RamView draft profile: La'el Collins, OL, LSU

NFL.com

Lael Collins, 6'4.5" 305
OL, LSU

Rankings
NFLDraftScout: #18 player overall, #3 tackle. First-round grade.
Nawrocki: #29 player overall, #1 guard. Grade: 5.95, likely first-to-second-rounder with immediate starter potential.
Mayock: TBA
Kiper: TBA
Draft Countdown: #21 player overall, #3 tackle. First-round grade.
Sports Illustrated: #12 player overall, #2 tackle.
Scouts Inc: #19 player overall, #4 tackle. Grade: 90, outstanding to rare prospect.

Biography/Honors
2014: Second team all-America. First team all-SEC. Voted best offensive lineman in SEC by league coaches. Voted permanent team captain and most outstanding player on team. Started all 13 games at left tackle, with 88 knockdown blocks. LSU ran for 224.5 yards a game, their best mark since 1997, and had 8 100-yard rushing games. Had 13.5 knockdowns against Texas A&M and 9 against Mississippi.
2013: Second team all-SEC. Started 12 games at left tackle, with 65 knockdown blocks. LSU ran for a school record 37 TDs. SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week in his very first start at LT.  9 knockdowns against Arkansas, 8 against A&M.
2012: Honorable mention all-SEC. Started all 13 games at left guard, with 64.5 knockdown blocks. 11.5 knockdowns against Mississippi, 10 against South Carolina, 9 against Alabama.
2011: Played in seven games, with 5 knockdown blocks.

Academics: majored in interdisciplinary studies.
Twitter: @70LaelCollins

Injuries
2013: Missed one game due to sprained MCL.

NFL Combine Stats
(2015 averages for tackles in parentheses)

40-yard dash: 5.12 (top 5 among tackles. Average was 5.27)
10-yard split: 1.87
Vertical: 27" (29")
Broad: 9'0" (8'6")
3-cone: 7.70 (7.86)
Shuttle: 4.63 (4.70)
Bench: 21 (bottom 5 among tackles. Average was 25)

Scouting Report
Pluses: Aggressive knockdown artist with massive upper body, big hands and quick feet. Strong, powerful run-blocker with good initial burst. Has sudden launch and gets into defenders and mauls them right away. Strong lower body and hands. Knocks defenders off the line and creates consistent run surge. Consistent on combination and secondary blocks, takes perfect angles. Gets to second level well and can hit moving targets. Versatile and assignment-sound. Good communicator. Good awareness in pass protection. Strong hands allow him to control linebackers readily. Can handle speed rushers and consistently pushes rushers past the pocket. Shows athleticism to recover balance and finish his blocks. Dropped 20 pounds prior to his senior season and improved his quickness. Tough, durable, plays to the whistle and shows a nasty streak. Mature player with great character and no off-field issues. Hard worker who takes coaching well. Well-liked and respected by teammates and coaches.

Minuses: Not an elite athlete. Slightly shorter in height and arm length and leaner than ideal for tackle. Just average bend, plays too tall at times. Tight-hipped and goes to the ground too often. Needs to improve hand placement. Hands get outside of defenders' frame too often. Just average lateral agility. Doesn't have the agility to be an effective open-field blocker. Aggressiveness works against him. Lunges at times, gets himself off-balance and tends to grab. Overaggression and off-balance play come up repeatedly in scouting reports. Is not patient and will get suckered by line games, also by swim moves. Needs to develop better punch and knee-bend as a pass blocker. Needs a lot of polish as a pass protector. Does not have pass-blocking ability to play left tackle.

Compares to: Orlando Franklin

Fun Facts
La'el is an Eagle Scout. His name means belonging to God. He plans to be involved in the Boys and Girls Club in his NFL city. The strangest question he got at the Combine: are you a cat or a dog? He said dog because he's never seen a dog run from a cat.

