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Bernie: Rams likely to go the safe route in draft
• Bernie Miklasz
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/colu...cle_1a2b5dd7-42a7-5000-b2d0-c85a0b4977a3.html
When the Rams turn in the name of the No. 2 overall selection tonight, I’d be surprised if it isn’t an offensive tackle. Greg Robinson, Jake Matthews, take your pick. But the Rams will probably play it safe. They will make a sensible, adult choice and buttress an offensive line in need of reinforcement. That would be my expectation, anyway.
By the way, this isn’t meant to be a prediction column. I have no interest in playing the parlor game. Coach Jeff Fisher, GM Les Snead, chief operating officer Kevin Demoff and capable associates have been leading the media on an elaborate snipe hunt, dropping deep-background clues on cooperative media receptors to get everyone lathered over the possibility of St. Louis taking Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel.
It’s an understandable strategy. If a team or two out there really covets Manziel, then why not try to gin up trade interest in that No. 2 slot?
As a sidelight, it’s been fun to watch members of the St. Louis sports media get all puffed up with indignation and pop their buttons over the very idea of a Rams-Manziel match.
They’re going on like schoolmarms, lecturing the kids to do what’s good for them. Finish your homework! Quit daydreaming! Eat your vegetables! You are going to get an offensive tackle and you will like it!
I don’t think the schoolmarms will be fussing this evening. They’ll get their tackle. Only three things could change that: (1) the Rams’ football people experience a sudden outbreak of boldness and imagination; (2) a crazy trade-down scenario that jumbles the first-round dominos; (3) Fisher succumbs to the temptation to draft a disruptive, edgy defensive player.
I’m not really opposed to the Rams drafting an offensive tackle. It’s certainly an area of need, and this draft features an especially talented group of elite-class tackles.
Moreover, I know better than to think it actually makes sense to give this staff a potential star wide receiver in Sammy Watkins. Based on their extensive coaching history they wouldn’t maximize his talent.
As for Manziel, I can’t help but think of what could be if the Rams jumped out to throw the dice on him at No. 2, or even at No. 13, in the first round.
I’m one of the daydreamers who envisions Johnny Football coming to town to enliven a tired offense and the drab Edward Jones Dome. He would draw new customers and stimulate a bored, beaten-down fan base that hasn’t watched an entertaining offense since the “Greatest Show” production abruptly closed down.
The Rams have scored less than any NFL team — an average of 16.1 points — over the past seven seasons.
Fisher and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer have at least gotten the offense to crawl effectively. Not counting touchdowns cashed in by the defense or special teams, the Rams’ offense scored 261 points in 2012 and raised that to 304 points in 2013. One problem: Playoff teams over the past two seasons have averaged 393 points on offense. Moreover, the Rams continue to lag behind most teams in the count of plays that go for 25 or more yards.
The Rams’ entertainment value crashed a long time ago. That explains why the Rams haven’t averaged 60,000 or more per home game since the 2007 season. It also explains why offseason baseball-Cardinals “Hot Stove” talk is so heavy during the football season.
Manziel would provide instant offense here in more ways than one.
When Rams owner Stan Kroenke hired Coach Fisher we knew what we were getting: a methodical ball-control offense. And that desire was reaffirmed when Fisher hired the methodical Schottenheimer. And it’s been underlined by Fisher’s commitment to the methodical quarterback Sam Bradford.
Fisher is apparently doubling down on Bradford — again. Fisher came here in part because he believed he could win with Bradford. Fisher stood by Bradford instead of drafting Robert Griffin III. Fisher is still up on Sam even though the QB is coming off knee surgery. And Bradford is Fisher’s guy even though Sam will cost them nearly $15 million this year, and $17.6 million in 2015, and can become a free agent after that.
That’s the fascinating thing to me: If the Rams take a pass on Manziel, they’re actually taking a bigger gamble ... on Bradford.
The cynics suggest you can’t win with Manziel because he won’t hold up physically and his freelance style won’t work in the NFL.
That’s interesting considering Manziel’s abundant success against roughhouse SEC defenses. It’s interesting because Bradford is 18-30-1 as an NFL starter. It’s interesting considering that Bradford has had three of his last five seasons (including his final year at Oklahoma) ruined by injuries.
It’s a more substantial risk to stay with Bradford than to bring in Manziel, so upon further review I should acknowledge the Rams’ courage.
Fear not, schoolmarms. I think your chances of getting that offensive tackle are looking very good.
Unless the Rams really are planning a surprise party with lots of goodies, they will be giving us more vegetables. And we will be told to eat them because they are good for you.
