[Youngblood22]

TMAC will be available for us.

And even Omarion Hampton

Do you not draft Omarion Hampton who could be another Jonathan Taylor?

RB isn't a real need for us, plenty of other backs in the later rounds. Much rather go TE WR or CB with our first pick.

[ramsman34]

If a RB is the best player on the Rams board and the next best isn’t that close, they take the RB. The Rams don’t use need as a top criteria. At least I don’t believe they do. Most really good teams just don’t do that.

[69RamFan]

If a RB is the best player on the Rams board and the next best isn’t that close, they take the RB. The Rams don’t use need as a top criteria. At least I don’t believe they do. Most really good teams just don’t do that.

I kind of disagree with you on that,
I feel they would trade down and pick up more draft picks,
because of no need in that position. IMO

If you look at last season's draft, we needed to replace AD stat numbers,
So, Verse fell to us, and we drafted him, in which we needed a power edge rusher,
then traded up to get Fiske, so with those two draft picks,
to my eyes, it was a need to replace AD's numbers.

[Youngblood22]

I believe need is ONE of the factors that teams use. I don't think RB is a position they would draft early, of course I could be wrong but that's my opinion. TE, WR, CB RT and ILB are positions of need and will be available at #26. I'm starting to think we trade back anyway. If we do draft a RB later I like Skattebo, he's a power back that likes to punish defenders.

[ramsman34]

I kind of disagree with you on that,
I feel they would trade down and pick up more draft picks,
because of no need in that position. IMO

If you look at last season's draft, we needed to replace AD stat numbers,
So, Verse fell to us, and we drafted him, in which we needed a power edge rusher,
then traded up to get Fiske, so with those two draft picks,
to my eyes, it was a need to replace AD's numbers.

Well ya, I was not considering trade down as an option. It was my argument best player vs need - at any given slot. In that case with no trade, they take the RB. Need is a tie breaker and, in your scenario, when they don’t love the talent at the draft slot, especially at positions of greater need.

They had a few players ranked closely. Verse, Turner, one other who was taken before they picked. And yet, they tried to move up for a higher ranked player. Bowers. Of course replacing AD’s production was a need. They weren’t going to draft average players to try to do that. They got a bit lucky and had both Verse and Fiske ranked high. Look at all the shit they heard for trading for Fiske. Looks pretty damn good now.

Frankly, every position is a position of “need”. It’s just a matter of when. Injuries, expiring contract, player decline, etc. they need top quality players….every where on the roster.

I think the Rams go in with a plan to get particular players. Need is part of the analysis. But talent is the main piece of it. Then “fit”.

[PARAM]

We know it's a combination of value and need. How?

Possibly:

If there's a need and the value is there, perfect scenario.

If the value heavily outweighs the need, there's nothing wrong with taking the guy.

If the need outweighs the value, it depends how bad the need is.

I would think in those last two examples a trade down is an option. Maybe even a desire.

[ramsman34]

Google Bill Polian and other former GMs and search draft strategies. Bill breaks down the draft for “need” philosophy really well. I am not positing that need isn’t a factor. It is part of the criteria. Mock drafts are almost totally driven by slotting players to teams based on hierarchy of need. Great teams don’t draft that way. They identify players who fit and who are either elite and/or have a particular high-level skill set that fits their scheme.

Like I said above, every position is a position of need. It’s just a matter of when. The Rams have need at corner, WR, TE, RT, QB, RB based solely on expiring contracts at those positions. They don’t have an immediate need really at any of them. But the need is still there.

The Rams are unique in how they find, rank, and grade players. They are going to target players who are ready to compete for reps right now. The exception is QB. They aren’t taking one until late, if at all. Unless one they rank really high is sitting there at a lower spot. In that sense alone the argument is, see RM34, they drafted for need before taking the QB. And that is semi correct. That is how need gets slotted into the evaluation and decision making.

Again, I don’t know shit. This is my opinion based on research.

[69RamFan]

Well ya, I was not considering trade down as an option. It was my argument best player vs need - at any given slot. In that case with no trade, they take the RB. Need is a tie breaker and, in your scenario, when they don’t love the talent at the draft slot, especially at positions of greater need.

They had a few players ranked closely. Verse, Turner, one other who was taken before they picked. And yet, they tried to move up for a higher ranked player. Bowers. Of course replacing AD’s production was a need. They weren’t going to draft average players to try to do that. They got a bit lucky and had both Verse and Fiske ranked high. Look at all the shit they heard for trading for Fiske. Looks pretty damn good now.

Frankly, every position is a position of “need”. It’s just a matter of when. Injuries, expiring contract, player decline, etc. they need top quality players….every where on the roster.

I think the Rams go in with a plan to get particular players. Need is part of the analysis. But talent is the main piece of it. Then “fit”.

Once again, you just proved my point, as you mention,
the RAMs were trying to move up to draft Bowers,
because as I stated, it was a need at the time,
to replace Higbee due to his injured knee,
even though I thought that was a bad idea IMO because they signed Parkinson.
But I'm glad they didn't get a chance to go after Bowers,
because I thought Verse was a better fit and need,
then they moved up in the draft to get Fiske.
In which it gives the RAMs one of the best front DL in the league.

[Elvis]

The Verse/Fiske combo could not have worked out better to this point.

But i don't think you try to trade up to 10 or 11 because of Higbee's knee. They already signed Colby, had Allen and Long, ended up not drafting a TE at all. So i don't think you can say that was about need.

Two years ago, Rams supposedly tried to trade up to get Kincaid. It's pretty clear McVay covets having a legit high end weapon at TE.

Russini is saying they might try again this year...

[ramsman34]

Once again, you just proved my point, as you mention,
the RAMs were trying to move up to draft Bowers,
because as I stated, it was a need at the time,
to replace Higbee due to his injured knee,
even though I thought that was a bad idea IMO because they signed Parkinson.
But I'm glad they didn't get a chance to go after Bowers,
because I thought Verse was a better fit and need,
then they moved up in the draft to get Fiske.
In which it gives the RAMs one of the best front DL in the league.

They weren’t targeting him because of need. They wanted him because he is elite at a position that completely alters your offensive scheme and attacking mismatches. Yes, TE was and still is a relatively significant need. Bowers is Elite. Bowers plays a skill position. Bowers would have addressed one of the roster needs. Verse is elite. Fiske is great. If Verse was not there last year, do you honestly think they would have simply drafted the next best edge - Chop Robinson or Darius Robinson??

Maybe. But maybe they shift to a different player at a different position because that player is rated higher by the Rams.