RamView
I like the heck out of Collins because he has his head on straight, he works hard and he'll be very coachable. The Rams have a major hole on the right side of their line right now and can use a player with his physical run-blocking ability. (You know, that ability they've supposed to have had on the line the whole Fisher era but haven't.) His Combine performance seems to have moved him quickly up draft boards, and I wouldn't be surprised if he filled Joe Barksdale's shoes pretty quickly. But since there is still plenty of question about him as a pass protector and there's a good chance his best NFL position will be guard, #10 overall seems a little rich for him.

Sources: LSU Athletics, Sporting News, USA Today, New Orleans Times-Picayune

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End of an era

The View From Row HH

The renewal deadline for 2015 Rams season tickets is tomorrow, April 17th. I have no idea how many fans are renewing their tickets this year. I won't be one of them. This will end a 20-year-run, going back to the Rams' first games in Busch Stadium, the opening of the TWA Dome, a Super Bowl championship I still can't believe actually happened, and an awful, awful lot of losing.

So, my thanks to everyone who made the last 20 years possible. To the players, from Kurt and Marshall, Isaac and Torry, Big O and the Doughnut Brothers, Rickey and Az, Kevin and London, Grant and Leonard and the maker of the greatest Tackle ever made, Mike Jones. To the many guys who left it all out there but didn't get a ring here. To Steven Jackson, Aeneas Williams, Marc Bulger, Danny Amendola (who has a ring now, of course), all the way to Sam and Sack City and the best-throwing punter since Danny White, Johnny Hekker.  To the handful of coaches who actually knew what they were doing, especially Coach Vermeil and Coach Hanifan. And Coach Martz. Sometimes.

Bye to the ushers, the ticket takers, and Marsha at the concession stand. I'll miss Rampage backflipping out of the tunnel and I'll definitely miss the cheerleaders. I'll miss having Steve and D'Marco in my ear. I'll miss Bluto on the Jumbotron assuring us that nothing is over until we decide it is. Even when it is. Thanks to all for your hard work. Last, so long to all the friends I've made in the stands. If you're coming back this year, good for you. If you're not, I certainly do not fault you.

My only regret is that I ever supported an owner who turned out to be a lying, disloyal, money-grubbing dirtbag. He is the one and only reason I won't be back. I'm not going to fork out another thousand dollars that's just going to turn out to be the gold-plated flusher on his luxury box toilet in Inglewood.

On to brighter things. For now, there's still an NFL team in St. Louis, and I intend to keep writing about it. RamView started as a game report from the perspective of a fan in the stands, so I'll lose that now that I'm sitting out, but I wasn't in the stands half the games anyway, since they were on the road. So The Couch is ready to roll full-time. Well, not actually roll. It doesn't have wheels. You know what I mean.

Go Rams.

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Rams trade Bradford

Getty Images

Just like that, after five years of "Sam's our man", "we're all in with Sam", "I came here because of Sam", Sam Bradford is out the door at Rams Park, traded to Philadelphia Tuesday for quarterback Nick Foles. They stuck with Bradford, and an injury history to make Evel Knievel wince, all this time, let him have significant input on promoting the offensive coordinator and hiring the new QB coach, and a couple of weeks later, pull out the rug.

Bradford had a fine rookie season in 2010 after the Rams made him the first overall pick in the 2010 draft and signed him to a $78 million contract. That was the last big rookie contract before the NFL enacted a rookie salary cap, and it hung around the Rams' necks like a millstone. Though he did nearly lead the Rams to the playoffs his first season, Bradford missed about half the next season with a (corrected) ankle injury that took a year to heal and never ascended to the top tier of NFL QBs. His career passer rating's no better than Ryan Fitzpatrick's.

Nearly five years after he was drafted, the NFL still doesn't know what it has in Sam Bradford. He was never surrounded with the best protection or receiving weapons. But he also pales in comparison to his contemporary first overall picks. Andrew Luck doesn't have jack around him, either, and was just a game short of the Super Bowl this year. Cam Newton hasn't exactly been throwing to the Greatest Show in Carolina. But he's got two Pro Bowls and has gotten the Panthers to the playoffs twice in four years. The main comparison to Bradford has been the fellow drafted #1 the year before, Matthew Stafford, and Sam loses that pretty decisively. Sure, Stafford's got Calvin Johnson, but he's also got a far better gun than Bradford's overestimated arm, and he's been to the playoffs twice now himself. And don't get me started with younger QBs than Bradford, nowhere near as high-drafted or expensive - Russell Wilson, Colin Kaepernick, Andy Dalton, etc. - who have already taken their teams to far greater heights than 7-8-1.

