George C. Scott has agreed to play the role of @PFF_Tyson in the film adaptation of #MockThree.

With the selection of Graig Cooper as Mr. Irrelevant, MockThree is officially in the books and the Rams war room breaks into exhausted cheers.

With a 16-hour draft clock and the vagaries of interacting with 31 other war rooms, there has been little sleep in our "smoke-filled-room" over the past six days. (In fact, that "smoky" smell emanates from a combination of the beef jerky, barbecue chips and Kaldi's coffee that has been fueling our draft efforts.)

Now that the dust has settled, here's a recap of our draft efforts: 

Round 1: Rams pick Illinois DT Corey Liuget

The draft got off to a bit of a stumble out of the gate, as our dream scenarios fell one by one and we were left with the fourth option on our board, Corey Liuget. But while we expressed some not-so-private frustration at the time, Liuget was on our board for a reason -- he's very quick off the snap, very polished with his technique, and able to get to the quarterback. He'll be able to come in and contribute in Spagnuolo's defense from day one.

Ironically, each of the War Room members had our own favorites for this spot, some more loudly than others, but Liuget was the one guy we could all agree on as a compromise pick. He's sort of the "BLT and fries" pick on the menu -- guaranteed to be good, but you probably won't brag about it.

Round 2: Rams pick Illinois RB Mikel Leshoure

Tim led the way with this pick, jumping on the running back option far sooner than some of us might have. As perhaps the most educated guy in the room, Tim laid out his arguments for Leshoure like bricks of an impenetrable wall, blocking any objections with his logical masonry.

Perhaps the biggest benefit of going running back at this juncture was that it broke up a three-way battle royale over which of the group of second-tier receivers to cast our fate with. Van, Tyson and I each had our projected heroes (I liked Titus Young) and goats (and not Leonard Hankerson), not a one aligning with the other -- a common symptom of this group of misfit talents.

Round 3: Rams select Wisconsin G John Moffitt

At this point, I put my foot down. Literally. As the rest of the room cast out notions and ideas, I removed my mud-encrusted boot and two-day-old sock, stepped up onto my chair and planted my gnarled, unpedicured, cheese-smelling, hairy-toed, 37-year-old foot onto the folding table that housed our big board. When you ask an oldster into the room as a "senior advisor," you have to be prepared for the worst.

"If we're going to re-commit to the run, we have to rebuild the interior," I growled, as shock waves of putridity assaulted my brothers in arms. "Now." There was no further argument, and the road-grading Moffitt was an obvious choice.

Round 4: Rams select Boise State S Jeron Johnson

This pick was all Van. Perhaps tired of the mounting waves of concern about player safety, or just looking to inject a little danger into the defense, he advocated for a man who might literally kill someone on the field with his intense tackling ability.

With a growing Viking bloodlust in the room as he retold tales of Johnson's heroic exploits, the call to draft Jeron built to a roar until the pick was announced. I believe things were set on fire, though my memories of that night are a little hazy.

Round 5: Rams draft SDSU WR Vincent Brown

Though still just an apple-cheeked babe, the head of our War Room showed a cool head and sharp eye that were far in advance of his years. This was keenly on display in this fifth round, as the rest of us nursed our hangovers and our grudges and watched in amazement as Tyson plucked a fantastic value pick in Vincent Brown.

Brown is a player that was once in consideration back in the group of 2nd-round receivers, but whose star began to fade after a sub-par Combine 40 time, and the fickle pre-draft buzz moved on to flashy projects like Kentucky's Randall Cobb. But Brown is a guy that steady-handed scouts love, and Tim wasted no time in mining some valuable points to back up the pick: "In the last two seasons, Brown has averaged 17.3 yards a catch and 19.6 yards a catch. He’s posted a long of 30 yards or more in 14 of his last 19 games, 8 of which were over 50 yards."

This is one of the picks that really excites us.

Round 7: Rams select Appalachian State LB D.J. Smith

With no immediate prospect of signing any undrafted free agents, there was no such thing as a throw-away pick in the 7th round. And so we actively sought out useful players who could come in and fill needs, even after more than 200 top talents had exited the board.

We hope we've found a gem here in D.J. Smith, who former Rams scout Dave Razzano compares to small-school star linebacker London Fletcher. If anyone would know, it would be Razzano, who was with the Rams when Fletcher walked on and went on to start all 16 games of his rookie season.

