Tag: St. Louis Rams (Page 5 of 42)

      Had 49ers not taken Jenkins at No. 30, Rams may have selected him at No. 33

      April 30, 2012 /

      The 49ers surprised observers last Thursday night when they selected Illinois receiver A.J. Jenkins with the 30th overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. But now we know that if the Niners hadn’t snagged Jenkins at No. 30, the Rams probably would have taken him at No. 33.

      Yahoo! Sports’ Michael Silver was actually in the war room with Jeff Fisher and Les Snead in St. Louis last weekend and observed the Rams’ 2012 draft. He was on 101 ESPN sports radio in St. Louis today and filled hosts Randy Karraker, D’Marco Farr and Chris Duncan in on the Rams’ draft strategy when it came to selecting a receiver.

      In response to whether or not he knew the Rams would take Appalachian State receiver Brian Quick with the 33rd overall pick, Silver responded:

      “Yeah, I sort of knew their thinking on the receiver position. And I think the thinking was this: Blackmon at No. 6, we love it. We’re not going to trade up to do it but we love it at No. 6. If we don’t get him we pretty much have to get one of the five that we worked out, and I think the order was Blackmon first, with Quick and Jenkins right there with him. Then it went down to (Michael) Floyd or (Kendall) Wright after that. Once the four were gone and Quick was left, they did not want to mess around.”

      It’s interesting that, at least according to Silver, the Rams had Quick and Jenkins rated ahead of Floyd and Wright because many people speculated that St. Louis would have taken Floyd at No. 14 had Arizona not selected him at No. 13. But that was never the case. The Rams had Trent Richardson ranked first, Blackmon ranked second and LSU defensive tackle Michael Brockers ranked third. Brockers, whom Silver believes the Rams would have taken at No. 6 even if they hadn’t traded down, ultimately went to St. Louis at No. 14.

      Getting back to Jenkins, it’s always interesting to hear about how things played out in teams’ war rooms after the fact. I’m sure plenty of Niners fans thought Jenkins was a reach at No. 30 but there’s a strong possibility that the Rams would have taken him at No. 33, so clearly the Illinois’ receiver was ranked higher on teams’ draft boards than people thought.

      This is just one more example of how far off the media and fans are when it comes to projecting what teams are thinking on draft night.

      External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

      Browns’ Heckert disputes King’s report about Justin Blackmon

      April 20, 2012 /

      In his latest edition of “Monday Morning Quarterback,” SI.com’s Peter King recently reported that Browns GM Tom Heckert “loves” Oklahoma State wideout Justin Blackmon and if Heckert wasn’t overruled by president Mike Holmgren, Blackmon would be Cleveland’s pick at No. 4.

      But Heckert states otherwise.

      “I haven’t spoken to Peter King in years so I have no idea where that came from,” Heckert told reporters on a conference call. “Everything you have heard is complete nonsense. It’s just this time of year and I understand that.”

      In defense of King, he could have received that information from a trusted source that knows Heckert. But it’s easier to dismiss King’s report when you hear Heckert say, “I haven’t spoken to Peter King in years…”

      If the Browns were to take Blackmon at No. 4, it would be extremely interesting to see what the Rams do at No. 6. Listening to Jeff Fisher’s comments this week at Rams Park, it definitely appears that St. Louis is fully committed to Steven Jackson as its primary back. But if Blackmon was off the board at No. 6 and Trent Richardson fell, I have a hard time believing the Rams wouldn’t take the Alabama running back with their first selection. After all, St. Louis would only have to worry about having Jackson and Richardson on the same roster for one year. If Richardson looked like he could handle the full-time rushing load in his rookie season, then the Rams could part ways with Jackson next year when he turns the dreaded age of 30.

      But I was at Rams Park earlier this week and like he always seems to be at this time of year, Jackson is in tremendous shape. Thus, the hope for St. Louis is that Cleveland takes Richardson at No. 4, Blackmon falls to the Rams at No. 6, and Sam Bradford finally gets his big-time weapon in the receiving game.

      External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

      Eagles and Rams interested in No. 4 pick?

      April 13, 2012 /

      According to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, “multiple teams have called the Browns about their No. 4 pick.”

      At least three or four teams in the top 20 have expressed interest in trading up, and the Browns are expected to have some enticing options on draft day.

      Rams coach Jeff Fisher, who has the No. 6 pick, has already identified the Browns as a potential trade partner, and the Eagles at No. 15 are believed to be interested in trading up, sources said. At least two other teams are in the mix.

      And it’s not just Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill that teams are after. There’s been considerable interest in USC offensive tackle Matt Kalil, LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne and Oklahoma State receiver Justin Blackmon.

      When Fisher said Friday morning on “Mike & Mike” that the Browns were potential trade partners for the Rams, I assumed that St. Louis could be targeting Cleveland’s second pick in the first round (No. 22 overall). The reason for my thinking is because the buzz in St. Louis is that the Rams want to trade down – not up.

      But if this report from the Plain Dealer is accurate and the Rams do want to move up, I’m willing to bet that they’re targeting one of two players: Matt Kalil or Trent Richardson. I know a lot of mock drafts have the Rams selecting Justin Blackmon, which would certainly make sense given St. Louis’ need for a No. 1 receiver. But I just have a feeling that Blackmon isn’t on the top of the Rams’ draft board and believe it or not, I think there’s a strong possibility that he goes No. 3 to Minnesota.

      The more interesting trade scenario involves Cleveland and Philadelphia, with the Eagles potentially moving up for Ryan Tannehill. As I’ve stated in other articles, I don’t view Tannehill as a top 10 pick and it seems like a stretch that the Eagles would part with a No. 1 pick in order to move up to No. 4. Because they’re not moving into the top 5 for anything less than their No. 1 in 2013.

