Good grief. The Rams could be a legitimately improved team in 2011 - the NFL schedule-makers seem to agree, granting them two Monday night games - and they could easily hit the halfway mark at 2-6.
The 2011 schedule, game by game:
Sun Sept 11 - Philadelphia, here. I'm glad the Rams got a home game to start the season, not as glad they have to open by chasing Michael Vick around for 60 minutes. This is a team that couldn't handle Troy Smith's mobility last season. Good news, five months to prepare.
Mon Sept 19 - @ NY Giants. Rams' last appearance on Monday Night Football was November 2006. Steve Spagnuolo returns to the upper-New Jersey metropolitan area. Giants were beatable at home last year. Get pressure on Eli, and a little stiffness in run defense will have Brandon Jacobs crying on the sideline in no time.
Sun Sept 25 - Baltimore, here. Oh good, a short week to prepare for the Ravens! That doesn't bode well. Seems best to attack the Ravens D deep - will the Rams have a deep passing game by week 3?
Sun Oct 2 - Washington, here. Thanks to the NFL for 3 home games the first 4 weeks. This one against Washington almost shapes up as a must-win, though, given the expected difficulty of the first 3. Gotta beat a rebuilding Redskin team.
Oct 9 - Bye. Yuck. Rams have been getting their bye week in the middle of the season. Good news, it could lessen the impact of any early-season injuries. Bad news, it's followed by 4 road games in five weeks. Thanx for the easy schedule, NFL!
Sun Oct 16 - @ Green Bay. Could we have another bye week? The Packers are going to have to have a pretty big Super Bowl hangover to be beatable at Lambeau.
Sun Oct 23 - @ Dallas. Potential RamView road trip. Dallas is one of those teams that could be a world-beater by this point, or a team on Andrew Luck's short list.
Sun Oct 30 - New Orleans, here. Rams played a winnable game down there last year, so there's hope. And the schedule difficulty appears to drop off a cliff from here.
Sun Nov 9 - @ Arizona. Of course, this game becomes a must-win. Also, no division games the first SEVEN weeks of the season?
Sun Nov 13 - @ Cleveland. First team to 14 points wins!
Sun Nov 20 - Seattle, here. First of four consecutive division games. NFC West could be decided right here.
Sun Nov 27 - Arizona, here. It is about F@cking time the Rams won a home game against the F@cking Big Dead.
Sun Dec 4 - @ San Francisco. Rams SHOULD have won there last year.
Mon Dec 12 - @ Seattle. If the Rams can knock the Dopily-Spelled Telecom Company Field monkey off their back, you have to like their prospects.
Sun Dec 18 - Cincinnati, here. Very few lay-ups on this schedule, and it looks like this is one the Rams had better convert.
Sat Dec 24 - @ Pittsburgh. So the Rams got short weeks to face the Ravens and the Steelers? I can sure think of a whole lot better ways to spend Christmas Eve, too. Hopefully, the Super Bowl loser jinx has taken deep hold in Pittsburgh by this point.
Sun Jan 1 - San Francisco, here. Could be a division championship game to end the season again this year. Nice to have this one at home should things get that far.
The schedule's fair, but hardly balanced. Not when almost all the division games are played in a 6-week period. Not when the Rams play six of their seven toughest opponents the first seven weeks. I hate the four road games in five weeks after the bye, but they did get to start with three home games in four weeks, and got their home opener in the first two weeks. Also, they (appear to) play no one coming off a bye week, I believe for the second straight year, and get a bye week to prep for Green Bay.
November's a make-or-break month for Spagnuolo as far as I'm concerned, no matter how they do the first two months. If they're playing well, these are all games a team with playoff aspirations has to take. If they're not playing well, losses would just add salt to Rams Nation's wounds, with exponentially-increasing doubt in the organization to follow. A loss to Pat Shurmur would be difficult to swallow. Losses to a Big Dead team that ended 2010 in pitiful fashion, even harder. A loss at home to Seattle could stick a knife in the division race. Big, big games, all four of them.
I think this bears repeating. For the Rams, the season doesn't really even start till November. They could easily hit Halloween with a 1-6 record through little fault of their own. That doesn't mean the season is cooked. Always remember the Rams are in the NFC West. No matter how they play in the first half of the season, the second half is where there's hay to be made. Given this schedule, 7-9 or 8-8 would be a significant improvement over last year's 7-9, and should still be competitive for a playoff spot given the state of the division.
Steve Spagnuolo needs to make sure to (at least) get there, and I believe he will.
-$-
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Draft buzz, week 4
* Rams at 14. NFL Network eventually got around to covering the Rams’ draft needs, with help from D’Marco Farr. The main, and quite familiar, points:
- Julio Jones would be a no-brainer at 14.
- The Rams are more likely to move down than move up.
- Steve Spagnuolo covets pass rushers, so Aldon Smith’s a logical candidate if they stay at 14 and both top WRs are gone.
- Mark Ingram would make some sense with this pick as well.
Strangely, Corey Liuget wasn’t mentioned by anyone, which is odd. I’m a couple of weeks behind the curve, but at the time this show aired, Liuget was shaping up as one of the last handful of candidates.
That’s OK, though, because after the show signed off with Farr, Mike Lombardi and Steve Wyche pretty much went insane. Lombardi wants the Rams to draft Mike Pouncey. His logic is that the Rams need to add toughness inside and make damn sure to protect Bradford. That would be fine if this were not the first time Mike Pouncey has EVER been mentioned this high in the draft.
Wyche’s “inside contacts” say the Rams’ biggest concern is lack of speed on the defensive edges, and says they should draft AKEEM AYERS. That’s at least ten picks higher than he’s been slotted anywhere, at least on this show. And speed on the edges? Isn’t he the guy who was clocking 4.8s at the Combine?
Why are the Rams the only team these bozos want drafting guys 10-15 slots ahead of where they’re supposed to go?
Buzz and breakdowns by position, as NFL Network got serious after about three weeks of repeating the same crap over and over and actually reviewed a large number of prospects:
* Wide receiver. Look out, world – Julio Jones is out of his walking boot will resume working out. And as a bigger and stronger receiver, a more natural WCO receiver than A.J. Green, Cincinnati or Cleveland could prefer him over Green and make him the first receiver selected.
Greg Little, North Carolina: ran a 4.55. Former RB is a little raw as a route-runner but catches well and is special after the catch. Big guy who can leap and has terrific body control and terrific hands. In excellent shape with ripped physique. Rare athlete. Not afraid to go over the middle. At his size and speed would be best used as a WCO WR. 2nd-round talent; bit of a diva who has some (unspecified) off-the-field questions. Compares to Tampa’s Mike Williams.
Aldrick Robinson, SMU – NFL Net picks up on a guy I noticed at the Combine. 5’9” 184, runs well and has great leaping ability. Fine college production – 14 TDs last year, 20 yard per-catch average. Having been coached by June Jones is a plus.
Cecil Shorts, Mount Union – good route-runner. Understands how to run routes, how to set up the corner and the safety.
* Defensive line. Da’Quan Bowers may have hurt his stock now that he’s been able to participate in a campus workout. He’s not in shape yet and got fatigued during drills. Ran in the high 4.9s and workout results weren’t as good as expected. Questions still abounding about his knee. Should have waited till he was in better shape; now he’s just put doubt in more teams’ minds.
Bowers did get a nice endorsement from UNC head coach Butch Davis, who compared him to Michael Strahan. A great character player, prototype 4-3 DE, strong and physical at the point of attack.
One day after saying Robert Quinn wouldn’t go in the top ten because he lacks explosiveness, Mike Lombardi said he’d be shocked if Quinn DIDN’T go in the top ten. Improved on all his Combine speed drills at his pro day. Unbelievably fast with great agility. Gets to the edge really well. Strong and powerful. Has rare pass rush skills and can play LDE or RDE. Former wrestler who understands leverage. Gets compared to DeMarcus Ware and Dwight Freeney.
One day after proclaiming the first round was TOO HIGH to draft Marvin Austin, with Mike Lombardi ranking him at the BOTTOM OF THE SECOND ROUND, NFL Network projected him to the lower third of the first round. He’s in excellent physical condition despite being suspended last season. In fact, he’s dropped his playing weight to 301. He was a “marvel” during pro day drills and had as good a workout as any d-lineman at the Combine, LIKE I SAID. 3-technique with explosion, quickness and power. Unbelievable point-of-attack player; uses his hands well. Strong and physical with good footwork.
Sam Acho, Texas – projects best as a 3-4 OLB. He’s no Brian Orakpo. Looked pretty good in LB positional drills. Small and will get engulfed by linemen trying to play the run. Can win 1-on-1 in pass rush and will probably be limited to situational pass rushing.
Though accusations have started to float that Nick Fairley takes a lot of plays off, he’s still met with 8 of the first 10 teams in the draft.
Muhammed Wilkerson, Temple – has met with a lot of the playoff teams and will likely go to one of them in the first round. Prototype 5-tech, had excellent Combine but looked out-of-shape at his pro day.
