Day 2 draft grade roundup: Rams don’t impress analysts with Atwell and Jones

The Rams received mostly lower grades for their selections of Tutu Atwell and Ernest Jones on Day 2.

The Los Angeles Rams joined the fun on Friday night when they made two picks in the 2021 NFL draft, the first of which was at No. 57 overall. They went the unconventional route in Round 2 with speedy wide receiver Tutu Atwell, and then filled a position of need at linebacker with Ernest Jones in Round 3.

We handed out our grades for each pick on Friday night, but what are other analysts and writers saying about the Rams’ selections of Atwell and Jones on Day 2? For the most part, the grades are on the lower side, though analysts are higher on the Jones pick than Atwell.

Here’s a roundup of some notable grades from around the internet.

Day 2 draft grade roundup: Rams don’t impress analysts with Atwell and Jones

The Rams received mostly lower grades for their selections of Tutu Atwell and Ernest Jones on Day 2.

The Los Angeles Rams joined the fun on Friday night when they made two picks in the 2021 NFL draft, the first of which was at No. 57 overall. They went the unconventional route in Round 2 with speedy wide receiver Tutu Atwell, and then filled a position of need at linebacker with Ernest Jones in Round 3.

We handed out our grades for each pick on Friday night, but what are other analysts and writers saying about the Rams’ selections of Atwell and Jones on Day 2? For the most part, the grades are on the lower side, though analysts are higher on the Jones pick than Atwell.

Here’s a roundup of some notable grades from around the internet.

Bills draft pick Spencer Brown appropriately celebrates joining team by jumping through table

Of course he did.

Spencer Brown already gets it.

The Buffalo Bills selected the offensive tackle out of Northern Iowa with a third-round pick on Friday night, and Brown knew what to do right away to celebrate.

As you’ll see from the video below, he climbed up on a ladder and jumped through a table, just like the members of the Bills Mafia the fanbase that is known for traditionally smashing tables whether it’s for playoff games, or for other life events. This table, thankfully, was not lit on fire.

Brown, of course, was so pumped, as were the people he was celebrating with:

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Jalen Ramsey deciding between two jersey numbers, but No. 2 isn’t one of them

Jalen Ramsey won’t get into why he’s not switching his number to 2 because “that’s a joke.”

Good news: If you bought a Jalen Ramsey jersey recently, he seemingly won’t be switching to No. 2 like he wanted to.

Bad news: He’s still considering a switch, but he’s also thinking about keeping No. 20.

On Friday night during the draft, Ramsey asked fans on Twitter whether he should wear No. 5 or 20 this season. He added a note that he won’t be wearing No. 2, but he’s not going to get into it because “that’s a joke.”

It’s unclear exactly why he won’t switch to No. 2 after making it very clear that it was his number of choice, but he doesn’t sound happy about it.

He also sent a cryptic tweet about the process of switching jersey numbers, posting a video of Michael Jordan saying, “That’s all I needed for him to do that, and it became personal with me.”

Both Ramsey and Robert Woods said publicly that they wanted to switch to No. 2 after the NFL approved a rule that allows defensive backs and wide receivers (among other positions) to wear single-digits. Woods said he would switch to it “right away” after wearing the number in high school and college.

Ramsey said he and Woods were trying to work something out, but that’s the last we heard about the situation until now. Ramsey even posted a photoshopped picture of himself in No. 2 recently, making it obvious that he wanted the number.

So now he’s between 5 and 20. Which number do you think he should go with?

Bill Belichick offers detailed insight on how Patriots evaluate prospects in draft

If you want to know how the Patriots evaluate prospects, here’s some great insight.

Finding the right players in the NFL draft is an extremely complex process.

Different teams use different approaches and the New England Patriots have a system that’s very intricate and detailed. Bill Belichick was asked more about this process after Day 1 of the draft, but he shrugged off the question and said he was “not going to go through all the grades on everybody on the board.” During the final question following Day 2 of the draft, Belichick revisited the discussion and didn’t hold back with his answer.

Though he didn’t dive into the specifics, Belichick still gave the formula to how the Patriots evaluate prospects. Here’s the full response, transcribed by NESN’s Zack Cox.

“Not trying to be evasive about the grading and all that, but I would just say that we don’t grade players like 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. That’s just not the way we do it. We use a combination of numbers, letters, colors, and those things all have different meanings depending upon what they would indicate about the player’s circumstances or situation or whatever it is that involved the players. And all the players are different, and a lot of them — you know, in the end, there really aren’t that many of them that come to a school, play their career there and leave. There’s things that happen in between and a variety of circumstances, and so we have ways to identify those.

“So sometimes, the color’s going override the number; sometimes, the letter is going override the numbers or the colors and so forth. And so it’s not, you know, this guy’s at an 85 and this guy’s at an 83. It just doesn’t work like that. There’s a number, a color, possibly a letter or letters that go with those players, and those things could all — depending upon what they represent — could all override something else that’s a part of the grade. So it’s just really the way we identify the player and tag the player is one that helps us classify.

