Friday, May 27, 2011

Rams players do the team proud




Rams players continue to do the franchise proud this offseason, with a visit to tornado-ravaged Joplin, Missouri.

I don't intend to leave other teams' efforts out; I did see that the Chiefs donated $35,000, organized a drive that resulted in six trucks' worth of supplies for the Joplin tornado victims, and have at least a couple of players involved in cleanup efforts. The Colts have also had a drive to collect supplies for the relief effort.
Photo: KJRH-TV, Tulsa


Bradford, teammates provide smiles in Joplin
BY JIM HENRY, The Joplin Globe Posted: Friday, May 27, 2011 11:09 am

JOPLIN, Mo. -- The St. Louis Rams gained at least one fan Thursday afternoon.

"This means a lot to me because I've never got to meet an actual football player," said Madison Martin, who had autographs on her T-shirt and wristband. "This is my first time, and I'm really excited.

"They are nice, and now that I got to meet a famous person who's a football player, I've got a new favorite team. It's the Rams."

Rams quarterback Sam Bradford, offensive tackle Adam Goldberg, linebacker James Laurinatis, defensive end James Hall and center Jason Brown plus former Ram and New Orleans Saints tight end Ernie Conwell and DeMaurice Smith, the executive director of the NFL Players Association, flew to Joplin on Thursday and visited families staying in the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center and Robert Ellis Young Gymnasium on the Missouri Southern campus.

Then players and children went across the street to Fred G. Hughes Stadium where they threw the football around, posed for pictures and made public service announcements. The players also handed out football trading cards, and -- unlike the current state of the NFL -- it didn't take long for the trades to begin.

"It's nice for them to come here," said Jordan Buttram, shortly after completing one trade that involved Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. "I took some cards for my friends."

Dakota Texter threw the football with Bradford, last year's NFL offensive rookie of the year.

"He throws the ball better than I do," Dakota said. "He's a quarterback. This is a lot of fun."

It was Goldberg's idea for the players to come here.

"We wanted to do something, being from St. Louis, being from the state," Goldberg said. "We were having trouble with logistics, trying to get here. It's a six-hour drive, and over the Memorial Day Holiday, we were running into scheduling issues. 'De' Smith got on board and kind of took the reigns. He said we're going to get a charter, we're going to fly you down there, we're just going to make it happen. With that initiative, we made it a reality."

"He and I talked (Wednesday) and said let's get this done," Smith said. "We always have our battles it seems in the business side, but every now and then something happens that reminds you about what's truly important. Being able to come down and at least for a couple of hours, to have a kid smile and have him forget a little bit about what they are dealing with and hanging around the best players, this is what it's all about."

"Being part of a community and a state, it's all about giving back and making people smile," Goldberg said. "They are in desperate need of some smiles down here. We're glad to bring them whatever happiness we can, whether it's having fun with the kids or shake some hands and try to lift some spirits. Whether it's signing an autograph for them, throwing the ball with them, playing Legos with them or giving them a pack of trading cards or just introducing them to the great Sam Bradford, we're just really happy to be here."

"Growing up in Oklahoma, I know exactly what tornadoes can do and the effect they can have on people's lives," Bradford said.

"When Adam asked me to come down here, definitely we wanted to get down here and help out as much as we could."

More Rams wanted to make the trip, but the plane was too small.

"I asked 'De' how many seats we had on the plane, and he said a maximum of five guys," Goldberg said. "Well, I'm one, and the first four guys I asked said sure, let's do it, and they were super-excited and enthusiastic about it.

"The word got out that we had a charter down to Joplin, and my phone blew up. I had probably 25 calls and another five guys at practice this morning -- we have practices players only -- and all the O-line was like 'why can't I go?' We're going to need a 747 next time, but that shows the character of the guys on our team."

-$-

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Coach Bradford works out his team

The NFL lockout has prohibited coaches from running normal OTAs with their players this offseason, but the Rams have the next best thing: Coach Sam Bradford. Bradford got a playbook during the couple of days the lockout was lifted last month and spent his downtime mastering the thing.

