The Rams find themselves approaching next month’s NFL draft much
like they did the ones in 2015 and 2014 and 2013 — with a desperate need
to improve their offense.
The numbers tell the story
The Rams were last in 2015 in total yards, passing yards, passing touchdowns, first downs, average plays per drive, average yards per drive and percentage of drives that ended with points. They were 29th overall in points scored.
In a word, they were awful.
“We’re well aware that to get where we want to be, we need to go from the 30s in scoring points to a lot better,” Rams general manager Les Snead said.
That’s the bad news.
The good news is, thanks to some above-average drafting the past three years, the Rams are essentially set on defense, at running back and with no glaring need on the offensive line.
Can a QB help their offense?
Not that they won’t look to improve in certain above-mentioned areas through the draft, but they can afford to shift focus away from them and zero in on positions of urgent need.
Quarterback and wide receiver, to be exact.
• RELATED: LA Rams 2016 draft order is released
No matter what you think about the Rams naming quarterback Case Keenum their present starter, or how they are confident he will enable them to be competitive, understand they are absolutely aware of the need to find a long-range answer at quarterback and someone who lifts the bar from “stabilizing the position” to making it a strength of the team.
To a lesser extent, they are doing the same at wide receiver, where they lack a No. 1 target who can gobble up yards in large chunks, help create space for star running back Todd Gurley and provide a solid, reliable option in the red zone.
What would be considered a good draft?
1. Get the franchise quarterback
2. Hope a quality wide receiver is available in the second round
And while that is easier said than done, the Rams are decently positioned to achieve their goals — although it will require boldness to move up the draft board and/or the shrewdness to maneuver around it.
What’s the Rams’ 2016 draft playbook?
The numbers tell the story
The Rams were last in 2015 in total yards, passing yards, passing touchdowns, first downs, average plays per drive, average yards per drive and percentage of drives that ended with points. They were 29th overall in points scored.
In a word, they were awful.
“We’re well aware that to get where we want to be, we need to go from the 30s in scoring points to a lot better,” Rams general manager Les Snead said.
That’s the bad news.
The good news is, thanks to some above-average drafting the past three years, the Rams are essentially set on defense, at running back and with no glaring need on the offensive line.
Can a QB help their offense?
Not that they won’t look to improve in certain above-mentioned areas through the draft, but they can afford to shift focus away from them and zero in on positions of urgent need.
Quarterback and wide receiver, to be exact.
• RELATED: LA Rams 2016 draft order is released
No matter what you think about the Rams naming quarterback Case Keenum their present starter, or how they are confident he will enable them to be competitive, understand they are absolutely aware of the need to find a long-range answer at quarterback and someone who lifts the bar from “stabilizing the position” to making it a strength of the team.
To a lesser extent, they are doing the same at wide receiver, where they lack a No. 1 target who can gobble up yards in large chunks, help create space for star running back Todd Gurley and provide a solid, reliable option in the red zone.
What would be considered a good draft?
1. Get the franchise quarterback
2. Hope a quality wide receiver is available in the second round
And while that is easier said than done, the Rams are decently positioned to achieve their goals — although it will require boldness to move up the draft board and/or the shrewdness to maneuver around it.
What’s the Rams’ 2016 draft playbook?
The Rams will commence serious organization-wide draft meetings next week when they officially set up shop in Southern California. But the sense is they’ve already identified North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz and Cal’s Jared Goff as the quarterbacks most likely to start and excel early in their NFL careers.
The problem is, so have every other quarterback-starved team. And it’s likely three of those teams are the Browns, 49ers and Eagles — all of whom draft ahead of the Rams, who have the 15th pick. This means the Rams have to trade up to be in position to draft Wentz or Goff.
• BONSIGNORE: 2016 NFL Draft — Mock Draft
Wentz seems to be staking his claim as the best quarterback in the draft, and the Browns appear a lock to draft him at No. 2. Unless the Rams are willing to give up a king’s ransom to acquire the No. 1 overall pick from the Titans, Wentz isn’t a realistic option.
Goff, on the other hand, could be within reach. In trading Sam Bradford to the Eagles last year, the Rams picked up an extra second-round pick (No. 45 overall). Combined with their own second-round pick at No. 43, the Rams have flexibility to move up in the first round or back into it later in the draft.
In the first scenario, they send the 15th overall pick, No. 43 and either a second-round pick in 2017 or a fourth-round pick this year (No. 110 overall) to the Ravens for the sixth overall pick — and ahead of the 49ers at No. 7 and the Eagles at No. 8 — to select Goff.
With their quarterback in place — and still armed with a high second-round pick — the Rams address wide receiver at No. 45 with Tyler Boyd, Pitt’s all-time leading receiver. And keep in mind, Boyd’s 254 catches for 3,361 yards and 21 touchdowns eclipsed a former Pitt guy by the name of Larry Fitzgerald.
Boyd is not a complete package at WR, thanks mostly to how he was used at Pitt. But with NFL coaching and playing in a pro-style offense, he can replicate the type of production he enjoyed with the Panthers at the next level.
While the Rams will absolutely investigate moving up to get Wentz or Goff, it’s important to remember it takes two to tango. And if the Ravens aren’t a willing trade partner, the Rams need a fall-back option.
In this scenario, they sit tight at No. 15 and grab whomever they deem as the best wide receiver in the draft. All of whom should still be available.
Laquon Treadwell is considered the draft’s most polished receiver, although a poor 40-yard time (4.65) at his pro day at Ole Miss on Monday could push him down the WR pecking order while elevating Baylor’s Cory Coleman and TCU’s Josh Doctson.
Any of the three would be a welcome addition to the Rams’ wide receiver population, and each has a chance to be a Day One starter.
But they still need a quarterback, and with the Broncos lurking at the end of the first round, the Rams have to be creative to maneuver into position to draft their quarterback of the future.
Which they do by sending the 43rd pick in the second round and the 76th pick in the third round to the Carolina Panthers for the 30th pick overall. The Rams use it to select Cook, whose big-game experience and pro-style offense upbringing at Michigan State make him a likely candidate to get on the field sooner rather than later.
Obviously there are no guarantees the Rams identify a willing dance partner.
But one thing seems sure: If they want to secure their quarterback of the future, it’s going to take creativity and boldness.
From=http://www.presstelegram.com/sports/20160329/bonsignore-la-rams-will-need-creativity-guts-to-draft-franchise-qb
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