 I FEEL A DRAFT COMING, BY JAMES RAPHAEL (March
8) |
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I'm gathering every scrap of
information I can to prepare for the big draft weekend. A couple of thoughts and observations about the gathering storm: 1) Charley Armey says he will draft the "best available player"--with some bias towards need in the event there are multiple players bunched together in terms of ability when the Rams draft. How much of a bias will ultimately be injected in the Rams' picks towards need will be interesting to see. This year's draft looks especially deep inoffensive linemen, linebackers, and wide receivers. Given the odds, it is at least reasonable to assume that the best available player at the end of the first round might very well be in one of these three positions. Howard Balzer has already dismissed the idea that the Rams will draft a WR, presumably even if that is the best available player. I also wonder whether an OLman makes much sense as the first-round pick, if the management truly feels they have their whole line as they want it under contract for the next three years, along with promising reserves in the wings. It's even possible that a QB (e.g., Pennington) will be there as the best player available at the end of the first round. Any bets that Armey would stick with the "best available" formula under those circumstances? 2) After about the first 15 players in the draft, it looks to me as if there is a group of about twenty players who are pretty close in terms of ability. In other words, the Rams ought to be able to do about as well at #31 as they would in the middle of the first round, but with a narrower range of choices. 3) Of course, the happiest of all coincidences would be being able to draft truly the best available player and having that player approximate the team's most pressing need(s). But my "feel" for what those needs are is getting confused by what has happened this year in free agency. In the past, we have been able to count on having restricted free agents already on roster for the full four years their restricted movement. Efforts to sign away Tucker and Jenkins this past month suggest, however, that guys like Little, Hakim, Williams, Fletcher, and Horne may in fact be gone after next season, depending on their performance, the player market, cap room, etc. Assuming the Rams are drafting this year with the idea that the selections will work their way into the lineup during their second season or so, this potential shrinking of the roster cycle from 4 years to 3 seems to broaden considerably the definition of "need". 4) At any rate, on the basis of immediate circumstances, I would think that the most logical positions for the Rams to draft early are at DT, CB, DE, LB, S, and maybe RB/FB. Hmmm...basically defense. I continue to hope that my main man, Julian Peterson of the Mighty MSU Spartans, will fall to the Rams, but it looks like he is climbing into the middle reaches of the first round. I just hope the Whiners don't grab him. 5) Finally, a question: Why has Armey been more successful over the past two years finding street free agents to fill the roster than finding draft picks in rounds 5-7? It's a bit of a conundrum. |
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