Here’s TheTackle…
The talking heads are still pushing the idea that Snead and McVey went all-in on winning "now" - even if it meant sacrificing the future. Except for one more intelligent article by Peter King, this narrative is voiced by media heads again and again, and again and again and again, and again, and again, and again and again! The counter-narrative is that the Bengals have built their team from the bottom up.
Putting aside the fact that once Rogers retires, or is traded to an AFC team, we will have the premier QB in the NFC and possibly the entire NFL - which is the biggest determinate of future success, does this narrative really stack up?
The Rams are the second-youngest team - on average - in the NFL. Most of our starters and key rotational players are draft picks (playing on 2nd to 7th round contracts). I cannot remember a recent draft where the Rams didn't come away with multiple picks that included players that went on (almost immediately) to become starters? For example, Ernest Jones, who is a stud.
Let's inspect the 2019 draft:
Pick 61 (almost the 3rd round) Taylor Rapp, former starter and key role player in SB victory
Pick 70 (early-round 3) Darrell Henderson, former starter and key role player in SB victory (his play was vital in our victory)
Pick 79 (mid-round 3) David Long, key role player and 12th starter as a nickel back in SB victory (he has his distracters but played well in the playoff run)
Pick 97 Bobby Evans, dud, but still on the team
Pick 134 (4th round) Greg Gaines, a rising star and a key contributor in SB victory
Pick 169 (5th round) David Edwards, plus starting LG (on NFL's best line) in SB victory
Pick 243 (7th round) Nick Scott, starting FS and one of our best defensive players in playoff run
Let's look at the Bengals 2019 draft in comparison:
Pick 11 LT Jonah Williams injured for SB loss, but is an average NFL starter (allowed the 6th most sacks at his position in 2021)
Pick 20 TE Drew Sample backup who made no in SB loss
Pick 72 ILB Germaine Pratt, starter who played well in SB loss
Pick 104 QB Ryan Finley traded, with 7th round pick for a 6th, but was subsequently cut and is a FA
Pick 125 DT Renell Wren is on Bengals practice squad
Pick 136 G Mike Jordan waived, is on Panthers practice squad
Pick 182 RB Trayveon Williams bounced on and off Bengals practice squad
Pick 210 LB Deshaun Davis (picked 33 places before Nick Scott) plays for the Saskatchewan Roughriders
Pick 211 RB Rodney Anderson FA
Pick 223 CB Jordan Brown on Raiders practice squad
Perhaps the more useful question would be how do these hacks, who claim to be reporters, find work?
So much for us sacrificing drafting talent! The 2019 Rams draft might have to go down as one of the best drafts in history even though we didn't take a player before picking no. 61.
