Well, here we are. We have reached the day that has been circled on the calendar by many St. Louis Rams fans since back in late September when it was determined that they were not going have a good team to root for.
The National Football League 2010 Draft has finally arrived, and no team really wants to be first when it comes to this selection because it usually reflects how bad things were in 2009. As the season progressed, the reality of being the worst team in the league was starting to set in; hence the evaluation of the college players started earlier than you would have liked.
Now, the time has come. The time for the next generation of St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams begins tonight as the draft goes prime-time for the first round and St. Louis is on the clock with the No. 1 pick.
The Rams can’t mess this thing up, can they? The answer? Do you really need one? They did not get bad overnight nor will they get better in that same time frame.
The problem with the Rams here is that there is no consensus difference-maker in the draft. While you have heard some of my colleagues go from Su to McCoy to Clausen to now Bradford, I can assure you there are some that would not know a good player if he was tackled by one.
With that said, there are some who stick to reporting the facts. It’s safer. The spin mill is working at a fever pitch, from front office executives to media members who take it hook line and sinker. Everyone has an angle, and I think at the end of the day it’s good as it creates conversation.
One of the things that is most amusing is when you hear one of the players talk and they say all the right things, and you say, “Yeah, that is the guy we should take.” If that is what you are counting on when you draft, then why not make him the class president instead?
So who do you take?
The Rams have tried to trade down with no luck. There’s two reasons why. Most teams are not willing to trade up and pay that sort of money to a guy that may not have an immediate impact on his team, let alone the league.
Second, draft choices come at a premium these days as the free agent markets recently have not proven to be as fruitful as one would like so you would rather build from within and control salaries better.
For the Rams, we are overlooking the fact that anyone they take has to play right now. The Rams are running out seasons with double-digit losses so they need to make it look good quick.
Picking a quarterback would be the logical choice. The question is, do they have enough around a rookie where he doesn’t get his brains beat out, like Mark Bulger?
The offensive line has improved.
Steven Jackson, when healthy, is an effective running back. But he is seldom healthy for a long enough time to make a difference.
There are no receivers who would create a concern for the defensive quality assistant, let alone a coordinator.
In short, if you can protect him and live with a mistake from time to time, then quarterback is not a bad choice.
You can never go wrong with trying to improve at the line of scrimmage. Nyndomikan Su would fit the bill, but how many more players and defensive linemen do the Rams need to draft before they figure out they have another bust on their hands? Can the Rams afford to take another chance?
I like linemen. The reason you don’t hear more is because it is harder to track stats and the impact a defensive tackle has compared to the quarterback position. That’s why the people who are the experts can not make up their mind on what quarterback gave the best interview. I get it, it’s the easy route..
There are other picks to choose after the first pick. Those are the ones that will make or break your team. The Rams have messed up this area so much that it’s the sole reason why they are drafting first this year.
With a team that had only one victory, there are few jobs that are safe on this team, so picks two through five should be playing and playing a lot. I would rather lose with youth that can be coached up, compared to veterans who cannot be coached anymore.
Tonight is the start of something big for the Rams and the future of everyone in the building. If they mess this up, they won’t be around long enough to mess up another draft.
