't play MLB. Just sayin, he is projected to be able to play middle but he hasn't yet, or hasn't much.

My take on this, refer to Carriker. He got moved inside via a projection and for a number of reasons (some outside of his control) he hasn't technically lived up to his first round status. Lot of money to fork out to someone and reposition them on the PRO field. I would feel more warm and fuzzy with an OT in Round 1 and then experiment on the MLB in later rounds.

[HUbison]

Terrell Suggs was a DE in college........now a OLB.
Brian Urlacher was a SS/OLB in college.......now a MIKE.
Stewart Bradley was a OLB in college.......now a MIKE.
Joey Porter was a DE in college.......now a OLB.
Jevon Kearse was a OLB in college.......now a DE.
Mike Peterson was a OLB in college......now a MIKE.
John Abraham was a OLB in college.....now a DE.
Cato June was a SS in college......now a OLB.
Jon Beason was a OLB in college......now a MIKE.
DeMeco Ryans was a OLB in college.....now a MIKE.


I know the Rams have been beaten up with all the ghosts of kinetic positioning past, but if (1) the coaches know what they're doing, and (2) the player has the ability and willingness, the transition can be done. And the result can be a player who is even better at their new position than their projection had them at their old position.

[txramsfan]

That's all true, and for every ying there's a yang. I'm just saying in Round 1 with as desperate as this team is, I would much rather take a chance on an OT than an ILB MAYBE going to MLB. Especially with the second pick in the draft where lots of money is associated with it.

Rams can't swing and miss. They have to coneect, and the projection to me is very scary.

I sort of look at it this way, do we sexy or not? Sexy picks would be Curry/Crabtree, not would be Smith/Monroe.

I'm right now on the not sexy side for this team right now.

[BarronWade]

Terrell Suggs was a DE in college........now a OLB.
Brian Urlacher was a SS/OLB in college.......now a MIKE.
Stewart Bradley was a OLB in college.......now a MIKE.
Joey Porter was a DE in college.......now a OLB.
Jevon Kearse was a OLB in college.......now a DE.
Mike Peterson was a OLB in college......now a MIKE.
John Abraham was a OLB in college.....now a DE.
Cato June was a SS in college......now a OLB.
Jon Beason was a OLB in college......now a MIKE.
DeMeco Ryans was a OLB in college.....now a MIKE.


I know the Rams have been beaten up with all the ghosts of kinetic positioning past, but if (1) the coaches know what they're doing, and (2) the player has the ability and willingness, the transition can be done. And the result can be a player who is even better at their new position than their projection had them at their old position.

Suggs drafted #10
Urlacher drafted #9
Bradley drafted in round 3
Porter drafte in round 3
Javon Kearse drafted #16
Mike Peterson drafted round 2
John Abraham drafted #13
Cato June drafted round 6
Jon Beason drafted #27
DeMarco Ryans drafted in round 2

Sorry, I just want to be 100% sure if we take a guy in the top 3.

I dont see much of a difference between Curry being our MLb and Spoon becoming our MLB. We all were high on him and he did a good job at MLB but now he wants to be an WLB and i just dont our #2 pick to do that.

Jon Beason was a MLB under Fajole our new DC and last time i checked Beason is under 240 pounds so why cant Witherspoon just stay at MLB? I mean Spag's last MLB Pierce was only 237 pounds. Witherspoon is 240 so i dont think the wieght matters too much i mean Vabora is 238 pounds.

[HUbison]

the projection to me is very scary.

And maybe it's too scary to DeSpags as well. But I hope not.

Sexy picks would be Curry/Crabtree, not would be Smith/Monroe.

What are you saying, tx? 300lb. men AREN'T sexy?!

[HUbison]

Urlacher drafted #9

And if Urlacher were in this draft, would you pass him because he didn't play MIKE in college?

Sorry, I just want to be 100% sure if we take a guy in the top 3.

There's no such thing as 100% at any pick in any round in any draft.

Jon Beason was a MLB under Fajole our new DC and last time i checked Beason is under 240 pounds so why cant Witherspoon just stay at MLB? I mean Spag's last MLB Pierce was only 237 pounds.

And Beason (who didn't play MIKE in college, btw) is the MIKE only because Dan Morgan (250) couldn't stay healthy. And before Spags was in NY, he was in Philly w/ Trotter (260) as his MIKE.

[eric2810]

AV:...the bigger issue is whether Curry goes No. 1 to Detroit. I'm hoping that Stafford really wows them at his workout so they decide to go with a QB...

I'm also hoping for this as well. Or, If Detroit feels Stafford isn't their guy, maybe they will take the OT route with the first pick, believing it's a safer choice, leaving Curry available for the taking.

[shower beers]

I would like to compare Aaron Curry to another Defensive stud fron last year's draft. Vernon Ghoulston. Gholston's game tape showed him as a OLB (i think) and then he got drafted as a DE. The did not work out too well.

You have that the other way around. He was a DE and was drafted as a 3-4 LB.

[Nick]

And if Urlacher were in this draft, would you pass him because he didn't play MIKE in college?