Round 7: Rams select TCU DT Cory Grant

Tyson went back to an old favorite here, re-mining one of his late-round gems from Mock One, and providing Spagnuolo with a stout new weapon for the interior of his defensive line.

While Liuget profiles to be an eventual three-down replacement for the 34-year-old Fred Robbins, the beefier Grant should rotate in nicely in the opposite DT slot on first and second downs, filling the space vacated by Cliff Ryan.

We have to salute @EmPuLsE for running three of the most entertaining and insightful mock drafts of this silly pre-draft season, and for having the audacity to invite more than 100 twitterers to form up in to 32 war rooms for this epic session. Now, we put our mocks away and get ready for the real thing...

Damione Lewis game-worn jersey for sale. Anyone? Anyone?

When a draft pick busts spectacularly, like Jamarcus Russell, Troy Williamson, or Courtney Brown, it makes headlines and that player’s name is immortalized in excrement for that team’s fan base. But when an entire draft class evaporates into valuelessness, it can set back a team for years.

The 2001 Rams draft disaster -- spending four picks in the top 44, including three first-rounders, and not getting a single franchise player -- was a dynasty-killing blunder. The 2006 and 2007 draft classes that should have jump-started the recovery instead produced names infamous among Rams fans -- Tye Hill, Claude Wroten, Joe Klopfenstein, and Adam Carriker -- and brought to a merciful end the destructive Jay Zygmunt era.

Putting those drafts in perspective, though, I found that neither ranks among the top ten worst drafts of the last fifteen years.

Who says? A new value metric created by Pro-Football-Reference.com. Their “Career Approximate Value (CarAV)” statistic seeks to provide a rough numerical summary of a player’s positive contribution to their team, regardless of position.

For example, here’s how they rate the infamous 2001 Rams draft class:

(Bold indicates the player is still active, still adding to his CarAV score.)

Now, this wasn’t a good draft. But here’s a scary thought: the Rams’ total approximate value from the 2001 draft was actually one of the highest of the entire Zygmunt era.

These guys were given roster spots and ample time to play, and they were average. Not great, not bombs, just average. Average play over an extended period of time accumulates CarAV points. For example, Damione Lewis never became a force, but he did tally ten sacks for the Rams while doing dirty work on the line, and continues to be a reliable plug in Carolina’s well-regarded defensive line. And his production from the same position was a small notch better than Cliff Ryan’s, who we generally regard as a halfway decent player.

Now compare these scores to the top of the Rams' 2006 draft:  

Those five players combined haven’t had the impact on the league that Tommy Polley had. Now that’s truly frightening. But after the break, we play Vincent Price and take a look at a few drafts that were even scarier:

Football lovers don't celebrate yet -- Judge Nelson's ruling is but a speedbump for NFL lead counsel David Boies and their mission to "take back the league." While they trade arguments and appeals, our Lockout purgatory continues...

There was really no win here for NFL fans, even though Judge Susan Nelson has ruled against the NFL Owners' ability to lock out their no-longer-unionized players. And really, she had very little choice in the matter but to rule, once it became clear that neither side was committed to her preferred process of mediation. From her statement: 

"Ensuing delay would simply exacerbate the irreparable harm the Players are incurring every day the so-called 'lockout' continues."

(All quotes from the proceedings are taken from Daniel Kaplan of the Sports Business Journal (@dkaplansbj).)

As a former mediator, Nelson prides herself in finding a middle ground between parties, or in coercing them to act like grown-ups and find it themselves. However, the legal position of the NFL proved intractable. Their arguments were two-fold:

Owners: We have every right to lock out an opposing union. The players' non-union is still a union. Their decertification is a sham (not that we expect you to rule on this, since we already have a case before the National Labor Review Board).

Judge Nelson's response (emphasis mine):

"This Court finds that the disclaimer is not a mere tactic because it results in serious consequences for the Players... employees have the right not to be a union as much as they have the right to be or organize as a union."

Owners: The Norris-Laguardia act says that no judge can end a lockout. Therefore, you can't rule in this case.

Today, Judge Nelson's actions said, in effect: "Oh yeah? Just watch me."

