Final Rams Mock Draft

With only two days before the annual NFL draft, I just want to share my final Rams mock draft based on my personal research and reading some scouting reports online. The mock draft will be based on the current number of picks.

Round 1 pick #16
Kenny Vaccaro
Safety - Texas
The Rams are fairly thin at both safety positions and they need playmakers on that position. Kenny Vaccaro is a hybrid safety that can play either strong or free safety to which Jeff Fisher likes.

Round 1 pick #22
DeAndre Hopkins
Wide Receiver - Clemson
Rams needs an upgrade on their outside receiver position with the loss of Brandon Gibson.  "Nuke" Hopkins is by far the most NFL ready wide receiver with the possibility of becoming one the top receiver since Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce.

Round 2 pick #16
Kyle Long
Guard/Tackle - Oregon
I picked Long because he's versatile, athletic and has the pedigree. Long can practically fill the LG spot or the RT spot if encase Saffold doesn't pan out.

Round 3 pick#16
Khaseem Greene
Outside Linebacker - Rutgers
Rams urgently need to upgrade their SLB and Greene would be their best cover linebacker.

Round 4 pick #16
Le'Veon Bell
Running Back -Michigan State
Le'Veon Bell has been my choice as the big running back that Jeff Fisher likes.

Round 5 pick#16
Brian Schwenke
Guard/Center
Rams need add depth at interior of the offensive line specially at the center position because of Scott Wells' health concerns.

Round 6 pick #16
Terry Hawthorne
Cornerback - Illinois
I like Hawthorne because he a physical corner which I compared to Courtland Finnegan.  He'll be the Dime Corner back which can cover the slot receivers or big Tight Ends.

Round 7 pick#16
Ace Sanders
Wide Receiver/Return specialist
South Carolina
Sanders will be upgrade over Janoris Jenkins or Chris Givens as the teams return specialist while adding depth at wide receiver.

Who is the heir to Adam Timmerman?

The Rams has been having problems holding fort at the right guard position since All-Pro Adam Timmerman retired. Since then it was a revolving chair on that position Richie Incognito man the position but character issues cut his stay in St.Louis short; Mark Setterstrom also did good manning the position but injuries keep creeping up and decided to let him go as a free agent. Then there is the project on using  utility man OG/OT Adam Goldberg and OG John Greco. With the Rams tendering Greco shows that they still have some confidence on him and as football expert says "he just need some competition to prove himself".

Personally if given the chance to compete, John Greco might have found their answer to that position within the roster all along. Not drafting an interior lineman during the 2011 NFL draft has only enforced that Greco will be given a chance to compete although the Rams will try to add another veteran via free agency to add some depth.  

The Rams basically need to upgrade the interior as a they where able to draft the Rams bookend tackles in Rodger Saffold and Jason Smith and they will be holding fort for quiet sometime. Center Jason Brown has been the anchor and the de-facto leader of the group since he was signed as a free agents in 2009 as he has shown consistency with his play.

Countdown to the 2011 NFL Draft: Julio Jones or the D-Linemen

It's obvious that the whole Rams' draft strategy will depend on 14th overall pick. It's a consensus by most draft experts that the Rams that Alabama wide receiver Julio Jones fills the urgent need "if" he's available by the time. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has a knack on developing quarterbacks and wide receivers so if the Rams where lucky enough to pick Jones, Sam Bradford' will be one happy camper.

If in case Jones is not availble, draft experts has said that the Rams will turn to drafting Defensive Linemen to atleast prepare for the eventual leaving of aging players DT Fred Robbins and DE James Hall. Prospect like defensive end Missouri's Aldon Smith,  California's DE/DT Cameron Jordan and Illionois defensive tackle Corey Liuget are basically the Rams can afford to choose from. It's common knowledge head coach Steve Spagnoulo loves to using multiple defensive ends on passing downs to which disrupts opposing teams as part of defensive packages. Drafting any of the three prospect will surely upgarde their need on their defensive line. Imagine having Chirs Long, Fred Robbins, James Hall, George Selvie plus any of those three prospect rotating every now and then will surely make those opposing offensive coordinator lose their mind.

