[ramsman34]

Nice work sir!

[ramsman34]

When is Rams mini camp for the rookies, anyone know??

[Elvis]

End of May. You can check our important dates thread:

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=17324

[PARAM]

End of May. You can check our important dates thread:

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=17324

Ah, 34 was probably driving again!

[Elvis]

Ah, 34 was probably driving again!

Ha, meant as a PSA for everyone…

[actionjack]

It is funny how this stuff works. The experts pretty much all agree we gave up too much in the Fiske trade. And analytically we absolutely did. But that's not the only thing that matters and so far Fiske (and the trade) have been great for the Rams.

Flipside, Falcons absolutely gave up too much in trade with Rams. Analytically that's the case. But if the two players they took in the first round are good and Atlanta makes the playoffs this year, who's gonna say it was a bad trade for them?

Two sides of the same coin.

Rams don't do things just one way...

But there is a big difference trading a 1st round pick (in what is supposed to be a deeper draft) vs trading a 2nd round pick. What if Penix fails and the Falcons are in the top 1/3 of the draft.

Pierce now has to be an absolute stud.

[actionjack]

You really have to love how the Rams draft players. They know the guys they want and aggressively go after them. They have a plan for each of the guys they drafted even in the 7th round. Do not sleep on Mumpfield at WR.

[Elvis]

According to spotrac this draft class will have a total cap hit of $6.7 mil but only add $2.5 mil to the top 51...

[actionjack]

Also Chris Paul Jr was drafted to help the Rams deal with running QB's specifically (Hurts. Kyler), it was one of our weaknesses. Dolac could help some too.

[Elvis]

The Rams are my biggest draft winner.

And it has nothing to do with the players they selected. I have no idea whether those guys will be good or not. But I do know that the Rams have positioned themselves well for a variety of potential outcomes going forward, and that is one of the hardest things to do in the NFL. Usually, teams have a short window to contend for a title, and when that’s over, they have to take a big step back. Usually it’s because the quarterback gets old (or gets injured). And before draft weekend, it sure felt like the Rams would be in trouble if Matthew Stafford showed significant decline this season. But now? They have the resources to pivot.

Think back to late February. It was unclear whether Stafford would even be back with the Rams. He would be entering his age-37 season and has fought through a bunch of injuries. After a brief flirtation with other teams, Stafford and the Rams were able to work out an agreement for the 2025 season. That’s the best outcome for both parties. The Rams went 10-6 with Stafford as their starter last season and advanced to the divisional round before losing to the eventual Super Bowl champion Eagles. Going into 2025, they have the third-best odds to reach the Super Bowl in the NFC—behind only the Eagles and the Lions. This is a good team with a legit chance to do big things.

But the NFL is unpredictable—it’s the whole reason we watch. Even for the teams with good coaches and players and general managers like the Rams have, it’s hard to know which way a specific season will go. And that’s why what the Rams did this weekend was so big. As mentioned in the Falcons section above, the Rams traded down from no. 26 to 46 and acquired the Falcons’ 2026 first-round pick. The only thing that everyone seemed to agree on in this draft was that there wasn’t much of a difference in grades between the players you could take with the 15th pick and the 50th pick. With the Rams trading back, they showed that they weren’t overconfident in their ability to find a diamond their peers missed in that tier of players. There was no player when they were on the clock at no. 26 that they just had to have.

By moving back and picking up an additional 2026 first-round pick, they gave themselves tremendous optionality. Let’s say that the Rams have a successful season and do contend for a Super Bowl. Great. They can use the extra first-round pick to add a valuable player on a rookie contract, or they can use it to trade for a veteran to further bolster the roster. Let’s say that the Rams have a disappointing season, Stafford’s play falls off, and this is his final year with Sean McVay. All good! The Rams now have an extra first-round pick that they can potentially use in a trade for a different veteran quarterback. And if the Falcons are bad, the Rams could be positioned to draft their next quarterback with the first-round pick they received on Thursday, or they could package the two first-round picks to move up and control next year’s draft. They won’t be stuck. McVay and Les Snead will have options to figure out the best path forward without necessarily having to take a massive step back. That’s really difficult to achieve, but because of Snead’s maneuverings, the Rams are in a great spot.