Bradford has seemed short on a lot of qualities for a first pick overall and a mega-contract player. He does not seem like a take-charge player on the field. His deep ball and outside throwing are average at best. Rarely from Bradford do you see that breathtaking seeing-eye fastball so many good QBs have. I doubt he has one. Pass rush still really gets into his head. He gets way too many throws batted down at the line for a tall guy. He's a safety-first thrower who takes too many checkdowns, doesn't show the derring-do to make big plays down the field. He isn't a quarterback who elevates the play of his teammates. These are all qualities you should be able to expect from a #1 pick overall. They're all qualities Luck and Newton and Stafford have. I don't think St. Louis ever saw much of them from Bradford. Though they didn't miss out on an Aaron Rodgers like the 49ers did in 2005, more and more, it looks like what the Rams got for their troubles in Bradford was a slightly stronger-armed, much less durable version of Alex Smith.

Bradford should be comfortable in Chip Kelly's fast-break offense, though, which may well show he was misused here. That is, if he can last any amount of time into the season. Though he started 2013 on pace for career highs, the Rams still started 1-3 because the offensive load was too much for Bradford to carry, and he missed the last nine weeks of the season anyway due to a torn ACL, which he re-tore in the 2014 preseason to end that year before it even started.

That's the reason the Rams never knew what they had in Bradford. He missed 31 of 80 possible starts here. Actually, the Rams did know what they had in Bradford. An injury risk. That and his apparent unwillingness to re-negotiate to a cap-friendlier contract forced the Rams' hand and put Bradford on a flight to the NFC East.

I think it's altogether uncertain that the Rams even gained stability at QB in the trade. Foles followed his terrific 2013 season (27 TDs, 2 INTs) with a pretty ragged start in 2014 (13 TDs, 10 INTs) before getting knocked out of half the season himself due to a broken collarbone. One thing Foles does is win, though; he's 14-4 as a starter the past two seasons. While discrediting the Rams front office for their fly-by-night plan at QB, credit them for getting decent value in return while still being able to unload that contract. Now go and do something good with that $26 million in salary cap room, which basically doubles from where it was with Bradford's departure.

The Rams also gave the Eagles their 5th round pick this year, but got back Philly's 4th-round pick, and get a 2nd-round pick next year (which may or may not be conditional on Bradford starting in 2015. Reporting on the terms of this deal sure has been spotty). However, as Jim Thomas reports, if Bradford plays less than half the snaps, the Rams have to give the Eagles their 4th-round pick next year, and that becomes a 3rd-rounder if Bradford misses the whole 2015 season. Which you can't rule out.

The Bradford Era is over in St. Louis, but like Bradford's career to date, it's ending without a conclusion. If he can defy his odds and actually play a full season, Bradford may yet demonstrate he's worthy of the status of the first overall pick of a draft. St. Louis just couldn't afford to wait for him any longer.

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Rams release J. Long, Wells

The Rams released veteran offensive linemen Jake Long and Scott Wells Tuesday. The moves gain the team $12.5 million in salary cap space; according to Jim Thomas, the moves put them $16 million under the cap for the opening of free agency tomorrow. With starting right tackle Joseph Barksdale believed to be on his way out the door, the Rams braintrust better have a solid plan for filling a lot of holes up front. In both of these cases, free agent signings didn't have the big impact they would have hoped.

ESPN

Wells was the Rams' starting center for three seasons. He was a solid presence in the middle when he was at the top of his game, but he missed 13 games his first two seasons due to injuries. He answered the bell every week in 2014 but was weakened before the season by a mysterious tick-borne illness and during it by an elbow injury. His play declined noticeably during the season. He's probably got some juice left at age 33, but he'll have to find a front office willing to gamble on his injury history. My best bet is that he'll be a fill-in for a team that gets a key o-line injury. Wells was a fine and durable player in Green Bay, but the Rams bought high and he ultimately wasn't the key contributor hoped for when he came here. It's all part of the risk teams take signing older players.

