I know I know nobody has ever thought about this topic, but why did we pick Robinson over...

[DR RAM]

I don't disagree. But I don't really consider WR and SLB the same thing because SLBers are not full-time players anymore. It's like a FB. I was more speaking about full-time players. That's my mistake. I should have specified.

It comes to that at some point. We are at that point now. We need solid QB play, and a good WR. I know that I am preaching to the choir.

 

[OC--LeftCoast]

No way, not wasted, really? You really believe he was a wasted pick?

So, who would be playing LT for us?

A wasted 2nd overall pick? Yes I do, I pray I'm wrong, and if so we can re-up him, I don't hate the guy or criticize his effort, just don't agree with the slot they selected him.

We could have drafted someone in the 2nd round, say a 3-4 year starter in a non spread program (like a Havenstein) and I don't think there would be much of a drop off to date (then of course there would be no Joyner)

Picking "projects" over immediate impact players within the top 10-12 overall 1st round picks is risky as hell in my book

Too late now, I was on board after they drafted him, no other choice, just not the way I was hoping it would go down

Knocked it out of the park tho with Donald

 

[DR RAM]

A wasted 2nd overall pick? Yes I do, I pray I'm wrong, and if so we can re-up him, I don't hate they guy or criticize his effort.


We could have drafted someone in the 2nd round, say a 3-4 year starter in a non spread program (like a Havenstein) and I don't think there would be much of a drop off to date (then of course there would be no Joyner)

Picking "projects" over immediate impact players within the top 10-12 overall 1st round picks is risky as hell in my book

Too late now, I was on board after they drafted him, no other choice, just not the way I was hoping it would go down

Knocked it out of the park tho with Donald

OLT, may be the hardest position to pick, in the NFL. This pick was not a fail, IMO.

 

[drasconis]

Or you resign him and he is a rock for another 7 or 8 years so it's not wasted? Sign your own draft picks and don't waste money on free agents is the way to do it.

The trouble is if you pay your picks like FA it is the same thing. Really the best you can hope for is that they develop early so you get good cost savings and then you can sign them to a friendly deal before they become free agents. The perfect example would be Quinn, produced early (so got a lot for your money there), gave him early extension that got him some real money but likely below market value for what you get for next few years. you really do not want the guys to reach FA point where you have no real leverage (yes there is franchise but with our # of picks and the cost of the tag...that becomes iffy).

Take Austin for instance in theory if you want to keep him around you want to give him extension this upcoming year, but with his development cycle it is tough to price him at this point.

Robinson is the same issue, the slow development forces a team to hold off on making the call to extend and possibly lose leverage -and you do not want to extend a bust. This upcoming year is his 3rd and it really is the year want to start making a call on him.

 

[OC--LeftCoast]

OLT, may be the hardest position to pick, in the NFL. This pick was not a fail, IMO.

Fair enough

He needs to take a huge step forward next year to make this work

 

[fearsomefour]

I wanted Matthews over Robinson, but, I get the reason Robinson was taken.
My favorite QB in the draft was Carr by a country mile.
It sure is easier with hindsight working 20/20.
I think Robinson did progress some this year.
I am hoping he makes a big step next year.

 

[Barrison]

Imagine if we would have selected Khalil Mack and then follow it up 10 picks later with Donald, talk about a ramgasm!

 

[Debacled]

Revisionist. Is what it is, cannot come back to it 2 years later and think ohhh but it was so clear!

Just like the Jason Smith pick. Nobody knocked it hard, nobody was crying from the roof tops saying what a reach what a terrible pick. The guy just finished his 2nd season and people are acting like he is done playing in the NFL or something. Not every player develops to their potential. Some take a couple years, some never come out of the weeds (Smith being a good example of this).

But lets play ball. Say they traded down. We likely would be looking at Zack Martin and Aaron Donald from that draft and it looks damn good. Perhaps they would have grabbed Taylor Lewan (who hasn't looked special) instead unless they wanted Martin to play T. They had just grabbed Tavon and Bailey the draft before so I don't think they were looking at WR too strongly.

 

[VegasRam]

These kinds of posts are just stupid.

If Blair doesn't miss......
Oh wait, he did.
End of story.
Move on.

Like Seattle did, and the Vikes didn't

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Standing pat, I felt Bortles was a smart pick early in the process. But Sam looked pretty good before that fateful Carolina game. So, I ignored my own rule about always taking the QB when you are in position to take a good one, if you are at all unsure about the ones you've got. Sam Bradford was quite the tease.