With Bradford, James Laurinaitis and Ron Bartell taking the lead, the Rams' offseason activities have evolved from practices and workouts scattered around the country to full-blown practices at Lindenwood University this week, with as many as 35 players in attendance. The wide receivers got partial playbooks while the lockout was lifted, and Coach Bradford has been installing the offense. Danario Alexander says Bradford already knows the playbook like the back of his hand.

You know, when I argued for drafting Ndamukong Suh in 2009, nobody told me Bradford was going to turn into Peyton Manning. OK, Matt Ryan, at least. Sam's proving to be a smart, smart QB and an excellent leader. And let's not sell Bartell or Laurinaitis short on the leadership side - there was plenty of concern there'd be a leadership vacuum on D after OJ Atogwe signed with the Redskins. They've filled it right up, despite the lockout.

The Rams aren't unique in that they've been able to get players together for workouts, and they're not immune from problems the lockout is going to cause. But by God they're doing everything they can to prevent the lockout from being a problem. These days of truly voluntary practices are only going to help this team this season. They're the picture of team unity and they've got a leg up on installing the new offense even without having Josh McDaniels there to guide them.

That whole "Four Pillars" thing? Looks like it's paying off.

(It also can't hurt a bit that the Rams are getting help from two former players making coaching cameos. Torry Holt has been coaching up the receivers, and Corey Chavous has been working with the DBs. Chavous had his flaws here as a player but no one ever questioned his leadership skills, and he was called "another coach on the field" by many. Whoever's putting these practices together is doing a heck of a job.)

Another news item from this week's practices: Rams teammates say Donnie Avery looks great and is back to full speed. Avery can be an ideal WR for the new system if the light comes on for him. Let's hope this week is the first step toward the switch. These workouts give him opportunities to work with Bradford and learn the offense that free agent Mark Clayton doesn't have, and chemistry with Bradford appears to be Avery's biggest shortcoming in comparison to Clayton.

(On a more frustrating note: one of the very few of the wide receivers NOT to show up this week? Mardy Gilyard. Not like he needs all the extra work he can get or anything. Good luck in the UFL, bud.)

-$$$-

Bulger's options

Leading up to this year's draft, speculation ran rampant that Arizona was going to be Marc Bulger's next destination. The Big Dead weren't going to keep Larry Fitzgerald happy by reaching for a rookie QB; they needed to go after a veteran.


Arizona would have, and wouldn't have, made sense for Bulger. He'd definitely have had an opportunity to start and would be well-rested after riding the bench in Baltimore in 2010. The idea becomes laughable, though, if you think in terms of Bulger actually volunteering to play behind Arizona's Swiss-cheese offensive line, which actually got worse this offseason with the retirement of Alan Faneca. Bulger's 34; he's not going to go somewhere to be a sitting duck.



According to reports, Bulger says he "wants to play on the East Coast". Not only that, the Kevin Kolb-to-Arizona talk has very much intensified. ESPN's John Clayton, who insisted Bulger was definitely going to Arizona two weeks ago, now speculates that Washington has interest, Miami would be a good fit, or Bulger could always stay with the Ravens.


If the Rams do face Marc Bulger in a game next season, it's pretty doubtful he'll be in a Cardinals uniform.

-$-

Friday, May 6, 2011

The upcoming shakeout at wideout

The Rams took significant steps in last week’s draft to mold their offense for new coordinator Josh McDaniels’ system. From rounds 2 to 4, the Rams’ receiving corps got bigger, got better hands, and got play-making ability, with the selections of Lance Kendricks, Austin Pettis and Greg Salas. The Rams are clearly going to clean house in the team’s least productive unit last season. Who’s staying? Who’s going? Let’s take a post-draft guess at the depth chart:

Wide receiver: If we assume that Pettis (1) and Salas (2) safely make the opening day roster, that leaves a precious four, possibly five, slots, chased after by as many as 11 different players:

* Danny Amendola (3). Amendola should be a lock to remain on the roster. After all, what other NFL player is he compared to the most often? Wes Welker. Who made Wes Welker famous? Josh McDaniels. Hard to believe anyone's going to beat Amendola out of the spot, or that the Rams would run off a clear threat to be a 100-catch weapon in 2011.

