Bob Magaw
Footballguy
I think other teams knew Mason was a good RB, even if Auburn wasn't their GM's alma mater or their HC didn't have a son on the team. It wouldn't have surprised me if Mason had been the first RB picked, or the fourth. Fifth was a bit of a surprise, but Sims reportedly reminds TB of Forte, and he was the consensus top pass catching RB in the draft, with a perfect third down RB skill set for now. TEN may have valued Sankey's greater speed, experience in a more NFL-like scheme and proven versatility. CIN and SF probably preferred the size of Hill and Hyde (in other words, even if the GMs from those teams had gone to Auburn, too, they all would have probably drafted the same RBs).
The fact alone that STL knew what they were drafting (they could have had inside information, but Fisher himself when asked a question alluding to this, was sceptical that other teams didn't have similarly thorough information), doesn't lend itself to Mason being drafted to start as the only possible interpretation.
Many teams draft more than one RB, at least as high as Mason, and not always with the intention of them being the immediate bellcow, feature RB.
STL had no way of knowing Mason would fall to them, in that sense, he was a gift. What doesn't fit with the "Rams are down on Stacy and actively looking to replace him" narrative (not referring to you specifically, but that thread contingent in general), imo, is if true, and they felt they had to upgrade the position and it was a dire need, they could have traded up to at least insure getting Mason, but they were content to risk losing him. They didn't plan on drafting him, by their account (for what its worth), but were surprised to see him drop to that point, and found the value too compelling to pass on.
I acknowledge a third round pick wasn't insignificant investment. It is a cliche that the RB position is devalued so a third round pick is the new second round pick. Plus this was a historically good draft. They could have drafted good prospects at other need positions like guard Trai Turner or FS Terrance Brooks, so that does get my attention (there are some Rams fans that didn't like the pick, I wasn't one of them).
It won't surprise me if Mason is more talented and at some point supplants Stacy (though it will if it happens in 2014, let alone in the first month). They in some ways have complementary skill sets, and can do things their counterpart can't, but in other ways there is some overlap. Mason is niftier, Stacy is more powerful (though Mason can run with power, and Stacy will flash nifty feet). But it isn't like Mason ENTERS the league as one of the 10 most talented RBs in the NFL. And given that Stacy didn't starting the first month and being in such a dysfunctional offense with Clemens starting the last 9 games, I can't say there is conclusive evidence to suggest Stacy doesn't belong in the top half of NFL RBs, in which case, I don't see that the GAP between them is so vast, and Mason such an obviously immense talent and clearly more dominant than the plodding, pedestrian Stacy that it is a foregone conclusion Stacy will be swept aside as casually as yesterday's rubbish (imo, will be a much more intense and contested battle for RBBC supremacy than the 2015 poll consensus reflects).
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