I felt BPA had to be Mack. If I had picked, it would have been Matthews, though. Which would have been okay, but it would have been a need pick. How since k would the defense have been with Mack? He could play either DE spot. Then either take Donald or my favorite second pick was Mosely. CJ and Mack would have put the defense in the top five IMO. I love having Donald but doubted his stature. I wanted the Rams to sign Linval Joseph for the Dt rotation.

Robinson has to pan out or that draft is a total fail IMO. There were so many possibilities for those two picks. It was an epic draft class.

 

[Yamahopper]

Love the hindsighting. But look at it this way Houston fans are hindsighting Donald over Clowney.
No one is ever happy.
Tho if not Bortles then not trading back in to the first for a legit QB prospect was a sin the Rams have to atone.

 

[jjab360]

Standing pat, I felt Bortles was a smart pick early in the process. But Sam looked pretty good before that fateful Carolina game. So, I ignored my own rule about always taking the QB when you are in position to take a good one, if you are at all unsure about the ones you've got. Sam Bradford was quite the tease.

I felt BPA had to be Mack. If I had picked, it would have been Matthews, though. Which would have been okay, but it would have been a need pick. How since k would the defense have been with Mack? He could play either DE spot. Then either take Donald or my favorite second pick was Mosely. CJ and Mack would have put the defense in the top five IMO. I love having Donald but doubted his stature. I wanted the Rams to sign Linval Joseph for the Dt rotation.

Robinson has to pan out or that draft is a total fail IMO. There were so many possibilities for those two picks. It was an epic draft class.

...I can't see how any draft with Aaron Donald in it could possibly be considered a total fail lol.

You'd make an all time great hindsight GM btw

 

[OnceARam]

You are right. But what does being right do for you?

 

[shaunpinney]

The thing is at the time we had massive, massive holes in the Rams roster. We needed a left Tackle and we selected the LT with by far the biggest up-side, yes he's been a project, but he, along with our young o-line will be a monster unit. IIRC, most people wanted us to draft Sammy Watkins in '14 - Beckham Jr wasn't really an option on the table. But as others have said you could have Beckham Jr on our side, but who's going to throw the ball to him? It's not like we have had good QB play in the last 5 years...
It's the same way people loved the Tavon Austin pick (at the time) hated it when he didnt produce day 1 - now they're loving it again. I remember people screaming because we selected another D-liner in the first round, a certain Mr Aaron Donald, that worked out ok - hindsight is a marvellous thing

 

[blue4]

There were many posts before that draft by people hoping that we traded down, or got a QB or a WR. Matthews also had a lot of support. So the hindsight thing doesn't apply to quite a few people.

 

[FrankenRam]

....
Picking "projects" over immediate impact players within the top 10-12 overall 1st round picks is risky as hell in my book....

While I agree with the idea in general, I don't think virtually anyone thought GRob's progression would have been as slow as it has. I don't try to evaluate individual players, but do try to listen to as many different 'expert' opinions as I can find. And I can't recall any other player having as overwhelming a positive consensus evaluation as did GRob. If you payed close attention, there were a few who did add the caveat that it may take him a bit to learn good pass blocking technique, but those largely got buried in the din of 'He is so talented and athletic,, it won't be a problem.' For all intents and purposes, the consensus was that he was the best of OP & Ogden. Obviously, that has turned out not to be the case...thus far.

 

[FrankenRam]

It would be great if we had an uber talented WR right now...but WRs don't complete passes to themselves. IMO, it's the least valuable position in football. Because of how reliant they are on the QB. With our terrible QB play, I don't see having good WRs turning us into a playoff team...especially when our OL gets worse in the process.

We'll see if Robinson pans out. Right now, it looks like he was the wrong pick. But the book isn't written on him yet.

I think Aaron Rodgers might disagree with WR's being the least valuable position in football. In general, I get your premise and generally agree. Larry Fitz would be a good example as he had a couple of his least productive seasons until AZ picked up Palmer. And while a really good QB can make an avg WR look better than he is, it's also true that a really good WR can make a QB's job easier as well.

As of this point in time, GRob strikes me a bit like the Chris Long of LT's. I.e., a guy who will turn out to be very good at his position, but not quite what might have been hoped for with the #2 overall pick.

 

[Athos]

In this hindsight, you trade down from 2 and pick up either Lewan or Martin.

Keep Donald and trade up for Carr.

I think we're a better team.... I too agree I'm not sure GRob will yet be worth that haul...

But meh.