The football landscape has changed. But has a blockbuster trade and the free agency period changed the approach of the St. Louis Rams? With the NFL draft right on our doorsteps lets take another look at the Rams and their options.
In a huge early offseason move the Rams traded away the second overall pick in the draft. Holding the pick did not make a lot of sense for the Rams as it seemed to be earmarked for the quarterback out of Baylor, Robert Griffin III. Instead of sitting and picking, the Rams made a trade with the Washington Redskins to maximize the value of that second overall pick. The two teams swapped first round picks while the Rams also picked up the Redskin’s second round pick of this year and Washington’s first round picks for each of the next two drafts.
The Rams also made signings through free agency that could have an impact on how they approach the draft. The Rams had one of the worst secondaries in all of football last season, and had big holes at defensive tackle and offensive line. They made it a point to address these needs by bringing in arguably the top defensive back on the free agent market in cornerback Cortland Finnegan, formaly with the Titans. They continued to fill holes by signing Kendall Langford, Dolphins defensive lineman, and Scott Wells, a former Packers center who has a Pro Bowl under his belt. The one major need that the Rams failed to fill was at wide receiver. They elected not to over pay for the top options in free agency and instead settled with Steve Smith. He played last with the Eagles, but injuries have him far removed from his past Pro Bowl form.
Despite the trade and the signings, the Rams could still find themselves drafting a player they would have picked before the slew of offseason moves. The only difference in moving from the second pick to the sixth pick is that instead of getting their choice of Matt Kalil, Morris Claiborne or Justin Blackmon, they will instead get the one still left on the board. Even on the off-chance all three of their top choices are gone when they go on the clock, they still will be in a good spot. They could take the only elite running back in the draft, Alabama’s Trent Richardson, or take the other top wideout in the draft class, Notre Dame’s Michael Floyd.
The Rams are building the right way, and with three of the top 40 picks in this year’s draft as well as future extra first rounders, they can launch themselves into a position to compete for a playoff birth for many years to come.