Marshall Faulk is all smiles, now that his job isn't on the line.Only seven years ago, Rams legend Marshall Faulk was coming off an 11 touchdown season when the team pulled somewhat of a shocker and selected Steven Jackson 24th overall in the 2004 draft out of Oregon State.

Ironically, Faulk was selected Thursday to announce St. Louis’ second round pick this year and could be calling for Jackson’s eventual replacement when the Rams turn in their choice.

Despite rushing for over 1,200 yards and six touchdowns last season, Rams GM Billy Devaney made it clear they are looking for someone to spell Jackson in the increasingly running-back-by-committee NFL. This draft is rife with talented backs; here is a look at five prospects that could be selections for the Rams:

Mark Ingram, Alabama 5-9, 215 pounds

Ingram is regarded by most as the best prospect at running back in the draft this year and dominated at Alabama. He reportedly visited the Rams earlier in the offseason and has been mentioned at 14 if they miss out on Julio Jones.

There are questions about a knee injury and he isn’t particularly shifty or fast, but he never shies away from contact and has been compared to Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith for his field vision. Ingram also won the Heisman Trophy and a National Championship in 2009 after rushing for almost 1,700 yards and 17 touchdowns in the brutal SEC.

His projected draft slot is a little high for me and the Rams have other more pressing  needs to fill but Ingram would add instant power to the offense and would be a nightmare one-two punch along with S-Jax for opposing defenses.

[Note: fellow RamsHerd writer Maurice Walker offered a full exploration of the case for and against picking Mark Ingram this weekend.]

Mikel Leshoure, Illinois 6-0, 227 pounds

Leshoure is a bigger back and runs with the same style and physicality as Jackson. He doesn’t have elite speed or elusiveness but is regarded for his pass blocking. He has the ability to catch the ball, though was little utilized as a receiver at Illinois.

After rushing for 1,697 yards and 17 touchdowns last season, He could become a multi-dimensional weapon for Sam Bradford and could be available when the Rams are making their second round pick.

[Note: Leshoure was the pick of the Rams War Room in MockThree, and fellow RamsHerd writer Tim Shields makes his case for the pick.]

Alabama RB Mark Ingram has been a polarizing figure among Rams fans.

Julio Jones isn’t the only former Crimson Tide player in contention to be selected by the St. Louis Rams at 14.  Many local and national media types have at least broached the subject of the Rams interest in the Alabama running back, including Post-Dispatch beat reporter Jim Thomas, Examiner.com columnist Tim Klutsarits, and ESPN Draft pundit Mel Kiper Jr.

There are arguably other, better candidates to be selected at 14 that Rams fans would prefer over Ingram, however for several reasons, Ingram to the Rams makes sense as well.  Here I’ll provide ammunition for both sides, starting with making the case for why he should be the pick.

For: He’s the highest rated RB

The need for a backup/second running back is something that is well known among Rams fans, and well documented among the media.  Mark Ingram is currently rated number 21 out of Scout’s Inc. Top 32 prospects.  He is the highest rated RB and the only one in the draft that carries a first round grade.  Ingram is efficient in all of the tools of the trade it takes to be a successful RB in the NFL.  He has all of the numbers (572 attempts, 3,261 yards, 42 TD’s) and is a former Heisman Award winner.  Aside from the on-field performance, he fits the famed “four pillars” model that Coach Spags and Billy Devaney have instituted.  

For: He fits the scheme

One of Ingram’s strong suits is his vision running between the tackles.  Although he doesn’t have straight-line, home run speed, Ingram is very shifty and excels at working inside.  This fits with the zone-blocking scheme the Rams run.  The zone-blocking scheme allows the running back room for cut-back runs, and space to maneuver inside.  Also, Ingram’s inside vision would help him to be successful despite the Rams’ well-documented interior run-blocking woes.

Ingram also wouldn’t simply be a third-down back.  If selected, especially in the 14 slot, Ingram would not only represent a solid backup edition, but he would be the future of the Rams backfield.    Ingram is the kind of back that can carry the load on early downs.  What this would allow for is more Steven Jackson on third down, be it in the backfield or split wide, which we are sure to see in the new Josh McDaniels offense.  In essence, Jackson would receive some backfield help, while also helping to groom the workhorse to take over the reigns.

Let me see your Poker Face...

