It's hard to not get caught up in all that is the draft. The pageantry and speculation are at an apex. No other sport builds this kind of enthusiasm for the drafting process than the NFL. Every fan will secretly hope there team will select certain players they have deemed acceptable, but inevitably the draft is hard to predict and there will be some fans who leave the major event with sour grapes. The Rams front office will need to be on their toes for this one. This draft - which seems long on depth, but short on elite talent - may prove to be a very fluid process. That means the Rams will have to be ready to make trades, nab players, and hustle a few other general managers to stay on top.
Help Wanted: Receiver - non-first year starters need not apply
Les Snead dropped a little bit of knowledge to a local insider a while back in which he stated that "we already have someone of that genre", when discussing Da'Rick Rogers - a semi-raw WR prospect. If genuine, this would lead you to believe that the Rams are searching for a more polished receiver prospect in the draft. Below are players that by many accounts could be possible polished prospects, and others who are not. Will the Rams stray from the more polished receivers to take a chance on talent? Fisher has made no bones about it in the past, he values talent and ability over most other factors.
Group A: Examples of more polished prospects:
- Tavon Austin
- Robert Woods
- Keenan Allen
- Quinton Patton
Group B: Examples of less-polished prospects:
- Cordarrelle Patterson
- Da'Rick Rogers
- DeAndre Hopkins
- Marquess Wilson
CVC will have to pay legal fee's
Ouch! The hits keep coming for the city of St. Louis. This should come as no major surprise, as this is how the American legal system works, but it certainly only adds to the urgency the city should take in evaluating what kind of deal they can work out with the team. The Rams have all the leverage, and it's time to start getting creative.
This year's running back crop might be hard to grade
This years running back class has no elite prospect. Eddie Lacy appears to be the most talented of the bunch, but the truth is that he does not deserve to be a first round prospect. As the running back continues it's free fall as a premium position you have to wonder when the first back will even come off the board.
Classic high risk/high reward prospects in the 2013 draft
There are a few things that make players "high-risk"; injuries, character issues, and legal issues. Injuries and legal issues are actually easier to deal with than character issues. No one understands this better than Jeff Fisher - who has coached plenty of all three groups. Character issues can ultimately decide whether or not a player can put forth the effort to become an NFL caliber player. Legal issues can be avoided, and injuries can often be prevented. I expect the Rams will be in the bidding for several of the fella's on this list, but they will pay close attention to character when it comes to make their final selection.
Where will the members of the Alabama All-Stars be playing next year?
The SEC expansion team will flood the NFL with talent once again this year. Where will all these players end up? Bill Belichick can't draft them all.
Stay classy Rams fans