      As for Cleveland, it would be a dream scenario for the Browns to trade down and still land an impact player at the top of their draft board. If they swap places with the Rams, they might be able to still land Richardson at No. 6, all while acquiring more draft selections in the process. (Provided that St. Louis doesn’t take him at No. 4, of course.)

      External Sports, NFL

      Browns seemingly hold the draft fate of the Bucs and Rams in their hands

      April 10, 2012 /

      If the top 3 of the 2012 NFL Draft goes the way many expect, then the Browns hold the fate of the two teams selecting directly behind them.

      It’s safe to assume that the Colts will draft Andrew Luck with the top overall pick and that the Redskins will select Robert Griffin III at No. 2. And while GM Rick Spielman has tried to drum up interest in cornerback Morris Claiborne, chances are the Vikings will take offensive tackle Matt Kalil at No. 3.

      But once the Browns are on the clock at No. 4, everything gets a little less predictable.

      Cleveland could stand pat and take running back Trent Richardson (whom I selected for the Browns in my first mock draft), receiver Justin Blackmon, or Claiborne. If Minnesota somehow passes on Kalil, he becomes an option for the Browns at No. 4, even though they’re already set at left tackle with Joe Thomas. (Cleveland still needs a right tackle and it may be difficult for the Browns to pass on the opportunity to pair an intriguing talent like Kalil with a five-time Pro Bowler in Thomas.)

      The Browns could also trade the pick, which might ultimately be in their best interest. If they can pull off a trade with Miami at No. 8 and still land Richardson, then Cleveland wins. That’s the Browns’ best-case scenario right there.

      But the key is whether or not some team will want to trade up and if they do, whom would they target? Many believe that Richardson is an Adrian Peterson-type prospect, but running backs have become increasingly less valuable in a pass-heavy league. And while the Dolphins and maybe even the Chiefs could trade up for quarterback Ryan Tannehill, is he a top 5 prospect? Better yet, is he the type of franchise signal caller that teams would want to part with a first-round pick for? If the Dolphins stay pat at No. 8, they could feasibly get Tannehill there and not have to part with any picks in order to move up.

      Thus, we’re back to the Browns and their options at No. 4. If they take Richardson, then the Rams would be ecstatic because that means Blackmon would likely fall to them at No. 6. If the Browns take Claiborne, it’s a realistic possibility that the Bucs will take Richardson at No. 5 because whom else would they take? They need defensive line help but Quinton Coples and Melvin Ingram both have question marks, and they’d be reaching for a DT like Fletcher Cox or Michael Brockers. If Cleveland selects Blackmon, then you’ll probably see St. Louis attempt to trade down or if Richardson is there, the Rams may tab him as Steven Jackson’s replacement.

      Either way, it all starts with the Browns at No. 4. They’re the first piece of the domino.

      NFL, NFL Draft

      Report: Browns inquired about Rams’ Sam Bradford

      March 28, 2012 /

      ESPN Cleveland’s Tony Grossi reported earlier today that the Browns inquired about a trade for Sam Bradford before eventually attempting, and failing, to acquire the No. 2 overall pick.

      The Browns asked the Rams about trading for quarterback Sam Bradford before turning their attention to Robert Griffin III, sources said at NFL meetings this week.

      The Rams said no.

      “His name came up, not from us,” Rams coach Jeff Fisher said Wednesday morning. “Clubs inquired. But there was no consideration whatsoever on our part (to trade Bradford).”

      Fisher would not confirm the Browns were one of the teams.

      “I prefer not to get into specifics about the conversations. I can say there were teams that inquired,” Fisher said.

      This would be the second time the Browns tried to snatch Bradford. Prior to the 2010 draft, President Mike Holmgren made a last-ditch offer to move up from No. 7 to No. 1. The Rams – under a different regime – held the top pick and wouldn’t budge.

      In a text response, Shurmur declined to comment on whether the Browns tried to trade for Bradford.

      I think it’s a little odd that both Fisher and Shurmur either denied or declined to talk about whether or not the Browns tried to trade for Bradford and yet Grossi still wrote, “The Browns asked the Rams about trading for quarterback Sam Bradford,” in the first sentence of his article. I don’t doubt that Grossi has other sources but it’s funny how both head coaches washed their hands of the report and Grossi ran with it anyway.

      But I digress. I’m not surprised to hear that the Browns allegedly tried to trade for Bradford this offseason. He and Shurmur had success working together in St. Louis two years ago and he’s a perfect fit for what Cleveland is trying to do offensively. But while I’m not surprised that the Browns inquired about Bradford, I’m even less surprised that the Rams turned them down.

      Bradford is coming off a bad season but he has the makings to become a great quarterback under the right tutelage. His rookie year was comparable to Matt Ryan and Dan Marino’s first seasons (at least statistically) and he has the intangibles to develop nicely under Fisher (who must see Bradford’s potential or else he would have traded him when he had the opportunity). Last year Bradford tried to learn a complicated Josh McDaniels offense in a lockout-shortened offseason and wound up getting hurt under the Rams’ shoddy protection. I’m more inclined to think that 2011 was the aberration and not 2010.

      What’s interesting to me about Grossi’s report is whether or not Mike Holmgren has tipped his draft hand here. He’s allegedly made two attempts this offseason to try and upgrade the Browns’ quarterback situation so does that mean that Cleveland will take Ryan Tannehill at No. 4? That seems too high for Tannehill but hey, it’s the NFL draft – you just never know.

      External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

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