Matt Kalil and the 2nd Round Pick

by truescot on Jan 27, 2012 12:33 PM CST

Hi TSTers,

Long time reader, first time poster here. I wanted to introduce myself because I am a huge fan of the community that has grown here. I'm Scottish and am a bit of a convert to the NFL. I have never played kitted football but do play flag football in the league over here.

My reason for posting just now was that I wanted to add my two cents on what the Rams should do with their 2nd pick in the draft. From what has been discussed so far, Jeff Fisher and his soon to be named GM have three possible options: (1) Trade the pick to whatever team wins the RG3 battle, (2) Select Justin Blackmon, (3) Select Matt Kalil.

The common consensus amongst many writers seems to be that the Rams should trade down in the draft. Obviously, this depends entirely on what offer gets put on the Rams plate. If we cannot find appropriate compensation, many have us selecting Justin Blackmon the Oklahoma State phenom, including every NFL guru in their latest mock. However, I am going to make the argument for the third option, selecting Matt Kalil.

Before I am swamped with fans angry at watching Sam Bradford throwing to Brandon Gibson, Austin Pettis, Nick Miller and Dominique Curry over the past few years, I would like to defend my selection. Last year in the NFL the Rams gave up 55 sacks, that ranks 1st in the NFL. To me it is simple, if Sam is not upright, then he cannot throw the ball. On top of that, Sam has not displayed great pocket presence in his fledgling NFL career. Quite often when the pocket is collapsing or when a DE is bearing down on him he does not protect the football which results in him fumbling the ball. Now it would be fair to state that some of these sacks could be attributed to poor separation from our receivers causing Sam to hand on to the ball too long. However, the poor play of our offensive line has been by far the biggest problem.

When you have a problem like that and you have a prospect like Matt Kalil available, it seems to me that you have to select him. Especially when you have someone like Brandon Lloyd available to sign. Now I realise that it may be difficult to spend yet another high draft pick on an Offensive Linesman and that Brandon Lloyd will demand quite a salary, however we are talking about the best prospect to come along since Jake Long.

Now don't get me wrong, both other options make a lot of sense. I am a big fan of Blackmon and we could use all the picks we could get in a trade. However, I feel that Matt Kalil is beginning to be relegated to the third option and I don't think this should be the case.

Thanks for reading, let the debate begin.

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Comments

Nice post, Welcome

I believe that we will be trading the second pick and therefore, Kalil will be gone. I think Fisher and the new coaching staff may try to find a couple of lineman in free agency first and work with what they have for this year. Next year we will have mega room in the salary cap (about $40 mil) and another draft. They may find a decent lineman later in this draft but playmakers are what we need.

by MOOSERAM13 on Jan 27, 2012 1:11 PM CST reply actions

+1 on the playmaker comment.

Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is where the Stanley Cup can be found.

by Pekka for Predator Pontiff on Jan 27, 2012 1:16 PM CST up reply actions

Is this what happens when we sign on for 3 games in the UK? We get Scottsmen posting here?

Just kidding. I"m for Blackmon for all the reasons you said, but would not be disappointed if we took Kalil for all the reasons you said.

Interestingly, Mike Mayock from the NFL network has Kalil rated the #2 OT in the draft, so maybe scouts will follow suit and determine the same thing. On the other hand, I believe that Blackmon is the consensus #1 WR in the draft and a legit top 5 prospect. I believe that as well. Regardless, both positions need to be addressed and it’d be nice to trade down and get an OL and a WR in the first. DeCastro and Floyd maybe?

Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is where the Stanley Cup can be found.

by Pekka for Predator Pontiff on Jan 27, 2012 1:15 PM CST reply actions

From what I hear

The playmakers in this draft class are plentiful. As long as the guy fits the new scheme we’re forging, we should be fine with BPA. I know they will be coached up well.

by MOOSERAM13 on Jan 27, 2012 1:19 PM CST reply actions

Great Post, Thanks for a voice of reason

Sam is the man and I might as well be the Wide out if he can’t stay upright or has to continually run for his life. Bolster the LINE; this has two advantages 1) Jackson can’t run through Dahl ’s hole every run, the defense just loads up the one hole. 2) Sam can hit even our receivers if given time. Fisher will find servicable receivers for this year and next year we can focus on playmakers. We must keep Sam and Jack alive in order to take advantage of the favorable salary cap next year. Thanks for the time. GO RAMS!!!

by ramfansince69 on Jan 27, 2012 1:20 PM CST reply actions

Us oldschoolers.......

think the same. Even in this era of passing madness, QBs, no matter how good they are turn to mush getting hit 100+ times a year. Everyone here saw what not protecting the the QB can do. One day Pro-bowler, next day waived, sorry Mark. And speaking of cap, I’m hoping the new GM can work some Ramagic to get Lloyd signed using $ available next year and get a quality FA or 2 doing the same.