* Joe West, Brandon McRae, Greg Mathews. West was a late-season roster addition I’d completely forgotten was on the team. McRae made the practice squad last summer, then spent most of the season on the practice squad injured reserve due to a fractured fibula. Mathews was McRae’s practice squad replacement, and was there the second half of last season. I won’t claim it a waste of time to invite any of these three to training camp, but after making limited impact last season, the train is way out of the station now. McRae looked the most promising, but even his impact was limited, and his history of leg fractures makes him a long shot at best. OUT

* Danario Alexander (4). Alexander should be as safe as his knees will let him be. He's got the size and he's shown pretty well as a deep threat, running slant routes, and running after the catch. His last impression, two badly-blown deep plays against Seattle, wasn't a good one. But if he's healthy (BIG IF), and gains from a full season of coaching, the potential's there for Alexander to fill the Randy Moss role in McDaniels' passing game. He also was a willing and effective participant on special teams last year, which helps his cause.

* Brandon Gibson. The writing appears to be on the wall for Gibson. The Rams just drafted two wide receivers who are taller than him, have better hands than him, and were prolific touchdown scorers in college. Gibson’s had his moments here with some clutch catches, and he’s probably been the best Rams receiver after the catch the last couple of years. But the consistency’s never been there. Further hurting his cause is that he doesn’t play special teams. OUT

* Mardy Gilyard. After he drafted Austin Pettis, Billy Devaney made a crack about getting a guy who'll have no trouble learning the playbook. That appeared to be a remark pointed directly at Gilyard, and that isn't the least of his problems. The McDaniels playbook will be much more complicated than the Shurmur playbook. Also, Gilyard's route-running needs a lot of refinement, his hands aren't all that good, and he didn't prove to be much of a special-teams weapon. He pretty much needs Amendola to break a leg, or to make a quantum leap at kick returner that will compel the Rams to keep him on the roster. OUT

* Laurent Robinson. Robinson's a try-hard player who a coach will always give the benefit of the doubt, which the Rams showed by tendering him in free agency. He's the Rams' best-blocking WR since Isaac Bruce. Maybe that would give him a role on short-yardage downs, a WR you treat like a 4th TE. But that's the silver lining for a receiver who has bad hands and lacks speed to get open because he never really bounced back from a leg fracture two years ago. Today he looks like a long shot to get ahead of any of the Rams’ young big receivers on the depth chart. OUT

* Dominique Curry. (5) Curry’s in because he can play special teams. The rookie free agent had already stepped into a role as one of the Rams’ special teams aces by the third game of the regular season last year, his final game of the season due to a torn ACL. Sure, he’s as raw as sashimi as a wide receiver, but we’re only talking about the #6 guy here; he’ll probably rarely get on the field on offense anyway. The Rams need to get quality special teams play out of their receiving corps; that’s why Curry played early last year and Gibson didn’t. Things get complicated if Curry can’t regain the special teams chops he had last season. He's on my final roster, though written in pencil.

* Mark Clayton (6), Donnie Avery. One of this season’s eye-openers, then, shapes up to be one of these two veteran WRs not making the team. Avery would appear to be the faster of the two, a more dangerous deep threat and a more-likely threat to do something big with a quick screen, which the Patriots sure threw a lot when McDaniels was their OC. Avery’s also a couple of years younger than Clayton. At the same time, Rams Nation is still waiting on Avery. Other than a 2-TD game against the Saints a couple of years ago, a game the Rams still lost, Avery hasn’t had a game worthy of his spot as first wide receiver drafted in 2008. Clayton, meanwhile, was an impact player from the moment he stepped in, and his chemistry with Sam Bradford was undeniable. Could Avery have developed that kind of rapport with the Rams’ QB? Since he blew out his knee in the third preseason game, we’ll never really know. Believing that Clayton can operate out of the slot every bit as well as Avery can, I'd prefer the proven performer to the player that's never really delivered. Donnie Avery, as they say, better have a big camp.

Tight end: Four TEs would seem to be the very most the Rams would keep. Let’s slot one roster spot to Kendricks (1) and assess the rest:

* Michael Hoomanawanui (2). Illini Mike's frustrating injury history makes the TE position tricky to project, but when healthy, he was exactly the kind of receiving threat at TE that the Rams are looking for. He was also a credible fullback when used on passing downs. Remains to be seen if he develops into a strong run-blocker, or can stay on the field for more than a few weeks in a row, but his receiving success, despite limited exposure, keeps him on the front burner at tight end.