Not to bust your chops HUb, but I don't really like questions of this nature. "If (insert already established NFL stud) was in this draft, wouldn't you take him?" Well, yes, because we know he's already proven himself to be an established NFL stud. You can't exactly forget that when you pose hypothetical questions like this, though.

History shows us that at least eight teams passed on Urlacher when he came out, and two of those teams drafted defensive players at other positions. There simply is not a historical precedent for taking linebackers this high; it's just very, very rare.

Is Curry the type of rare player that is the exception rather than the rule? I think he very well could go that high and I'd be fine with the Rams choosing him, so long as they turn around and find someone with LT potential as their plan for life without Pace. I'm not sure I see the blemish-free prospect that I think many have fallen in love with, though.

Like it or not, drafting Curry and asking him to play a position he's never played is a risk, even if it's a minor one. Also, if I had the ability to sit in on the team interview with him, I'd be interested to hear him talk about why his big plays (interceptions, passes broken up, hurries & sacks, forced fumbles) decreased from his junior year to his senior year.

[LongBlood]

Like it or not, drafting Curry and asking him to play a position he's never played is a risk, even if it's a minor one. Also, if I had the ability to sit in on the team interview with him, I'd be interested to hear him talk about why his big plays (interceptions, passes broken up, hurries & sacks, forced fumbles) decreased from his junior year to his senior year.

You actually just made me think about a point I had in the back of my mind while watching the Combine. If I recall correctly, last year he only had a 3rd round grade, correct? With his stats not too far off from the previous yr, n big plays down, why such a big jump to the top of the draft, espc. being a LB? Just something that I had been wondering about, but watching his combine workout made me put that thought to the back of my mind. I can definitely understand 3rd round to 1st, but 3rd round to top overall...reminds me of David Carr. Then again this is from a guy that still has Crabtree #1 overall.

Oh, and a side point about Urlacher. From what I've always heard and seen put into applicable practice, players that play further from the line of scrimage on defensive tend to improve when moved closer (albit they have the size and strength for it), while players that play near the line of scrimmage and get moved back tend to struggle more. This IMO might help explain Vernon Gholston DE to LB, + Adam Archuleta LB to Safety, vs Urlacher Saftey to LB.

[HUbison]

Not to bust your chops HUb

Please, Nick, if not for busting my chops, you would only have half as many posts. Don't forget, I snuck a peek at your class schedule your Senior year at WVU....

History of the Draft 402
The Physiology of Mel Kiper's Hair 366
Cultural Studies of Mike Mayock 412
Multi-quote Posts 382
Busting HUb's Chops 472

Okay, so maybe a took a class in Busting Nick's Chops back in the day....

"If (insert already established NFL stud) was in this draft, wouldn't you take him?" Well, yes, because we know he's already proven himself to be an established NFL stud. You can't exactly forget that when you pose hypothetical questions like this, though.

But that's the point, Nick. The question is, of course, rhetorical. Nobody would pass on (insert already established NFL stud)! The idea I am trying to overcome is the notion that player position somehow dictates draft selection. The "LBs don't go that high" idea; or more to the point here, the "transitional prospects don't go that high". That is a very dangerous filter to wear.

History shows us that at least eight teams passed on Urlacher when he came out, and two of those teams drafted defensive players at other positions.

EXACTLY, Mi Amigo! Those teams may have used that same filter and they all passed on one of the greatest MIKEs of all time.

There simply is not a historical precedent for taking linebackers this high; it's just very, very rare.

Absolutely. Very rare indeed. In fact, I only 35 "top 5 LBs" from the past 60 years. That's barely 1 every other year! But you have to ask the question........which is more rare; drafting a LB at #2 or the talent Curry brings to the selection. Just my opinion, of course, but I think Curry's talent and potential outweigh the history of high slot drafted LBs. Is Curry the type of rare player that is the exception rather than the rule?

I think he very well could go that high and I'd be fine with the Rams choosing him, so long as they turn around and find someone with LT potential as their plan for life without Pace.

Wholeheartedly agree.

I'm not sure I see the blemish-free prospect that I think many have fallen in love with, though.

No prospect is blemish-free. You and I both know that. However, I think Curry is the closest to matching that label that has come out in a while.

Like it or not, drafting Curry and asking him to play a position he's never played is a risk, even if it's a minor one.

As I have admitted numerous times. He will have to a position he hasn't played at game speed. That is a risk. And HAS to be a factor for DeSpags.

Also, if I had the ability to sit in on the team interview with him, I'd be interested to hear him talk about why his big plays (interceptions, passes broken up, hurries & sacks, forced fumbles) decreased from his junior year to his senior year.

Yes, I'd be curious why his interceptions went down by 3, PDs down by 1, sacks down by 0.5, hurries down by 2, fumbles down by 1. But I'd also be interested in how his tackles went up by 6, and tackles for loss went up by 2.5.


As I've said before (and I'm sure I'll say again), I just hope DeSpags stays true to their draft board. This team has so many holes, that no position should be established as a "must". Stack the board, and trust it. That's all I ask. Smith, Monroe, Curry, or Crabtree.........whoever is the BPA.