“It’s just too hard to generalize and give a player an 85 grade or whatever and then — like, what does that mean? But if you can tag that grade — that number grade, whatever it is — with something that would indicate other things regarding injuries or how many schools he’s been to or whether he was a transfer or if he came out early or if he switched positions or so forth and so on, played at a lower level of competition. I mean, there’s dozens of things here that we could talk about. It becomes a pretty complex scale.

“So not trying to ignore with him what it is, but it would be impossible for me to sit here and explain the grade scale and how it works and interacts and all that. That takes, honestly, you know, months of, I would say, understanding between the scouting department and working through a lot of different situations to really be able to utilize it effectively so we can categorize players in the right, in what we feel is the right fashion.

“Not saying it’s right, but we do it so that we can identify things and have ways to work through players and their situations to try to have as fair and as good an evaluation on them as we can.”

So far the Patriots drafted quarterback Mac Jones, defensive tackle Christian Barmore and defensive end Ronnie Perkins.

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Why the Packers traded up to get WR Amari Rodgers

The Packers nearly took Clemson WR Amari Rodgers at No. 62, so they aggressively worked the board to move up and get him at 85.

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The Green Bay Packers had a decision to make at No. 62 overall: take the potential plug-and-play center from Ohio State, or the versatile slot weapon from Clemson.

The Packers decided on Josh Myers, with his size and multiple-position ability for the offensive line serving as the tiebreaker. But even after making the pick, general manager Brian Gutekunst wasn’t ready to give up on getting Amari Rodgers. He immediately ordered his staff to start making calls and finding ways to move up the board and get the Clemson playmaker.

The process took a while, but it finally clicked. The Packers moved up seven spots in the third round, at the steep cost of a fourth-round pick, and snagged Rodgers at No. 85 overall.

To say the Packers were happy to get him would probably be an understatement. The team thinks Rodgers can be an impact player for the Packers – on offense and special teams – right away.

“His pedigree, his performance in college at a big-time stage were things that comforted us and feeling like he could step in and be a productive player for us early in his career,” Gutekunst said.

Gutekunst and his staff were enamored with Rodgers’ fit in the Matt LaFleur offense. He said the Packers have been looking for this type of player – a dynamic playmaker in the slot – for at least the last two years.

“He fills so many holes for us,” Gutekunst said. “That’s one of the reasons we traded up for him. Not only as a punt returner and slot receiver, but as you guys have seen over the past few years, the creativity that Matt has within his offense, some of the jet sweeps and screens. He’s a 212-pound receiver, he’s not one of these smaller guys. So I think kick returning could be part of his arsenal as well. He’s just built for us up here in Green Bay. Very versatile plyer. Very smart player.”

In many ways, Rodgers is a Randall Cobb-type player, although Gutekunst wouldn’t go into comparing the two.

Gutekunst said Rodgers has “been a pro from an early age” and is a “polished route-runner.” The Packers also like that he’s been through a major injury (ACL in 2019) and came back stronger, noting the value in having players that have gone through adversity before entering the NFL.

Rodgers stands 5-9, far shorter than most of the receivers the Packers have drafted in the recent past, but Gutekunst has no worries about his size, and he’s especially excited about the way Rodgers uses his power and elusiveness to create the ball in his hands.

“This guy is short but he’s not small. He’s 212 pounds,” Gutekunst said. “When you see him, he’s not a small man, he’s just not tall. I do think he’s a little different than some of the other slot guys around the league. He’s built more like a running back. He gave me great comfort because you can’t run by everybody in this league. You have to take on contact and break tackles and he can certainly do that.”

Rodgers caught an ACC-high 77 passes in 2020. He first broke out as an impact player at the young age of 19 at Clemson, helping the Tigers as a slot receiver and punt returner. Still only 21, Rodgers has 55 games of collegiate experience under his belt entering the NFL.

Gutekunst had to give up one of his fourth-round picks to move up seven spots in the third round and get him. The Packers still have a fourth-rounder to use on Saturday, but Gutekunst paid a pretty penny to move up and get Rodgers.

“I thought it was important because of the value of the player I wanted,” Gutekunst said.

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Washington Wizards at Dallas Mavericks odds, picks and prediction

Previewing Saturday’s Washington Wizards at Dallas Mavericks NBA odds and lines, with basketball picks, tips and predictions.

The Washington Wizards (29-34) visit American Airlines Center Saturday for a 9 p.m. ET tip-off against the Dallas Mavericks (35-27). Below, we analyze the Wizards-Mavericks odds and lines, with NBA picks and predictions.

Washington is one of the hottest teams in the Association as winners of two straight and 10 of its last 11 games (9-2 against the spread).

The Wizards have propelled to the 10-seed in the Eastern Conference. They’re 3 games ahead of the Chicago Bulls for the final postseason play-in spot.