Kenrick Ellis, Hampton – Dominated Texas vs. Nation game. Gigantic with good instincts and good hustle. 3rd-round grade, could go higher. Should have made more plays given his level of competition, though.
* Running backs.
Daniel Thomas, Kansas State – North-south runner, doesn’t have great burst but is good in a short area and can separate. Can catch.
Mikel Leshoure, Illinois – Does everything. Workhorse, has speed and can break tackles. Quick change-of-direction. Said to be threatening Mark Ingram now for #1 RB status. Reminds Charlie Casserly of STEVEN JACKSON, and he compares himself to Jackson in interviews. Steve Wyche seems to believe the Colts could take him in the first round.
* Linebackers.
Akeem Ayers, UCLA – improved on his Combine 40 time with a 4.68 and a 4.71. Long, versatile, can play on or off the line. Can be a nickel rusher or a 4-3 SAM but looks best as a 3-4 OLB. That’s where he’s most natural rushing the QB. Best at pass rush pursuit with his hand in the dirt. Smooth and fluid, but not explosive off the ball. His pass drops have improved a lot since the Combine. Good awareness and quickness. Needs to get stronger. Pro day performance should solidify a late-first round pick.
Mason Foster, Washington – 240-pounder, high motor, can play inside or outside. Pro day 40 time improved to 4.70. Tackling machine with good instincts. Willing hitter. Teams will like his movement and motor and he should be a middle-round pick. Even more impressively, a draft analyst described someone who isn’t white as having a good motor.
Casey Matthews, Oregon – 4th-rated inside linebacker. Smart, good at positioning, but not the athlete his cousin Clay is. Doesn’t have the speed. Will find a place in the NFL because he’s instinctive, a hustler and a leader. Plays tough, plays with attitude, can find the ball. Will contribute on special teams. Injured his shoulder during the bench press at the Combine.
Bruce Carter, North Carolina – Terrific athlete coming off ACL surgery. Stays on the field all three downs, can blitz, rush off the edge, cover slot receivers or cover backs out of the backfield. Super special teams player who can block kicks and make interceptions.
* Secondary. Prince Amukamara will have worked out for most of the top ten teams in the draft before it’s all said and done. He’s also worked out for the Patriots. Hmm, is Hoodie thinking about trading up?
Aaron Williams, Texas – ran 4.2 at Texas pro day but track is so fast you should grade it as a 4.5. Needs to lose about 10 lbs. Did not look sudden in change of direction drills or fluid in his backpedal. Looks a little like a physical, cover-2 corner; looks a lot more like a free safety.
Rahim Moore, UCLA – Great instinctively, but not a physical safety or a great run defender. Natural “center fielder” with great range and hands. Tracks and catches deep balls well. Drilled well at pro day: showed smooth and fluid footwork, smooth hips, good speed and change of direction. INTs dropped way off after his sophomore year. 2nd-3rd round grade.
Jimmy Smith, Colorado – Played a lot of man coverage in college. Has the speed and change-of-direction to press-cover. Can cover a lot of ground and is a willing run tackler.
Brandon Harris, Miami – 5’9”, 190, ran in the low 4.5s. Not a lot of successful small and slow DBs in the NFL. Doesn’t have great ball skills or change of direction, either. Hasn’t earned a first-round grade.
Brandon Burton, Utah – Strong, active CB who ran 4.43 at the Combine. Makes plays in all coverages.
Buster Skrine, Chattanooga – 5’9.5” 186, ran good 40s at Combine, and great short shuttle, in 3.9s. Has great feet, but got beaten deep constantly by Cam Newton and Auburn this year, three times in the first quarter alone. Round 5-6 grade.
Kendrick Burney, North Carolina – short and slow, ran 4.75. May fit with a Tampa-2 defense. Has promise on special teams.
* Tight end. Path to the Draft apparently believes the RAMS are interested in Tennessee TE Luke Stocker. Complete tight end, blocks and catches well. Runs routes well, can pass-block and run-block. Also helps on special teams.
Kyle Rudolph of Notre Dame was compared favorably to Rob Gronkowski. Bet you can’t guess what race he is! Mayock’s always had him going right at the end of the first round.
* Offensive line.
Tyron Smith, USC – Most athletic tackle in the draft. Most natural pass blocker. Has good lateral movement and knee bend. Moves like a tight end. Had superb pro day workout. Moves fluidly. Light on his feet. Big and powerful, explodes out of his stance, strong punch, moves guys when he makes contact. Anchors well. Ran a 4.97 40 and benched 31 times. Has gained 25 pounds since end of football season to get to 310. Played only right tackle at USC but has the technique and finishes blocks like an NFL LT. May not have the footwork for it. CONSTANTLY compared to D’Brickashaw Ferguson by NFL Network analysts. Better prospect than Jason Smith was coming out, as good as Trent Williams last year.
Nate Solder, Colorado – 6’8” height makes it harder for him to bend and block smaller players. Needs to get stronger in lower body. Can play with power if he does, has ideal body for position. Can be all-pro-quality left tackle in a couple of years. Compares to Sebastian Vollmer.
William Rackley, Lehigh – excellent Shrine Game, solid 3rd round pick at guard. Has been visited by 16 offensive line coaches so far.
Ben Ijalana, Villanova – Had double hernia surgery after playing his last five games with the injury, so little question about his toughness. A little short for tackle but makes up for it with exceptionally long arms. Feet are good enough to play on the edge. Grades as a 2nd-rounder if injury situation doesn’t worsen.
* Quarterback. The Vikings have worked out Cam Newton and Christian Ponder.
Ryan Mallett has worked out for Miami and Cincinnati. Mike Lombardi laughably thought there’s a lot of credibility in Arkansas HC Bobby Petrino vouching for him. I shot soda out my nose after that line. Charlie Casserly thinks his ideal spot would be as Buffalo’s 2nd round pick. No pressure and he’d be under a top QB coach. Casserly rates him as the #2 QB, ahead of Newton, but Mallett has to stop putting balls up for grabs.
RamView has Christian Ponder as the #2 QB, though not a first-rounder. Smart, high character, makes good decisions. Deceptively good athlete (more code for: “Caucasian”). Can make plays out of the pocket. Ideal WCO QB who gets the ball out quickly.
Colin Kaepernick worked out for the Whiners. Folks, we do NOT want to see him in our division.
Path to the Draft now freely talks about Jake Locker as a THIRD-round value now. His workout at Washington was successful – he went 39 for 41 – but also reportedly very easy, mostly short passes, not many outside throws, and only two deep balls. Both of those were incomplete, and Locker’s ball placement on the short passes wasn’t even all that great. Playing against air!
The big news, though, is that Mike Mayock has finally said that Carolina “has” to take one of the top 2 QBs with the first overall pick. First time I’ve heard that requirement this year, after it was seemingly slapped on the Rams in February last year. Blaine Gabbert appears to be the consensus #1, but more and more signs point to Carolina taking Cam Newton. Dammit, the Rams do not play the Panthers next season. Wonder if Carolina will take Andrew Luck first overall in 2012. ‘Cause they’ll be picking there again.
* Degenerative arthritis! Mike Lombardi was apparently obsessed with this condition this week. He mentioned it multiple times in discussions about Da’Quan Bowers’ knee, and when he wasn’t doing that, threw out a rumor that there are “unspecified questions” about Mark Ingram’s knee, and that he could also have degenerative arthritis. Look for Lombardi to host this year’s D.A. telethon, probably with Bowers as a guest host. Degenerative arthritis – it’s lurking around every corner!
* Risk assessment. When asked to name the safest picks in the top 10 this year, NFL Network’s analysts picked A.J. Green and Von Miller. RamView would never pick a WR or an undersized DE for that distinction and went with Marcel Dareus. The riskiest picks? No surprises here: Cam Newton and Nick Fairley. RamView nominates Newton.
* Around the league. A possibly-drunken, though lucid, Solomon Wilcots was tabbed by NFL Network to project the first round draft pick for Houston at #11. He listed their top need as secondary, and said Prince Amukamara should be their pick if he’s on the board, with Von Miller as a fallback pick. That’s nice, how about you try somebody who’s NOT going to be picked in the top 10. OK, says Wilcots, how about Baylor NT Phil Taylor, and, WOW, that’s the first time I’ve even heard his name on the show. I don’t think Taylor’s foot injury was well publicized at this time, but that’s still at least 20 slots early, isn’t it? Folks, make sure your draft guru has been licensed and has had all his shots, ok?
A little more qualified to project #12 is Vikings beat writer Judd Zulgad, who seemed to indicate Minnesota’s trying to trade up to take one of the QBs. They really need a long term solution there and really want to take a QB in round 1 or 2. If that doesn’t work out, they’re looking at Aldon Smith at DE or Tyron Smith at OT.
At 13, though every mock draft seems to send Detroit an offensive lineman, beat writer Tom Kowalski says their #1 need is in the defensive back seven. O-line isn’t an acute need for them until maybe 2012. They’d even be happy with Aldon Smith.
* Rumor mill: Vikings HC Leslie Frazier has ruled out bringing Brett Favre back at QB next season. THANK GOD.
