How the St. Louis Rams Could Approach the 2014 NFL DraftBy Erik Lambert - Jan 10th, 2014 at 8:26 pm
A lot of action is expected from the St. Louis Rams at the top end of the 2014 NFL draft. Here is a possible way they could go about their business. Trade #2 pick to Tampa Bay Buccaneers Rumors are running hot that the Rams would like to duplicate their actions from 2012, trading out of the #2 overall pick for a bounty of picks in later drafts. While it’s not likely they’ll get quite what they did from Washington for Robert Griffin III, they should be able to entice interest from teams. One they should keep a close eye on is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The team has a new coach in Lovie Smith who takes over a rather solid roster with few holes to fill. One of them, and it is rather glaring is defensive end. Pass rush was a problem all year for the Bucs and Smith will want that problem corrected in order to give his new defense every chance to work. That makes TampaBay favorites to move up in pursuit of South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, arguably the most talented pass rusher to come out of college in a decade. He would fits Smith’s scheme perfectly and since the Bucs don’t have many holes to fill they can afford to be aggressive if they wish. A deal would certainly garner their #7 pick, along with their second rounder and another first in 2015. Draft Jake Matthews or Greg Robinson with 7th pick The trick for St. Louis is they don’t want to venture too far down in the top ten. There are a host of quality prospects to be had who can really help their cause. Offensive line is certainly one area they need it. Once on the clock with the 7th pick, the Rams would do well to select either offensive tackle Jake Matthews or tackle Greg Robinson. Matthews is an experienced stalwart out of Texas A&M. His mechanics are polished and he has spent time on the left and right side, showcasing he has the power and the agility to play anywhere. He’s also quite durable, which is a must for a franchise left tackle. Robinson showed his stuff all year for Auburn. Despite being a sophomore he frequently dominated the best competition in college football, including mighty FloridaState in the national title game. He opens wide holes in the run game but really improved in pass protection down the stretch to the point where he was beaten very infrequently. Either would be a genuine help to keeping Sam Bradford upright in the future. Trade #13 pick to New York Jets Les Snead is all about wheeling and dealing, so nobody should expect the St. Louis Rams to stay long at the #13 pick either. A good number to keep by the phone is the New York Jets. Most mock selections of the 2014 NFL draft see the strong class of wide receivers beginning to come off the board between the #8 and #15. With the 18th pick it will take some doing for the receiver-needy Jets to get into that mix. They have 12 selections overall including two third rounders. Dealing one of them and another one or two late round choices could get them to switch places with the Rams and take a Sammy Watkins or Marqise Lee. In turn St. Louis can continue to fill out their roster with depth and talent. Draft Calvin Pryor with 18th pick The real trick with this move would be it might knock the Rams out of position to take top safety Ha’Sean Clinton-Dix out of Alabama. Safety is an area they could use an upgrade and “Ha Ha” is the obvious choice. However, he’s not the only one. Falling back to #18 may limit the shot at him, but St. Louis could still turn to Louisville standout Calvin Pryor. Rather quiet on the draft front for a time, the 6’2? kid has caught a lot of attention lately. He has the ideal height for the position and the mentally of a hitter, something Jeff Fisher will like. His range is also good and he’s improved his instincts in coverage. Not a bad consolation prize. http://nflmocks.com/2014/01/10/st-louis-rams-approach-2014-nfl-draft/ What will the Rams do with the No. 2 pick? Rams are committed to Sam Bradford at QB By Lorenzo Reyes 8 minutes ago
Anyone in need of a first-round quarterback? Call the St. Louis Rams. The franchise is open to trading the No. 2 overall selection in May’s NFL Draft — a pick it received from Washington in 2012 in the trade for Robert Griffin III. What they’re saying: Rams general manager Les Snead is preparing for all scenarios. “I don’t want to sit here and go, ‘Guess what, we’re trading back no matter what. You’ve always got to prepare for: What if you’re there and nobody wants to trade? What if you actually want to take a player? I think it just helps you thoroughly prepare that if you do move back, if you move back to this slot, what type of player, who do you think you’ll be picking from there? The thing you’ve got to evaluate is is that worthwhile depending on what you get?” The Rams still haven’t received any offers or calls gauging interest in the No. 2 pick. As a result, he