Recent Nick Wagoner chat:
—You already know I would take Watkins. I think he’s in the mix for them but I still get the sense that others are ahead of him so he’d be more likely in some sort of trade down scenario.
—I think Watkins is still in play though admittedly the Rams are harder to read this year than they’ve been in the past, especially with that No. 2 pick.
—Watkins vs. Evans? I think Watkins is clearly the better option but that isn’t a commentary on Evans so much as it is Watkins. Evans would be a nice addition and he’d fit the mold as the big, physical type. He’d also require more work and patience than Watkins, in my opinion. The knock I heard from scouts on Evans in Indy was centered on consistency of effort. Watkins plays every down like his cleats are on fire. But I think both could/will be very good pros.
—If Houston passes on Clowney, I think he would be awfully difficult for the Rams to pass on. I also think it would give them their best opportunity for a trade down. Quinn is signed through this year but Rams have a fifth-year option they will almost certainly exercise and they could potentially franchise him the following year. I don’t see why Quinn would be out of the Rams’ price range. If you’re talking about long term, Clowney would be more likely to replace Long than Quinn.
—I’ve been told Matthews can play anywhere on the line though I think it’d be a waste of his pass protection skills to have him somewhere other than tackle. He’d be really good as a right tackle right away, I believe. And though Robinson could play guard right away, it’s no slam dunk that he would.
—Favorite round 2 caliber lineman? Here’s a name to file away: Nevada’s Joel Bitonio.
—There just isn’t any other way I can put it than this: Barring a major setback on the rehab front, Sam Bradford is the starting Rams quarterback in 2014. I hate speaking in absolutes because we all know things can change or happen but this is about as sure a thing as there is when it comes to the Rams right now.
—For the record, I think the Rams like Clinton-Dix. I know they met with him at the combine though I’m not sure if he’s that much of a slam dunk should he last to 13. I do think he’ll be available there.
—Bigger Need: CB or Safety? From their comments, I’d say safety. They believe they have their two starters at CB so the need there is for a nickel, which is important but probably not as much as an every down safety.
—Reid still has an uphill climb just to make the roster. That was true when they signed him and it remains true now. Pinning any hopes on him for a role in 2014 is asking a lot. Also, why would you take Armstrong off special teams? He’s one of the best players they have there.
—Yes, they like both Stacy and Cunningham quite a bit. And Cunningham should be even better this year another year removed from his injury.
—My understanding is that Matt Daniels has made good progress toward a return. I don’t know where he’ll fit in the defense since he and McDonald have similar games but he’s a guy that has always intrigued me if he could stay healthy. It’s a shame he hasn’t been able to. Reynolds’ value is solely on special teams. Any time that’s the case, you’re almost never guaranteed a roster spot.
—Zach Martin? I’m a big fan of Martin. Really like his game and having he and Saffold both would give the Rams a ridiculous amount of versatility on their OL.
—It’s hard not to see them spending a relatively early pick on a safety, I agree. I don’t think it guarantees anything in the first round, though. Other options if it’s not Clinton-Dix or Pryor would include Jimmie Ward, LaMarcus Joyner and Deonne Bucannon, to name a few.
—I’m not a huge fan of Benjamin though I think he does have a lot of potential. To me, you’re getting another big project type of receiver if you go that way.Benjamin is paying a visit to St. Louis as one of the “top 30″ prospect visits.
—You can always find ways to get a talented player like Mack on the field but he’s still a linebacker at his core. In fairness to him, if he’s really that talented then you work to get him out there just like you would if you drafted Clowney. But I don’t get the impression that’s the way the Rams are leaning in this one.
—Everything I’ve been told leads me to believe the Rams will not be pursuing Chris Johnson. However, we also have to be pragmatic about it and look at Jeff Fisher’s history of signing his former Titans. If the price was low enough, I wouldn’t rule out the Rams kicking the tires solely based on that. But my ultimate educated guess is no, the Rams will not be adding Chris Johnson.
—I like Watkins-Lewan the best of the combos you mention but here’s the thing: I’ll be VERY surprised if Evans and/or Lewan is available when the Rams pick at No. 13.
—The Rams need to add potentially elite football players. Now, those players can theoretically be had anywhere in the draft but especially at the top, you narrow the margin for error that it won’t work out by going with the best player available. If Clowney makes it to No. 2, the Rams will have a lot more trade options but they’ll also have a more difficult decision to make on whether to just take him and roll.
—Britt has a lot to prove and theoretically he should be motivated but it’s been a long time since he’s been productive. And he wasn’t all that productive even when he was “good.” Because he signed a one-year, low-risk deal, it’s really not a big deal. But I think his addition should be viewed through that spectrum rather than wishing and hoping about an upside that may not (and probably isn’t) there.
—If I had to choose between the two as a fit for the Rams, I prefer Clinton-Dix to Pryor but as I’ve said here many times, I’m personally not all that high on either of them, at least not at No. 13.
—I think people are looking at a trade down as a chance to pick up extra picks and still get an “elite” talent. The question then becomes how many players you view as elite and how many you project to come off the board in the top 10. I personally think the Rams can’t go wrong if they come out with Matthews, Robinson, Clowney or Watkins. But if they moved down a little further and missed on all four, it would seem to increase the chances of not getting a top talent. I’ll have more on this soon. Mel Kiper Jr. had some interesting thoughts on this topic I’ll be sharing.
