St. Louis Rams 2011 Offseason Thread

[robbotis]

For reference, here is the list of wide receivers taken in the top 20 of the 1st round (i.e. by a non-playoff team the year prior) by their current team which made the playoffs:

Jeremy Maclin--19th overall.

That's it. Expanding to any top 20 pick, you add Braylon Edwards (3rd overall). Every other receiver playing in the playoffs is a late 1st round guy (i.e. a guy taken to improve an already good team), or a 2nd rounder or later.

Given, that is anecdotal. But many teams seem to think that a playmaking WR is the final piece. For most, it clearly is not. Most of the consistently great teams in the league have never used an early pick on a WR in the past 10 years. They find that talent elsewhere.

Mike Williams was the #10 pick.

[Lesson]

Here are two other WRs that were drafted in the 4th round in the 2010 Draft, Mike Williams and Jacoby Ford.

[Freed Roger]

Det Lions s/b a cautionary tale:

2002 1st Rd Joey Harrington QB
2003 1st Rd Charles Rogers WR
2004 1st Rd Roy Williams WR
2005 1st Rd Mike Williams WR

I don't think you need to see their record. Popeyes point is well taken -Ram retreads Shaun McDonald and Mike Furrey were just as useful to those teams as a top-flight WR.

[Lesson]

I'd be happy if they went with OLB in the 1st, WR in the 2nd, DE in the 3rd, RB in the 4th, Guard in the 5th, BPA in the 7th. Fill the DB needs via FA(unless there is a lockout).

[MrCrowesGarden]

Det Lions s/b a cautionary tale:

2002 1st Rd Joey Harrington QB
2003 1st Rd Charles Rogers WR
2004 1st Rd Roy Williams WR
2005 1st Rd Mike Williams WR

I don't think you need to see their record. Popeyes point is well taken -Ram retreads Shaun McDonald and Mike Furrey were just as useful to those teams as a top-flight WR.

Roy Williams was a very good WR who got traded for way too much by Dallas.

And you left out Megatron, the best WR in the NFL.

[Popeye_Card]

Sure, Johnson and Williams (to a lesser extent) are good players.

But until this season (debatably), they've been the equivalent of $1000 rims on a '93 Ford Fiesta.

I'm not saying that the Rams should never take a WR in this upcoming draft in the first round. They should take the BPA, with slight preferences to RB, OLB, and maybe DE. The best WR available should blow the others out of the water to take him, otherwise wait for the 2nd or 3rd round. The team still needs upgrades to playmakers at positions other than WR.

[Freed Roger]

Det Lions s/b a cautionary tale:

2002 1st Rd Joey Harrington QB
2003 1st Rd Charles Rogers WR
2004 1st Rd Roy Williams WR
2005 1st Rd Mike Williams WR

I don't think you need to see their record. Popeyes point is well taken -Ram retreads Shaun McDonald and Mike Furrey were just as useful to those teams as a top-flight WR.

Roy Williams was a very good WR who got traded for way too much by Dallas.

And you left out Megatron, the best WR in the NFL.

Not to play along with self-annointed marketing aliases of sports stars - but who is megatron? Calvin Johnson?

The point wasn't the talent of Detroit's WR picks - but the effectiveness of drafting that position towards rebuilding a team. They neglected other positions in favor of getting targets for their star QB. Popeye's r analogy seems appropriate.

If a unique playmaker WR is available - they should still risk it and go for him. But if that WR guy is not there -probably go for the best player player available -be it OLB, Safety, DE, Guard . Rams still have enough holes almost throughout to not marry themselves to position drafting.

[MrCrowesGarden]

I've got no problems with that line of thinking. Except three of my top ten guys are all WRs, and I'd bet that at least one of them will be there when the Rams select.

And as a practice, I don't love taking guards in the first round either... at least not in the top half. Kinda feel that way about OLBs too, but to a lesser extent.

[Freed Roger]

I've got no problems with that line of thinking. Except three of my top ten guys are all WRs, and I'd bet that at least one of them will be there when the Rams select.

And as a practice, I don't love taking guards in the first round either... at least not in the top half. Kinda feel that way about OLBs too, but to a lesser extent.

You're right -I forget how the money thing doesn't tend to work out with drafting best talent no matter of position. I loathe sports finances. You generally can't pay near-top first round money to positions that typically don't budget big dollars (like guards, safety).

[Popeye_Card]

Depending on who is still available, the Rams may be best off to trade down to the lower 1st in order to pick up an extra 2nd. If their needs are all non-top 15 positions to draft, why pay the money, and why not grab more decent players?

I have not really looked at the draft one bit, so I have no idea of what is out there.