Grid Iron Mock Draft

Regardless of the lockout, I would like to give my very first mock draft.

Round 1 - Sure pick :  DE Aldon Smith, Missouri; DL Adrian Clayborn, Iowa; DT Corey Lieuget, Illinois;
If in case: WR Julio Jones, Alabama

Round 2 - Guard: Danny Watkins, Baylor or Marcus Cannon, TCU

Round 3 -  Outside Linebacker: Mason Foster, Washington or Bruce Carter, North Carolina;
Wide Receiver: Torrey Smith, Maryland; Leonard Hankerson, Miami.

Round 4 -  Free Safety:  Jaiquawn Jarrett, Temple or Jeron Johnson, Boise State

Round 5 - Runningback: Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma State;  DeMarco Murray, Oklahoma;  JacQuizz Rogers, Oregon State.

Round 7 - Anything goes OLB and WR

Rams 2011 Draft Overview

The NFL draft is forth coming (regardless of there's a new CBA or a lockout) and this year the Rams have the 14th pick to which the team management has a wide range of choices unlike last year that team picks number 1 overall ( to which the Rams did good by pick franchise QB Sam Bradford). This year the key areas that the Rams need are as follows: WR, DT, DE, OLB, RB depth, OG, Secondary depth.

Wide Receiver: It's evident the Rams need some talent on this area as they need someone that can REALLY stretch the field. Unless the Rams signs a very good veteran wideout, Bill Devaney will draft the next Torry Holt and/or Isaac Bruce. Most draft expert expect the Rams would pick Alabama's Julio Jones IF he's available if not then they might settle for either Miami's Leonard Hankerson or Torrey Smith on the second round.

Defensive Tackle: The Rams needs to upgrade this area as Fred Robbins is not gonna be there for long, and Gary Gibson maybe solid but he's a free agent. This year's draft has a lot of prospects for the position of defensive tackle which includes Corey Liuget and Stephen Paea.

Defensive End: This area is also in need of an upgrade as James Hall is 34 and he too won't be playing long enough. Spagnuolo likes his DE who can play inside and outside and the draft has at least three prospects that can do so: Iowa's Adrian Clayborn, Wisconsin's J.J. Watt and California's Cameron Jordan.

Outside Linebacker: This has been a pressing need as the Rams has been doing a musical chair on the weakside position. Veteran Na'il Diggs was solid but injuries (and age) has caught up. David Vobora and Chris Chamber where able to hold fort but they are not enough. This year's draft only one prospect that I think the Rams should pull some strings to ensure he is pick in the 2nd round is Washington's Mason Foster Foster can play all three linebacker position, has leadership skills and has good coverage and blitz skills.

Runningback: Steven Jackson has been the main man for the Rams yet he has not been given some quality back up. With Josh McDaniels handling the offense, expect some passing plays for the Running backs too and the draft has several prospects for that which includes Oklahoma's DeMarco Murray and Oregon State's Jacquizz Rodgers.

Offensive Guard: Interior lineman depth  is also a key area as the John Greco and Adam Goldberg are now unrestricted free agents. If the Rams are planning for a trade down then they could target Florida's Mike Pouncey. If not they can pick Wisconsin's John Moffit, or Baylor's Danny Watkins.

Secondary: This became a need when O.J. Atogwe decided to sign with the Redskins and also GM Bill Devaney has been "eyeing" some good defensive back prospect like Colorado CB Jimmy Smith, UCLA Safety Rahim Moore and Texas DB Aaron Williams can also be included on this list.