Getty Images

Former first overall pick Long only played here two seasons. He tore an ACL at the end of the 2013 season and re-tore it midway through last season. Long was a fine mauler as a run-blocker but was much more of a liability in pass protection than expected for a left tackle signed at a franchise tackle rate ($34 million). Injuries started to pile up on him at the end of his run with the Dolphins and he was much less effective at the start of his career here than he was there. He probably came back too early from the 2013 injury, and the tons of rust he had last preseason were a major reason Sam Bradford didn't even make it to opening day.
Again, the Rams bought high on a free agent and missed.The Rams are reportedly interested in bringing Long back at a reduced rate, probably to play right tackle or right guard.

If the Rams are going to make any significant signings tomorrow, they'd better have done their homework well. Overpaying for older players or players breaking down with injuries are exactly how you blow money in free agency.

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Rams in review: LB

Dallas Morning News

Alec Ogletree (111 tackles, no sacks, 4 forced fumbles, 2 INT, 12 pass breakups) – C-

I’d expected Ogletree to have a breakthrough season after his strong rookie year showing, but he was frustratingly inconsistent as a sophomore. Gregg Williams misused him early in the season and played him tight to the line too much, when his strengths are his speed and ability to play in space. But Ogletree compounded his problems for himself by showing up for camp out of shape and assumedly not getting into proper condition until well into the season. That was a huge disappointment, not just Ogletree’s poor discipline, but the Rams’ apparent failure to make sure their players with discipline issues in their past were doing what they were supposed to in the offseason. Ogletree got blocked out of a lot of plays and failed miserably in the role for which he was drafted, to be the spy defender against Colin Kaepernick and Russell Wilson. He was largely responsible for Wilson becoming the first player in NFL HISTORY to throw for 300 and rush for 100 in the same game. Fortunately, Ogletree came on late in the season, flashing his turnover-forcing ability from his rookie year and becoming a fine blitzing weapon, especially with his ability to knock down passes while flying in off the edge. But Alec should know now he needs to bring it every week of the season. Every week of the offseason, too. If he does that in 2015, he’ll get back on the all-pro track he was on.

James Laurinaitis (109 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 3 pass breakups) - C

Started the season injured, which may have caused his fairly slow start. Had early problems missing tackles and failing to get off blocks. The most frustrating part of Laurinaitis’ game this season was the number of times he bit on play-fakes, which really seemed like a lot for a 6^th-year veteran. He was extremely ineffective as a blitzer at the start of the season, but blitzed better and played better overall by the end. His goal line fumble recovery preserved a win in San Francisco. A fully healthy Laurinaitis at MLB in 2015 should improve on this grade.

Jo-Lonn Dunbar (36 tackles) – C-

Made more plays than you’d think on first reflection. Since he’d already played for Gregg Williams, he was one of the most comfortable players in the system to start the season. Dunbar was responsible for some clutch short-yardage stops. But, as the Rams went to a lot of nickel defense, his playing time and playmaking dropped off, and he essentially lost his job to Mark Barron.

Looking ahead: Just looking at the roster, the Rams don't look very deep at LB with just Daren Bates and Will Herring backing up the “first unit”, but with Barron a de facto LB anyway, you could say Dunbar actually provides them decent depth. 

RamView's move: I don't want to spend much in free agency here, and the Rams didn't leave me much to work with the third day of the draft, so start listing Barron on the program as a LB, I guess. 

Shoot the moon: The Rams already shot it trading for Barron last year.

Rams predictions: Nothing to see here. Bates is a keeper because he's so good on special teams. Herring's also valuable there. Dunbar's a keeper because he's still not too bad and he's a Williams guy. The Rams have what they need at LB, especially if Ogletree makes the leap to the next level.