* Derek Schoumann, Darcy Johnson. Schoumann was a late-season fill-in; Johnson was injured in training camp and didn't look that good pre-injury. Both of these players have probably moved on already.

* Billy Bajema. (3) With neither Kendricks nor Hoomanawanui noted for their run-blocking just yet, Bajema becomes valuable in traditional 2-TE formations.

* Daniel Fells. The problem for Fells is going to be that he's not great at anything. He has never been a playmaker who's going to open the field up like Hoomanawanui, or like Kendricks is expected to. And I've never heard anyone call him a better run-blocker than Bajema, or even a better-than-average run blocker, for that matter. Or a significant factor on special teams. Fells is too limited to be the type of TE the Rams offense needs; unless he becomes a world-beater as a run-blocker this training camp, I think he's going to be another of those pretty-good players that unfortunately fall by the wayside as a team rebuilds. OUT

* Fendi Onobun. The little bit of field time he got in 2010, Onobun was a tantalizing prospect, inducing immediate panic in opposing defenses, and interference penalties called and uncalled, when he was brought in near the goal line. He was still a long way from being a finished product, though, a process stalled badly by a back injury that sidelined him most of last season. The Rams seemed to indicate their lack of faith in the Onobun Project by drafting Kendricks, who'll step immediately into the role that Onobun was being groomed for. My hope is that Onobun continues to develop well enough to merit putting on the practice squad, and that he'll be good enough to step in from there in the event of injuries. OUT, practice squad

* Somebody else. (4) Daniel Graham has played for Josh McDaniels at two different stops and has been called the best-blocking tight end in the league. He was cut by the Broncos early in March. Don't be surprised to see one of the Rams' first moves in free agency, if there ever is any, be to sign a blocking tight end. Sure, it'll drive the fan base up the wall. All this team's needs, and they spend a second-round pick and make a big free-agent move ON MORE TIGHT ENDS?!?

But that would give them two downfield threats at TE, along with another who hopefully progresses well on the practice squad and can jump in if/when there's an injury, and a couple of power blockers, including possibly the best in the league. The main battle in training camp as I see it will be between Bajema and Fells for one of the blocking TE spots, with Fells a narrow underdog at the moment.

That’s some familiar names – Avery, Gibson, Fells, Robinson, Gilyard – that I don’t see on the opening day roster, and I doubt that the Rams are even done making moves yet. In the end, though, expect it all to have been for the better, and that Sam Bradford will enter the 2011 season with bona fide receiving weapons at his disposal, and a better-blocked running game supporting him.





-$-

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Rams dead last... in social media



Excepting from Sports Business Journal, STLToday reports today that the Rams are in last place in the NFL in social media audience size. The Rams have just 15,241 Twitter followers and 90,754 "likes" on Facebook.







That combined total is 2.5 MILLION followers behind the Cowboys, who lead the league, and about 825,000 behind the league average. Even worse, the Rams are in third place in their own city, about 600,000 behind the Cardinals, and more
than 30,000 behind THE BLUES, who have no more
postseason victories since 2004 than the Rams do despite playing in a league with 33% more postseason berths, and having played EIGHT postseason games. Ironically, I all but quit following the hockey team from my home city thanks to... a strike that cancelled an entire season of play.

Well, since that hasn't happened to football quite yet, let's rally around the digital flag and help the Rams get some Twitter and Facebook followers...

Rams Twitter feed

Rams Facebook page

-$-

Monday, May 2, 2011

Rams' draft report card



The Rams earn a solid grade of B for their efforts in the draft over the weekend.

They got a top-3 talent in Robert Quinn, who at a minimum should contribute from RDE on passing downs while kicking James Hall inside, where he's been very effective. Steve Spagnuolo's pass rush gets a nitro boost. And Billy Devaney stuck to his board instead of silly-reaching for one of the Rams' need positions. Quinn's brain tumor does not seem to be a factor, but the Rams did assume an amount of risk there, and there's added risk in that the NCAA suspended Quinn from playing all of last season. Hopefully he still remembers where to line up. It does appear as though he kept his conditioning up.