In worse news, the league has ordered teams to stop having discussions on trading players. I’ve been trying to deal some of the guys from my office to NFL Network for Stacey Dales, but I guess those talks are off now. (My backup offer for Lindsay Soto still stands, btw.)
After a month of watching Path to the Draft, I’ve heard Mike Mayock describe so many players as late first-round to early second-round picks, I’m just going to call that area of the draft “the Mayock line” or “the Mayock zone” from now on. Kind of like the Mendoza Line. And some weeks, these guys look like they’re going to be lucky to hit better than Mario Mendoza, too.
-$-
- Julio Jones would be a no-brainer at 14.
- The Rams are more likely to move down than move up.
- Steve Spagnuolo covets pass rushers, so Aldon Smith’s a logical candidate if they stay at 14 and both top WRs are gone.
- Mark Ingram would make some sense with this pick as well.
Strangely, Corey Liuget wasn’t mentioned by anyone, which is odd. I’m a couple of weeks behind the curve, but at the time this show aired, Liuget was shaping up as one of the last handful of candidates.
That’s OK, though, because after the show signed off with Farr, Mike Lombardi and Steve Wyche pretty much went insane. Lombardi wants the Rams to draft Mike Pouncey. His logic is that the Rams need to add toughness inside and make damn sure to protect Bradford. That would be fine if this were not the first time Mike Pouncey has EVER been mentioned this high in the draft.
Wyche’s “inside contacts” say the Rams’ biggest concern is lack of speed on the defensive edges, and says they should draft AKEEM AYERS. That’s at least ten picks higher than he’s been slotted anywhere, at least on this show. And speed on the edges? Isn’t he the guy who was clocking 4.8s at the Combine?
Why are the Rams the only team these bozos want drafting guys 10-15 slots ahead of where they’re supposed to go?
Buzz and breakdowns by position, as NFL Network got serious after about three weeks of repeating the same crap over and over and actually reviewed a large number of prospects:
* Wide receiver. Look out, world – Julio Jones is out of his walking boot will resume working out. And as a bigger and stronger receiver, a more natural WCO receiver than A.J. Green, Cincinnati or Cleveland could prefer him over Green and make him the first receiver selected.
Greg Little, North Carolina: ran a 4.55. Former RB is a little raw as a route-runner but catches well and is special after the catch. Big guy who can leap and has terrific body control and terrific hands. In excellent shape with ripped physique. Rare athlete. Not afraid to go over the middle. At his size and speed would be best used as a WCO WR. 2nd-round talent; bit of a diva who has some (unspecified) off-the-field questions. Compares to Tampa’s Mike Williams.
Aldrick Robinson, SMU – NFL Net picks up on a guy I noticed at the Combine. 5’9” 184, runs well and has great leaping ability. Fine college production – 14 TDs last year, 20 yard per-catch average. Having been coached by June Jones is a plus.
Cecil Shorts, Mount Union – good route-runner. Understands how to run routes, how to set up the corner and the safety.
* Defensive line. Da’Quan Bowers may have hurt his stock now that he’s been able to participate in a campus workout. He’s not in shape yet and got fatigued during drills. Ran in the high 4.9s and workout results weren’t as good as expected. Questions still abounding about his knee. Should have waited till he was in better shape; now he’s just put doubt in more teams’ minds.
Bowers did get a nice endorsement from UNC head coach Butch Davis, who compared him to Michael Strahan. A great character player, prototype 4-3 DE, strong and physical at the point of attack.
One day after saying Robert Quinn wouldn’t go in the top ten because he lacks explosiveness, Mike Lombardi said he’d be shocked if Quinn DIDN’T go in the top ten. Improved on all his Combine speed drills at his pro day. Unbelievably fast with great agility. Gets to the edge really well. Strong and powerful. Has rare pass rush skills and can play LDE or RDE. Former wrestler who understands leverage. Gets compared to DeMarcus Ware and Dwight Freeney.
One day after proclaiming the first round was TOO HIGH to draft Marvin Austin, with Mike Lombardi ranking him at the BOTTOM OF THE SECOND ROUND, NFL Network projected him to the lower third of the first round. He’s in excellent physical condition despite being suspended last season. In fact, he’s dropped his playing weight to 301. He was a “marvel” during pro day drills and had as good a workout as any d-lineman at the Combine, LIKE I SAID. 3-technique with explosion, quickness and power. Unbelievable point-of-attack player; uses his hands well. Strong and physical with good footwork.
Sam Acho, Texas – projects best as a 3-4 OLB. He’s no Brian Orakpo. Looked pretty good in LB positional drills. Small and will get engulfed by linemen trying to play the run. Can win 1-on-1 in pass rush and will probably be limited to situational pass rushing.
Though accusations have started to float that Nick Fairley takes a lot of plays off, he’s still met with 8 of the first 10 teams in the draft.
Muhammed Wilkerson, Temple – has met with a lot of the playoff teams and will likely go to one of them in the first round. Prototype 5-tech, had excellent Combine but looked out-of-shape at his pro day.
Kenrick Ellis, Hampton – Dominated Texas vs. Nation game. Gigantic with good instincts and good hustle. 3rd-round grade, could go higher. Should have made more plays given his level of competition, though.
* Running backs.
Daniel Thomas, Kansas State – North-south runner, doesn’t have great burst but is good in a short area and can separate. Can catch.
Mikel Leshoure, Illinois – Does everything. Workhorse, has speed and can break tackles. Quick change-of-direction. Said to be threatening Mark Ingram now for #1 RB status. Reminds Charlie Casserly of STEVEN JACKSON, and he compares himself to Jackson in interviews. Steve Wyche seems to believe the Colts could take him in the first round.
* Linebackers.
Akeem Ayers, UCLA – improved on his Combine 40 time with a 4.68 and a 4.71. Long, versatile, can play on or off the line. Can be a nickel rusher or a 4-3 SAM but looks best as a 3-4 OLB. That’s where he’s most natural rushing the QB. Best at pass rush pursuit with his hand in the dirt. Smooth and fluid, but not explosive off the ball. His pass drops have improved a lot since the Combine. Good awareness and quickness. Needs to get stronger. Pro day performance should solidify a late-first round pick.
Mason Foster, Washington – 240-pounder, high motor, can play inside or outside. Pro day 40 time improved to 4.70. Tackling machine with good instincts. Willing hitter. Teams will like his movement and motor and he should be a middle-round pick. Even more impressively, a draft analyst described someone who isn’t white as having a good motor.
Casey Matthews, Oregon – 4th-rated inside linebacker. Smart, good at positioning, but not the athlete his cousin Clay is. Doesn’t have the speed. Will find a place in the NFL because he’s instinctive, a hustler and a leader. Plays tough, plays with attitude, can find the ball. Will contribute on special teams. Injured his shoulder during the bench press at the Combine.
Bruce Carter, North Carolina – Terrific athlete coming off ACL surgery. Stays on the field all three downs, can blitz, rush off the edge, cover slot receivers or cover backs out of the backfield. Super special teams player who can block kicks and make interceptions.
* Secondary. Prince Amukamara will have worked out for most of the top ten teams in the draft before it’s all said and done. He’s also worked out for the Patriots. Hmm, is Hoodie thinking about trading up?
Aaron Williams, Texas – ran 4.2 at Texas pro day but track is so fast you should grade it as a 4.5. Needs to lose about 10 lbs. Did not look sudden in change of direction drills or fluid in his backpedal. Looks a little like a physical, cover-2 corner; looks a lot more like a free safety.
Rahim Moore, UCLA – Great instinctively, but not a physical safety or a great run defender. Natural “center fielder” with great range and hands. Tracks and catches deep balls well. Drilled well at pro day: showed smooth and fluid footwork, smooth hips, good speed and change of direction. INTs dropped way off after his sophomore year. 2nd-3rd round grade.
Jimmy Smith, Colorado – Played a lot of man coverage in college. Has the speed and change-of-direction to press-cover. Can cover a lot of ground and is a willing run tackler.
Brandon Harris, Miami – 5’9”, 190, ran in the low 4.5s. Not a lot of successful small and slow DBs in the NFL. Doesn’t have great ball skills or change of direction, either. Hasn’t earned a first-round grade.
Brandon Burton, Utah – Strong, active CB who ran 4.43 at the Combine. Makes plays in all coverages.
Buster Skrine, Chattanooga – 5’9.5” 186, ran good 40s at Combine, and great short shuttle, in 3.9s. Has great feet, but got beaten deep constantly by Cam Newton and Auburn this year, three times in the first quarter alone. Round 5-6 grade.
Kendrick Burney, North Carolina – short and slow, ran 4.75. May fit with a Tampa-2 defense. Has promise on special teams.
* Tight end. Path to the Draft apparently believes the RAMS are interested in Tennessee TE Luke Stocker. Complete tight end, blocks and catches well. Runs routes well, can pass-block and run-block. Also helps on special teams.
Kyle Rudolph of Notre Dame was compared favorably to Rob Gronkowski. Bet you can’t guess what race he is! Mayock’s always had him going right at the end of the first round.
* Offensive line.