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Rams in review: defensive line

ESPN

Aaron Donald (48 tackles, 9 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 1 pass knockdown) – A

For (at least) the second straight year, the best player on the team was a defensive lineman, and a rookie at that, Donald also rightfully took home the league’s Defensive Rookie of the Year honor. His phenomenal explosion and quickness off the snap made him the team’s best run defender and one of its sack leaders. Donald seemed to spend entire games in the opposing backfield at times, and didn’t just beat up on bad offensive lines getting there. Philadelphia, San Francisco, Arizona, Denver, Oakland and Washington and Seattle were all victims of Donald’s dominating play. And he didn’t appear to wear down at the end of the season. Donald’s Pro Bowl selection this year may be the first of many.

Let me add here that I am stunned the NFL, NFL.com at least, does not track tackles for loss. We know Donald had a boatload of them.

Robert Quinn (46 tackles, 10.5 sacks, 5 forced fumbles, 6 passes knocked down) – B

I’m all over the place on Quinn, but a B feels about right. On the down side, he was all but invisible the first five weeks, and his run defense declined as he pressed and overpursued plays trying to get his sack count going. And seven of his sacks came in three games, so even when he got hot the second half of the season, he wasn’t consistent. However, for Quinn to get as much accomplished as he did in 2014 while blockers double-teamed him a lot of the season and held him for most of it speaks to his ability.

Chris Long (5 tackles, 1 sack in 6 starts) – C-

Lost season for the leader on the line. Got his ankle stepped on the first week and missed the next ten. Did not get off to a good start in run defense and again struggled to get off tight end blocks. Was dominant against Washington after his return but kind of faded out from there. The pass rush really missed his presence, though, and didn’t really get going until his return to the lineup. Sack City’s prosperity in 2015 depends on a strong showing by Long as its mayor.

William Hayes (42 tackles, 4 sacks, 1 forced fumble) – C

Still a capable enough backup who can stop the run and get you some pass rush, but forced into the lineup long-term after Long’s injury exposed Hayes a bit as an average DE. Plus he carried a lot of injuries into the season himself, so 2015 may see him back on the upswing.

Michael Brockers (32 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 pass knockdown) – C-

Not sure he’s lived up to the high draft position. Developed into a solid run-stuffer but didn’t provide a whole lot in pass rush. Both possibly happened because Donald’s emergence pushed him over into more of a nose tackle role. Donald was already getting double-teamed a lot in 2014; Brockers has to bring it strong enough in 2015 to make teams pay for that.

Kendall Langford (25 tackles, 1 sacks) – D+

He's 29 and may be starting to show some mileage. Struggled to hold the point or penetrate the pocket as a pass rusher early in the season. It was only a matter of time before Donald took over as the starter, and that seemed to put a charge in Langford, showing he’s used best in bursts off the bench at this stage of his career.

Eugene Sims (27 tackles, 3 sacks) – D+

Likeable player with a good motor and ability to rush the passer from inside or outside, but he also had more personal fouls than sacks. When he’s disciplined he’s capable of a high level of play.

Alex Carrington (1 tackle) – F

LOL, he was on the roster all year? Who knew?

Ethan Westbrooks (5 tackles) - D

Nice young player on the rise as long as he gets off the stupid penalty habit. Big, strong, and versatile. A good hitter who already has several solid pass-rush moves. Shows disruptive ability. 

Looking ahead: A healthy season from Long should put Sack City back into the top 5 next season. Refereeing that recognizes the Rams, especially Quinn, getting held all the time could make them a force of historic proportions. Langford's already been released in a cap move and Carrington doesn't look likely to return, so depth at DT has become a need.

RamView's move: I like Jarvis Jenkins, formerly of Washington, for the third DT spot. He's only 26, should be injury-free for the first time in several years and sounds like the kind of guy Mike Waufle and his potential Rams teammates could light a fire under.

Shoot the moon: If the Rams want to go bigger (contract-wise) on a free agent DT, C.J. Mosley and Letroy Guion are both young and were very effective rotational DTs last year in Detroit and Green Bay respectively. The Rams will especially love Mosley because he was suspended two games for pot possession last year. And Guion beats that: he got arrested in the offseason for pot and illegal weapons possession (and probably has a suspension coming from the league at some point). Oh, they'd love Jenkins, too; he has a 4-game suspension for PEDs on his record.