Lance Kendricks is going to be a player Josh McDaniels moves all over the field to get mismatches and is expected to be to this offense what Aaron Hernandez has been in New England. A second-round pick on a tight end in an extremely weak tight end class, with other major needs unaddressed, didn't go down well at first, but it's sitting well now.

The Rams set a bright future for their passing game with their next two picks, 3rd-rounder Austin Pettis and 4th-rounder Greg Salas. They've added size at WR. They've added two WRs with great hands, another badly-needed upgrade in St. Louis. And they've added WRs who know the way to the end zone. 39 career TDs for Pettis, 26 for Salas. These two, along with Kendricks, should transform the Ram receiving corps quickly. More on that tomorrow (probably).

I don't know that the Rams got very good value with their remaining four picks, almost all made with special teams in mind more than anything. Jermale Hines is an in-the-box safety I'm not sure they really need. He was a Tom McMahon pick. Mikail Baker is here as a kick returner even though he returned a whole ONE for TD in his college career. Rules changes in the offseason changed the kicking game anyway. Looks like a pointless pick from here. Jabara Williams is an undersized LB like Chris Chamberlain and not a prime candidate to resolve last year's WLB-by-committee situation. Jonathan Nelson can jump out of the gym and potentially brings cornerback skills to the safety position, which makes him the most promising of these prospects in my eyes. I was ready to take him in the 5th round. Fans tend to criticize these late picks for their speculativeness, but let's face it; by this point of a draft, that's who's left; players you have to take a leap of faith on. If one of the four pans out, the Rams will still come out ahead.

Rams' seventh-round pick #3 (#229 overall): Jonathan Nelson, FS, Oklahoma


Jonathan Nelson 5'11" 198
FS/CB, Oklahoma

Rankings:
Pro Football Weekly: #5 free safety, 2nd-ranked available. Grade: 5.20, has better-than-average chance to make an NFL roster. Not ranked in top 150. Fifth- to sixth-round grade.
NFLDraftScout.com: #362 player overall,#16 free safety. Seventh-round grade.
DraftCountdown.com: #23 free safety. Late-round to free-agent grade.


Biography/Honors:
2010: Started 14 games at strong safety. 102 tackles, 7 pass breakups, 2 INTs, 3 tackles for loss and 2 forced fumbles.

2009: All-Big 12 or maybe 10 honorable mention and second-team Academic all-conference. Played all 13 games, started 2 at strong safety and one at corner. 46 tackles, 2 pass breakups, 3 INTs, a sack and a forced fumble.

2008: Played in four games with seven tackles.

2007: Played in two games.


Academics: Majored in accounting.

Injuries:

2010: Had concussion against Oklahoma State. PFW reports he injured a shoulder in that game.

2008: Missed all but four games due to torn MCL.

2007: Missed all but two games due to wrist surgery.

2006: Redshirted his freshman year due to pulled hamstring.


Pro Day Stats (not invited to NFL Combine):
22 bench presses at 225 pounds. Sat rest of pro day out due to quad injury.
Private workout results: 4.4 40-yard dash, would have been top-5 time for DBs at Combine
43.0 vertical jump, would have been best at Combine at any position
11'4" broad jump, would also have been best at Combine at any position

Positives:
Explosive athlete and great leaper. Quick feet and good balance. Moves like a corner. Good range. Can play corner, safety, special teams. Played well at the East-West Shrine Game. Plays with hustle. Fine character. Does a lot of charity work with at-risk children. Produced well on the field and has upside.

Negatives:
Durabilty a significant issue. Average size with short arms. Needs to get stronger. Absorbs too much contact and can get run over. Grab-and-drag tackler who has to hold on till help comes. Finesse player who doesn't show a lot of fire. Lacks elite closing speed and instincts. Often gets there a step late. Fails to, as they say, "trust what you see."

Compares to: David Roach. Roach was one of the top leapers at the 2008 Combine and came into the league with concerns about his tackling, instincts and durability.


