The NFL draft is nearly upon us with Round 1 kicking off on Thursday night at 8 p.m. ET. It’s been a shorter pre-draft process for the Rams than usual after they played into February, but the big night is finally here.
In this week’s mailbag, I answer questions about the draft, the dreaded Super Bowl hangover and restricted free agent tenders.
Troy Hill arrived for voluntary workouts this week, so it’s possible he did sign his tender and the Rams just didn’t announce it. Cory Littleton is a bigger mystery, but it’s nothing to get too worked up about.
There have been no reports about him being discontent with his situation in L.A. and holding out by not signing his tender won’t do much good. The Rams would probably like to sign him long-term, but with such an affordable contract in 2019, waiting is the more financially savvy move.
This is a great question. Cody Ford is a quality player who can line up at tackle or guard, which would make him a great fit with the Rams. Dexter Lawrence, on the other hand, is a rare athlete for a nose tackle and would go a long way toward solving the Rams’ run-defense issues.
Still, I’d rather move down. Going back 10 spots would net the Rams a late-third or early fourth-round pick, which would be worth trading down for. There’s so much depth in this draft that the more picks you have in Rounds 2-4, the better off you’ll be. There isn’t a huge drop-off from No. 31 to 41 in terms of talent.
I’ve heard and read nothing about the Rams being interested in Will Grier, or any other quarterback, for that matter. They have Blake Bortles as the backup, Jared Goff signed through 2020 and Brandon Allen as a reserve player.
Goff has proved to be durable throughout his career, so it’s not as if a rookie draft pick would see the field much, if at all. Spending a draft pick on a quarterback earlier than the sixth or seventh round would be foolish for the Rams, in my opinion.
I don’t expect it to be much of a concern or issue for this team. After just about every letdown – whether it was the playoff loss to Atlanta or their consecutive losses to the Bears and Eagles – the Rams have responded by winning. That shouldn’t change next season, especially with so much time between Super Bowl LIII and Week 1.
Sean McVay has to keep the team focused on the season opener and ensure that everyone knows making it back to the playoffs or Super Bowl isn’t a given. The Rams have to continue to evolve offensively, and that includes McVay’s scheme.
The Patriots and Bears had no trouble stopping their offense, so perhaps McVay will include more position groupings than just 11 personnel next season. Getting complacent and feeling satisfied is the worst thing the Rams can do entering 2019.
The Rams can’t get out of Todd Gurley’s contract until at least 2021, and even then it wouldn’t be wise. Releasing him in 2021 would come with $8.4 million in dead money, while that figure drops to $4.2 million in 2022.
Gurley isn’t going to renegotiate his contract as a result of his injury, nor should he. He earned that deal and the Rams were willing to pay him a year before they had to. He was smart to take the money when he did, securing his future financially.
It’s possible he’ll be back to normal in 2019 and all of these concerns will go away, but don’t expect the Rams to cut ties with him before 2021.
If the Rams draft a wide receiver, it won’t be until Day 3, likely in the fifth round or later. Jalen Hurd is an intriguing prospect because he’s raw and possesses elite athleticism for the position, standing at 6-foot-4.
The Rams are stacked at wide receiver with Brandin Cooks, Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods, but they could use a big-bodied receiver in the red zone. Just don’t expect one to be picked before the fifth round.