Tyron Smith, USC – Most athletic tackle in the draft. Most natural pass blocker. Has good lateral movement and knee bend. Moves like a tight end. Had superb pro day workout. Moves fluidly. Light on his feet. Big and powerful, explodes out of his stance, strong punch, moves guys when he makes contact. Anchors well. Ran a 4.97 40 and benched 31 times. Has gained 25 pounds since end of football season to get to 310. Played only right tackle at USC but has the technique and finishes blocks like an NFL LT. May not have the footwork for it. CONSTANTLY compared to D’Brickashaw Ferguson by NFL Network analysts. Better prospect than Jason Smith was coming out, as good as Trent Williams last year.
Nate Solder, Colorado – 6’8” height makes it harder for him to bend and block smaller players. Needs to get stronger in lower body. Can play with power if he does, has ideal body for position. Can be all-pro-quality left tackle in a couple of years. Compares to Sebastian Vollmer.
William Rackley, Lehigh – excellent Shrine Game, solid 3rd round pick at guard. Has been visited by 16 offensive line coaches so far.
Ben Ijalana, Villanova – Had double hernia surgery after playing his last five games with the injury, so little question about his toughness. A little short for tackle but makes up for it with exceptionally long arms. Feet are good enough to play on the edge. Grades as a 2nd-rounder if injury situation doesn’t worsen.
* Quarterback. The Vikings have worked out Cam Newton and Christian Ponder.
Ryan Mallett has worked out for Miami and Cincinnati. Mike Lombardi laughably thought there’s a lot of credibility in Arkansas HC Bobby Petrino vouching for him. I shot soda out my nose after that line. Charlie Casserly thinks his ideal spot would be as Buffalo’s 2nd round pick. No pressure and he’d be under a top QB coach. Casserly rates him as the #2 QB, ahead of Newton, but Mallett has to stop putting balls up for grabs.
RamView has Christian Ponder as the #2 QB, though not a first-rounder. Smart, high character, makes good decisions. Deceptively good athlete (more code for: “Caucasian”). Can make plays out of the pocket. Ideal WCO QB who gets the ball out quickly.
Colin Kaepernick worked out for the Whiners. Folks, we do NOT want to see him in our division.
Path to the Draft now freely talks about Jake Locker as a THIRD-round value now. His workout at Washington was successful – he went 39 for 41 – but also reportedly very easy, mostly short passes, not many outside throws, and only two deep balls. Both of those were incomplete, and Locker’s ball placement on the short passes wasn’t even all that great. Playing against air!
The big news, though, is that Mike Mayock has finally said that Carolina “has” to take one of the top 2 QBs with the first overall pick. First time I’ve heard that requirement this year, after it was seemingly slapped on the Rams in February last year. Blaine Gabbert appears to be the consensus #1, but more and more signs point to Carolina taking Cam Newton. Dammit, the Rams do not play the Panthers next season. Wonder if Carolina will take Andrew Luck first overall in 2012. ‘Cause they’ll be picking there again.
* Degenerative arthritis! Mike Lombardi was apparently obsessed with this condition this week. He mentioned it multiple times in discussions about Da’Quan Bowers’ knee, and when he wasn’t doing that, threw out a rumor that there are “unspecified questions” about Mark Ingram’s knee, and that he could also have degenerative arthritis. Look for Lombardi to host this year’s D.A. telethon, probably with Bowers as a guest host. Degenerative arthritis – it’s lurking around every corner!
* Risk assessment. When asked to name the safest picks in the top 10 this year, NFL Network’s analysts picked A.J. Green and Von Miller. RamView would never pick a WR or an undersized DE for that distinction and went with Marcel Dareus. The riskiest picks? No surprises here: Cam Newton and Nick Fairley. RamView nominates Newton.
* Around the league. A possibly-drunken, though lucid, Solomon Wilcots was tabbed by NFL Network to project the first round draft pick for Houston at #11. He listed their top need as secondary, and said Prince Amukamara should be their pick if he’s on the board, with Von Miller as a fallback pick. That’s nice, how about you try somebody who’s NOT going to be picked in the top 10. OK, says Wilcots, how about Baylor NT Phil Taylor, and, WOW, that’s the first time I’ve even heard his name on the show. I don’t think Taylor’s foot injury was well publicized at this time, but that’s still at least 20 slots early, isn’t it? Folks, make sure your draft guru has been licensed and has had all his shots, ok?
A little more qualified to project #12 is Vikings beat writer Judd Zulgad, who seemed to indicate Minnesota’s trying to trade up to take one of the QBs. They really need a long term solution there and really want to take a QB in round 1 or 2. If that doesn’t work out, they’re looking at Aldon Smith at DE or Tyron Smith at OT.
At 13, though every mock draft seems to send Detroit an offensive lineman, beat writer Tom Kowalski says their #1 need is in the defensive back seven. O-line isn’t an acute need for them until maybe 2012. They’d even be happy with Aldon Smith.
* Rumor mill: Vikings HC Leslie Frazier has ruled out bringing Brett Favre back at QB next season. THANK GOD.
In worse news, the league has ordered teams to stop having discussions on trading players. I’ve been trying to deal some of the guys from my office to NFL Network for Stacey Dales, but I guess those talks are off now. (My backup offer for Lindsay Soto still stands, btw.)
After a month of watching Path to the Draft, I’ve heard Mike Mayock describe so many players as late first-round to early second-round picks, I’m just going to call that area of the draft “the Mayock line” or “the Mayock zone” from now on. Kind of like the Mendoza Line. And some weeks, these guys look like they’re going to be lucky to hit better than Mario Mendoza, too.
-$-
Monday, April 18, 2011
RamView mock draft, minimalist version
Here it is... full draft preview goes up on ramview.com later today...
(Version 1.only)
1. Panthers, Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri
2. Broncos, Marcel Dareus, DL, Alabama
3. Bills, A.J. Green, WR, Georgia
4. Bengals, Cam Newton, QB, Auburn
5. Big Dead, Von Miller, LB, Texas A&M
6. Browns, Julio Jones, WR, Alabama
7. Whiners, Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU
8. Titans, Nick Fairley, DT, Auburn
9. Cowboys, Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska
10. Redskins, Robert Quinn, DE, North Carolina
11. Texans, J.J. Watt, DE, Wisconsin
12. Vikings, Aldon Smith, DE, Missouri
13. Lions, Tyron Smith, OT, USC
14. RAMS, COREY LIUGET, DT, ILLINOIS. Looks like this is a pretty popular projection these days; sorry for the lack of creativity.
15. Dolphins, Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama
16. Jagwires, Da'Quan Bowers, DE, Clemson
17. Patriots, Cameron Jordan, DL, California
18. Chargers, Ryan Kerrigan, DE, Purdue
19. Giants, Mike Pouncey, OL, Florida
20. Buccaneers, Marvin Austin, DL, North Carolina
21. Chiefs, Anthony Costanzo, OT, Boston College
22. Colts, Gabe Carimi, OT, Wisconsin
23. Eagles, Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado
24. Saints, Nate Solder, OT, Colorado
25. Seahawks, Jake Locker, QB, Washington
26. Ravens, Titus Young, WR, Boise State
27. Falcons, Brooks Reed, DE, Arizona
28. Patriots, Derek Sherrod, Mississippi State
29. Bears, Christian Ballard, DL, Iowa
30. Jets, Akeem Ayers, OLB, UCLA
31. Steelers, Danny Watkins, OL, Baylor
32. Packers, Justin Houston, LB, Georgia
-$-
(Version 1.only)
1. Panthers, Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri
2. Broncos, Marcel Dareus, DL, Alabama
3. Bills, A.J. Green, WR, Georgia
4. Bengals, Cam Newton, QB, Auburn
5. Big Dead, Von Miller, LB, Texas A&M
6. Browns, Julio Jones, WR, Alabama
7. Whiners, Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU
8. Titans, Nick Fairley, DT, Auburn
9. Cowboys, Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska
10. Redskins, Robert Quinn, DE, North Carolina
11. Texans, J.J. Watt, DE, Wisconsin
12. Vikings, Aldon Smith, DE, Missouri
13. Lions, Tyron Smith, OT, USC
14. RAMS, COREY LIUGET, DT, ILLINOIS. Looks like this is a pretty popular projection these days; sorry for the lack of creativity.
15. Dolphins, Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama
16. Jagwires, Da'Quan Bowers, DE, Clemson
17. Patriots, Cameron Jordan, DL, California
18. Chargers, Ryan Kerrigan, DE, Purdue
19. Giants, Mike Pouncey, OL, Florida
20. Buccaneers, Marvin Austin, DL, North Carolina
21. Chiefs, Anthony Costanzo, OT, Boston College
22. Colts, Gabe Carimi, OT, Wisconsin
23. Eagles, Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado
24. Saints, Nate Solder, OT, Colorado
25. Seahawks, Jake Locker, QB, Washington
26. Ravens, Titus Young, WR, Boise State
27. Falcons, Brooks Reed, DE, Arizona
28. Patriots, Derek Sherrod, Mississippi State
29. Bears, Christian Ballard, DL, Iowa
30. Jets, Akeem Ayers, OLB, UCLA
31. Steelers, Danny Watkins, OL, Baylor
32. Packers, Justin Houston, LB, Georgia
-$-
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Rams Park pre-draft visits (updated)
Unofficial list of players who have made pre-draft visits to Rams Park, or are scheduled to in the near future. I'll poke this post back up to the top of the page as I make additions / corrections.