Rams predictions: Can you imagine if the Rams use yet another high draft pick on a defensive tackle? Oh the humanity. Since they went after free agent Darnell Dockett, who signed with the 49ers, they don't sound too afraid to spend in free agency or go after an older guy at the position. Cory Redding, Henry Melton and Kevin Williams are all said to be considering retirement, but maybe the Rams can pull them back in with a decent paycheck and a chance to play on a defense with historic potential. (Also, I didn't check but I feel there's a good chance Waufle has worked with Vince Wilfork.) Something else to look out for is the fine job the Fisher regime has done developing late draft picks and rookie free agents into very good pass rushers. (I'll even propose a candidate: Zack Wagenmann of Montana. Fisher loves Montana guys.) Don't be surprised to see it happen again this summer and get Rams Nation wondering again if the Rams can keep 9 or 10 d-linemen on the roster. The one nice problem to have the team has had lately.

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Rams in review: offensive line

ESPN

Jake Long: F

This grade was pretty set in stone when Long's terrible first-quarter play in the preseason game at Cleveland destroyed Sam Bradford's season. Showed flashes of his old run-blocking dominance but struggled with edge pass rush speed all season until week 7, when he blew out his knee for the second straight season. Long looked so bad it seems evident he rushed back from the first blown knee. It also seems evident that his free agent signing was one of the worst the franchise has ever made, and it seems very possible he’ll be playing elsewhere in 2015.

Greg Robinson: C-

Very up-and-down rookie season for Robinson. Didn't get on the field until week 5, at left guard, and made good impressions quickly against long-time Ram-killers Justin Smith and Brandon Mebane. At LT, had some early technique problems against much-smaller DEs and appeared to miss a number of assignments throughout the season. Too many times a defender hit the Rams QB completely unblocked while Robinson appeared to be just standing around. He proved to be a real bulldozer of a run-blocker, though; the Rams should have run behind him much more than they did.

Joseph Barksdale: D+

Barksdale was a major liability in pass protection, struggling with edge pass rush speed every week and even worse than he did last year. That was most apparent in Kansas City when Justin Houston beat him with the same inside move every play. Saving grace is that he generally did well as a run-blocker, helping key the Rams' wrap plays. He is the unrestricted free agent the Rams should try to sign first this offseason and simultaneously one they would be advised not to break the bank for. He didn’t show the progress in 2014 you would have hoped for to justify a contract above average for the position.

Scott Wells: F

Scott Wells is a warrior. He fought a weird illness in the offseason and played hurt most of the regular season. The number of snaps he botched, though, was simply awful, and he was spraying the ball around already even before his elbow injury. Seems like he had one or two bad ones every game. You cannot have your center costing you games because he can’t snap the damn ball right. Shame on the Rams for putting Wells in this position when they had two other centers on the roster. A big reason the Rams had no middle running game, though, was that Wells simply wasn't able to budge nose tackles very often. He also struggled with blitzes and stunts. I respect Wells gutting it out through a lot of adversity, but some of these problems were already starting last year when he was healthier. He should have less than a 50% chance of returning next season.

Davin Joseph: D-

Was consistently beaten in pass protection and got Shaun Hill knocked out of the first game. Was blown off the line of scrimmage a lot in the running game, sometimes so badly he made the tackle himself. There was a number of times where Joseph was pull-blocking, meaning he's running at a guy, and still couldn't budge him. Did not handle blitzes or stunts well. Was occasionally a dominant run-blocker, but was such a week-to-week liability that it is a must the Rams replace him for 2015.

Rodger Saffold: C+

Saffold was the Rams' best offensive lineman this year; I wish that was saying more. He was steady but got beaten inside in pass pro a fair share of times. Gets credit for his versatility and for fighting through several injuries, including a shoulder injury that had to be surgically repaired in the offseason.