'Fearsome Foursome' to 'G.S.O.T.'- now in 2012 introducing 'Fishermen- catching the one that won't get away'

by Taosman on Jan 27, 2012 2:15 PM CST up reply actions

Welcome to the Fanpost ranks! Your opinion on drafting Kalil is shared by many here.

I used to think Kalil was the one and only pick for us, but RAMphetamines post the other day has almost tipped me toward the Blackmon pick as being what’s best. With Schottenheimer’s offense, we’ll need playmaking WRs

Join my Google+ circle

by Douglas M on Jan 27, 2012 1:20 PM CST reply actions

Waffler

Wolf. Wolfgang Wolf

by dbcouver on Jan 27, 2012 1:39 PM CST up reply actions

You should see what it's like when I try and choose socks... :-)

Join my Google+ circle

by Douglas M on Jan 27, 2012 1:49 PM CST up reply actions

Welcome

Washington has already agreed to trade for RGIII with the Rams, that’s what convinced Fisher to choose the Rams.

We will take the #2 rated OT in the 2012 draft at the #7 spot. We will take the best WR at the top of round 2 and take the top ranked OLB with our 2nd number 2.

by 81 Witness on Jan 27, 2012 1:26 PM CST reply actions

Im now a fan of us drafting blackmon

Because of the style of offense that we are going to run. Spending yet another pick on the line is quite wasteful imo because of the salary that our line demands already. We need an oline coach with will Libra a fire under them. Plus they were making progress last season before Saffolds went down. Our corps has suffered for years on this philosophy and I think its about time the corps gets some attention, not just bandaid solutions through FA that have not served us well in the past. If we can’t trade down I woukd be good with either, but as of right now getting blackmon woukd be a good pick..

Bradford + Blackmon = Secondaries Beware

by RG31 on Jan 27, 2012 1:45 PM CST via mobile reply actions

How can it be wasteful?

Wasteful is forcing a 70 million dollar investment become a vegetarian as he will be doing nothing but eating grass until both his arm and head fall to pieces.

Who cares if we have a lot of money tied to the O-Line. If they are not getting the job done, you still have to take care of that first. Great quarterbacks can make great recievers, broken quarterbacks just make me sad.

by kickasskeever on Jan 27, 2012 2:26 PM CST up reply actions

Yes wasteful

We have gone with this same philosophy of building in the trenches and how many wins have we gotten with it? It’s about time we show the wr corps some attention instead of wasting late round picks that won’t pan out.

Bradford + Blackmon = Secondaries Beware

by RG31 on Jan 27, 2012 2:39 PM CST via mobile up reply actions

I agree that using late round picks on WRs is wasteful, I would rather use them in other places such as adding depth to the O-Line. But I will not argue at all if the Rams decide to take Kalil as their pick.

by kickasskeever on Jan 27, 2012 2:47 PM CST up reply actions

Neither would I

But I think this team especially have showed just because you take a linemen in the first doesn’t mean he’ll be great. Meanwhile other positions have suffered because of this philosophy, draft needs to hurry up and get here..

Bradford + Blackmon = Secondaries Beware

by RG31 on Jan 27, 2012 3:14 PM CST up reply actions

No we haven't

You can’t categorize the drafting of Barron and Smith as ‘going with that philosophy.’ The reason we’ve failed to protect our QB is right there in front of us. We went with the right philosophy and the wrong players. You can’t bring a knife and a bullet-proof vest to a gunfight, lose to an automatic weapon because the vest failed, then decide we better sharpen the knife.

Wolf. Wolfgang Wolf

by dbcouver on Jan 27, 2012 6:58 PM CST up reply actions

Yea and say we draft kalil and our line still sucks

Then in a couple of years we say kalil was the wrong pick and pick yet another OT? While our wr corps is still struggling to get separation and catch the ball? Do we still not pay attention to the obvious and get Sam some weapons or do we blindly pick yet another OT? I eat take the risk on blackmon.

Bradford + Blackmon = Secondaries Beware

by RG31 on Jan 27, 2012 7:10 PM CST via mobile up reply actions

Blindly??????

Really? You know, I’m fully willing to admit Blackmons ability. He’s the best this draft has to offer. Even the best last year wouldn’t justify taking him with the second or even 4th overall. We’ve drafted shit lately outside of Sam, Saffold, JL and Long. We continue to draft shit and it won’t matter. Comparisons need to be made as if both candidates are worthy. Blackmon and Kalil are the real thing, at least as far as I and anyone else knows. It’s not about who’s good, they both are.

There’s nothing blind about a prospect being top tier these days. Smith came with warnings. Warnings that should have been heeded but were not. Thus we have what we have here and thats a shitty LT. We also have a new FO as a result. Lets assume the new FO will not make the same stupid mistakes. I don’t know how many times I was told to do that with the old FO even after they screwed up 2 drafts. It may happen again, but one things for sure. It’s no less likely to happen with Blackmon than it is with Kalil.