Is the draft a choose your own adventure book?  Is there no changing the future after that first decision is made?  Which adventure will the Rams choose with their 1^st rd pick… will they choose offense like that of the GSOT  Rams or choose defense and build their version of the 2001 Ravens (extreme examples of course).  Well the draft is not a one round choose your own adventure, it is a seven rounder. Yes that first one is big but it does not determine the end result or dictate which adventure a franchise will embark on. 

One thing is certain; Billy Devaney has become a master of the pre-draft smokescreen. He is earmarking all the pages so no one knows which adventure he is taking the Rams on.  And that’s the way he likes it.  And I am okay with that. I like a GM who keeps it close to the chest.   From looking at the articles below it appears he is doing a very good job at it.

Will he move up to grab his coveted WR…

…or does he stay 14 and grab a DT…

...who knows, maybe he goes Tight-End

….Only thing we know for sure as Will pointed out in his column is they ain’t going QB.

Devany has impressed at least one of the Talking Heads, and in this case it's the head with the hair.

@MelKiperESPN Mel Kiper Jr. Best drafts in my opinion the last 2 yrs (includes UFA's) 2009 -GB   & Det - 2010 - NE, Oak, Pitts, St. Louis, TB, GB

A few links on who might end as the Rams choice at #14:

Still Jonesen for Julio:
Mr. Smith goes to St. Louis:
Too Liuget, too Liguet to draft, hey hey:

A Couple of other thoughts heading into the 2011 NFL Draft

Rams fans have been feeling uneasy about, well pretty much everything.  For the 5 plus years it has been tough to be a Rams fan.  Mad Mike ran the team into the ground and the Linehan did everything in his power to keep them there. Games were not on TV and fans were not at the games. So you’ll have to forgive us for still taking the glass-is-half-empty approach even when things start going better.  The Rams have their franchise QB, went from 1,2 to 7 wins, have a young  up and coming D and what appears to be a strong front office and they are back in prime time this season. Twice the Rams will appear on MNF.  I want to get excited, I do but I can’t help feeling like Charlie Brown waiting for Lucy to pull the ball away at the last moment.  I just really hope Stan Kroenke isn’t playing the part of Lucy to the fans Charlie Brown.

Patience, not sure if it’s one of the Four Pillars but it is absolutely going to be an important virtue within the Rams war room for the 2011 Draft.  For the first time since 2007 the Rams will not have one of the first two picks.  So Spags and Bill D have can sit back, relax, and get in some serious Angry Birds action on the IPad…though my guess is their attention will be focused elsewhere.

The Rams add punishment with the additions of Wisconsin G John Moffitt (above) and Boise State S Jeron Johnson (below).

MockThree is steamrolling forward like a ... well, like a steamroller. Sorry, it's late on a Friday and my metaphor bank is about empty. And as we enter the meat of the draft, the Rams war room had a mission to add some serious beef to the team.

Round 3: In for a penny, in for a pound.

With the 78th pick in #MockThree, the #Rams select John Moffitt, G, Wisconsin.

In round two, the Rams war room deviated from its original mission and made an aggressive move to secure the future of our running game, drafting Mikel Leshoure. The only problem? The Rams had almost no inside running game last year behind our offensive line, especially after John Greco fell out. (What happened to Greco? That is one of 2010's great unsolved mysteries.)

Only two guards were taken in the first round -- no surprises in Mike Pouncey and Danny Watkins -- but another four flew off the board in round two, starting a little run and putting the Rams in a dangerous spot. It was either grab our guy now, or depend on capricious fate to either return Greco to us healthy, or open the gates to free agency so we could land a blue-chip replacement like Logan Mankins.

Fortunately, the run on guards subsided and Moffitt fell to us, which made the decision pretty easy. We also considered Will Rackley, but Moffitt had the benefit of playing on a dominant and punishing Wisconsin line against superior competition, and is seen as more complete and ready to start than Rackley, who has pass protection issues.

Moffitt is known as a powerful straight-line blocker who is quick to engage and hard to shake off. He enjoys finishing his blocks in the run game, and is tenacious and instinctive in pass protection. His weakness, though, is a lack of nimbleness that prevents him from delivering those second-level blocks that were so important to the Pat Shurmur swing-pass offense. We believe that will be less of a concern under Josh McDaniels.