I don't have the inclination to study all the players before the draft so I appreciate those that do. With that said, I do study them after they become Rams. Here is what I see...
Tutu can fill a role and I suppose McVay got D Jax to fill it and is counting on him so show Tutu how it gets done. Let's start with what he obviously isn't. Dude can't block, doesn't win contested catches, has a tiny catch radius, and he can be tackled by a fingernail. I see only two traits that make him special. The first one is that he eats up space faster than I remember seeing in a long time. The second is that he stems his routes instantly to get the edge he's assigned to obtain. These two elite traits allow him to create space for himself and others. This tells me that McVay has plays designed that he wants and hasn't been able to utilize without those two traits.
Earnest Jones looks unremarkable on tape, but once again, it's a matter of the type of role they envision and how the player fits. The most difficult job for an NFL linebacker is to read his keys and instinctively do the job assigned. Entire offenses are predicated on confusing the defense and putting them in a bind. While many focus on the splash plays that make highlight reels, play in and play out performance is the mark of consistency that makes the most difference. That's hard to see on film unless you understand what the D Coordinator has planned. Yes, the player must be stout enough and fast enough to execute his assignments. Those two traits exist with this player. This "leadership grade" the Rams value is a nuance fans and analysts have no access to understand such intel. How do you respond to mistakes whether they are yours or others on the team? Can you trust the process when you aren't getting results? Can you absorb information and translate it instantly on the field? I don't know if Jones is that guy but apparently the Rams believe he is. He isn't well spoken but it's football, not debate class.
Finally, my hopes for an upgraded offensive line have been dashed. The Rams must believe their development of the existing players is better than what I can see. Maybe they are right. Maybe Sean's plan for Stafford, Akers, and the WRs is so advanced that the OLine doesn't need to overwhelm...they just need to execute for three seconds and the scheme will do the rest. Perhaps the three years of development of a middling performer is better than a more physically gifted rookie. Maybe the plan is to pick up veteran depth later this offseason. I guess the need to have Kiser/Jackson replacements if they get injured again is more essential. I really have no F'ing idea but nothing frustrates me more than seeing plays get blown up by defenders who bust into the backfield with little resistance. And nothing in football makes me happier than a bunch of pancakes that demoralizes a defense. I guess Chuck Knox and John Robinson are dinosaurs and I just like dinosaurs. McVay has been generally successful in developing a running game so I'm just an idiotic old fan who doesn't get it. I doubt I ever will.