Rams lost to the Cardinals 17-13

Even though the Rams lost, the whole team showed some poise especially the Rams defense. DE Chris Long and DT Fred Robbins showed some early presence to the game.  Sam Bradford performed nicely despite the 3 interceptions which is not a common outing for a rookie quarterback. New Ram WR Mark Clayton played like he has played with the Rams for a long time as he has a career high 10 catches in the game.

On the other hand, Rams should keep SS James Butler on the bench as he got burned on the winning touchdown pass from Anderson to Larry Fitzgerald for the win which only show his weakness for the pass. Craig Dahl should cement his position as the Rams starting strong safety.

Overall the Rams did well on their first outing and I expect some

Day 2 Summary: Rams solidify O-Line picked OT from Indiana

Day 2 of the NFL draft started with a not so spectacular yet a very solid pick as the Rams picked Offensive Tackle Rodger Saffold from Indiana. This pick shows that they will protect Sam Bradford and Steven Jackson. It also signals Alex Barron's upcoming departure as Scaffold might start opposite Jason Smith.

Round 3 was a bit of a surprise for me a the Rams drafted cornerback Jerome Murphy of South Florida. This pick is obviously influenced by coach Spagnuolo as he likes big and physical defensive backs (Jerome Butler and Ron Bartell are above 6 feet in height).

Rodger Saffold At a Glance

Jerome Murphy At a Glance

Draft Scenario Number 3: Trading down and get more picks

I'm leaning more with this scenario since the Rams has a lot of areas that needed to be addressed. I can predict at least three possible trade down scenarios:

Rams trades #1 overall pick to Tampa Bay for the #3 pick and the #42 pick (Round 2): The Bucs are in dire need of an upgrade on their defensive front they get to draft either Ndamukong Suh or Gerald McCoy while the Rams can draft Sam Bradford on pick #3 (the Lions will either pick McCoy or OT Russell Okung). As of late the Rams have some success drafting potentially good player on the second round (Ron Bartell, James Lauranaitis, Donnie Avery) possible pick #33 WR Arrelious Benn (Illinois) and #42 Outside Linebacker or OL

Rams trades #1 overall pick to Cleveland or Washington and an additional 2nd round pick: This scenario would be considered unconventional but still possible if the Rams considered addressing the offensive line first and address the quarterback spot in the 2nd round. A possible pick here would be Oklahoma OT Trent Williams who is considered best to play Right Tackle which is one position the Rams need to address. For the additional 2nd Round  would be Jon Asamoah of Illionois or Sergio Render or Virginia Tech on which both can address the Right Guard spot.

Rams To Work Out Colt McCoy Before Draft

The Rams plan to take a closer look at their options for drafting a quarterback, including Texas’ Colt McCoy.

St. Louis will hold a private workout — date unknown — for McCoy in Austin before the NFL draft begins April 22, according to an ESPN.com source.

McCoy is working out today during the Texas Longhorns’ pro day, and NFL.com reports more yhan 75 coaches and scouts representing 30 teams (Rams and Lions are not represented) are in Austin.

The Rams could still be considering taking one of the stellar defensive tackles, Ndamukong Suh or Gerald McCoy, with their first overall pick and then look to pick up the Texas QB in the second round (No. 33 overall).

SuperBowl Slingers: Drew Brees versus Peyton Manning

SuperBowl XLIV (or SuperBowl 44) is coming close as the SuperBowl Week festivities has started today. And for those who where not able to follow the NFL playoffs, the teams that would battle for the Vince Lombardi trophy are Indianapolis Colts lead by NFL MVP quarterback Peyton Manning against the surprising New Orleans Saints lead by quarterback Drew Brees in a showdown of two of the leagues bests.

Although both teams have superb offenses, their defense will be the ones to be put to the test as the team that has a better defense wins the coveted Lombardi trophy. The Colts defense is lead by All-Pro defensive end Dwight Freeney while on the otherside, All-Pro safety Darren Sharper will rally his defense in an attempt to bring in the franchise's very first SuperBowl title.