Tim Barnes: F

Was inoffensive enough as mainly a goal-line jumbo tight end, but it’s possible part of the reason the Rams kept rolling Wells out there was they didn’t feel they could trust Barnes with the job. Barnes’ lightweight performances in preseason justify that judgment. You just can't get pushed around at center as much as he does. At least Wells holds his ground.

Mike Person: F

Injuries got him some playing time late in the season, and he showed some ability as a pulling guard in preseason, but Person has not proved much of a match for the superior speed, strength and ability of NFL defensive starters. He wouldn’t be an upgrade over Joseph.

Barrett Jones, Brandon Washington: F

As bad as the players in front of them on the depth chart looked, it was pretty disappointing not to see either of these young players, Jones in particular, grab the brass ring and force their way into the lineup. The F may really belong to Fisher for continuing to roll Wells out there, or to Brian Schottenheimer for calling too much middle running for a line that couldn’t block it. But Wells was so banged-up and awful, and Joseph was just so awful, that somebody should have been able to beat them out.

Looking ahead: The Rams have two set starters in Saffold and Robinson and then have to answer a lot of questions. They're reportedly far apart in current negotiations with UFA Barksdale, who's not worth a big contract, and it's smart of the Rams not to give him one. Assuming he's out the door, the Rams will have to be very active in free agency and the draft to fill three major offensive holes, all next to one another. Somehow I didn't expect year four of the Fisher plan to involve rebuilding almost the entire offensive line, but the future is now. Cutting Long and Wells is supposed to gain the Rams about $12 million in cap room; make good use of it. Barnes was not tendered as a restricted free agent. As a man much wiser than me once said, gotta go to work.

RamView's plan: So much going on here. In the draft, the Rams reportedly really like Brandon Scherff (Iowa), who should be there at #10, along with Stanford tackle Andrus Peat, but I wouldn't take either ahead of Marcus Mariota, Kevin White or Amari Cooper. Here's my plan, for those in need of a big laugh:

1. Robinson to right tackle. He's a perfect run mauler and won't be protecting Bradford's blind side. At LT, he will most definitely get Bradford blindsided.

2. Saffold to left tackle. He's no all-pro but he's credible there.

3. Though free agency hasn't exactly landed the Rams any Hall-of-Fame centers (Wells, Jason Brown), that's where I'd make my biggest splash and go hard after Chiefs UFA Rodney Hudson. He'd be a rock in the middle the Rams just haven't had. He's already one of the league's elite centers and he's just 25. If they fail on Hudson, there are several very acceptable Plan B's in free agency, including Stefen Wisniewski, Mike Pollak and Chris Myers. There's little reason for the Rams not to get upgraded at center in the next couple of days.

4. This is a very good draft for guards from what I've seen, and I'm planning to draft a couple, though if the Rams draft a guard and a tackle and leave Robinson and Saffold where they currently are, that'll work. Top guards often don't get drafted until the third round or later, so I'm hoping to pick up someone like Laken Tomlinson (Duke) or Arie Kouandjio (Alabama) there and get someone like Max Garcia (Florida) or John Miller (Louisville) later.

The acquisitions replace Joseph, Wells and Barnes. I'll give Jones one last shot to be the swing guard/center, and if I can retain Long much, much more cheaply, he'll be the third tackle/swing guard.

Shoot the moon: My plan is the “shoot the moon” plan, but this is the area of the team where the Rams have to shoot the moon if they're going to do it. Hudson will run $8 million a year or more, but I believe center's the position to make a big free agency move.

Rams predictions: Robinson and Saffold stay where they are. The Rams really like Saffold at guard. Non-tendering Barnes tells me they're clearing the decks at center, and I believe Wells will be replaced this week by a free agent, though probably not Hudson. I'll predict Wisniewski. They'll re-negotiate Long to stick around as a swing guard/tackle. I also like Jim Thomas' or Nick Wagoner's (sorry I forgot my source) theory that they'll go after Justin Blalock, one of Paul Boudreau's former players, to replace Joseph. Barksdale will get overpaid elsewhere and be replaced by the Rams' first-round pick, though Long may start the season.

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