Fun Facts:
Besides being able to play corner, safety and special teams, the versatile Nelson mentors middle school students, and claimed he was the OU football team's best chess, dominoes and pool player.


RamView:
Nelson comes to the Rams as a bargain: had he had those measurables at the Combine, he never would have made it to the seventh round. They get a high-character player coming off a productive season in a top college program that has produced a number of decent NFL defensive backs. Pretty solid seventh-round pick.


Sources: Pro Football Weekly, NFLDraftScout.com, DraftCountdown.com (Scott Wright), Oklahoma Athletics, Scout.com

Rams' seventh-round pick #2 (#228 overall): Jabara Williams, OLB, Stephen F. Austin


Jabara Williams 6'2" 223
OLB, Stephen F. Austin


Biography/Honors:
2010: Payton Award (equivalent to Heisman in Div. I-AA) finalist. Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Year. First-team All-Southland Conference. Team captain. 109 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, four pass breakups and an INT. Played 12 of 13 games.




2009: First-team All-Southland Conference. 13 starts at middle linebacker. 113 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 7 pass breakups, 2 forced fumbles.

2008: First-team All-Southland Conference. Played 12 games at middle linebacker with 132 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 2 pass breakups, 3 INTs, 2 forced fumbles and 2 blocked kicks.

2007: Started 8 of 10 games as a true freshman, playing 7 at linebacker and 3 at running back. Played both ways the last two games. 58 tackles, 3.5 for loss, 1/2 sack and a forced fumble. 46 carries for 230 yards (5.0 ypc) and a TD.

Two-time FCS (Div. I-AA) All-American.

Academics: Major unlisted.





Rankings:
Pro Football Weekly: #18 outside linebacker, #3 available. Grade: 5.12, slightly better than 50/50 chance of making an NFL roster. Not ranked in top 150. Priority free-agent grade.

NFLDraftScout.com: #239 player overall, #19 outside linebacker. Sixth- to seventh-round grade.

DraftCountdown.com: #17 outside linebacker. Late-round to free-agent grade.




Injuries:

2010: Missed a game due to a twisted ankle.


Pro Day Stats (not invited to NFL Combine):
4.58 40-yard dash (would have been good for 4th-fastest LB at Combine)
36.5 vertical (would have been 4th-best LB at Combine)
9'10" broad jump (would have been top-ten LB at Combine)
7.18 3-cone drill
4.38 20-yard shuttle
17 bench press reps at 225 lbs (would have been 2nd-worst at Combine)

Positives:
Fluid, athletic and fast. Accelerates quickly and has sideline-to-sideline range. Moves well laterally and has quick feet to slip blocks and beat blockers to the spot. Good hitter. Good instincts. Has hip flexibility to drop into zone coverage or cover receivers in man. Can stay with tight ends in the flat. Has potential as a special teams demon. Plays with attitude and doesn't back down. Four-year starter with good football smarts. Solid character.

Negatives:
Undersized, average arm length, needs to add bulk. Needs to get stronger. Can be run at. Not stout at the point of attack, gets engulfed by larger blockers. Needs to improve his handwork to shed blocks better. Inconsistent breaking down in space. Gets lost in traffic. Plays too tall, which hurts his change of direction. Can use hands better in pass coverage.

Compares to: "a classic run and hit WLB in the Ian Gold, Cato June, John Mobley mode" (Consensus Draft Services).


Fun Facts:
Stephen F. Austin State University, not named for the wrestler, has produced more NFL talent than you'd originally guess. Three former Pro Bowlers who went to SFA: Jeremiah Trotter, Larry Centers, Mark Moseley. Bum Phillips also lettered in football there for two years.


RamView:
Reasonable pick for the seventh round. Though undersized, Williams brings them some explosiveness they're lacking at will backer and he had very good production for his level of competition. Steve Spagnuolo coached a SFA product in Jeremiah Trotter - can lightning strike twice?


Sources: Pro Football Weekly, NFLDraftScout.com, DraftCountdown.com (Scott Wright), Piney Woods Sports (yes, Piney Woods Sports), Stephen F. Austin Athletics, KFFL.com, NFL.com, Consensus Draft Services, The Sports Network, Wikipedia

Rams' seventh-round pick #1 (#216 overall): Mikail Baker, KR, Baylor


Mikail Baker 6'0" 205
KR, Baylor


2006: Played in all 12 games. 23.7-yard average on 33 kickoff returns. Eight receptions for 65 yards (8.1 ypc) and a TD.