Dallas has also won back-to-back games while going 5-1 straight up and 4-2 ATS in its last six contests. The Mavs are a half-game in front of the Portland Trail Blazers for the 6-seed in the West and are hoping to avoid the play-in.

Dallas routed a Bradley Beal-less Washington 109-87 as a 6-point road favorite in the first meeting this season. It snapped a three-game ATS losing skid against the Wizards.

Wizards at Mavericks: Odds, spread and lines

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 10:35 a.m. ET.

  • Money line: Wizards +165 (bet $100 to win $165) | Mavericks -200 (bet $200 to win $100)
  • Against the spread/ATS: Wizards +5 (-110) | Mavericks -5 (-110)
  • Over/Under: 231.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)

Wizards at Mavericks: Key injuries

Wizards

  • None.

Mavericks

  • PF Maxi Kleber (leg) questionable
  • PF Kristaps Porzingis (knee) questionable

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Wizards at Mavericks: Odds, lines, predictions and picks

Prediction

Wizards 120, Mavericks 110

Money line (ML)

Slight “LEAN” to the WIZARDS (+165) for a quarter unit because I “like” Washington plus the points and the Mavs have a soft interior defense the Wizards can feast on.

Washington led the league in April in points in the paint per game and Beal—who didn’t play in the first Wizards-Mavericks meeting—was third in PITP per game for April.

And, according to CleaningTheGlass.com, the Mavs are 22nd in defensive field-goal percentage vs. shots at the rim.

With Beal being one of the most prolific scorers in the mid-range and PG Russell Westbrook one of the most aggressive players in recent history at attacking the rim, the Wizards should tear up the Mavs’ defense.

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Against the spread (ATS)

Definitely BET the WIZARDS +5 (-110) heavier than or instead of Washington’s money line.

This is a “better spot” for the Wizards who are 9-3 ATS when getting 5-7 points while the Mavs are 4-7 ATS when laying points in that range.

Also, Dallas is an awful 8-14 ATS as a home favorite with a minus-5.9 ATS margin, 2-11 ATS at home when playing teams with a losing record and Washington is 18-12 ATS as a road dog this year.

Over/Under (O/U)

PASS because my predicted score is only 1.5 points above BetMGM‘s projected total and there isn’t enough value for me to bet the Over.

Want some action on this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com. Please gamble responsibly.

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Updated order of the Rams’ remaining draft picks on Day 3

The Rams have five picks on Day 3, including three in the fourth round.

After making two picks on Friday night, the Los Angeles Rams will come right back on Saturday afternoon with five total picks, including three in the fourth round alone.

It’s the result of their trade back from pick 88, moving all the way down to No. 117 in a deal with the 49ers. Center, cornerback and edge rusher are among the top positions of need for the Rams on Day 3, a day in which they’ve landed key players such as Jordan Fuller, David Edwards, Sebastian Joseph-Day, Josh Reynolds and Tyler Higbee in recent years.

With the final four rounds upon us, here’s an updated list of the Rams’ picks on Day 3. They could still trade down again to add more picks, or they could package some of their selections to go up and get a player at the top of of Round 4.

  • Round 4: Pick 117 (from SF)
  • Round 4: Pick 121 (from SF)
  • Round 4: Pick 141 (compensatory)
  • Round 6: Pick 209
  • Round 7: Pick 252

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Rams Day 3 mock draft: Center first, double-dip at CB

The Rams have five picks remaining in the draft, including three in the fourth round.

We’re coming down the final stretch of the 2021 NFL draft with Rounds 4-7 wrapping up the weekend on Saturday afternoon. The Los Angeles Rams are equipped with five picks today after trading down from No. 88 on Friday night, including three fourth-rounders to start the day.

With plenty of talented players still available and a few needs still to address in Los Angeles, the Rams have a chance to add some impact rookies today. Here’s how we project the day going with a mock draft of the final four rounds.

Colts seem to be moving on from DE Justin Houston

Colts have a crowded defensive front.

After using their first two selections in the 2021 NFL draft on pass rushers, the Indianapolis Colts seem to be moving on from veteran defensive end Justin Houston.

During his presser Friday night after the Colts selected Dayo Odeyingbo with the No. 54 overall pick, general manager Chris Ballard said the team is likely moving on from the 32-year-old.

“We have a pretty full room. I love Justin (Houston) but we have a pretty full room at this time,” Ballard told the media.

This doesn’t come as much of a surprise. The Colts were still keeping tabs on Houston after he took a visit with the Baltimore Ravens but with the two rookies coming in, the Colts have no need to bring him back.

The Colts used their first-round pick on Kwity Paye, a move that was met with immediate praise. With Odeyingbo now there as well, the Colts will be needing to see their young pass rushers along with Kemoko Turay, Ben Banogu and Tyquan Lewis work in bigger roles.

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