It was a risky move for the St. Louis Rams to have vacated the 6th spot in the 2012 NFL draft and allow the Dallas Cowboys to select the top cornerback prospect, Morris Claiborne. As good as Claiborne might be, he couldn’t have helped the St. Louis Rams. They need much more than one player to help turn this franchise around, and they know it.
The Rams are the winners of only 15 games over the last three seasons. The result has been a single first-overall pick and two second-overall picks, including the second selection again in this year’s draft. Prior to the draft, the Rams’ management decided that one more top player wasn’t going to be enough to help turn this franchise around. When a team losses as much as they have over the past few years, their franchise has fundamental roster issues that need to be corrected. Bringing in one, or ever two, superstars is not going to change anything. The entire roster needs to get more competitive at virtually every position.
This analysis led them to make the high risk/high reward swap of the #2 overall pick (Robert Griffin III) to Washington for a massive haul. They picked up this year’s 6th and 39th overall picks and an additional first rounder in 2013 and 2014. When it came time to pick at #6 the Rams were happy to move down to the 14th spot and pick up an additional 2nd rounder this year. They later moved that 2nd rounder down even further and picked up an additional first rounder. The end result was ten picks in the 2012 draft, five of them coming in the first three rounds including a massive three 2nd-rounders. When you add this sizeable draft haul to their other recent top picks, the Rams could be starting 10 players drafted in the first two rounds this upcoming season. This is before factoring in the four first round picks the Rams will have in the next two seasons.
The highlight of the Rams draft is first round selection Michael Brokers, a massive Defensive Tackle from LSU, who will join two other first round defensive linemen, Chris Long and Robert Quinn. This gives the Rams a chance at having one of the league’s premier defensive lines a few years from now. At the top of the second round the Rams selected huge WR Brian Quick, who will team with last year’s 2nd rounder TE Lance Kendricks in rebuilding the talent around QB Sam Bradford. Corner Janoris Jenkins was drafted next and will play alongside free agent acquisition Cortland Finnegan who will give the Rams an upgrade at a sorely needed position. The Rams final second round selection was RB Isaiah Pead, the fastest back in the draft, who should complement All-Pro Steven Jackson nicely.
The success or failure of the trade to allow the Washington Redskins to acquire Robert Griffin III will not depend on the success of Griffin himself, but rather on the success of Sam Bradford. All of the talent they now have surrounding Bradford should give him the best chance to succeed.
If their gamble pays off as it appears it might, the Rams will have made off like bandits.
…and that is the last word.