Mason Foster, LB, Washington
Marcus Gilchrist, DB, Clemson
Alex Green, RB, Hawaii
Jamie Harper, RB, Clemson
Brandon Harris, CB, Miami
Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama
Jaiquawn Jarrett, S, Temple
Julio Jones, WR, Alabama
Cameron Jordan, DL, California
Jason Kelce, OL, Cincinnati
Daniel Kilgore, OL, Appalachian State
Mikel Leshoure, RB, Illinois
Corey Liuget, DT, Illinois
Robert Quinn, DE, North Carolina
William Rackley, OL, Lehigh
Stevan Ridley, RB, LSU
Da'Norris Searcy, S, North Carolina
Jabaal Sheard, DL, Pittsburgh
Aldon Smith, DE, Missouri
Daniel Thomas, RB, Kansas State
Danny Watkins, OL, Baylor
=================================================================
So far, SIX running backs, (only?) ONE wide receiver, four offensive linemen (all likely guards in the NFL), five defensive linemen, ONE linebacker, four defensive backs. No tight ends, or, unsurprisingly, quarterbacks.
Jim Thomas wrote this morning that in the last five drafts, the Rams drafted nine players who made pre-draft visits. Last year, Sam Bradford was the only pre-draft visitor the Rams drafted. My unofficial research shows Jason Smith was the only 2009 pre-draft visitor the Rams drafted.
-$-
Mason Foster, LB, Washington
Marcus Gilchrist, DB, Clemson
Alex Green, RB, Hawaii
Jamie Harper, RB, Clemson
Brandon Harris, CB, Miami
Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama
Jaiquawn Jarrett, S, Temple
Julio Jones, WR, Alabama
Cameron Jordan, DL, California
Jason Kelce, OL, Cincinnati
Daniel Kilgore, OL, Appalachian State
Mikel Leshoure, RB, Illinois
Corey Liuget, DT, Illinois
Robert Quinn, DE, North Carolina
William Rackley, OL, Lehigh
Stevan Ridley, RB, LSU
Da'Norris Searcy, S, North Carolina
Jabaal Sheard, DL, Pittsburgh
Aldon Smith, DE, Missouri
Daniel Thomas, RB, Kansas State
Danny Watkins, OL, Baylor
=================================================================
So far, SIX running backs, (only?) ONE wide receiver, four offensive linemen (all likely guards in the NFL), five defensive linemen, ONE linebacker, four defensive backs. No tight ends, or, unsurprisingly, quarterbacks.
Jim Thomas wrote this morning that in the last five drafts, the Rams drafted nine players who made pre-draft visits. Last year, Sam Bradford was the only pre-draft visitor the Rams drafted. My unofficial research shows Jason Smith was the only 2009 pre-draft visitor the Rams drafted.
-$-
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
London not calling
Looks like we can squelch the brief offseason rumor that the Rams were going to be in the London regular-season game: ESPN has indicated that game will be Tampa Bay vs. Chicago.
Interestingly, the Glazers own the Bucs and Manchester United F.C., and Tampa Bay has been picked twice now to play in the London game. That's noteworthy now that Rams owner Stan Kroenke has become majority owner in Arsenal F.C.
Future road trip!
-$-
Interestingly, the Glazers own the Bucs and Manchester United F.C., and Tampa Bay has been picked twice now to play in the London game. That's noteworthy now that Rams owner Stan Kroenke has become majority owner in Arsenal F.C.
Future road trip!
-$-
Rams' preseason schedule announced
It took two weeks longer than last year, but the NFL released its (intended) preseason schedule for 2011 yesterday. The Rams have been selected to play in the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio, where they'll take on the Chicago Bears. Former Rams Marshall Faulk and Les Richter will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame the day before the game.
Road trip!
The Rams' preseason schedule, with final dates still TBD:
Sunday, August 7: vs. Bears in Canton, OH
August 11 - 15: vs. Colts in St. Louis
August 18 - 22: vs. Titans in St. Louis
August 25 - 29: vs. Chiefs in Kansas City
September 1 - 2: vs. Jagwires in Jacksonville
Notes: Good job by the NFL again this year to keep all of the Rams' regular-season opponents off the preseason schedule. I hope that is SOP for the league these days across the board, but damned if I'm going to go through and check.
Two straight road games to end preseason? Can I take that as a sign the Rams will be at home for the (intended) regular season opener? If so, it would be for the second straight year.
The most intense Governor's Cup ever this year! Rams-Chiefs is often the last game of preseason, but this year, it's the week I'd expect both teams would be giving their starters the most work. Feel the Governor's Cup excitement!
-$-
Road trip!
The Rams' preseason schedule, with final dates still TBD:
Sunday, August 7: vs. Bears in Canton, OH
August 11 - 15: vs. Colts in St. Louis
August 18 - 22: vs. Titans in St. Louis
August 25 - 29: vs. Chiefs in Kansas City
September 1 - 2: vs. Jagwires in Jacksonville
Notes: Good job by the NFL again this year to keep all of the Rams' regular-season opponents off the preseason schedule. I hope that is SOP for the league these days across the board, but damned if I'm going to go through and check.
Two straight road games to end preseason? Can I take that as a sign the Rams will be at home for the (intended) regular season opener? If so, it would be for the second straight year.
The most intense Governor's Cup ever this year! Rams-Chiefs is often the last game of preseason, but this year, it's the week I'd expect both teams would be giving their starters the most work. Feel the Governor's Cup excitement!
-$-
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Draft buzz, week 3
* Rams roll out the carpet. Three running backs are scheduled to visit Rams Park this week: Alex Green (Hawaii), Stevan Ridley (LSU) and Daniel Thomas (Kansas State). While we fans continue to insist the Rams need to complement Steven Jackson with a small, Darren Sproles-type back, the Rams' front office clearly does not agree with us. They want to add a second big back, another hammer. They tried to draft Shonn Greene a couple of years ago, and again here, are looking at big backs. Just some advice for everybody trying to mock draft out there.
Late word: Mark Ingram is now also scheduled to visit Rams Park, on Thursday April 14th.
Other recent draft prospects to visit Rams Park: interestingly, Cal d-lineman Cameron Jordan, and Lehigh offensive lineman William Rackley. Rackley, by the way, was described by Mike Mayock as a player that should be able to step in and play right away, a third-round prospect. He's a college tackle who will probably move to the inside in the pros. Looked good at the East-West Shrine Game. Mayock ranks Jordan 1-2 with J.J. Watt as the top two 3-4 defensive linemen, so I'm confused that the Rams even had him in for a visit. I assume they believe they can convert him handily to 4-3 full time, but that's a conversion that sure seems to fail a lot, and has certainly hurt the Rams in recent drafts (see: Carriker, Adam).
Let's do some positional drills:
* Wide receiver. The main candidates for third receiver off the board are Torrey Smith and Jonathan Baldwin, with Smith continuing to keep his edge because he’s supposedly more ready for the pros. I’m still not sold. Baldwin has a diva reputation but is a physical freak who caught everything thrown at him at Pittsburgh’s pro day. He should be a deadly receiver outside the numbers.
Charlie Casserly and the Rams agree, negatively, on Miami WR Leonard Hankerson. Casserly called Hankerson a possession receiver who can’t catch. He runs a good 40 but that burst doesn’t show up in games. Struggles to get separation and doesn’t gain much after the catch. OK, I’ll have to fix my board, then. Anybody got a flame-thrower?
Titus Young ran in the low 4.4s at Boise State’s pro day, Austin Pettis in the 4.5s. Both caught well. Young continues to run great routes, showing suddenness in and out of his breaks. Casserly believs Young worked out better than ANY WR at the Combine and mentioned he’s the same size as Roddy White. Pettis catches well with his hands, doesn’t let the ball into his body, and was a potent red zone weapon for the Broncos. Young’s rated to be drafted in the 2nd round, Pettis only the 5th.
NFL Network FINALLY got around to putting out some sleeper pick ideas at WR:
Edmund Gates, Abilene Christian: a favorite of RamView since the Combine. Less raw and higher upside than ACU alumnus Johnny Knox. Vertical threat who ran a 4.35 with a slight groin pull (!). Understands how to get open, has good awareness of where he is on the field. Will never last past the 3rd round with that speed.
Greg Little, North Carolina: would have been a 2nd-round prospect had he not been suspended all season. 6’2” 230, good speed and jumping ability, may have the best hands in the country. One of the smoothest-looking receivers at the Combine. Has a 4th-round value.
Greg Salas, Hawaii: another 4th-round prospect. 6’1” 210, very productive slot receiver in college. Uses body well to create separation and gains good yardage after the catch.
Ricardo Lockette, Fort Hays State: very raw, but big, and can move (ran a 4.37). Mostly a short-pass catcher. Welcome to Cleveland, Ricardo.