If we get some O-line help in FA, then fine, the situation has been changed and so then will my opinion. Until then, Sam Bradford wants a left tackle he can depend on, much more than he wants another WR whom he’ll never get more than 1 1/2 seconds to get the ball to

Wolf. Wolfgang Wolf

by dbcouver on Jan 27, 2012 10:07 PM CST up reply actions

Just putting my 2cent in

I just think in one point in time we will have to take the risk that we spent all that money on this line and expect them to produce. Throwing in top round Linemen isn’t working. On the other hand our wr corps continues to be put on the back burner while being top 5 worse in the league..

Bradford + Blackmon = Secondaries Beware

by RG31 on Jan 27, 2012 10:32 PM CST via mobile up reply actions

Oh I know. Me too on the 2 cents thing, that's all mines worth.

I don’t know why this time of year I get all schizoid, but I do. It’s kind of like setting myself up for the eminant disappointment I know I’ll experience on draft weekend. Sort of an unwritten stage of draft grief

Wolf. Wolfgang Wolf

by dbcouver on Jan 27, 2012 10:53 PM CST up reply actions

Say we draft Blackmon and he ends up sucking... This works both ways.

You don’t know what a drafted player will turn out to be. I’m not saying no weapons for Sam but the bigger need is LT imo. Bye bye Smith, hello V Jackson/D Jackson/D Bowe.

by jmo53 on Jan 28, 2012 3:21 AM CST via Android app up reply actions

But atleast at that point we tried to address the position

instead of a fairy tail that we’ll be able to get one of the big names in the FA..

Bradford + Blackmon = Secondaries Beware

by RG31 on Jan 28, 2012 10:59 AM CST up reply actions

Fish should help in the FA department

but we will find that out before the draft which will change our draft board.

by jmo53 on Jan 28, 2012 3:34 PM CST via Android app up reply actions

wasteful paying a RT $10MIL

release Smith, sign Kalil, sign a $9MIL WR through FA. Problem solved.

by jmo53 on Jan 28, 2012 3:15 AM CST via Android app up reply actions

Smith has played in 26 games over the last 3 seasons so he can't be relied on.

That’s 53% of the time. No thanks! Don’t let the door hit ya…

by jmo53 on Jan 28, 2012 4:28 AM CST via Android app up reply actions

Cutting Smith and Brown could save some $$$

by mcihaelT on Jan 27, 2012 5:58 PM CST up reply actions

I think part of the blame for our O-line

goes to McDaniels and his system. He had Bradford calling the blocking assignments and that obviously didn’t work. Our O-line was fine in 2010 because of a simpler system and a quicker read and release. We have some talent on the line and I think Fisher and his crew will do a much better job of getting that unit up to par. Don’t get me wrong, I do agree that upgrades to the line need to be made but sometimes that comes from coaching and scheme not just new 1st round picks (See Jason Smith and Alex Barron).

by davebro747 on Jan 27, 2012 4:50 PM CST via mobile reply actions

I'll scream til the cows come home that the pick should be Blackmon

There is plenty of TALENT on the OLine. Talent that terribly underperformed. Fish and crew should get a year to work with that talent and see if they can fix it

At WR, however, there is very little talent. Especially with our odds of resigning Brandon Lloyd being so low.

Talent can be coached up to be better. Even the best coaches can’t give guys talent

by Rick Siegel on Jan 27, 2012 5:50 PM CST reply actions

I partly agree

But while Smith MAY have talent, he IS an injury risk, and cutting him could save $9 million. Even if he plays better, he will most likely never be worth the money. And if the Rams do cut him, they will absolutely need an OT.

by mcihaelT on Jan 27, 2012 6:02 PM CST up reply actions

Even Smith knows that he hasn't produced up to his pay level

I’m sure he’ll be asked to restructure his contract or take a pay cut or risk being completely cut from the team and having to sign with someone else for the league minimum. I would like to see what this coaching staff can do with his perceived talent level but only at a greatly discounted rate. That being said, I also wouldn’t mind drafting Kalil and shifting Smith to the inside to play Bell’s spot at guard.

by davebro747 on Jan 27, 2012 7:09 PM CST up reply actions

You know

it’s going to be tuff to pick either way. Honestly we need both of them, and a lot of other things to go with them. I’m not sure how it’s going to go but I hope we get a ton of picks.

by OakCityRam on Jan 28, 2012 8:24 AM CST reply actions

I an understand the comments coming about Blackmon

One of the best arguments I have heard from drafting him is that we had a young well performing o-line in 2010 and it only turned us into a mediocre team. It would be very exciting to see what he could do with some explosive weapons. There is undeniably some talent on the o-line as well so if that could be coached then we could get by.

However, I believe we also saw what happens in 2011 when you have a number 1 receiver (lloyd) and a terrible o-line. I know which I would rather have.

by truescot on Jan 28, 2012 11:25 AM CST reply actions