2nd Day Draft Picks Where So-So but solid

Based from the several articles that I read today from GM Bill Devaney's breakdown to the fan's reaction as well some of the Draft analysts analysis, The 2nd day of the Rams draft was more on "so-so" for me personally. Bill Devaney and Coach Spags like what they have picked but it could have been better.

Read Bill Devaney's Break Down of the 2nd day draft picks

Rams Day 2 Draft Picks

from espn.com

3	2(66)	Bradley Fletcher	CB	Iowa
	Fletcher is 6-feet tall and, like we said yesterday in regard to Utah cornerback Sean Smith, corners this tall can have a hard time changing directions. In Fletcher's case, he doesn't have the burst or hip fluidity to consistently match up in man coverage. However, he does a good job masking his weaknesses with instincts. Because of his long arms he doesn't necessarily have to be in perfect position to make a play on the ball.
4	3(103)	Dorell Scott	DT	Clemson
	Scott possesses the adequate size to be an effective one-gap defensive tackle. However, his quickness is just average and we'd like to see him play with more of a mean streak. We do believe he has enough strength to develop into an effective interior run-stopper.
5	24(160)	Brooks Foster	WR	North Carolina
	from Atlanta
	Foster's a relatively fluid route-runner for his size. He possesses the body control to make the tough catch away from his frame. However, he takes too long to reach top-end speed and needs to work on getting a cleaner release against press coverage.
6	23(196)	Keith Null	QB	West Texas A&M
	from Atlanta
	Null is a developmental prospect with a strong arm and limited mobility. We like his upside due to good decision-making and his maturity as a leader.
7	2(211)	Chris Ogbonnaya	RB	Texas
	Ogbonnaya is a big north-south back who possesses great overall strength. He lacks in terms of top-end speed and elusiveness in the open field, but he is able to pick up tough yards after contact.

I'm Two for Two on my Mock Draft

As expected the St. Louis Rams picked Baylor OT Jason Smith for the number 2 pick overall and on the 2nd round the Rams filled in a need at Middle linebacker as they passed over USC's Rey Malauaga and drafted Ohio State's James Laurinaitis which is more of a three-down player and is a solid character.

On Day 2, I would expect the Rams to add depth on the Wideout positions and maybe a quarterback or a runningback.



Jason Smith Highlights


James Laurinaitis Highlights

Reche Caldwell Signs 1-Year Contract to play for the Rams

The Rams added some depth to the receiver position Tuesday, agreeing to terms on a one-year contract with veteran wideout Reche Caldwell.

The former second-round choice of the San Diego Chargers comes to the Rams from Washington , where he played eight games last season under then Redskins and current Rams offensive coordinator Al Saunders.

Caldwell had 15 catches for 141 yards in 2007. He has spent six seasons in the league, his best coming with New England in 2006 when he had 61 grabs for 760 yards and four touchdowns.

On his arrival, Caldwell should immediately be in the mix as a potential slot receiver behind starters Torry Holt and Drew Bennett.

source: St. Louis Rams.com

Bell Agrees to Terms [Repost]

A snow storm moving into the St. Louis area might have been enough to keep Jacob Bell in St. Louis for a little while. But that won’t go nearly as far as the six-year contract he agreed to with the team on Monday evening.

The Rams and Bell agreed to terms after a getting-to-know-you session that lasted most of Monday afternoon, according to team sources. The athletic guard comes to St. Louis from Tennessee, where he earned a reputation as one of the league’s fastest-rising young players on the interior of the offensive line.

Bell immediately fills a void on the offensive line and should help form one of the most athletic left sides in the game next to tackle Orlando Pace. At 6’4, 295 pounds, Bell isn’t the mauler type, but that doesn’t mean he can’t hold his own as a run blocker in addition to his nimble feet in pass protection.

The Titans drafted Bell in the fifth round of the 2004 NFL Draft and Bell has been an ascending player since. He has been a starter for three of his four seasons in the league In that time he has played in 55 games with 46 starts.