Randall (NOT Tex?) Cobb, Kentucky: 2nd-3rd round prospect, excellent at getting separation, runs very well after the catch.
Georgia WR Chris Durham may benefit from the circus atmosphere surrounding A.J. Green. At pro day, he quietly had a very good workout. At 6’5”, he ran in the 4.5s, caught everything and showed great leaping ability. He also played well while Green was suspended last season. Could be a late-round pick.
* Defensive line. DE Adrian Clayborn (Iowa) may be dropping out of the first round. At times, I’m not sure why he was even projected there. His sack production dropped way off his senior year. No one suggests he can come in and be a high-impact end with a lot of sacks. His first step’s not explosive, his edge speed is questionable, there are questions about his motor, and arm/shoulder problems due to a condition he was born with may limit him to right end. He was a 3-4 end at Iowa, too. Good player, but I don’t know why the Rams would have him on their list.
Christian Ballard, a DE/DT tweener, might be the first Hawkeye d-lineman off the board now. He’s a better edge rusher than Clayborn and can come inside. He was killing guards with his pass rush at the Senior Bowl. I’d expect the Rams to be much more likely to draft Ballard than Clayborn.
Aldon Smith, who I wish NFL Network would talk more about, should be able to get up to 280 pounds without losing any speed or explosiveness.
Corey Liuget got a very nice review. Prototypical 3-technique, one-gap penetrator who can get up the field. He’s devastating against the run and pushes the pocket with quickness against the pass. Dammit. There goes my mock draft again. In other words, feel free to pre-order your Liuget Rams jersey, even though Marvin Austin’s said to have repaired his image and had a great Shrine Game and a great Combine.
Allen Bailey (Miami) is a 2nd-3rd round prospect. He has good burst, moves well for his size and has a rocked-up physique. More likely to play as a smaller DE than he is to drop back successfully to linebacker.
Nick Fairley’s continuing to set off bust-o-meters around the gridosphere. His work ethic’s questioned, he may be a one-year wonder, and most of the DTs drafted high this decade didn’t pan out. Tell me about it.
South Florida DT Terrell McClain, on the other hand, is starting to draw positive attention. Both Lovie Smith and Bill Belichick were at his pro day.
* Running backs. Ryan Williams and Mikel Leshoure size up as the next two RBs off the board after Mark Ingram. Williams is a physical, rugged back who runs well between the tackles and turned in a 4.53 at the Combine. He’s short, though, and has battled injuries. Leshoure’s a good receiver who had outstanding production in college.
Other than that, Path to the Draft would much rather talk about Jake Locker than anybody who’s a running back, thank you very much.
* Linebackers. Justin Houston had a fine pro day at Georgia, which was marred by all the scouts having to walk out on A.J. Green’s workout and watch it on closed-circuit TV because the practice QB they had him drill with was from outside the Athens metropolitan area and anybody watching him would have violated the terms of the lockout. Ah, labor issues. As for Houston, he demonstrated plenty of explosiveness in drills, showed great ability turning the corner, and ran a 4.68 40 into the wind. The concern with him is that his workout results have looked a lot better than his play has on tape.
Mayock says North Carolina LB Bruce Carter would have been a top 20 pick this year if he hadn’t blown his knee in November. His ACL recovery is said to be ahead of schedule.
Akeem Ayers could really stand to improve his 40 time at his pro day, though he’s the odd duck whose explosiveness shows on game tape but not in workouts. He works better off the line, and could be a consistent pass rusher as a 3-4 OLB, or play the strong side in a 4-3. He beat Tyron Smith twice for sacks in the USC-UCLA game.
* Secondary. Grades on Miami’s Brandon Harris aren’t exactly consistent. Pro Football Weekly has him as the #3 CB and nearly one of the top ten players. NFL Network says he’s a SECOND OR THIRD ROUNDER. He’s short, he’s not starting material, and he doesn’t have the quickness or change of direction needed to cover the better slot receivers. Fellow Hurricane Demarcus Van Dyke’s getting noticed for that 4.28 at the Combine, but he only weighs in the 160s, and he started only 3 times last year. Had two picks in those games, though.
* Tight end. Scouts like Kyle Rudolph’s chances of contributing right away in the NFL even though he missed most of last season. They say just to worry whether he’s cleared medically. Same boat as Jermaine Gresham, Rob Gronkowski, Heath Miller, etc.
This year’s Fendi Onobuns are Jordan Cameron from USC and Julius Thomas from Portland State. Both played on their college's basketball team. Cameron had only 16 receptions in 2010, but is 6’5” 254, ran in the 4.6s and is a vertical threat. Thomas had 29 catches last year and played physical in the East-West Shrine game. Well, except that one play when Jermale Hines threatened to light him up.
* Offensive line. RamView welcomes Mike Mayock to the Rodney Hudson bandwagon. Mayock says he likes the 2-time ACC Offensive Lineman of the Year more the more tape of him he watches. Way ahead of ya, Mayock.
Don’t tell Brian Baldinger, but Path to the Draft was nice to Anthony Costanzo all week, though they repeated his and Nate Solder’s struggles with power rushers. Scouts like his size, feet and positioning; don’t like his strength, explosion or change of direction. He’s still expected to be drafted late in the 1st and play a long time in the league.
Orlando Franklin (Miami) was a mauler at tackle in college but needs to move inside for the pros. He’s tight-hipped and doesn’t move well. Late 2nd round – early 3rd round.
* Around the league. Drafting 20th, the Buccaneers are likeliest to go after defensive ends because their pass rush was still anemic even with Gerald McCoy, says St. Petersburg Times writer Rick Stroud. Stroud becomes the fifth or sixth correspondent to say how good Ryan Kerrigan would be for his team. Kerrigan is clearly this year's Earl Thomas. But Kerrigan would be perfect in Tampa, he's explosive off the edge and forces a lot of turnovers. Heh, that would be perfect in a lot of places. Free agency could wreck the Tampa offensive line, so that's a backup need even as they have re-signing Davin Joseph as their top priority. In the 20-20 hindsight department, Charles Davis makes a hilarious attempt to praise the Bucs front office for their selection of Aqib Talib despite draft-time character red flags. “They did their homework, and they got a great player.” Davis says this about a week before Talib AND HIS MOTHER go on a shooting spree. Hee!
At 19, Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News says the Giants will focus on the offensive line, and on the interior at that. Tom Coughlin wants a center, so Vacchiano recommends Mike Pouncey, who is also quickly becoming this year's Earl Thomas. Though Steve Smith isn't even expected to be able to start running until June, they're not worried about him enough to draft another WR very high. OLB's a possibility, with Mark Ingram a very dark horse should he slip. The Giants are a size/speed drafting team; whoever they draft will be a big player who moves fast.
Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune says the Chargers need, guess what, a pass rusher, and could look at, guess who, Ryan Kerrigan. He's the name that comes up most, as Larry English has been an (expected) bust, with just 5 sacks in two years. The Chargers have five picks the first three rounds and are also certain to use one on a WR. Mayock cautions that Kerrigan's a 4-3 DE and won't fit well into San Diego's 3-4. Huh, that's confusing. Of the recent Purdue DEs to hit the pros, the one who hasn't panned out, Cliff Avril, is the one who plays in a 4-3.
Pete Prisco was called upon for some reason to review the Jagwires' draft needs, and he goes absolutely crazy. He says they should draft CHRISTIAN PONDER at #16. Says Ponder is moving ahead of Cam Newton on some draft boards. An emboldened Mayock says the Jags should pick, of course, Jake Locker. They both agree DE is another need in Jacksonville, so guess whose name comes up. Prisco, with the Neanderthal level of creativity of apparently all draft pundits, compares Ryan Kerrigan favorably to... Aaron Kampmann.
Another writer I don't ever want to see in the Rams' war room is Jeff Darlington of the Miami Herald, who believes TORREY SMITH would be a fine pick for the Dolphins at #15. Or Cam Newton if he drops. Charlie Casserly has to cut in and kind of tap him on the shoulder and remind everyone that Miami's top three RBs are all free agents, so Casserly expects Mark Ingram to be under heavy consideration, even though he doesn't think Ingram is even first-round quality.
So next week, we'll get to see who these nutbars think the Rams should pick at #14, though with my luck, that'll be another team the show decides to skip for no good reason. And if they don't skip the Rams, they're all going to say they should draft Ryan Kerrigan anyway (which may not be the worst idea in the world).
* Kick it deep! Michael Lombardi and I agree AGAIN on something this year, along with Devin Hester: the new rule moving the spot of the kickoff back up to the 35 is going to result in an epidemic of touchbacks. So much so that draft picks and free agents who used to carry extra value because they returned kicks don’t have that value any more. Dexter McCluster never would have been drafted as high as he was under the current rule, which may have dropped a player like Jacquizz Rodgers down a ROUND OR TWO. Darren Sproles and Brad Smith also instantly became a lot less valuable in free agency.