—Aaron Donald is absolutely a good player and he’d be a good fit as a pass rusher inside but I don’t know that the Rams are in position to use a high pick on a DT. Whether you agree or not, Clowney is viewed as being in a different league than Donald. You make exceptions for someone like Clowney but not necessarily Donald. Now, that said, I never rule out anything and Donald has said in interviews that he’s visiting St. Louis on a pre-draft visit. So perhaps there’s at least some interest.
—Why Can’t Comp Picks Be Traded? I’m sure the league’s thinking is it would create an unfair advantage for teams to be able to trade those picks in theory because they “earned” those picks from losing talent. So a team like the Rams would have more ammo with 12 picks to trade around the draft board. And since the league awards the picks, the already loud screams of bias would likely only get louder.
—Why No FA Safeties? I guess they simply didn’t see any of them as fits. But I agree with you, a veteran stopgap or even for depth would have made some sense. I suppose they could bring Matt Giordano back but that doesn’t really solve much.
—Pettis wouldn’t bring much, if anything, in trade. If the Rams draft a WR early, I suppose they could at least shop him but I don’t know what they’d expect to get in return.
—Kendricks is a free agent after the season and I think the Rams might have some interest in retaining but they’d probably like to see him stay healthy and play out the year before they’d do anything. None of those are pressing needs.
—Barksdale told me last offseason that he spent some time working on learning guard. He’d probably be wise to do more of that this year just in case. But I’d imagine his primary role would be swing tackle unless the draft pick would project as a better option at guard in year one.
—I think it’s quite clear Cudjo and Conrath will be fighting for roster spots come July/August.
—I believe there’s more hope for Quick than Pead. Still, I haven’t seen enough from either of them to bet big on one or both being major contributors in 2014, have you?
—Lewan is probably one of the most ready-made tackles in the draft. I don’t think he’d be a great fit at guard, honestly.
—I think there’s a difference between saying it’s unlikely they’d use the No. 2 overall pick on an LB and saying they wouldn’t use an early-round pick on one. I could see them pulling the trigger on another LB beyond that. I’m a big fan of Shazier, really like his game. And the Rams could use help at LB. If the best LB is clearly better than a CB or S or whatever option, they could go that direction. And for the record, Shazier visited earlier this week.
—Hill has a base salary of $1.25 million and got $500,000 guaranteed. His cap number is $1.75 million. I don’t see any incentives on the deal. Britt’s contract has yet to file so I can’t answer definitively but I believe it’s just salary guaranteed. I also think the number is even less if Britt gets cut if he doesn’t make the roster. I’ll post a breakdown of the deal when it clears.
—I think the Britt signing comes with two ideas behind it: 1. Trying to get better at receiver and 2. Fisher taking a chance on one of his guys. I don’t think it’s a commentary on anything else in particular. But you’d have to think Quick would be motivated knowing his job isn’t guaranteed, right?
—How is Phone Contact Handled during the Draft? The Rams IT guy runs the phone bank and they have multiple lines that can be reached at any time. Plus, I’m sure that if a GM or coach wants to call Fisher, Snead or Demoff direct, they have cell phones too. I don’t think they run into busy signals.
—Schottenheimer and Fisher are both well-versed and have a track record in run-heavy offenses. I think last year was closer to what they’d like to be but a little exaggerated because of the loss of Sam Bradford. The Rams want to be run-centric I believe but not to the extent that they were with Clemens. I’d expect the offense this year to come back the other way a little bit with the run still as the centerpiece.
—I maintained all along the Rams would be better off if they wanted to trade if Clowney is there at No. 2. If he’s not the options are more limited. In fact, unless the Rams wanted to take little in return, I don’t think the Rams would get much in return for a team trading up to No. 2 with Clowney off the board, especially if the target was a QB. If it wasn’t the team would probably be trading up for a player the Rams would want to pick, which makes it riskier.
—In fairness to the Rams, they haven’t had many off the field issues since Fisher got here and guys like Jenkins and Johnson have mostly been on their best behavior. But I think you make a salient point about how much is too much? The Rams have a great locker room but is it possible for there to be a bit of over saturation in terms of past trouble makers? It’s a fine line to walk.
—Under Fisher and Snead they have showed plenty of willingness to take guys who have more upside than the “safe” pick but those players also have more downside. That goes back to their belief in their ability to develop players. Some of those players have made strides, some not so much. It depends on the player but I wouldn’t expect that philosophy to change right away.
—I think there has to be some concern about Robinson as a pass protector. It’s not that he can’t do it, it’s that he hasn’t done a whole lot of it. And you’re right, in trade down scenarios, Matthews and Lewan are more likely to be there than Robinson would be. Clearly the Rams like all three of those top tackles but I wonder how much difference there is in their grades. My inclination is to think not much.
—Trade down with Atlanta if Clowney is available at #2? It’s the deal that would make the most sense. I think it would cost ATL at least a second and a fourth or so but I doubt they’d get a future 1 for it. For the record, I’m skeptical that Houston passes on Clowney at this point.
—Based on how the season ended in terms of playing time, Pettis would seem to be the odd man out. But are we really counting on Britt making it, too? Doesn’t seem like that’s a sure thing, either, especially since he wouldn’t cost much if they let him go before the season.
—Verrett seems like an ideal nickel corner though I wonder if drafting someone to play exclusively at nickel would be a bit of a luxury for the Rams in the first round. He’d make some sense though.
—Justin Gilbert? I like him, great speed, good size. I think he could be the best CB in the draft though there are some split opinions on him. Could be an option if he falls to 13. He visited the Rams earlier this week.
). If not for that, maybe Matt Flynn is still the starter, Wilson is on the bench (or never drafted in the first place?) and SEA doesn't win the Super Bowl.
