Billy Devaney on the importance of building through the draft

by Ryan Van Bibber on Feb 25, 2011 2:42 PM CST in 2011 NFL offseason

St. Louis Rams GM Billy Devaney talks about the necessity of building a team through the draft at the 2011 NFL Combine

I just listened to Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy for a little bit here at the Combine. One thing he said really stood out for its relevancy to the St. Louis Rams.

First and foremost, McCarthy talked about the importance of building through the draft. He noted that not only was the draft key for finding the marquee players like Aaron Rodgers or Clay Matthews, it's where they found depth. Players to take over for outbound free agents or injured starters.

Asked about teams like Green Bay and Pittsburgh that build and sustain through the draft, Devaney smiled. He went on to say:

Oh man, I love it. Is that awesome? I think both teams combined maybe had four starters that they got through free agency. The vast majority were draft picks, a couple of street free agents here and there, but those two organizations _ they've done it the way that everybody else aspires to do it. Putting it together with the foundation of hitting on their draft picks, and doing a great job keeping their guys.

Obviously, it's a subject close to Devaney's heart as his and Spagnuolo's mantra for rebuilding the Rams has been do make the draft their primary conduit for talent. Which isn't to say the Rams take a Colts-like approach to free agency and eschew it all together.

I know there were some disappointed fans last year when the Rams didn't sign Julius Peppers or Aaron Kampman or even Chester Taylor (how's the crow, those of you who wanted to pursue Taylor?). Devaney and Spags have supplemented, not supplanted, the roster with free agent adds. Sometimes that works out, like Fred Robbins & Na'il DIggs, and sometimes it doesn't, Hank Fraley & Kevin Dockery.

When and if free agency starts this year, it will be interesting to see what the Rams do. Dalliances with players like Vincent Jackson (though it would have been a trade) and conversations about players like Randy Moss and even Terrell Owens, show that they're willing to find an impact player through free agency now that the team has its core roster building blocks in place.

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What’s with the hate on the dock…. its not his fault he sucks

by RamsFan7 on Feb 25, 2011 2:56 PM CST via mobile reply actions

No hate. Just dump him and be done with it.

by RamChop on Feb 25, 2011 4:19 PM CST up reply actions

YES!!!

which is why doing the requisite homework on mid to late round targets is so important. this is not to discount the importance of not “missing” on early picks, but i have faith in the front office given the recent success in the first 3 rounds—brown, laurinaitis, fletcher, bradford, safffold, murphy(potential). it is the later rounds where the FO has mostly struck-out. a couple/few key veteran FA additions— sidney rice, rocky mcintosh, OJ!!— to complement a great draft class would certainly put the rams on track for a strong run at the playoffs and beyond.

by mcihaelT on Feb 25, 2011 3:01 PM CST reply actions

This would be a good time for us to see some of the potential of our later round picks.

I’d like to see Onobun become a regular, along with Hull and Marquis Johnson. BD hasn’t done well in the later rounds and I’d like to see that change this year. Ogbannaya, Foster, Null, were all mistakes. Let’s hope the trend doesn’t continue. It’s be nice to not have so many positions to fill. I’m confident Selvie will be good, and Sims can be but he’s another one who, if he steps up, could make BD look like a genius. Even our 4th rounders Scott and Gilyard haven’t stepped it up yet. This would be a nice time to do it.
In our defense we sure can’t complain about Chamberlain or Vobora up to now. But that draft had Avery @ #2 and Greco @ #3, it’s time we got value for those 2, they happen to be 2 positions we’re looking at this year and their failure to live up to their draft status is part of the reason why. No reason to go back to 2007, we all know how that one went.

Wolf. Wolfgang Wolf

by dbcouver on Feb 25, 2011 3:24 PM CST reply actions

because you mentioned the 2007 draft...

which i wish you hadn’t, because it caused me to vomit, a look at both the ‘07 and ’06 drafts give all the more credence to the concept of building through the draft (if you’re prone to nausea, you might want to prepare yourself before reading the following lists!)

