Tag: rams draft

Rams met with Washington CB Myles Bryant, Utah State LB David Woodward

The Rams continue to do homework on defenders in the draft.

The Rams have done a lot of homework on defensive prospects leading up to the draft, and that should come as no surprise. The team lost Cory Littleton and Dante Fowler, and also cut Clay Matthews.

They’ve met with a number of defenders this spring, be it at the combine or over FaceTime. We can add two more defensive players to the Rams’ list of pre-draft meetings as the team held video calls with Utah State linebacker David Woodward and Washington cornerback Myles Bryant.

Woodward has the size NFL teams want in a linebacker, standing 6-foot-2, 230 pounds. However, he’s not the most athletic player in the draft, running a 4.79 in the 40-yard dash and a 7.34 in the three-cone drill.

However, his production at Utah State was impressive, recording 93 tackles in only seven games last year before suffering a season-ending injury. In 2018, he had 134 tackles and 12.5 tackles for loss.

He’ll likely be a Day 3 pick and a reserve linebacker early on in his career, but the Rams could use all the help they can get at linebacker after losing Littleton.

As for Bryant, he also fills a need. The Rams declined Nickell Robey-Coleman’s option for 2020, leaving a void at slot corner. David Long Jr. and Darious Williams will compete at that spot, but they’re not nearly as proven as Robey-Coleman.

Bryant played safety at Washington last season but at 5-foot-8, he fits best as a nickel corner. He doesn’t boast great length or speed, but he’s plenty quick and is tough as nails when it comes to tackling. Bryant will likely be a late-round pick or priority free agent.

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Saahdiq Charles, Josh Jones could be OT targets for Rams in Round 2

Daniel Jeremiah named two tackle prospects for Rams to watch in Round 2.

One of the Rams’ biggest moves this offseason was re-signing Andrew Whitworth to a three-year deal. The length of his new contract came as a surprise, but the Rams aren’t exactly tied to Whitworth for the entire duration of the deal.

Being 38 years old, Whitworth could very possibly retire after the 2020 season. That would leave the Rams in a tough spot at left tackle, considering how few quality options they have currently on the roster.

There are future starters to be had in the draft, but the Rams don’t pick until No. 52 overall, where the talent will have already dropped off from the top tackles in the draft. That being said, Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network named two prospects who could fit with the Rams in the second round: Saahdiq Charles of LSU and Josh Jones out of Houston.

“Now, I think they need to keep an eye on the tackle position. Obviously it was great to get Andrew Whitworth back for another year, but I think you can keep an eye on that, and some guys in the 50s at that point in time,” he said on a conference call this week. “An interesting player for me is Saahdiq Charles, the big tackle from LSU who is ultra-talented, has some suspensions there due to some marijuana, but that’s a challenge now for the league, and you’re scouting with the way this has changed and the new CBA, I don’t know that you penalize him as much. He’s a very talented player who kind of factors into that portion of the draft. That would be an interesting player there at the tackle position.

“I think Josh Jones, if he was to be there, would make some sense from Houston as a tackle. But those are a couple guys I’d keep an eye on.”

Jones is considered the better prospect than Charles among draft analysts, and is even viewed as a potential first-round pick. Charles’ name hasn’t been mentioned in the first round, but more frequently in the middle rounds on Day 2 and 3.

Both players could use some time to develop, which they would have if they were drafted by the Rams. Whitworth will be the starter for at least one more year, allowing the younger players to sit for a season and learn from the veteran.

Rams’ 2020 draft class won’t take up a big chunk of cap space

The Rams don’t need as much cap space for their draft class as you might think.

No team currently has less cap space than the Los Angeles Rams right now. In fact, they have no cap space whatsoever. The Rams are over the cap by about $5.3 million, and that’s without Leonard Floyd officially signing his contract yet.

Of course, the front office will figure it out and eventually get back under the cap, but it won’t happen without some cuts, trades and restructures – or all of the above.

The Rams still need to leave room for their incoming draft class, too, which will also take up some cap space. However, it won’t be as expensive as you might think. According to Over the Cap, the Rams’ rookie draft pool is $5.876 million. That’s the amount they’ll pair their rookies in 2020, based on their current draft slots; that can change with trades, obviously.

But the cap space taken up by those rookies is less than $5.876 million because assuming they all make the roster, they’ll be replacing players who are currently on the roster. Over the Cap uses this formula to determine how much cap space is required to sign each team’s draft class: Rookie Pool – ($610,000 x number of picks) = cap space needed

So for the Rams, it is as follows: $5,876,430 – $4,270,000 = $1,606,430

Needless to say, $1.6 million isn’t a huge number. The Rams don’t have that amount of money right now, but if they restructure the contracts of Jared Goff or Aaron Donald, they should have enough space to fit Floyd and the draft class under the cap.