* Rumor mill: The Chargers and Patriots could be working a deal for New England's pick at #28… Carolina HC Ron Rivera says they're evaluating QB and “four other positions” as possible areas to address with the first pick overall... Denver's working out Nevada QB Colin Kaepernick, even though team president John Elway claims he still believes in Tim Tebow… Pat Shurmur says Colt McCoy will be his starter next season. Feel the excitement, Cleveland!... Meanwhile, the Eagles claim they have an offer of a first-round pick for Kevin Kolb. (How can such an offer be legal at this point?)… Jerry Jones claims a couple of teams have asked the Cowboys about trading for their first-round pick, #9 overall… Carson Palmer says he would rather retire than play for the Bengals next year, but Cincinnati says they have no plans to trade him. Um, that would really screw my mock draft. Even if Palmer opts not to return, the Bengals could fill major defensive needs by drafting Patrick Peterson or Nick Fairley… Cam Newton’s going to do private workouts for the Dolphins and the Bills… MARTY SCHOTTENHEIMER has returned to coaching: he’s now the head coach of the UFL’s Virginia Destroyers. You’re not the only one who thinks that’s a pretty dirty team name…
* How to improve Path to the Draft. The more I watch the NFL Network's flagship show for draft coverage, the more I see it is in bad need of “punching up”. They've talked about the SAME PEOPLE for three weeks now. If I have to hear about Jake Locker one more time, I am going to scream. Come on. You people have an HOUR every day. Three weeks in, and you've barely talked about any running backs not named Ingram. Barely any defensive backs at all. 250-plus guys are going to be drafted in a couple of weeks, not 10. Pick up the pace, already! Here's some ideas PTTD could stand to implement:
1 – More player capsules. Take like six minutes a day and do six quick profiles on various position players. They've mentioned about two sleeper possibilities in three weeks. Expand the number of players you talk about already!
2 – Pick a handful of players and track them as they prepare for the draft. Follow them around like HBO does with fighters before its big fights. That would certainly be more interesting than Mike Lombardi telling us no offensive linemen will be drafted in the top 10 for the tenth time.
3 – The show does occasional draft flashbacks, but does them all wrong. Instead of just flashing back to the day Oakland drafted Jamarcus Russell, explain why they got it wrong. Or flash back to when a sleeper player got picked and explain how that team got it right. Those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it; so give us at home a chance to learn.
4 – It would be nice to run down the draft needs for ALL the teams. Just saying.
5 – Also, Mayock should be required to apologize on air and offer his resignation for MOCKING Isaac Bruce. Mayock was trying to illustrate the difficulty the lockout is causing for setting up pro days, but stuck his foot in his mouth by noting that at Florida State's pro day, Christian Ponder “had to throw to 40-year-old Isaac Bruce. Are you kidding me?” Listen here, jackass. That 40-year-old is the best route-runner Christian Ponder is going to get to throw to for the rest of his life, and I'm positive the young QB was grateful to get the best out of a bad situation created by the lockout. Let's see, who might a young QB be better off throwing passes to on his pro day? A prospective classmate who might get drafted in the sixth round? An NFL street free agent who's been cut by three teams in two years? Or the FOURTH LEADING WIDE RECEIVER IN NFL HISTORY?
You're a bozo to have mocked one of the classiest players in the history of the game, Mike Mayock. Apologize, or don't expect any warm welcomes from Rams Nation anytime soon.
-$-
Late word: Mark Ingram is now also scheduled to visit Rams Park, on Thursday April 14th.
Other recent draft prospects to visit Rams Park: interestingly, Cal d-lineman Cameron Jordan, and Lehigh offensive lineman William Rackley. Rackley, by the way, was described by Mike Mayock as a player that should be able to step in and play right away, a third-round prospect. He's a college tackle who will probably move to the inside in the pros. Looked good at the East-West Shrine Game. Mayock ranks Jordan 1-2 with J.J. Watt as the top two 3-4 defensive linemen, so I'm confused that the Rams even had him in for a visit. I assume they believe they can convert him handily to 4-3 full time, but that's a conversion that sure seems to fail a lot, and has certainly hurt the Rams in recent drafts (see: Carriker, Adam).
Let's do some positional drills:
* Wide receiver. The main candidates for third receiver off the board are Torrey Smith and Jonathan Baldwin, with Smith continuing to keep his edge because he’s supposedly more ready for the pros. I’m still not sold. Baldwin has a diva reputation but is a physical freak who caught everything thrown at him at Pittsburgh’s pro day. He should be a deadly receiver outside the numbers.
Charlie Casserly and the Rams agree, negatively, on Miami WR Leonard Hankerson. Casserly called Hankerson a possession receiver who can’t catch. He runs a good 40 but that burst doesn’t show up in games. Struggles to get separation and doesn’t gain much after the catch. OK, I’ll have to fix my board, then. Anybody got a flame-thrower?
Titus Young ran in the low 4.4s at Boise State’s pro day, Austin Pettis in the 4.5s. Both caught well. Young continues to run great routes, showing suddenness in and out of his breaks. Casserly believs Young worked out better than ANY WR at the Combine and mentioned he’s the same size as Roddy White. Pettis catches well with his hands, doesn’t let the ball into his body, and was a potent red zone weapon for the Broncos. Young’s rated to be drafted in the 2nd round, Pettis only the 5th.
NFL Network FINALLY got around to putting out some sleeper pick ideas at WR:
Edmund Gates, Abilene Christian: a favorite of RamView since the Combine. Less raw and higher upside than ACU alumnus Johnny Knox. Vertical threat who ran a 4.35 with a slight groin pull (!). Understands how to get open, has good awareness of where he is on the field. Will never last past the 3rd round with that speed.
Greg Little, North Carolina: would have been a 2nd-round prospect had he not been suspended all season. 6’2” 230, good speed and jumping ability, may have the best hands in the country. One of the smoothest-looking receivers at the Combine. Has a 4th-round value.
Greg Salas, Hawaii: another 4th-round prospect. 6’1” 210, very productive slot receiver in college. Uses body well to create separation and gains good yardage after the catch.
Ricardo Lockette, Fort Hays State: very raw, but big, and can move (ran a 4.37). Mostly a short-pass catcher. Welcome to Cleveland, Ricardo.
Randall (NOT Tex?) Cobb, Kentucky: 2nd-3rd round prospect, excellent at getting separation, runs very well after the catch.
Georgia WR Chris Durham may benefit from the circus atmosphere surrounding A.J. Green. At pro day, he quietly had a very good workout. At 6’5”, he ran in the 4.5s, caught everything and showed great leaping ability. He also played well while Green was suspended last season. Could be a late-round pick.
* Defensive line. DE Adrian Clayborn (Iowa) may be dropping out of the first round. At times, I’m not sure why he was even projected there. His sack production dropped way off his senior year. No one suggests he can come in and be a high-impact end with a lot of sacks. His first step’s not explosive, his edge speed is questionable, there are questions about his motor, and arm/shoulder problems due to a condition he was born with may limit him to right end. He was a 3-4 end at Iowa, too. Good player, but I don’t know why the Rams would have him on their list.
Christian Ballard, a DE/DT tweener, might be the first Hawkeye d-lineman off the board now. He’s a better edge rusher than Clayborn and can come inside. He was killing guards with his pass rush at the Senior Bowl. I’d expect the Rams to be much more likely to draft Ballard than Clayborn.
Aldon Smith, who I wish NFL Network would talk more about, should be able to get up to 280 pounds without losing any speed or explosiveness.
Corey Liuget got a very nice review. Prototypical 3-technique, one-gap penetrator who can get up the field. He’s devastating against the run and pushes the pocket with quickness against the pass. Dammit. There goes my mock draft again. In other words, feel free to pre-order your Liuget Rams jersey, even though Marvin Austin’s said to have repaired his image and had a great Shrine Game and a great Combine.
Allen Bailey (Miami) is a 2nd-3rd round prospect. He has good burst, moves well for his size and has a rocked-up physique. More likely to play as a smaller DE than he is to drop back successfully to linebacker.
Nick Fairley’s continuing to set off bust-o-meters around the gridosphere. His work ethic’s questioned, he may be a one-year wonder, and most of the DTs drafted high this decade didn’t pan out. Tell me about it.
South Florida DT Terrell McClain, on the other hand, is starting to draw positive attention. Both Lovie Smith and Bill Belichick were at his pro day.
* Running backs. Ryan Williams and Mikel Leshoure size up as the next two RBs off the board after Mark Ingram. Williams is a physical, rugged back who runs well between the tackles and turned in a 4.53 at the Combine. He’s short, though, and has battled injuries. Leshoure’s a good receiver who had outstanding production in college.
Other than that, Path to the Draft would much rather talk about Jake Locker than anybody who’s a running back, thank you very much.
* Linebackers. Justin Houston had a fine pro day at Georgia, which was marred by all the scouts having to walk out on A.J. Green’s workout and watch it on closed-circuit TV because the practice QB they had him drill with was from outside the Athens metropolitan area and anybody watching him would have violated the terms of the lockout. Ah, labor issues. As for Houston, he demonstrated plenty of explosiveness in drills, showed great ability turning the corner, and ran a 4.68 40 into the wind. The concern with him is that his workout results have looked a lot better than his play has on tape.