hasn’t put a price on what it would take for St. Louis to make the move. “I do know it’s a valuable piece of real estate. I realize that. Now, no team’s called. So you don’t really know that. To determine the price has got to be how many bidders. And I don’t even know if there’s going to be one. But that’s to be determined.” What does that mean? “I think the [phone lines] are always open,” Snead said. What they should do: As with all trades, it really depends on what offers are out there. As the NFL Draft approaches, if one quarterback starts to soar up draft boards, then the Rams pick becomes even more attractive. Because there’s no prospect on the same level of Andrew Luck and RG3, you won’t see any offers that compare to the one Washington submitted in 2012, which included three first-round picks and a second-round selection. Still, the Rams may have a chance to move down and receive multiple picks, filling more holes. St. Louis is doing the right thing in determining what type of interest is out in the market for the pick. The Rams already have the No. 13 selection, so collecting as many first-round picks as it can will bring in a surge of talent. Snead also said the franchise was committed to keeping quarterback Sam Bradford, so it’s unlikely for St. Louis to be interested in selecting quarterbacks such as Louisville’s Teddy Bridgewater, UCF’s Blake Bortles or Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel. One problem the Rams may face? The market may be small, considering the Houston Texans have also said they are open to trading the No. 1 selection. The Rams have shown progress and have started to fill holes. Behind coach Jeff Fisher, the franchise finished 2013 with a 7-9 record. That was mostly without Bradford, who went down with a torn ACL Week 7. If the team can eliminate periods of inconsistency, it could compete in the NFC West. To do that, however, it must show significant improvement. One of the best ways to do that is to build through the draft. http://q.usatoday.com/2014/01/10/st-louis-rams-nfl-draft-pick-sam-bradford-les-snead/
I can't see us trading up to #2. We would be giving up way too much. Trading up to 5 with the Raiders is a different story if Clowney is still there. But to the second pick? No way.
by this article.. 3 firsts, a second and a third, for Revis and Clowney. Not saying they're not game changers, but that's a lot of draft picks tied up into 2 players.
Bucs moving up to take an unmotivated football player?Shaky.
I'd rather keep our picks and draft Kony Ealy.
Would rather have Matthews than Clowney and save the picks.
If it was for JFF i'd say yes.
Crack. Rocks.Move up five spots and it ultimately costs two first rounders and a second rounder? No way the Bucs are making that deal.
If it was for JFF i'd say yes.
yes cuz he's the riskiest player in the draft, so why not use multiple picks to take that risk
If it was for JFF i'd say yes.
Id do it for Clowney not for JFF. I think Clowney will actually be a beast in the NFL and if he's next to McCoy he will be a perennial pro bowl player. Meanwhile I think JFF is all hype and not going to translate to pro game well.
The Rams are greedy. Their price will be too high. I'd give up a 2nd rounder to move up, for a franchise QB and that's it. Last year, the Raiders traded down 9 spots from #3 overall, for a 2nd rounder.
If it was for JFF i'd say yes.
yes cuz he's the riskiest player in the draft, so why not use multiple picks to take that risk
But....but....but, he's always on ESPN.....he must be good.Surely him running around like a chicken with his head cut-off, holding the ball out in his hand away from his body, while launching floating ducks to stationary receivers surely will equal success in the NFL......Yawn.
If it was for JFF i'd say yes.
yes cuz he's the riskiest player in the draft, so why not use multiple picks to take that risk
But....but....but, he's always on ESPN.....he must be good.Surely him running around like a chicken with his head cut-off, holding the ball out in his hand away from his body, while launching floating ducks to stationary receivers surely will equal success in the NFL......Yawn.
Lol well at least he would be entertaining. But Flutie was entertaining. Rob Johnson was entertaining too. Both elusive and mobile guys who played their game outside the pocket but didn't translate. That's how I see Manziel plus the guy is gonna get killed by these faster and smarter NFL players.
He's a good player, no doubt. However, his questionable decision making, risk-prone playing style, inability to secure the ball when scrambling, and his lack of a serious approach and dedication off-field.....along with his stature, will not translate as well as most people think it will at the NFL level. You can't play sand-lot football in the pros.
"The team has a new coach in Lovie Smith who takes over a rather solid roster with few holes to fill."If you count "offense" as a single hole to fill, then yeah.