Given the limited options the Rams have when it comes to creating cap space, it seems like a matter of when – not if – the team will restructure a contract or two.

Daniel Jeremiah: 2nd round is a ‘great spot’ for Rams to draft a LB

Jeremiah named Jordyn Brooks as a logical target for the Rams in Round 2.

The Rams could go in a number of different directions when they’re on the clock in the second round of next week’s draft, needing help at several positions. And with two second-round picks just five selections apart, the Rams have even more options at their disposal.

They could double-dip on offense with a wide receiver and running back. They could also take the top pass rusher on their board at No. 52 and an offensive lineman five picks later. The combinations are endless, but in the opinion of NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah, the Rams are in a great position to take a linebacker in Round 2.

“Yeah, I mean, that’s a good place to be at in this draft,” Jeremiah said on a conference call this week. “When you look at where they’re sitting, now, that’s a sweet spot, and if I was looking at a couple different positions – you look at the linebacker position, I think that’s a great spot if you wanted to get a linebacker. A guy like Jordyn Brooks from Texas Tech who can fly, I think he would be a great replacement when you lose Littleton, to be able to plug him in right there, I think he’d be a great fit and somebody that kind of plays with high, high tempo, which I know they appreciate there in that organization.”

Brooks is a player who’s been linked to the Rams a few times, not only in mock drafts but also in the pre-draft meeting process. They met with Brooks at the combine, showing early interest in him as a Day 2 prospect.

Brooks is a sure tackler who’s always flying around the field making plays, leading Texas Tech with 108 tackles in 2019. Twenty of those were for a loss, while he also added three sacks en route to being named a first-team All-Big 12 selection.

The Rams need help at linebacker after losing Cory Littleton in free agency, and Brooks would be a logical target for the Rams in either the second or third round. He may not be in the class of Isaiah Simmons and Patrick Queen, but he’s not far behind Kenneth Murray as a prospect, either.

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Ex-Rams C John Sullivan calls Todd Gurley ‘a Hall of Fame-type talent’

John Sullivan had some high praise for Todd Gurley, comparing him to Adrian Peterson.

Todd Gurley’s reputation as one of the best running backs in the NFL all but disappeared last season as his workload was limited and he struggled to find the consistency running and catching the ball that he showed in previous years. That shouldn’t take away from how good he was at his peak, though.

Former Rams center John Sullivan blocked for Gurley for two years in Los Angeles. He also blocked for Adrian Peterson in Minnesota during his heyday with the Vikings. Sullivan knows better than most just how comparative Gurley and Peterson are, and he’d put them on the same level.

“He’s one of if not the best skill-position player I’ve ever played with in my career,” Sullivan told ESPN’s Vaughn McClure. “He’s a different running back than Adrian was — but on that same level. Todd is a Hall of Fame-type talent. The Falcons are lucky to have him.”

Gurley’s struggles last season led to the Rams cutting him this offseason, but it didn’t take long for him to land with another team. He agreed to a one-year deal with the Falcons the day after being cut by the Rams, heading back to the state where he played his college football.

His resume obviously isn’t strong enough for the Hall of Fame yet, but he does have two All-Pro selections, as well as Offensive Player of the Year and Offensive Rookie of the Year awards to his name. Still, he has a long way to go before he’s considered a Hall of Famer the way Peterson is.

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Rams have draft capital to trade into 1st round – but should they?

The Rams could package their 2nd-round picks to move up to No. 27 overall, but that’d be a bad decision.

It’s been four years since the Los Angeles Rams last made a first-round pick, and as things currently stand, it’ll be another two years until they make their next selection in the top 32. To put that into perspective, Sean McVay was 30 years old when he was hired by the Rams and he won’t make a first-round pick until he’s 36.

Few teams, if any, have been as aggressive as the Rams in the last three years. They’ve traded draft picks like candy, acquiring the likes of Sammy Watkins, Brandin Cooks, Marcus Peters, Aqib Talib and Jalen Ramsey.

The Rams don’t have a first-round pick this year (or next), but is it possible they could make a selection in the top 32 during next week’s draft? After trading away Cooks for a second-round pick, it’s certainly possible – albeit, unlikely.

The Rams have the 52nd and 57th overall picks in the draft and could conceivably package those picks to make a big move up, all the way into the first round. Let’s take a look at the trade value chart using figures from Drafttek to see just how far the Rams could trade up.

With a total value of 710 points, the Rams could move all the way to No. 26, where the Dolphins are selecting. That’s an unlikely trade to happen, though, because Miami already has more picks than it knows what to do with. A more realistic move would be a trade with the Seahawks or Ravens at No. 27 and 28, specifically Seattle.

