The Jimmy Kennedy era is over

Jimmy Kennedy's spot in Rams' lore as one of the team's biggest draft busts
ever is secure... he was traded to Denver today for a mere 6th-round draft
choice in 2008.

I for one thought the Rams had lucked out when Jimmy fell to them at #12
in the '03 draft. Just about every '03 mock draft considered Kennedy a top-3
or top-5 prospect. He was featured in the Sporting News' pre-draft coverage
with an article that portrayed him as a dominating player, a person who
didn't let success go to his head and would keep working hard to prove himself
in the pros. An elite prospect who kept his head on straight? Sign me up!

Rams Nation wasn't as sold on the pick. With diminished early results from '01 picks
D-Lew and Ryan Pickett, there was a vocal contingent against drafting any DT, top-5
guy or not. Collective hope (mine included) was that DB Marcus Trufant would
be available at #12, but the Seahawks, despite their poor run defense, took Trufant
at 11 and left Kennedy to the Rams. I thought he was a steal and was happy Mike
Martz hadn't blown the pick on QB Kyle Boller, a widely-suspected possibility.

Turns out, the Rams would have been far better off if they had taken the DT who
went at 13, Ty Warren, who I'd thought the Patriots reached pretty hard for. D'oh!
Other players who went that round: Troy Polamalu, Dallas Clark, Nick Barnett,
Nnamdi Asomugha, not to mention Willis McGahee (remember, he was coming off
a blown ACL) and...... Larry Freaking Johnson. (At #27!)

The problem with hindsight is, none of the players listed there would have been
considered good values at #12 at the time. My alternative picks to Kennedy at
#12 would have been Boss Bailey, with the Rams having big problems at LB at
the time, Kwame Harris to try to settle down the Rams' poor RT situtation, or
Polamalu, though I felt at the time that 12 was too high a spot to take him.
Shows what I know/knew. Bailey wasn't even picked until the 2nd round, as
was EJ Henderson, another well-liked LB prospect. The Rams addressed their
LB needs in the 2nd round as well by drafting Pisa Tinoisamoa.

I can't come up with an easy answer to explain why Kennedy was such a
failure here. Some analysis points at him not doing what defensive coaches
were trying to teach him to do technique-wise. Willingness, or non-, to accept
instruction is certainly a big factor in how well a draft pick will pan out, but it
runs contrary to the opinions circulating about Kennedy pre-draft. I can't say
he was lazy, or out of shape, though he did seem happy that Lovie Smith left
for Chicago, because he could play at a heavier weight. Durability wasn't his
strong suit, either, but his injuries didn't seem to be because he was out of
shape. Kennedy wasn't a malcontent, either; he didn't mouth off in the press;
he even had his own radio show here for a while.

Jimmy Kennedy's talent just never translated to on-field success in St. Louis.
I wish him luck in Denver. Maybe he'll find better chemistry with the coaching
staff there. Maybe being traded for basically squat will light a fire in him that
maybe hasn't been burning on the field. He seems like a good guy, but just
someone who didn't pan out here as a player. I wish my lasting memory of
Kennedy was something besides him getting pancaked by 50-pounds-lighter
Kyle Turley last year. Denver revived Gerard Warren; maybe they can make
something happen with Kennedy, especially if he comes to the realization that
it's a two-way street.