• Bernie Miklasz
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/colu...cle_1a2b5dd7-42a7-5000-b2d0-c85a0b4977a3.html
When the Rams turn in the name of the No. 2 overall selection tonight, I’d be surprised if it isn’t an offensive tackle. Greg Robinson, Jake Matthews, take your pick. But the Rams will probably play it safe. They will make a sensible, adult choice and buttress an offensive line in need of reinforcement. That would be my expectation, anyway.
By the way, this isn’t meant to be a prediction column. I have no interest in playing the parlor game. Coach Jeff Fisher, GM Les Snead, chief operating officer Kevin Demoff and capable associates have been leading the media on an elaborate snipe hunt, dropping deep-background clues on cooperative media receptors to get everyone lathered over the possibility of St. Louis taking Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel.
It’s an understandable strategy. If a team or two out there really covets Manziel, then why not try to gin up trade interest in that No. 2 slot?
As a sidelight, it’s been fun to watch members of the St. Louis sports media get all puffed up with indignation and pop their buttons over the very idea of a Rams-Manziel match.
They’re going on like schoolmarms, lecturing the kids to do what’s good for them. Finish your homework! Quit daydreaming! Eat your vegetables! You are going to get an offensive tackle and you will like it!
I don’t think the schoolmarms will be fussing this evening. They’ll get their tackle. Only three things could change that: (1) the Rams’ football people experience a sudden outbreak of boldness and imagination; (2) a crazy trade-down scenario that jumbles the first-round dominos; (3) Fisher succumbs to the temptation to draft a disruptive, edgy defensive player.
I’m not really opposed to the Rams drafting an offensive tackle. It’s certainly an area of need, and this draft features an especially talented group of elite-class tackles.
Moreover, I know better than to think it actually makes sense to give this staff a potential star wide receiver in Sammy Watkins. Based on their extensive coaching history they wouldn’t maximize his talent.
As for Manziel, I can’t help but think of what could be if the Rams jumped out to throw the dice on him at No. 2, or even at No. 13, in the first round.
I’m one of the daydreamers who envisions Johnny Football coming to town to enliven a tired offense and the drab Edward Jones Dome. He would draw new customers and stimulate a bored, beaten-down fan base that hasn’t watched an entertaining offense since the “Greatest Show” production abruptly closed down.
The Rams have scored less than any NFL team — an average of 16.1 points — over the past seven seasons.
Fisher and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer have at least gotten the offense to crawl effectively. Not counting touchdowns cashed in by the defense or special teams, the Rams’ offense scored 261 points in 2012 and raised that to 304 points in 2013. One problem: Playoff teams over the past two seasons have averaged 393 points on offense. Moreover, the Rams continue to lag behind most teams in the count of plays that go for 25 or more yards.
The Rams’ entertainment value crashed a long time ago. That explains why the Rams haven’t averaged 60,000 or more per home game since the 2007 season. It also explains why offseason baseball-Cardinals “Hot Stove” talk is so heavy during the football season.
Manziel would provide instant offense here in more ways than one.
When Rams owner Stan Kroenke hired Coach Fisher we knew what we were getting: a methodical ball-control offense. And that desire was reaffirmed when Fisher hired the methodical Schottenheimer. And it’s been underlined by Fisher’s commitment to the methodical quarterback Sam Bradford.
Fisher is apparently doubling down on Bradford — again. Fisher came here in part because he believed he could win with Bradford. Fisher stood by Bradford instead of drafting Robert Griffin III. Fisher is still up on Sam even though the QB is coming off knee surgery. And Bradford is Fisher’s guy even though Sam will cost them nearly $15 million this year, and $17.6 million in 2015, and can become a free agent after that.
That’s the fascinating thing to me: If the Rams take a pass on Manziel, they’re actually taking a bigger gamble ... on Bradford.
The cynics suggest you can’t win with Manziel because he won’t hold up physically and his freelance style won’t work in the NFL.
That’s interesting considering Manziel’s abundant success against roughhouse SEC defenses. It’s interesting because Bradford is 18-30-1 as an NFL starter. It’s interesting considering that Bradford has had three of his last five seasons (including his final year at Oklahoma) ruined by injuries.
It’s a more substantial risk to stay with Bradford than to bring in Manziel, so upon further review I should acknowledge the Rams’ courage.
Fear not, schoolmarms. I think your chances of getting that offensive tackle are looking very good.
Unless the Rams really are planning a surprise party with lots of goodies, they will be giving us more vegetables. And we will be told to eat them because they are good for you.