Pete Carroll and John Schneider love to trade down and stockpile picks, and trading with the Rams would net them two second-round picks, giving them four selections in the first two rounds: Nos. 52, 57, 59 and 64.

If the Ravens were to make that deal with the Rams, they’d have picks 52, 55, 57 and 60. Whether that’s more valuable than the 28th pick is up for debate, but it’s a scenario that checks out on the trade value chart.

As for the Rams, moving back into the first round is fun to think about. It’d give them a fifth-year option and excite fans on the first night of the draft for the first time since 2016, but it’d be the wrong move.

For what the Rams need in this draft, they’d be far better off staying where they are and using those two second-round picks to bolster the roster. Although the depth chart looks decent right now, it’s hard to make the case that the Rams are one player away from being back in the Super Bowl. And by trading up to the first round, they’d be saying they’re that close to being the team they were in 2018.

The Rams could help at guard, center, inside linebacker, edge rusher, wide receiver, running back and safety. That doesn’t mean they need Day 1 starters at those spots, but all of them could use reinforcements for the 2020 season and beyond.

If the Rams were to trade up to No. 27 or 28, it would have to be for a surefire starter – which can’t always be found at the end of the first round. Here are some possible targets for the Rams if they were to trade into the final few picks of the first.

  • Michigan C Cesar Ruiz
  • Baylor WR Denzel Mims
  • TCU WR Jalen Reagor
  • LSU LB Patrick Queen
  • Oklahoma LB Kenneth Murray

Notice how there isn’t a guard or edge rusher on that list. It’s not because all of the good ones will be gone by the end of the first round, but because the real value at those positions is in the second and third rounds.

Even at wide receiver, center and linebacker, there’s excellent value in the second round – more so than in the final 10 picks of the first round.

If the Rams stand pat at No. 52 and 57, they could come away with a combination such as OLB Julian Okwara and WR Brandon Aiyuk, or OLB Terrell Lewis and C Lloyd Cushenberry, or OLB Josh Uche and WR Michael Pittman Jr.

All of those players would most likely be impactful from Day 1 for the Rams, which would be far more beneficial than finding one potential starter in the first round. Los Angeles simply isn’t one player away from returning to its 2018 form.

And that’s the primary reason the Rams should either stay put at No. 52 and 57, make a small trade up that doesn’t include packaging both picks together, or even moving down to stockpile more selections in Rounds 3 and 4.

This draft class is simply too deep at the Rams’ positions of need and L.A. doesn’t have the slightest chance to trade up far enough to land a blue-chip prospect in the top 10.

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Rams projected to receive two compensatory picks in 2021 draft

Cory Littleton and Dante Fowler Jr. will bring back two draft picks for the Rams.

The Los Angeles Rams have lost some marquee players in free agency over the last few years, but fortunately, the NFL compensates teams for their losses with draft picks. Compensatory draft picks can be very valuable and teams like the Rams, Patriots and Ravens have capitalized on the system by letting their high-priced free agents leave.

In the last two years, the Rams have received three third-round compensatory picks and two seventh-rounders. They’re in line to receive a few more in next year’s draft, too, after losing Cory Littleton and Dante Fowler Jr. in free agency.

According to Over the Cap, the Rams are projected to be awarded two compensatory picks in 2021: a third-rounder for Fowler and a fourth for Littleton. The Rams also lost Greg Zuerlein, but their addition of A’Shawn Robinson canceled that seventh-rounder out.

The compensatory pick formula isn’t public knowledge and even team executives aren’t exactly sure how the process works. However, it’s primarily based on contract value and also accounts for playing time, post-season awards such as All-Pro honors.

Fowler signed a three-year, $48 million contract with the Falcons after spending one and a half seasons with the Rams. Littleton left Los Angeles to join the Raiders, signing a three-year, $35.25 million contract.

The Rams would’ve gotten compensatory picks if they lost Andrew Whitworth and Michael Brockers, too, but they were able to retain them with three-year deals for each player.

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Rams showing interest in Alabama OLB Terrell Lewis ahead of draft

Lewis comes with durability concerns, but he’s one of the top pass rushers in the class.

There will be two new starters at outside linebacker for the Rams next season after Dante Fowler Jr. left in free agency and Clay Matthews was cut in a cap-saving move. Leonard Floyd will likely be one of the starters, but there’s not as much clarity at the other spot.

Alabama pass rusher Terrell Lewis would make a lot of sense for Los Angeles as a second-round target and the team is showing interest in him before the draft. According to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, the Rams had a pre-draft video conference with Lewis.

Lewis is one of the most interesting prospects in the class due to his lack of experience and durability concerns. He missed 10 games in 2017 with an arm injury and then sat out the entire 2018 season after tearing his ACL in the summer. He returned last season and put together a quality campaign, racking up 11.5 tackles for loss and six sacks with two passes defensed.

