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RockRam
When I listen to the Days 2 and 3 aftermath videos with Snead and McVay, then the choices of players becomes clear.
However as fans we of course have the right to disagree. The other side of the coin is: who is more likely to actually be right? A successful organization that is now being emulated and every year has coaches and management raided because of it? Or fans and media that have only limited access to knowledge of the players, team plans, and overall the team's viewpoint of where they stand?
McVay and Snead virtually said that they had NO NEEDS. Even with the loss of Brockers and Fox, they felt they didn't really need to draft DL, but a couple of guys they really liked fell to them, so they took them. They were NOT looking for a CB3, they were looking for a CB4. And they think they got him. They were NOT looking for immediate starters. Every pick was about depth and variation except for STs where they were looking for immediate contributors to elevate the coverage teams.
There were guys that many here and in the media projected as day 1 or mid day 2 picks that fell. Why? Because all 32 teams passed on them.... not just the Rams. And there were guys that were taken day 1 or mid day 2 that seemed to be taken higher than most of us expected, because certain teams valued these guys higher than we did and felt if they didn't take them early another team would get them. Who was right? I'll place my bet on the teams' FOs getting it right more often than us.
The Oline was perplexing until you listen to the conviction of Snead and McVay that the Rams have 11 guys on the roster, 10 of which are experienced players, that have shown who they are in actual games. As Snead said, it wouldn't have mattered who they picked in the draft for the Oline, none would have been able to crack the first 8 (the game day guys). And then as they point out, they add back in the guy that opted-out in Chandler Brewer that they think very highly of. And of Anchrum as well. Bottom line; there simply was no place for another Olineman in the room. You can only develop so many guys. So, they were going to take a flyer in UDFA territory and not waste a draft pick.
Now we can say they're wrong. But clearly they believe they're right and proved they believe it by what they did. They didn't mean to do something else but screwed it up.
WR. Maybe it's because McVay is a little guy that he has an affinity for little guys. I don't know. But they clearly thought Atwell was special. As I watched some of his videos, he is far more of a true WR than Tavon Austin was. He knew how to work the DBs, has good hands, and can get deep with his exceptional speed. And as McVay pointed out, he has a unique ability to track the ball in the air without slowing down..... which is what has made D. Jax such a successful deep ball WR.
As for the two big WRs. I have watched Harris play many games. The guy is for real. Unbelievable speed for a man that size (for any man for that matter). He's tall and he plays tall. Bullies CBs. Good, not great, hands. A willing blocker. But what Snead pointed out was that (for him) Harris was the #1 guy in the draft as a special teams coverage guy. And so many of those day 3 picks had STs in mind.
I don't recall ever watching Jones play. But clearly they love the guy. They think he diagnoses, leads, is a sure tackler, and is a very consistent player. Long arms, bats balls down etc. The key is that he plays the run really well (and we all know that was a weak spot in the Rams' D). Nope; he's not a name that even appeared on a lot of peoples' radar. But I'll bet he was on the short list of more teams than only the Rams.
It's more fun, no doubt, to draft a guy that has been highly hyped by the media and so fans think he's the next HOF player to come out. What matters more is to get guys that will build the team, fits the locker room, and will fill the role they are drafted for, for a number of years. Maybe only half (at most) will ever make it. That's about average for a draft. And there will be a number of 1st round guys that bust, and later round guys that will become stars. But it will take time before we learn which is which.
Patience, grasshopper. In the end its about winning games and Championships. Obviously the Rams' FO believes they're ready to do that.
We will find out when the season starts if we are being fed a bunch of BS. If these guys can't make the roster, then it was a stupid draft and the Rams threw away picks. If your team was so good that it had no needs, you wouldn't need many players so why wouldn't you have traded picks to move up and take only one or two of the BPAs?
What they are reportedly saying doesn't make sense.
