Quick peek: rising WR Randall Cobb

Written by Will on Apr 08, 2011 18:13.

WR Randall Cobb, Kentucky's lone representative on ESPN's all-SEC team.

The two elites in this year's draft class -- AJ Green and Julio Jones -- are well known. And the second tier of receivers usually consists of -- in any particular order depending on the scout and the team -- Jonathan Baldwin, Torrey Smith, Leonard Hankerson, and Titus Young. But as more and more game tape is pored over, we're starting to see some newcomers creeping up into the second-round receiver discussion.

One of the risers is Kentucky WR Randall Cobb, who has already been mocked to the Rams by Todd McShay (perhaps after reading it here on New Era Scouting's 7-round mock).

hamilton_justin
holy crap...latest mock draft has Randall Cobb going to the Rams. Fav Cat of all time playing for my fav NFL team.

An example of a player whose profile has been buried by his team's poor performance, Cobb was one of the few bright spots on a 6-7 Kentucky team. Cobb brings a skillset wholly different from any of the other receivers in these upper rounds -- think of a poor man's Percy Harvin in powder blue who can run the ball from a shotgun set, play QB, or just go downfield and make secondaries look foolish after the catch. (Check out the catch and run through traffic starting at 0:50 of this reel.)

Video: Cobb's 2010 highlight reel

With the 14th Pick in the Bloguin Mock Draft, the Rams Select...

Written by Will on Apr 07, 2011 22:21.

The University of Missouri called Aldon Smith their "future Deacon Jones." Where better to earn that legacy than with the Rams.

(Photo: Parker Eshelman, Columbia Daily Tribune)

Aldon Smith, DE, Missouri

The Rams will find themselves in a very tough value spot if the draft shakes out the way it has in the 2011 Bloguin Mock Draft. Both elite receivers are off the board and none of the falling elite defensive prospects (Fairley, Bowers, Quinn in various mocks) are dropping to pick 14. Sitting on top of a huge depth of second-tier defensive line talent, getting value for the pick is the first priority.

In an ideal world, the Rams would trade down here, but since trades aren’t allowed, I’m going to go with the player with the highest ceiling. That player is redshirt sophomore Missouri defensive end Aldon Smith. I can only hope that Spagnuolo’s coaching and further growth into his young frame turns him into the next Justin Tuck or Demarcus Ware.

However, this was far from a slam-dunk decision. We held a lively Twitter round table this morning, opening the debate wide for any and all suggestions, seeking input from Rams fans and scouts alike.

Read on to see how that debate took form.

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Bloguin Mock Draft update: Rams are on the clock!

Written by Will on Apr 07, 2011 13:06.

Corey Liuget has emerged as a favorite for the Rams in recent mock drafts. But is he good value at #14?

The Bloguin Mock Draft steamrolls on, with the Minnesota Vikings stopping the free-fall of DE Da'Quan Bowers, and the Detroit Lions finally deciding to keep their franchise QB upright by selecting OT Anthony Costanzo. Now the Rams are on the clock, and at noon CST today we at RamsHerd will make our pick.

Here's a full roundup of the picks so far:

Unfortunately, the option we want most in this scenario isn't on the board. With both premier WR picks off the board and a huge amount of roughly equivalent defensive line depth below us, trading down would be the best choice. Earlier this week, we talked about the major candidates that the Rams could look at.

A roundup of recent mock drafts shows that this next choice is anything but a slam-dunk:

Mel Kiper (v4.0) seems sold on Illinois DT Corey Liuget.
Todd McShay likes Liuget too, though he has little credibility for me.
Chad Reuter, senior draft scout at CBS Sports, chose Missouri DE Aldon Smith in a recent Twitter-mock with the NFP's Wes Bunting.
Matt Miller at New Era Scouting chose Penn State DE Ryan Kerrigan, with both Aldon and Liuget falling much farther down the board.

Other candidates include RB Mark Ingram, Temple DT Muhammad Wilkerson, and Cal DT/DE Cameron Jordan, who could conceivably raise his draft stock in his scheduled visit with the Rams.

Who is your choice? Hit me up on Twitter (@RamsHerd) or in the comments.

Devaney drafts give hope for the future

Written by Brennan Smith on Apr 06, 2011 19:42.

devaney-spagnuolo

A recent retrospective on the last five NFL draft classes written by CSNBayArea.com’s Matt Maiocco ranked the Rams 27th out of 32 teams, hardly a surprise for a St. Louis team that went 14-50 from 2006 until last season’s 7-9 finish.