2005: Played in 9 games. Eight receptions for 158 yards (19.8 ypc) and a TD.



Academics: Graduated with degree in general studies. Twice granted medical hardship (see next).

Rankings:
NFLDraftScout.com: #744 player overall, #75 cornerback. Free-agent grade, surely.

Pro Football Weekly and DraftCountdown do not even list Baker. And PFW lists two other Baylor corners.


Biography/Honors:
2010: Played 12 of 13 games. 37 tackles, 2 forced fumbles and an INT at corner.

2009: Played in three games. 25.2-yard kickoff return average on 9 attempts. 2 tackles and an INT at corner.

2008: Played in 11 of 12 games, with one start at wide receiver. 25.3-yard average and one TD on kickoff returns. Four receptions for 44 yards (11.0 ypc).

2007: Played in two games. Four kickoff returns for 25.8-yard average. Six receptions for 87 yards (14.5 ypc).



Injuries:

2009: Missed most of season due to torn ACL and torn medial and lateral minisci.

2007: Missed most of season due to broken collarbone.


Pro Day results (not invited to NFL Combine):
4.41 40-yard dash
38.0 vertical
10'10" broad jump
7.13 3-cone drill
4.00 20-yard shuttle

Positives:
Pretty remarkable timed speed given his injury history. 4.4 40 at pro day would have been good for 4th-best at the Combine for WRs, and his broad jump was better than everyone's except Julio Jones. 20-yard shuttle time would have also been 4th-best. Results obviously speak well to his speed and explosiveness. Hits the crease well on kickoff returns and is gone. Very hard to catch. Exceptional speed gives him potential to be dangerous as a gunner on punts or outside man on kickoff coverage. Runs well through traffic on kickoffs. Quick reaction and closing speed at corner on smoke routes and quick screens. Also played some safety. Nice edge defender. Forced fumble to preserve 2010 win over Texas. Shows some ability to flash in late and break up passes. Good speed, nice soft hands at wide receiver.

Negatives:
Will be 24 when training camp starts. Significant injury history. Realistically no more than a year of college playing experience at either wide receiver or cornerback. Baylor allowed 27.7 points per game, 34 per game in the Big 12 Or Maybe 10, largely because they couldn't defend the pass. Little hint Baker can remotely press-cover; in his highlight reel, he's always 6-8 yards off the line at the snap. Value appears to be strictly as a kick returner, and an NFL player usually needs to have an additional skill to stick on a roster. And kickoff returns may have taken a big hit when the league moved kickoffs back up to the 35 in the offseason.

Compares to: if he's damn lucky, former Ram Chris Johnson. Similar size, stopwatch-breaking speed, came up as a kick returner. Johnson has transitioned to cornerback in the NFL with reasonable success. Just don't step out of bounds at the 1 on any of your returns, Mikail.


Fun Facts:
Did you know the plural of "meniscus" is "menisci"? I was guessing "menisces". Mikail's unfortunate to have had to learn that in person. The aspirant TV broadcaster is an alum of Skyline High (what a cool name) in Dallas, which has also produced Olympic sprinting champion Michael Johnson and former NBA star Larry "Grandmama" Johnson.


RamView:
Strictly a stopwatch pick here, with Baker having run 4.40 at Baylor's pro day, and we know what RamView thinks of stopwatch picks. Also, the main reason to draft Baker would appear to be as a kick returner. The offseason rule change in the NFL, moving kickoffs back up to the 35, seemed to take care of the Rams' problems there, though. Do you need to draft a player to watch kickoffs sail over his head? Wishing him the best, but this pick looks like a waste from here. Thumbs down.


Sources: NFLDraftScout.com, DraftCountdown.com (Scott Wright), BleacherReport.com, Baylor Athletics, ESPN.com, Wikipedia, Crimson and Cream Machine (Oklahoma football blog), Ranker.com, Youtube, NFL.com