Mayock says North Carolina LB Bruce Carter would have been a top 20 pick this year if he hadn’t blown his knee in November. His ACL recovery is said to be ahead of schedule.
Akeem Ayers could really stand to improve his 40 time at his pro day, though he’s the odd duck whose explosiveness shows on game tape but not in workouts. He works better off the line, and could be a consistent pass rusher as a 3-4 OLB, or play the strong side in a 4-3. He beat Tyron Smith twice for sacks in the USC-UCLA game.
* Secondary. Grades on Miami’s Brandon Harris aren’t exactly consistent. Pro Football Weekly has him as the #3 CB and nearly one of the top ten players. NFL Network says he’s a SECOND OR THIRD ROUNDER. He’s short, he’s not starting material, and he doesn’t have the quickness or change of direction needed to cover the better slot receivers. Fellow Hurricane Demarcus Van Dyke’s getting noticed for that 4.28 at the Combine, but he only weighs in the 160s, and he started only 3 times last year. Had two picks in those games, though.
* Tight end. Scouts like Kyle Rudolph’s chances of contributing right away in the NFL even though he missed most of last season. They say just to worry whether he’s cleared medically. Same boat as Jermaine Gresham, Rob Gronkowski, Heath Miller, etc.
This year’s Fendi Onobuns are Jordan Cameron from USC and Julius Thomas from Portland State. Both played on their college's basketball team. Cameron had only 16 receptions in 2010, but is 6’5” 254, ran in the 4.6s and is a vertical threat. Thomas had 29 catches last year and played physical in the East-West Shrine game. Well, except that one play when Jermale Hines threatened to light him up.
* Offensive line. RamView welcomes Mike Mayock to the Rodney Hudson bandwagon. Mayock says he likes the 2-time ACC Offensive Lineman of the Year more the more tape of him he watches. Way ahead of ya, Mayock.
Don’t tell Brian Baldinger, but Path to the Draft was nice to Anthony Costanzo all week, though they repeated his and Nate Solder’s struggles with power rushers. Scouts like his size, feet and positioning; don’t like his strength, explosion or change of direction. He’s still expected to be drafted late in the 1st and play a long time in the league.
Orlando Franklin (Miami) was a mauler at tackle in college but needs to move inside for the pros. He’s tight-hipped and doesn’t move well. Late 2nd round – early 3rd round.
* Around the league. Drafting 20th, the Buccaneers are likeliest to go after defensive ends because their pass rush was still anemic even with Gerald McCoy, says St. Petersburg Times writer Rick Stroud. Stroud becomes the fifth or sixth correspondent to say how good Ryan Kerrigan would be for his team. Kerrigan is clearly this year's Earl Thomas. But Kerrigan would be perfect in Tampa, he's explosive off the edge and forces a lot of turnovers. Heh, that would be perfect in a lot of places. Free agency could wreck the Tampa offensive line, so that's a backup need even as they have re-signing Davin Joseph as their top priority. In the 20-20 hindsight department, Charles Davis makes a hilarious attempt to praise the Bucs front office for their selection of Aqib Talib despite draft-time character red flags. “They did their homework, and they got a great player.” Davis says this about a week before Talib AND HIS MOTHER go on a shooting spree. Hee!
At 19, Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News says the Giants will focus on the offensive line, and on the interior at that. Tom Coughlin wants a center, so Vacchiano recommends Mike Pouncey, who is also quickly becoming this year's Earl Thomas. Though Steve Smith isn't even expected to be able to start running until June, they're not worried about him enough to draft another WR very high. OLB's a possibility, with Mark Ingram a very dark horse should he slip. The Giants are a size/speed drafting team; whoever they draft will be a big player who moves fast.
Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune says the Chargers need, guess what, a pass rusher, and could look at, guess who, Ryan Kerrigan. He's the name that comes up most, as Larry English has been an (expected) bust, with just 5 sacks in two years. The Chargers have five picks the first three rounds and are also certain to use one on a WR. Mayock cautions that Kerrigan's a 4-3 DE and won't fit well into San Diego's 3-4. Huh, that's confusing. Of the recent Purdue DEs to hit the pros, the one who hasn't panned out, Cliff Avril, is the one who plays in a 4-3.
Pete Prisco was called upon for some reason to review the Jagwires' draft needs, and he goes absolutely crazy. He says they should draft CHRISTIAN PONDER at #16. Says Ponder is moving ahead of Cam Newton on some draft boards. An emboldened Mayock says the Jags should pick, of course, Jake Locker. They both agree DE is another need in Jacksonville, so guess whose name comes up. Prisco, with the Neanderthal level of creativity of apparently all draft pundits, compares Ryan Kerrigan favorably to... Aaron Kampmann.
Another writer I don't ever want to see in the Rams' war room is Jeff Darlington of the Miami Herald, who believes TORREY SMITH would be a fine pick for the Dolphins at #15. Or Cam Newton if he drops. Charlie Casserly has to cut in and kind of tap him on the shoulder and remind everyone that Miami's top three RBs are all free agents, so Casserly expects Mark Ingram to be under heavy consideration, even though he doesn't think Ingram is even first-round quality.
So next week, we'll get to see who these nutbars think the Rams should pick at #14, though with my luck, that'll be another team the show decides to skip for no good reason. And if they don't skip the Rams, they're all going to say they should draft Ryan Kerrigan anyway (which may not be the worst idea in the world).
* Kick it deep! Michael Lombardi and I agree AGAIN on something this year, along with Devin Hester: the new rule moving the spot of the kickoff back up to the 35 is going to result in an epidemic of touchbacks. So much so that draft picks and free agents who used to carry extra value because they returned kicks don’t have that value any more. Dexter McCluster never would have been drafted as high as he was under the current rule, which may have dropped a player like Jacquizz Rodgers down a ROUND OR TWO. Darren Sproles and Brad Smith also instantly became a lot less valuable in free agency.
* Rumor mill: The Chargers and Patriots could be working a deal for New England's pick at #28… Carolina HC Ron Rivera says they're evaluating QB and “four other positions” as possible areas to address with the first pick overall... Denver's working out Nevada QB Colin Kaepernick, even though team president John Elway claims he still believes in Tim Tebow… Pat Shurmur says Colt McCoy will be his starter next season. Feel the excitement, Cleveland!... Meanwhile, the Eagles claim they have an offer of a first-round pick for Kevin Kolb. (How can such an offer be legal at this point?)… Jerry Jones claims a couple of teams have asked the Cowboys about trading for their first-round pick, #9 overall… Carson Palmer says he would rather retire than play for the Bengals next year, but Cincinnati says they have no plans to trade him. Um, that would really screw my mock draft. Even if Palmer opts not to return, the Bengals could fill major defensive needs by drafting Patrick Peterson or Nick Fairley… Cam Newton’s going to do private workouts for the Dolphins and the Bills… MARTY SCHOTTENHEIMER has returned to coaching: he’s now the head coach of the UFL’s Virginia Destroyers. You’re not the only one who thinks that’s a pretty dirty team name…
* How to improve Path to the Draft. The more I watch the NFL Network's flagship show for draft coverage, the more I see it is in bad need of “punching up”. They've talked about the SAME PEOPLE for three weeks now. If I have to hear about Jake Locker one more time, I am going to scream. Come on. You people have an HOUR every day. Three weeks in, and you've barely talked about any running backs not named Ingram. Barely any defensive backs at all. 250-plus guys are going to be drafted in a couple of weeks, not 10. Pick up the pace, already! Here's some ideas PTTD could stand to implement:
1 – More player capsules. Take like six minutes a day and do six quick profiles on various position players. They've mentioned about two sleeper possibilities in three weeks. Expand the number of players you talk about already!
2 – Pick a handful of players and track them as they prepare for the draft. Follow them around like HBO does with fighters before its big fights. That would certainly be more interesting than Mike Lombardi telling us no offensive linemen will be drafted in the top 10 for the tenth time.
3 – The show does occasional draft flashbacks, but does them all wrong. Instead of just flashing back to the day Oakland drafted Jamarcus Russell, explain why they got it wrong. Or flash back to when a sleeper player got picked and explain how that team got it right. Those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it; so give us at home a chance to learn.
4 – It would be nice to run down the draft needs for ALL the teams. Just saying.
5 – Also, Mayock should be required to apologize on air and offer his resignation for MOCKING Isaac Bruce. Mayock was trying to illustrate the difficulty the lockout is causing for setting up pro days, but stuck his foot in his mouth by noting that at Florida State's pro day, Christian Ponder “had to throw to 40-year-old Isaac Bruce. Are you kidding me?” Listen here, jackass. That 40-year-old is the best route-runner Christian Ponder is going to get to throw to for the rest of his life, and I'm positive the young QB was grateful to get the best out of a bad situation created by the lockout. Let's see, who might a young QB be better off throwing passes to on his pro day? A prospective classmate who might get drafted in the sixth round? An NFL street free agent who's been cut by three teams in two years? Or the FOURTH LEADING WIDE RECEIVER IN NFL HISTORY?
You're a bozo to have mocked one of the classiest players in the history of the game, Mike Mayock. Apologize, or don't expect any warm welcomes from Rams Nation anytime soon.
-$-
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