The article ranked Jason Smith as the Rams’ worst pick in this time period, but those of us unlucky enough to suffer through the Adam Carriker and Tye Hill picks orchestrated by Scott Linehan and Jay Zygmunt beg to differ.

Carriker, now a Redskin, was chosen over Darrelle Revis in 2007 and Hill started only 21 games in three seasons before moving to Atlanta in exchange for a seventh-round pick.

All in all, of the 17 players drafted from the 2006 and 2007 drafts, only Clifton Ryan remains and even he may be on his way out of St. Louis after spending most of last season on the injured reserve.

Some may argue that Maiocco’s ranking was generous based on the blatant ineptitude of the previous regime to find quality players in April.

However, the ghosts of draft day failures are slowly being exorcised from St. Louis as the duo of Billy Devaney and Steve Spagnuolo have brought depth and talent to a depleted roster.

Of all the draft picks since 2008 under Devaney’s watch, the Rams have 20 of their 26 choices still in blue and gold.

This list includes the youthful foundation of Sam Bradford, James Laurinaitis, Chris Long, Rodger Saffold and Jason Smith along with plenty of talented role players.

Bradley Fletcher was a third-round pick in 2009 and started 16 games last season while racking up 75 tackles and four interceptions.

Chris Chamberlain and David Vobora were both seventh-round picks in 2009, but still combined for 70 tackles, two sacks and two forced fumbles in 2010.

Other defensive youngsters Darell Scott (fourth-round 2009), Jerome Murphy (third-round 2010) and George Selvie (sixth-round 2010) all represent contributions to the team too.

The potential firepower of Donnie Avery and Michael Hoomanawanui is another asset to the St. Louis offense if they can stay healthy next year and beyond.

Under new leadership, there is strong evidence indicating that the Rams will be ranked much higher than 27th on Maiocco’s list in the future.

If Devaney’s draft track record continues in 2011 and beyond, there is no doubt the Rams will translate April success to January playoff appearances sooner rather than later.

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Fun with infographics: Measuring fan discontent with the lockout

Written by Will on Apr 06, 2011 14:33.

lockout-fan-survey

Update: These numbers were based on a poll of 314 fans. Now, though, SI.com has given you the chance to have your voice heard with a really well-done 10-question online poll. Vote now: SI.com's NFL Lockout Poll.

Bloguin Mock Draft Update: Julio Jones is off the board

Written by Will on Apr 04, 2011 20:40.

Was it only a dream, Julio?

Subtitle: "Nooooooooo!"

They could have made it easy for me, my Bloguin brothers could. They could have ignored the "best player available" and addressed their many needs in the defensive spectrum, and let Julio Jones fall for two more days until I could submit my pick in the Bloguin Mock Draft this coming Thursday.

They could have, but they didn't.

With the tenth pick in the draft, Redskins Hog Haven selected the Alabama WR. And even if they had passed, Jones would not have fallen past the Texans at #11, says our old friend Mike Kerns from the Texans Tribune. Here's a full roundup of the picks so far:

With that trades down not allowed, where does that leave us? Looking for our own version of the "best available" talent, which will most likely fall on the defensive side of the ball. A quick roundup of candidates follows:

Healing minds on both sides of the ball: the NFL's about-face on concussion research

Written by Will on Apr 04, 2011 13:43.

Exploring the effects of football injuries that can't be seen.

Part 1: Tackling the Unknown.
Part 2: The Disease the NFL Wanted to go Away.
Part 3: A Light in the Darkness.

Mike Webster snapped every ball for the Steelers for ten consecutive years, a hero with four Super Bowl rings. Fred McNeill capped a 12 year career with the Vikings by making partner in a law firm. Shane Dronett was never a star, but after ten years in the league was able to provide a fine life for his family, and was just beginning to live it.

Before each man had turned 50, his life had imploded, felled by a brain disease that, until last year, the NFL refused to acknowledge.

Webster forgot how to eat, and would taze himself to unconsciousness just to get some sleep. Paranoiac fears invaded Dronett’s dreams and his waking life, until the only escape came from a gun turned on himself. McNeill lives in a fog, unable to work, barely tethered to reality by his ex-wife.

These are just four of a growing number of horror stories that have altered the field of brain science, and changed the way the league considers player safety.