2006: (1) tye hill, (2) joe klopfenstein, (3) claude wroten, (3) jon alston, (3) dominique byrd, (4) victor adeyanju, (5) marques hagans, (7) tim mcgarigle, (7) mark setterstrom, (7) tony palmer

2007: (1) adam carriker, (2) brian leonard, (3) jonathan wade, (4) thank god the FO was spared having to draft in this round, (5) dustin fry, (5) clifton ryan, (6) ken shakleford, (7) keith jackson, jr., (7) derek stanley

is there any doubt that the seasons following these drafts would be HORRIBLE?!?!?! keep up the good coverage vanram and help the FO scout the right guys so the ‘06/’07 nightmares can be further pressed to the recesses of ram history!

by mcihaelT on Feb 25, 2011 4:17 PM CST up reply actions

Derek Stanley

wasn’t a bad pick at all in the 7th round..too bad it was the only thing they did semi-right

by richter122 on Feb 25, 2011 4:21 PM CST up reply actions

maybe not...

if, A) he was still a participating member of the team, or B) ahmad bradshaw wasn’t drafted RIGHT AFTER him!

by mcihaelT on Feb 25, 2011 4:41 PM CST up reply actions

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdOkmafcvvQ

scroll to 1:40 and note that he has been much more productive than gilyard

by richter122 on Feb 25, 2011 5:06 PM CST up reply actions

sorry

wasn’t trying to be argumentative. nevertheless, gilyard is, at least for now, still a member of the team with the potential to be productive; let’s hope he can be.

by mcihaelT on Feb 25, 2011 5:14 PM CST up reply actions

How about Hall Davis? And I'm yet to be convinced that Gilyard or Murphy were good picks.

Everyone, except me, has great hope for Sims and Selvie. And, both Greco and Vobora will not be members of a championship team. Along with many other players I’ve mentioned previously; Fells, Robinson, Dockery, Darby, et.al.

by RamChop on Feb 25, 2011 4:23 PM CST up reply actions

i'm with you

but i think it’s a tad hasty to shut the book on the more recent drafts. and i’m with you on sims and selvie. my point was—albeit a fairly obvious one— that the ‘06/’07 drafts yielded nothing. NOTHING!!!!

by mcihaelT on Feb 25, 2011 4:38 PM CST up reply actions

And 2005 yielded, yecch, Alex Barron.

by RamChop on Feb 25, 2011 7:35 PM CST up reply actions

would love to see gilyard step up this year.

as it is with the wrs expected next season, its said we should be adequate at the position and thats with nothing expected of gilyard. What if gilyard had a breakout season and thrived in mcdaniels offense? I hope so and dont think he can do any worse than he did last season. He was a non factor. Im sure devaney will draft a wr, maybe sign a free agent and bring in some undrafted guys to otas and training camp. We could end up having a pretty good set of weapons for bradford this season..

by caliramsfan1 on Feb 25, 2011 3:37 PM CST reply actions

I didnt know Gilyard stepped on the field

He was in the locker room during the games learning the playbook and then we called him out with 30 seconds left in the game when we called hail marys. Sadly, he didn’t know that play yet.

by richter122 on Feb 25, 2011 4:23 PM CST up reply actions

"I know there were some disappointed fans last year when the Rams didn't sign Julius Peppers or Aaron Kampman or even Chester Taylor."

Dang right! Secure any one of these guys and we probably win 9 games and would’ve been NFC West Champs. Acquiring guys like Dockery, Fraley, Karney and my all time favorite flop Hollis Thomas" are detrimental. I’m not so sure Diggs was that good of a pickup either unless you compare his LB skills to those of guys like Vobora and Kehl, whose talent is non-existent.

by RamChop on Feb 25, 2011 4:18 PM CST reply actions