He brings excellent size to the table at 6-foot-5, 262 pounds, with the length coaches like to see at the position. As a pure pass rusher, he’s one of the top players in the class. There are just concerns about his durability and lack of college production.

Rams select RB and WR in 2nd round of Mel Kiper’s mock draft

The Rams double-dip at skill positions in Mel Kiper’s latest mock draft for ESPN.

The departures of Todd Gurley and Brandin Cooks have created a couple of openings on the Rams’ roster that otherwise weren’t anticipated. Sure, they have Darrell Henderson, Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods at running back and wide receiver, but it’s very possible Los Angeles adds to those position groups in the draft.

With such great depth at both spots in the incoming draft class, it’ll be hard for the Rams to pass up playmakers in the early to middle rounds. In Mel Kiper’s latest mock draft for ESPN, he addresses running back and wide receiver right out of the gate in Round 2.

At No. 52 overall, he has the Rams taking LSU running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Five picks later at No. 57, Kiper projects Texas wide receiver Devin Duvernay to the Rams. It’s an interesting combination, and as unlikely as it may seem, Les Snead and the Rams front office tend to take the best player available rather than addressing a need.

Here’s what Kiper wrote about the Edwards-Helaire pick:

With Todd Gurley gone, do the Rams really know what they have at running back? Veteran Malcolm Brown and 2019 third-round pick Darrell Henderson Jr. both averaged less than 4 yards per carry in limited opportunities last season. The 5-foot-7 Edwards-Helaire was tremendous for the national champs in 2019, becoming the first player in SEC history with 1,000 rushing yards and 50 receptions in a season. Give him some receiving reps in L.A. and he’d be a great option for Jared Goff. The Rams also have needs along the offensive line and the front seven.

All things considered, Edwards-Helaire wouldn’t be a bad pick at No. 52, depending on how the team views Malcolm Brown. They’re clearly high on Darrell Henderson after trading up to draft him in the third round last year, but Brown is in the final year of his contract and the team nearly let him go last offseason as a restricted free agent.

Duvernay at No. 57 is much more questionable. He’s a smaller slot receiver whose value would seem to be better in the fourth round, especially for the Rams. They already have Kupp to man the slot, and although their wideouts play all over the field, Duvernay isn’t suited to play outside extensively.

Even after trading away Brandin Cooks to get this pick, wide receiver isn’t among the Rams’ most pressing needs. But since I don’t have an edge rusher or guard with a second-round grade, I’m going to look to Duvernay, a dynamic wideout who ranked third in the FBS with 106 catches and fifth with 1,386 receiving yards while working mostly from the slot. Duvernay also ran a 4.39 40 at the combine.

In Kiper’s mock, Jalen Reagor and Michael Pittman – two players better suited for the Rams – go in the two picks right before Los Angeles, leaving them with Duvernay. But in that situation, the Rams would be more likely to take a center like Matt Hennessy or a tackle such as Ezra Cleveland, who were both on the board.

Rams’ Kevin Demoff hopes virtual draft changes outdated process for good

Kevin Demoff doesn’t think it’s necessary for teams to submit draft cards or call in their picks.

The 2020 NFL Draft will take place as originally scheduled on April 23-25, but it will be held in a vastly different form due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There won’t be any events held in Las Vegas, teams won’t be in one location submitting their picks, and players selected won’t walk across the stage to shake commissioner Roger Goodell’s hand.

Instead, it’ll be done virtually with coaches and general managers at home in front of their own computers and TVs. It’ll be quite the change from the traditional format, but Rams COO Kevin Demoff hopes it changes the draft for good.

He doesn’t find it necessary for teams to submit physical cards for each selection, nor should they have to call a draft center every time. Perhaps this digital overhaul will lead to some changes for the better.

“There are many things that come out of moments like this,” Demoff said, via ESPN. “I don’t know that having to have a card and a call to a draft center are needed protocol in 2020 even in the best of scenarios, so maybe a different way to submit picks is an advancement that comes out of this time rather than something that’s just historically done.”

Rather than calling in their picks to a central draft location and then having a representative bring the card up to the commissioner, teams will now submit their selections online through a secure internet connection. Backup options in case of internet failure include landlines and email communication.

That’s the sort of change Demoff hopes to see, shifting away from how things have been done for years in the past. In today’s day and age, there’s no reason to believe the NFL can’t make internet draft picks work in future years, too.

As for how picks will be announced, that process won’t continue after this year. Goodell will be stationed in his home and making pick announcements from his basement. There will be a virtual fan aspect to it all, emulating reactions from fans after the pick is announced, but it’s impossible to beat a live audience as we’ve had in recent years.

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