The left guard position has been ravaged by injury in recent seasons as starter Mark Setterstrom was lost to a season ending knee injury. Bell has started 43 games at left guard but also has experience at tackle where he has started a trio of games on the right side.

According to one team source, Bell was the highest rated interior lineman on the team’s free agent list heading into the offseason.

Terms of the contract were not immediately available. Bell is expected to be introduced as a Ram officially on Tuesday in a 10 a.m. news briefing at the Russell Training Center.

Monday, March 3, 2008 By Nick Wagoner Senior Writer St. Louis Rams.com

Rams All-Pro Kicker Jeff Wilkins Retires; Signed Josh Brown as replacement

RAMS Kicker Jeff Wilkins Retires

Kicker Jeff Wilkins officially decided to retire on February 29, bringing to an end one of the most successful careers a kicker has ever put together.

Wilkins had indicated that retirement could be on the horizon after the team’s final game of the season against Arizona because of some health issues, specifically a worn down and beaten right (kicking) leg.

Wilkins apparently decided that the leg wasn’t good enough to return for a 15th season. In that final game, Wilkins tied the record for most consecutive extra points made at 371.

Never one for the spotlight, though, Wilkins will go into retirement with just a share of that record.

But nobody can doubt Wilkins’ track record. On a 14-year career, 11 with the Rams, Wilkins set essentially every kicking record in franchise history and will leave as one of the most accurate kickers in league history.

Wilkins holds the NFL record for greatest success rate on kicks of 49 yards and longer and owns team records for longest field goal (57 yards), field goals made (265) and scoring (1,223 points).

Wilkins struggled some in 2007, mainly because of health issues as he was 24-of-32 on field goals and hit all of his 25 extra point attempts.

For most of his career, Wilkins has maintained he would know when the time to step away would come. He played in 200 games over the course of his career.

Rams signs Josh Brown as Wilkins' Replacement

A simple twist of fate brought Josh Brown home or at least as close as he can get to home Saturday morning.

In the prime of his career as one of the league’s top place kickers, Brown had a good grasp on his options as recently as Thursday night. Those choices didn’t include St. Louis.

By Friday morning, Rams kicker Jeff Wilkins had retired and the Rams immediately knew they didn’t have to travel too far outside the NFC West Division to find Wilkins’ replacement.

So it was only fitting as the man they called “Money” retired that the Rams pursued Brown and gave him plenty of currency to ensure he would be in St. Louis for the next five years.

With that, the Rams made Brown one of the highest paid kickers in the league, signing him to a five-year deal worth about $14 million Saturday morning.

source: St. Louis Rams.com

A Gridiron Fanatic Since Hgh School

I've been a fan of American football which makes me different from other Filipinos who are more into basketball (or the NBA specifically). But I find American football more exciting than basketball. Maybe because of the hard hits and the fast-pace plays that it brings to game.

I got introduced to American football or the NFL when my father rented a all four VCR tapes of the San Francisco 49ers Super Bowl Games (Superbowl XVI, XIX, XXIII and XXIV in particular). With those games I instantly become a fan the great (and future Hall-Of-Fame) quarterback Joe Montana.

I followed the NFL games until I graduated highschool. From there, my interest for football games was put on hold because I was very busy in college.

In 1999, my passion for the game got a back when I was able to watch Super Bowl XXXIV. There I saw how Superbowl and NFL MVP guided the St. Louis Rams to win their first ever SuperBowl trophy. Since then I've been following the NFL and St. Louis Rams even in the off-season.

My favorite time every year is when I do share my opinions on who should the Rams pick during the June draft picks. So far, I was disappointed by the Rams picked.

Since the evolution of the internet, I can now follow the team's progress and other news thru ESPN.com and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch websites. Now I made this blog to share my rants, opinions and news about the St. Louis Rams.

Undergoing MyBlogLog Verification