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 by actionjack
4 weeks 22 hours ago
 Total posts:   4039  
 Joined:  May 19 2016
United States of America   Sactown
Superstar

ramsman34 wrote:Oh this place is gonna be fun next week for sure.

Again,

THEY ARE NOT TRADING UP FOR A QB.
They probably won’t even draft one unless it’s laaaate.

I think they trade way up for a playmaker or LT.

If they don’t, and the playmakers they want are gone, I think they go Mr. 69’s route and move up for the edge they want - if they move up at all.

The least likely scenario to me is they move back. The caveat there is if Chop Robinson falls and they like him and they think they can trade back and still get him. I think he goes earlier than people think bc of his insane athletic traits. Who knows, the Rams might like PA’s guy, Adisa Isaac - the other Penn St. guy. And might grab him in the 2nd.

Like I said, gonna be fun to see who of us has guessed right. Haha.


It would not surprise me at all if they trade back, guys could get taken early and they move down collect more and get a Penix or Bo in the second :)

 by snackdaddy
3 weeks 5 days ago
 Total posts:   9690  
 Joined:  May 30 2015
United States of America   Merced California
Hall of Fame

Latu talking about Rugby being less risky than the NFL for head injuries. It does make a little sense. When I was a teen we used to play some hard hitting tackle football with no protection anywhere. Quite a few injuries. But never a head injury. I'm thinking when there is a helmet protecting the head guys tend to get more reckless. Without it you're not taking risks with the head and neck.

 by Zen_Ronin
3 weeks 5 days ago
 Total posts:   2051  
 Joined:  Sep 26 2016
Canada   Edmonton, AB
Pro Bowl

Latu's tape looks incredible, but I'm legitimately concerned about that dude dying on the field. I know that a lot of people have been told to stop playing their contact sport of choice and still had great careers but..... 😬 I don't know man..... the NFL is a vastly different beast from college. The power, size, and speed. As much as I'd love this kid to come to LA and have a hall of fame career I'm also worried that the worst case scenario might be the more likely outcome.

At the end of the day it's his choice, and he looks fantastic at a position of need for us. I'd still personally go D-line first and maybe if Latu is still available further down in the draft go for him at that point.

Super curious to see what Sneed/McVay do this year!

 by Elvis
3 weeks 5 days ago
 Total posts:   38769  
 Joined:  Mar 28 2015
United States of America   Los Angeles
Administrator

From what i gather (mostly Dr. Chao), the risk with Latu is if he hurts his neck again, he has to retire. You can only do that fusion once and he's already used his.

Randy Mueller loves him:

https://theathletic.com/5412463/2024/04 ... er-top-10/

9. Laiatu Latu, edge, UCLA
The ability to rush the passer is the No. 1 skill NFL teams look to acquire in today’s game. And there are a couple of guys to pick from at the top of this year’s draft class. Although Latu comes with a bit of a medical concern (he medically retired from the game in the spring of 2021 because of a neck injury before being cleared and returning a year later), his ability to turn the corner and close on the quarterback is hard to find. If he can keep his weight in the 250- to 260-pound range, he can set the edge versus the run with enough force to be a three-down player. The only question is fitting him with the scheme in which his style of play can produce. Adding front-seven players on defense is always about fit, but his natural bend and pass-rush toolbox allow him to bring value at almost any edge position, no matter the base alignment.


Heard him on a podcast and Mueller compared Latu to some really good players. He also likes Chop and says after the top 4 there's a big drop off, not a lot of depth at edge. Said a guy like Murphy wouldn't be going so high if there were more/better defensive players in this year's draft...

 by snackdaddy
3 weeks 5 days ago
 Total posts:   9690  
 Joined:  May 30 2015
United States of America   Merced California
Hall of Fame

Chop Robinson certainly has a very quick step to get around tackles. But he needs to expand his repertoire of moves. He might not be a 3 down player. If he's there in the second round I'd certainly pick him at that point.

Latu has the impressive measurables to be a good one. But the medical issue is concerning. You wouldn't want the first time McVay picks in the first round to be a guy who gets hurt and has to walk away after a season or two.

Murphy is a good choice. But the comment about not being many defensive players worthy of a first round pick is interesting. Would he be a reach if there were more first round caliber defensive players?

If T'Vondre Sweat drops into the 3rd round I wouldn't mind picking him. A giant space eating run stopper who would require double teams in the mold of Vita Vea?

I think if the Rams team doctor says Latu is healthy enough and they trust their doctor, then he should be the pick. A position of need and possibly BPA at 19.

 by Elvis
3 weeks 5 days ago
 Total posts:   38769  
 Joined:  Mar 28 2015
United States of America   Los Angeles
Administrator

Most mocks have Latu going before 19, seen a bunch with Murphy going to the Bengals at 18.

Snead's stepson Tate is the long snapper at Texas so i'm sure he's seen those guy play a lot and maybe has some inside intel to boot. You have to wonder how/if that will effect the Rams draft. I've Snead talk about how important it is to take bias out of the process, account for how the human brain works. He might go the other way and downgrade Texas players because he thinks he's biased...

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487 posts May 18 2024